Its 1969, revolution is in the air, women are rising to the top of corporations and are no longer slaves to the American domestic. Hippy culture is growing strong and there is a man with a beard in the SC&P office. That can only mean one thing, Mad Men is back! Returning for its seventh and final series, with Don Draper still wearing his suits and drinking like a fish.
The previous series ended on a rather revealing note as we saw the meltdown of Draper as he poured out his problems during a Hershey pitch, resulting in job loss and uncertainty. A few months have now passed; you’d think Draper would have relinquished himself, going back to his previous ways. Instead we see a fragile and broken man, drifting between the time zones of Hollywood and New York, hence the title of this episode.
After Draper meets with his part-time wife Megan in the Hollywood hills, it’s clear that the marriage is breaking down. Mrs Draper has a new show and a new life, and Don is merely drifting within it as he chooses. The most revealing moment of Don’s changing character is laid bare during his flight back to New York, as a mystery brunette sits next to him sharing stories of her husband’s loss and lonely soul. You would think that the suave, debonair Don Draper would immediately move in for the kill and join her at touchdown. Instead Don turns down her offer stating, “I really should get back to work”. Does Draper really want his marriage to continue? Possibly, but with every episode of Mad Men things can easily turn a bit mad.
This episode does not just revolve around the inner working of Don; we see Peggy and Joan in the full swing of their new hierarchal prowess at SC&P. Despite the changes in the office, Peggy’s ideas are still being ignored by her macho boss Lou Avery. After Freddy pitched his spoon fed version of an Accutron pitch, that is clearly the masterful work of Don, Peggy enthusiastically reveals her ideas to no avail. Peggy is not only being ignored by her boss, and being patronised by her former lover Ted, but she may find herself in a spot of bother if word gets out that Don is feeding in the copies. I’m sure all will be revealed as things progress. Joan is still shaking her hips and playing the sociopathic career climber, as she meets with the youthful looking Wayne Barnes, of Butler’s footwear. Barnes who is the new head of marketing at Butlers, attempts to stamp his authority over Joan with talk of an MBA in marketing and a 4Ps. Barnes orders two cokes to the shock of viewers, but where are the martinis, you ask. Gone are the days of the cocktail-fuelled happy hours, the youngsters mean serious business! Don’t worry, Mad Men hasn’t gone dry just yet. Joan reassures us, asking Barnes to “Put some whiskey in this please”. Despite the putdown, Joan knows how to get what she wants. We see her visiting a marketing professor to get the scoop on the modern principles in return for a bit of insider information. Joan then calls Mr Barnes proving she can compete with the MBA drones, to the delight of viewers.
This episode may not be the most enthralling start to a series opener, yet it intrigues and hints at future troubles to come. Just like the previous series, this episode doesn’t fall short of metaphorical hints. Reagan’s inauguration speech states “We have found ourselves rich in goods, but ragged in spirit.” This statement not only applies to the state of the American nation at the time, but sums up the inner workings of each character in the episode. From the outside all looks well, yet the inner pain and anguish of each character is clearly revealed. The ending to the episode may to some, seem depressing and dark yet it cleverly reveals the possible future fate of the character’s, as with the title credits we see a man spiralling further and further into the abyss, we see Peggy’s breakdown and Don slumped on his balcony. Will he jump? Or will he remain steady? Who knows? Overall this is a remarkable beginning to a show that will be remembered for generations as being one of the “golden shows” of American television.