Mad Men - Recap: In Fidelity
Recap video and review of Mad Men - Season 6 Episode 3 - The Collaborators:
In many ways, this week's Mad Men is about loyalty. Now, some might argue that the show has always been about loyalty: loyalty to a client, loyalty to a spouse, or even loyalty to oneself. But what "Collaborators" does so well is its exploration of the codes of conduct embedded within the construct of fidelity. In some cases, there's an unwritten agreement, an understanding about the ways in which a person should conduct his or herself. This is brought to bear in the parallel stories of Don (Jon Hamm) and Pete's (Vincent Kartheiser) infidelities, yet it's also illustrated in the business end of things, as Don torpedoes the Jaguar campaign to get his way, by sticking to what the client asked for, essentially remaining loyal to the client's wishes despite failing to actually meet them. These are only a few examples of the ways in which the episode engages with the intimate issues at its center, and the multi-layered depth of this exploration marks this as a thoroughly exceptional hour of television.
Credit: Michael Yarish/AMC
The episode splits down the middle, depicting how Don and Pete handle their respective affairs. Pete is sleeping with his neighbor, Brenda, who seems to be far more into Pete than he is into her. The danger of falling into a serious romantic relationship is depicted in Don's affair with Sylvia (Linda Cardellini), as it threatens to veer closer and closer to a serious romantic entanglement. What's interesting in this development is in the similarities between the two situations: Don and Pete are both sleeping with their neighbors, yet Don's practised familiarity in infidelity means he's better able to carry it off than Pete. Yet Megan (Jessica Pare) complicates things, beyond simply being Don's wife. In a private moment with Sylvia, Megan reveals that she had a miscarriage. This revelation colors how Sylvia interacts with Don -- and it also changes how Don interacts with Sylvia, once Megan breaks the news to him. There's an understanding between the two that what they're doing is wrong, but the slow, steady drag of years has dulled them to their own morality. When Sylvia raises the objection that she feels guilt over how they're making fools of their spouses, it only takes Don kissing her and unzipping her dress to shut her up. Fidelity only lasts for as long as it takes for the heart to find the next thing it wants. Don understands this and manages his expectations accordingly, treating the Sylvia affair as just that: an affair. But the threat of larger feelings remains ever-present, particularly when Sylvia addresses that they're sidling perilously close to an emotional attachment. It's a delicate balance to strike, and Don has been out of the courtship game for quite some time, prior to this affair. It'll be intriguing to see how he handles it.
Credit: Michael Yarish/AMC
Though likely not as intriguing as watching Pete Campbell completely crash and burn. Brenda slips up and tells her husband about the affair, resulting in her getting beaten bloody. She arrives at the Campbell household with her husband shouting, "She's your problem now, Campbell!" In the brief, private moments he gets with Brenda, he takes the opportunity to informally break things off, in a last ditch effort to cut ties with an unstable woman, knowing all too well where that road leads, given how things turned out last season with Beth. However, this does nothing to save his marriage to Trudy (Alison Brie). It turns out that the apartment she insisted on Pete getting last season was her implicit endorsement of his affairs. Okay, maybe "endorsement" is the wrong word, but she certainly understood that this is what would happen. Trudy takes Pete to task for his failure to be discreet, since discretion was all Trudy wanted from him. She details how she'd felt trapped, while Pete would get to do whatever he wanted. It's a back-and-forth argument that culminates in Trudy effectively dissolving their marriage. She's not going to embarrass herself with a divorce, but she is going to affect "a 50 mile radius" around the house, adding that he'll only be allowed in the house when she gives him permission. If he breaks these rules, she'll ruin him. It's an immensely powerful scene that further illustrates how breaking the codes of conduct leads to ruin, in the present (the ruin of Pete's marriage for breaking the rules of fidelity) and in the future (should Pete break Trudy's rules prohibiting him from coming by the house). The episode posits that, in marriage, the person whose marriage survives is the one who best follows the codes of conduct -- if you're married, don't cheat, but if you're going to cheat, be discreet. For Pete's sake.
Credit: Ron Jaffe/AMC
The business end of things was pretty interesting too. At SCDP, Don takes a meeting with Heinz ketchup, which brings them into conflict with their existing client, Heinz Beans, who orders them not to pursue the contract. Don ultimately remains loyal to Heinz Beans, yet Stan (Jay R. Ferguson) slips up and tells Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) about it in one of their late-night phone calls. Peggy tells her boss, Ted (Kevin Rahm), who then orders Peggy to steal the client. Peggy is worried about how she's perceived, since she's not used to being disliked, yet this new client could win her the respect and admiration that would make working at Cutler, Gleason and Chaough bearable.
Credit: Ron Jaffe/AMC
Meanwhile, Herb from Jaguar re-enters the picture, demanding that SCDP allocate 60% of the resources behind their campaign into local advertising, as opposed to spending the majority on a national campaign. He also wants Don to pitch the idea to International. Don, ever the shrewd businessman, tanks the pitch on purpose so that International would reject it, allowing Don to retain the highly-lucrative national campaign for Jaguar. It's a fascinating business-related storyline that even allows for a bit of Joan (Christina Hendricks) on the side, as she's brought face-to-face with the man who indirectly secured her a partnership at SCDP. I loved the dig about Herb "darkening" her doorway, as well as her iron clad expression of disgust at the sight of the man. Herb really is below contempt. Even though Joan got something out of the deal, Herb still used her as a prostitute, a bargaining chip for SCDP to secure his favor. Don is disgusted with Herb as well, and it feels as though each episode gives us a deeper understanding of Don's relation to sex. This week, we get flashbacks in which a young Dick Whitman rooms in a cathouse. Though he seems like a decent enough kid, his curiosity gets the better of him, and he spies through a keyhole into the room of a woman servicing her john. Given that his mother was a prostitute who died bringing him into the world, Don's understanding of sex, and the meaning with which he does/doesn't imbue it, was always going to be muddled. These flashbacks further expand upon that point.
Credit: Ron Jaffe/AMC
"Collaborators" follows up on last week's excellent premiere with an episode that inspires every confidence in the season to come, as we're given stories that can be taken at face value, or dissected for deeper analysis. Mad Men has always done this well, but season 6 is already functioning at an insanely high level, when it comes to rich, dichotomous storytelling.
