MAD MEN 3.3 - "My Old Kentucky Home"

WRITERS: Dahvi Waller & Matthew Weiner
DIRECTOR: Jennifer Getzinger
GUEST CAST: Kiernan Shipka, Alison Brie, Ryan Cutrona, Christopher Stanley, Amy Scott, Alexa Alemanni, Jared S. Gilmore, Jamison Haase, Patrick Cavanaugh, Miles Fisher, Judy Kain, Peyton List, Sam Page, Laura Regan, Chelcie Ross, Pamela Roylance, Tim Snay & Jud Tylor

[SPOILERS] While a solid character-building exercise and exploration of class in early-'60s society, "My Old Kentucky Home" wasn't the kind of Mad Men episode I especially enjoy, because it had little bearing on any storylines. Of course, it's so early in the season that not most storylines have only begun in earnest, so you could argue this was a well-placed hour to flesh out some characters, but beyond a few interesting moments for Joan (Christina Hendricks) and Peggy (Elisabeth Moss), this felt forgettable to me...

The episode primarily revolved around three social get-togethers: Roger (John Slattery) and Jane's (Peyton List) country club shindig, with most of Sterling Cooper's top brass invited; Peggy, Smitty (Patrick Cavanaugh) and Paul (Michael Gladis) working over the weekend on new campaign ideas for Bacardi rum, while smoking marijuana supplied by Paul's visiting Princeton pal Jeffrey (Miles Fisher) to grease their creative juices; and Joan playing hostess for her husband Greg's (Sam Page) hospital friends at their modest home. There was also a minor subplot at the Draper residence, where little Sally (Kiernan Shipka) stole $5 from her grandad Gene (Ryan Cutrona), who found himself disbelieved over his monetary loss because of his dementia.

Each storyline had something interesting or amusing to impart, but nothing here really gripped me. I maintain that you could skip this episode and not really miss much. The Sterling's garden party was an uncomfortable event for the guests not accustomed to them -- Don (Jon Hamm) balked at seeing Roger serenade his wife in offensive "black-face" (later finding refuge at a bar to drink with an older gent of similarly modest origins), Harry (Rich Sommer) felt uneasy throughout, and ex-secretary Jane got through the event by getting smashed. Of course, those with a more privileged upbringing slipped effortlessly into their "roles" and performed according to social conventions -- not least Pete (Vincent Karthesier) and wife Trudy (Alison Brie), who stole the party with a well-rehearsed (yet embarrassing and overeager) Charleston dance.

Peggy impressed the boys by insisting she join them in smoking pot, and later rattled her conformist secretary Olive (Judy Kain) by refusing to bow down to her conventional notions of a woman's place in the world, opting to view Olive's discomfort over her pot-smoking as misplaced concern ("... don't worry about me, I am going to get to do everything you want from me.") It was another sign that Peggy's growing more comfortable with her climb up the social ladder, and isn't going to let anything (or anyone) stand in her way of continued success and acceptance.

Joan's story was of interest mainly because we know her marriage is pretty much doomed, after season 2's uncomfortable shock when her "perfect husband" essentially raped her in Don's office. Six months later, and Greg's still has a domineering vibe to his interactions with her, although Joan manages to control and deflate an argument over table placements here, so she's at least growing more skilled at dealing with her other half's temperament. The party goes fairly well with her guests, and I liked how Greg diverted attention from talk of his surgical mishap by getting his sexy wife to sing "C'est Magnifique" on the accordion (apparently, Hendricks really can play it, too.) How fun to keep comparing Peggy and Joan, who are moving in opposite directions -- Peggy's becoming accepted as one of the boys, while Joan's just a way to impress her husband's friends and deflect uncomfortable attention.

The Sally/Gene storyline was good fun, highlighting how vulnerable Gene is now that everyone distrusts his judgement because of his mental illness. And it's always a pleasure to see good child acting on TV, with Kiernan Shipka certainly one of the best young actresses out there. I enjoyed seeing Sally get twinges of guilt and pretend to find the stolen banknote, particularly as Gene clearly knew she was behind its disappearance. But for all that, there's a genuine affection between the two, with Sally happy to read "The History Of The Decline & Fall Of The Roman Empire" to her granddad at bedtime (another little reversal of social convention, signifying Gene's increasing return to a childish state.)

Overall, you can rarely pick fault with Mad Men's characterizations or its subtle, clever use of subtext, but "My Old Kentucky Home" still left me a little cold. I'm used to the slow, measured pace of Mad Men, but I prefer it when episodes are pushing the plot along more firmly. We learned a few things about some of the characters which was appreciated (and I always love seeing Peggy grow more confident and worldly), but this episode felt too slack for my tastes.

3 FEBRUARY 2010: BBC4 / BBC HD, 10PM