Mad Men Season 1 Episode 6

Mad Men Season 1 Episode 6

            The story of Don and his relationship with his wife begins to unfold, in how he seems to be resisting something when he is with her, yet he still seems to be pleased with her all the while she is desiring him more and more. Babylon, the title of this episode starts with him making a breakfast tray and bringing it up to the bedroom when he slips and falls on a toy at which point sends the tray and everything on it into disarray. Later that night, Don and Betty joke about it as they are going to bed and she admits to loving him more and more. Another relationship however is unfolding as the next day at the office shows. Roger’s wife and daughter show up at the office because his daughter is getting a haircut, when Joan comes along and shows them around to some places. The relationship that unfolds however is Joan and Roger, when admittedly Roger wants to divorce his wife and run away with Joan and she on the other hand likes her life just the way it is.

            We see as well, the relationship between Don and Rachel, the Jewish department store owner whom has apparently taken a liking to Don and admits as much to her sister over the phone stating that her father would not like the man that she had met. In the mean time, Peggy has begun to make her name known as a creative person, she developed a name for a client when they were trying out a bunch of different lipsticks and she called the trashcan a basket full of kisses, referring to all of the tissue’s with lipstick kisses on them.

            The whole episode seems to be continuing this idea of how unhappy people are with themselves and with the things that they surround themselves with. The smaller themes that I have been commenting on in these last episodes I think have barely brushed the surface of what is happening with these characters. Every time that I watch this show, I get this growing sense of angst where I feel so caught up in the lies, the unrest and the frustration I know I have when things like this happen to me. See, these characters, Don, Betty, Peggy, Joan, Roger and the rest of them are so caught up in the moment of the time. They are so focused on doing the things that make them happy and in trying to maintain that happiness, not just for themselves but for others as well. We see Don trying to appease his wife when he is at the house, doing things for her and yet we wonder why he hardly speaks when she says she loves him. Then he goes and talks it out with midge and somehow with Rachel. Roger has the same thing with Joan, he does not seem to be able to control or be happy with his wife so he seeks out an attractive entertaining soul whom is willing to sleep with him. But no one seems to be able to control or maintain the thoughts or feelings that they have, which is why I sit here watching this episode and saying to myself, when is this all going to hit the fan? Even Peggy in this episode seems to be growing more and more distant as she becomes happier with the job that she has. I can’t tell if the theme however is unrest, or trying to hide from their true feelings or even it’s them trying to control what they feel.