Mad Men Post-Mortem: The Other Woman

Let’s talk about last night’s episode and share our thoughts, links to excellent recaps, and (of course) hilarious gifs! A few of my own thoughts after the cut.

WARNING: THE POST AND COMMENTS WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS. DO NOT ENTER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO BE SPOILED. THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING, JERK.

Boy oh boy this episode was something. Someone on my Facebook News Feed said that this episode was “The Godfather of TV.”

• This Jaguar guy is the worst. I don’t even know if I can devote more words to this creep (the North Jersey Creep is a breed of Creep that I am very, very familiar with). Actually I wish we could have learned a little more about what Kenny Cosgrove felt about that scene though we did get the chance to see that Pete Campbell is, indeed, a “grimy little pimp.” “This was an act of desperation,” Pete says by way of an apology. I get the feeling that everything Pete does is an act of desperation.
• Of course, Roger Sterling is willing to sign off on Joan’s prostitution on Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce’s behalf, but will draw the line at bankrolling it. Oh Roger, you are such a gentleman. Joan snottily asked about his participation in the discussion, which makes me wonder if she still loves him or if she actively does not.
• Don, on the other hand, is really upset about it! He storms out of the meeting and when he finds out that Joan is going to go through with it, he actually goes to her home to tell her its not worth it. What he doesn’t know is that she already had–and what she didn’t know beforehand was that he didn’t approve. You can see the sting in her face and it breaks your heart a little.
• Megan is auditioninzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
• Lane’s adventures in embezzlement take an interesting turn this week as it directly results in Joan asking for 5% ownership of SCDP (in exchange for some good ol’ prostitution).  (With that guy?! I would’ve asked for 10%.)
• Peggy! Peggy finally did it! Holy shit! Don really was taking advantage of Peggy and not appreciating her the way she needed to be appreciated. Some of that is because Don doesn’t know how to vocalize his appreciation and some of that is because I think that men did not know how to appreciate women’s needs in a workplace.
• Don’s pitch to Jaguar interspersed with Joan’s expensive tête-à-tête with the Creep was beautifully sad, and then his face when he saw her at the partners’ meeting? Gut-wrenching.

So what did you guys think? The dichotomy between the choices that Joan and Peggy will make to move up in their career is a wonder to behold. And I still love them both.