Approaching the end, the first season of Mad Men starts building up a solid narrative arc that merges plot strands from previous episodes to form something that will greatly impact the season finale and, hopefully, what comes next, as well.
The main arc of Indian Summer concerns the future of Sterling Cooper in the wake of Roger's heart attack: Bertram Cooper asks him to come in to help with the Lucky Strike account, but the effort proves too much for Roger, who is promptly sent home and replaced by Don, now named a senior partner. This event prompts several employees to consider job offers elsewhere, but Pete Campbell decides to openly challenge fate and ask for a promotion. When Don doesn't pay attention to his request, Pete reacts in a way that could have devastating consequences. Amusing subplot: Peggy is asked to test a weight loss machine so she can write copy for the ad campaign, and discovers through that humiliating experience that the apparatus can have another unexpected function.
The joy of Indian Summer is all in the performances, the nuances that make each interaction between the actors a treat to watch and hear: Slattery is excellent in the few scenes he's given, Robert Morse is valuable support as his partner and the Don/Pete scenes are as tense and brilliant as one has come to expect. The plotting is equally exquisite, showing that beneath the immaculate facade there's much more, as is evident in the closing moments, which provide a powerful build-up for the finale. A lesson in televised storytelling.
The main arc of Indian Summer concerns the future of Sterling Cooper in the wake of Roger's heart attack: Bertram Cooper asks him to come in to help with the Lucky Strike account, but the effort proves too much for Roger, who is promptly sent home and replaced by Don, now named a senior partner. This event prompts several employees to consider job offers elsewhere, but Pete Campbell decides to openly challenge fate and ask for a promotion. When Don doesn't pay attention to his request, Pete reacts in a way that could have devastating consequences. Amusing subplot: Peggy is asked to test a weight loss machine so she can write copy for the ad campaign, and discovers through that humiliating experience that the apparatus can have another unexpected function.
The joy of Indian Summer is all in the performances, the nuances that make each interaction between the actors a treat to watch and hear: Slattery is excellent in the few scenes he's given, Robert Morse is valuable support as his partner and the Don/Pete scenes are as tense and brilliant as one has come to expect. The plotting is equally exquisite, showing that beneath the immaculate facade there's much more, as is evident in the closing moments, which provide a powerful build-up for the finale. A lesson in televised storytelling.