"The Gold Violin" is the seventh episode from the second season of "Mad Men", so pretty much from the middle of the season, and many think it is one of the best from the season. As you see from my rating, I would have a hard time to disagree with them. But first things first: The episode runs the usual 48 minutes and it was the third of four episodes directed by Andrew Bernstein. The writers here are familiar names too and have worked on quite a lot from this show. This also includes writer Matthew Weiner. Like with every Mad Men episode, there are moments when you will laugh or at least smile, but the more dramatic moments are the bigger factor here. There are regulars from the show that do not play a vital role in this episode at all. Peggy is not a factor and neither is Pete. Sterlin has some screen time, but not a lot either. Cooper is once again included, which is always nice. May Robert Morse rest in peace. I have been wondering for quite some time why the episode is called like that and eventually you understand or at least find out that it is the name of Ken Cosgrove's book. He got included a little more here and so did Bryan Batt's Salvatore Romano. I am still not sure what to make of this part though. There was at least one earlier episode when we found out that Sal may be in the closet and the way how he shut out his wife in this episode here when a colleague came to dinner may add more fuel to the fire. It is really only speculation though. I am not sure at all what to make of these scenes.
What was much easier to understand where the scenes involving Jane. She pretty much convinces the guys from the office to walk into Bertram Cooper's office while he was away to take a look at a certain painting. This has serious consequences for her as she is fired by Joan not much later. However, she goes to see Sterling then and apparently he will work something out that she can stay. Next Monday she shows up again at the office and Sterling has not talked yet to Joan, so we will see how this is gonna unfold in the next episodes. I mean I would not say "Mad Men" is a show where the situation is exactly the same between the beginning and end of an episode, but such an obvious difference is surely a bit of a rarity. I am surely convinced how the entire Joan/Jane situation is going to continue. By the way, the fact that people need to get out of their shoes before entering Cooper's office has also become a nice tradition, almost the way kids get out of their shoes before entering their father's working office. Add to that the words by Cosgrove it was I think on one occasion before they get in that were also really funny. Also showed how much respect everybody had for Cooper. Of course, the scene later on with the painting was also entertaining thanks to Morse mostly. The other guy trying to take the easy way out by asking Cooper what he thinks of the painting did not work out, but he fared the best when he honestly admitted he does not know a thing about paintings and eventually also gets Cooper's honest statement that the painting is just an investment.
The funniest moment from this episode or rather funniest and most entertaining scene for me was maybe the opening when we see Don and how he is about to buy a new car. The Dodge comment was quite something. Getting somewhere versus having arrived. I also really liked the actor who played the car salesman. Need to check if I find more stuff from him. The car is included on several occasions during this episode. The ending then is of course a bitter one and while I surely don't feel bad for Don that the car got puke all over it, I am a bit undecided if I should feel sorry for Betty. I mean it may sound harsh what Barrett was telling her, but he was right all along and maybe the fact that Betty needs to throw up in the car shows that she is finally away from the idea that Don is 100% faithful to her. Of course, Patrick Fischler was also a true scene-stealer there and should have been nominated for an Emmy in the guest acting category. He could not have gone out on a higher note really. Other than that, this episode is mostly worth remembering for understanding that you do not want Joan as an enemy in the office. In the previous episode I think, there was a statement from her towards Peggy that also showed that female employees who do not follow exactly what she tells them, may sometimes have a hard time, even if Jane is of course the complete opposite of Peggy. When she realizes that playing the victim is not gonna cut it, she even dares to speak aggressively towards Joan. The comment that she does not need somebody to act towards her like a mother because she is 20 years old was pretty hilarious.
So red is a defining factor in this episode, not only because Joan's hair and temper, but also because of the painting and the only thing definite about it being that everybody perceives art as something different. There you can make a reference again to the early parts from my review about Sal and Ken and the former maybe appreciating the artistic side of the latter and what he has to say about the painting. As I come to the end of the review, let me make another reference to the beginning where I explained why this episode does not end the way it started with the Joan/Jane situation as there was another inclusion that got me truly curious and I wonder if they will pick up on it again. "Mad Men" is known for flashbacks telling us about the past of Don Draper (or "Don Draper") and we have a short one here as well. It is closely connected to the car selling scene, only that Don worked a similar job as well in the past and we understand that after giving his best to sell a car to a man (or rather his son), there is a blonde woman who showed up at Don's workplace back in the day and tells him that he is not Don Draper. We do not find out if she knows who he is and if so, why she knows. If she maybe knew the actual Don Draper or what her background may be. I expected this to be solved at the end, but it did not. Will it be in the future? I guess so. But you need to keep watching to find out and to be honest, this should not be difficult because I am so hooked (again) now with this show and surely I am not the only one. Small-screen filmmaking at its finest. Truly high quality in this episode. Do not miss out!
What was much easier to understand where the scenes involving Jane. She pretty much convinces the guys from the office to walk into Bertram Cooper's office while he was away to take a look at a certain painting. This has serious consequences for her as she is fired by Joan not much later. However, she goes to see Sterling then and apparently he will work something out that she can stay. Next Monday she shows up again at the office and Sterling has not talked yet to Joan, so we will see how this is gonna unfold in the next episodes. I mean I would not say "Mad Men" is a show where the situation is exactly the same between the beginning and end of an episode, but such an obvious difference is surely a bit of a rarity. I am surely convinced how the entire Joan/Jane situation is going to continue. By the way, the fact that people need to get out of their shoes before entering Cooper's office has also become a nice tradition, almost the way kids get out of their shoes before entering their father's working office. Add to that the words by Cosgrove it was I think on one occasion before they get in that were also really funny. Also showed how much respect everybody had for Cooper. Of course, the scene later on with the painting was also entertaining thanks to Morse mostly. The other guy trying to take the easy way out by asking Cooper what he thinks of the painting did not work out, but he fared the best when he honestly admitted he does not know a thing about paintings and eventually also gets Cooper's honest statement that the painting is just an investment.
The funniest moment from this episode or rather funniest and most entertaining scene for me was maybe the opening when we see Don and how he is about to buy a new car. The Dodge comment was quite something. Getting somewhere versus having arrived. I also really liked the actor who played the car salesman. Need to check if I find more stuff from him. The car is included on several occasions during this episode. The ending then is of course a bitter one and while I surely don't feel bad for Don that the car got puke all over it, I am a bit undecided if I should feel sorry for Betty. I mean it may sound harsh what Barrett was telling her, but he was right all along and maybe the fact that Betty needs to throw up in the car shows that she is finally away from the idea that Don is 100% faithful to her. Of course, Patrick Fischler was also a true scene-stealer there and should have been nominated for an Emmy in the guest acting category. He could not have gone out on a higher note really. Other than that, this episode is mostly worth remembering for understanding that you do not want Joan as an enemy in the office. In the previous episode I think, there was a statement from her towards Peggy that also showed that female employees who do not follow exactly what she tells them, may sometimes have a hard time, even if Jane is of course the complete opposite of Peggy. When she realizes that playing the victim is not gonna cut it, she even dares to speak aggressively towards Joan. The comment that she does not need somebody to act towards her like a mother because she is 20 years old was pretty hilarious.
So red is a defining factor in this episode, not only because Joan's hair and temper, but also because of the painting and the only thing definite about it being that everybody perceives art as something different. There you can make a reference again to the early parts from my review about Sal and Ken and the former maybe appreciating the artistic side of the latter and what he has to say about the painting. As I come to the end of the review, let me make another reference to the beginning where I explained why this episode does not end the way it started with the Joan/Jane situation as there was another inclusion that got me truly curious and I wonder if they will pick up on it again. "Mad Men" is known for flashbacks telling us about the past of Don Draper (or "Don Draper") and we have a short one here as well. It is closely connected to the car selling scene, only that Don worked a similar job as well in the past and we understand that after giving his best to sell a car to a man (or rather his son), there is a blonde woman who showed up at Don's workplace back in the day and tells him that he is not Don Draper. We do not find out if she knows who he is and if so, why she knows. If she maybe knew the actual Don Draper or what her background may be. I expected this to be solved at the end, but it did not. Will it be in the future? I guess so. But you need to keep watching to find out and to be honest, this should not be difficult because I am so hooked (again) now with this show and surely I am not the only one. Small-screen filmmaking at its finest. Truly high quality in this episode. Do not miss out!