But I shouldn't make fun - after weeks of protestation from creator Matthew Weiner that he absolutely would not be dramatizing the assassination of JFK, that fateful day in November finally came to our friends at Sterling Cooper.
I really enjoyed the vignettes of what everyone was doing as the story unfolded. It's amazing to think that news like that wouldn't hit the airwaves immediately, that there would be hours of confirmation before we even knew the president was dead. But it was a different time, and Mad Men really captured the fear and prolonged anxiety of that dreadful day.
My favorite revelation scene: most definitely Margaret and Mona in the bridal dressing room. The entire "I want to cancel the wedding!" tantrum was some over the top dramatic irony, and I doubt I was the only viewer shouting, "YES, cancel the wedding! It will be ruined anyway! Aaah, Margaret, you're so snotty!" Then, the moment with her crumpled in that wedding dress (a dry run, I suppose, since the wedding is the next day?) sobbing, "It's ruined, it's all ruined!" we knew that it wasn't the future of the country she was talking about, but her own wedding.
Betty's reaction was also surprising. Her exclamation to Don as he arrived home, "I just can't stop crying," may be hinting at deeper depression for our leading lady, as I recall her not being the biggest Kennedy fan. Of course, who am I to judge how one reacts to a national tragedy on this scale? I was impressed with Don's parenting, both comforting Gene in the middle of the night, and the surprisingly comforting and firm reassurance to Sally and Bobby. But even cold as ice Don Draper was affected by the events of the day, slipping one of Betty's pills (I assume anti-anxiety of some sort) before hopping into bed.
And then, of course, onto what was supposed to be the main event - Margaret's wedding. After humiliatingly asking his guests to consolidate tables and try both kinds of entrees provided, Roger gave a surprisingly touching toast to his daughter. And who else was at the wedding? Why, our good friend Henry the Rockefeller advisor! Of course. Betty spends the whole time mooning over her lost chance at an affair, while Henry's daughter and Don both take notice.
At the end of the night, Jane is sloppy drunk again, so Roger takes the opportunity to ring up his favorite set of hillsides. They have a strangely pleasant and benign conversation, then hang up. A precursor of things to come?
After watching Lee Harvey Oswald get shot on live TV, Betty decides to track down Henry for some more awkward foreplay. But Betty clearly has a lot to learn from the affair-master, Don Draper. When announcing that she was taking "a drive", Betty had no alibi planned, and had one of the worst lie deliveries of all time. Next time, Bets, just tell him - you'll both feel better.
So, she meets up with Mr. Rockefeller Aide, who promptly declares that he wants to marry her. Betty replies, "I don't know what to say," and seems genuinely flabbergasted and excited by the prospect. Oh, Betty, please, this guy does not want to marry you. It's the oldest trick in the book! He'll wait until you've lost your kids, husband, and house, get in your pants, and then be all like, "Oh, did I say marry? I meant...do you want to go on a ferry...to Staten Island?" He will then assume a preparatory running stance, then disappear in a cloud of dust and a comic "whoosh!" sound effect. Trust me, Bets.
But, apparently, Betty doesn't take my advice, and instead, storms home in a cloud of righteous fury and announces that she doesn't love Don anymore. Nope. Not one bit. The look of sheer terror and confusion on Don's face is priceless as Betty makes her announcement, as if he cannot possibly fathom how he has ruined their marriage. His sheepish entrance into the kitchen the following morning was also telling - he is now an intruder in his own home.
Going into work, we hear the telltale sounds of clacking at the typewriter. As soon as those workaholic little shots rang out, I knew it could be none other than Peggy, the other person as dedicated to their job as Don. But, even she takes a moment out of her day to watch the funeral, while Don drinks alone in his office.
Wow! This episode was so dramatic and emotionally fraught, I forgot that it wasn't the season finale. For real. We have one more left, and how can Weiner and the gang possibly top that? An anticlimactic "Betty moves out" montage? Even if they do falter next week, I'll still be clutching my pearls in anticipation of next season's machinations.
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