“Mad Men” episodes come in several forms. “Indian Summer”
blends a couple different categories: it is a meditation on a central theme
(repressed sexual tension) but also is one of those eps that pushes the story
forward in giant leaps. In this single installment, Peggy makes her first pitch
and earns a raise, Don becomes a partner in the agency, Roger has a second
heart attack, and Don’s brother Adam commits suicide, setting in motion the
main storyline for the end of the season. It’s one of those episodes that feels
twice as long as it actually is, and I mean that as a compliment. There’s so
much going on here, weaving all the threads together makes for one of the best
episodes of the first season.
Best Scene: A
salesman peddling air-conditioning units stops by the Draper household while
Betty is home alone. In a wonderfully ambiguous scene, Betty almost lets him
upstairs into the bedroom to “take some measurements,” but then decides against
it before they reach the top of the steps. The man is clearly disappointed by
not closing the deal. Which deal? Well, I guess we’ll never know. This scene is
made all the more important by Don’s outrage later when Betty tells him of the
brief encounter; Don is free to philander all over New York City (including a
scene just a few minutes earlier with Rachel Menken), but the rules are
different when it comes to his wife.
Best Line: Don on
the creative process: “Peggy, just think about it—deeply—and then forget it.
And an idea will … jump up in your face.”
Other Best Line: Bert
to Don: “I’m going to introduce you to Miss Ayn Rand. I think she’ll salivate.”
Grade: A-
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