Mad Men: Waldorf Stories

 Adding new characters to a successful television show is usually a sign of bad things on the horizon. With Mad Men, though, it’s usually an omen of dramatic changes – well, unless the new character is some random broad Don’s began toying with. With introduction of Lane Pryce, the show spun off into a completely new direction. So, we’ll see what happens with the introduction of Roger’s wife’s cousin into office life.

Aside from that weird out cropping of marrying a women thirty to forty years your junior, Roger and Don were necessitated to take a meeting while horrendously drunk. After winning an award for an ad – one which Peggy actually lays claim to – Life cereal execs show up and require being appeased.

After recognition of his success, Don doesn’t feel that being load can impede him in his business dealings. And it doesn’t really. We do eventually find out that the slogan he blurts out – after his own is met with disapproval – belongs to Roger’s relation. So, that’s troublesome. But the scene displays Don’s utter and complete self-assurance. Perhaps its misguided seeing as his life is in the process of falling apart, but he does possess an acumen for coming up with catchy phrases.

But with all of this business world success, this brush with potential disaster should alert viewers to the fact that the fall is sure to come. What form it might take is obviously up in the air. But by the end of “Waldorf Stories” it seems as if Roger’s even beginning to examine his drinking schedule. Don might not be right behind him – he losses an entire weekend to a binge ending in his waking up next a waitress whose past her prime – but missing a visit with his family should register.

Best Moment: Uncharacteristically, Don was punchy throughout the entire show – and drunk. There wasn’t really a moment of clarity for the man, but while trying to ‘save’ a co-worker from what was perceived to be a boring conversation, Don runs up on her, grabs her arm and says something about his being her brother. A drunken classic.

Notes: Even if hiring Roger’s relative became a necessity, it’s odd that Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Price hasn’t run out of office space. That might account for Peggy’s being hold up in a hotel room over the weekend – wait, no. It was Don being drunk that explains that.

Episode Rating: 4.00 (It wasn’t a bad episode, but just not one that pushed the show anywhere.)