Ok, Mad Men was extremely and exceedingly awesome on Sunday. And I'm not just saying that because I stare transfixed at every scene soaking in the beauty and majesty and underlying fear and horror of times gone by. Oh no! There is so much more to this show than eye candy, it's got brain candy in spades my friends.
Today I keep thinking about the relationship between Joan and Peggy. Joan is a career woman who none-the-less has always been intent on keeping to her master plan of marrying a doctor and living happily ever after. Peggy is the new modern woman, not content to settle for anything, she is trying her hardest to carve out a little niche for herself in a professional world dominated by men who show her little to no respect.
In the last episode Joan had to face the reality, once again, that her dream life isn't all she thought it would be. Her husband turns out to be a horrible doctor and she doesn't find out he won't be a resident until after she has already quite her job at Sterling Cooper.
Jezebel has an amazing wrap up in which they correctly point out the, "Sadness, anger, weariness yet strength and resolve, all in that one moment" that Joan shows as she learns the news from her husband, stumbling in drunk after drowning his sorrows.
It's the next day however, during Joan's farewell party, that we see her strength in action. Without giving anything aways, even Peggy isn't able to handle the situation at hand, while Joan springs into action like a seasoned pro. Is there a moment when she realizes her own value as a woman in business and that maybe she has taken the wrong path?
I find myself at a loss for words and at a loss of time at the moment. I had just been musing about Joan in my head today and wanted to get this out there to anyone who was interested. Obviously (to anyone who saw the episode) I am leaving out probably the most insane and important things but I didn't really want to spoil it if you haven't seen it. Sufficed to say, I will keep eating my eye and brain candy on a weekly basis, and so should you.
