What I Saw: Mad Men Season 6, The Quality of Mercy
The Quality of Mercy makes everyone think of Portia's speech in the The Merchant of Venice. The speech is often quoted for its beauty, but if you've read much Shakespeare, you know that it may have some pretty sentiments (Am I being sentimental over the passing of Gleason?), but its place in the play and the person who speaks it makes that speech ironic and rather nasty. The speech is much like Don's grand eulogy to Gleason in the conference room with the representative from Bayer's Children Aspirin. It hits all the manipulative sentiments while it goes in for the kill.
Portia, who gives the speech, is a woman disguised as a man playing a lawyer. She is setting up the witness Shylock for his great fall from fortune through his sanctimony for the letter of the law. She is not beseeching Shylock for some mercy for her client; she is setting up her rifle scope to take him down with what passes for justice in Venice. No Mercy will be shown. Compare Portia to Don who gives the great Gleason memorial and who is Dick Whitman disguised as Don Draper playing the righteous advertising executive who is defending his firm's money. Portia and Don are very similar in purpose and intent and going for the same consequence.
It is all about the money by people with money. Love, education, family, justice, war, and orange juice...it is all serviced by money. Don't kid yourself.
Hunting for Meaning
Remember Duck's dog, Chauncy?
We last saw him hitting the pavement in New York City, on his own and on the road. Would he make it in the cold cruel world? Or would he become a homeless dog scavenging the left overs of the Rats in NYC?
Don't worry about Chauncy, he is back and better than ever.
Chauncy hitched his way to Detroit City, Michigan and became a Service Hunting Accident Dog! He is serving mankind and hunters and the NRA by rescuing and licking hunting accidents in the Michigan woods! Here he goes to Kenny Cosgrove's aid after an unfortunate hunting accident.
The guy on the Right is Dick Cheny who is hunting for a new heart. Kenny's heart wasn't a match with Dick's, so Kenny was allowed to live.
But....He Killed Kenny! That Bastard!
Ken, you are such an Elmer Fudd.
And speaking of Chauncy and hunting and duck----what does that make you think of ? Com'on, you know....
DUCK is back!
And like Chauncy, Duck is in the hunting and rescue game in NYC. Duck is head hunting for Pete. Duck is going to rescue Pete from that ever helpful and hovering presence of Bob Benson.
It is nice to see that Bert Cooper finally has an office. But I think that all that free-range wandering of the past two years has suited him. He is once more hardened and commanding. See what an office can do for you?
Look at Bob Benson. He is wearing Kryptonite green. He is Pete's Kryptonite. Pete went to Duck to get some Lead Shielding and found out that he might have another Superman on his hands. Everyone knows, as does Pete from bitter experience, that you don't tug on Superman's cape. OK, I am mixing up metaphors here, but stay with me.
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Here is the Superman in his snazzy Brooks Brothers Suit that Puny Mortal Pete tugged at. Yep, it's Don who masqueraded as Dick Whitman until he learned his purpose in life was Lies, Money, and the American Way. This is a strange visitor from another world, as is Bob Benson.
Great Ceasar's Ghost! I don't know why Perry White is wearing the Clark Kent glasses. Damn you, Janie Bryant!
But the Supermen have turned Pete Campbell from his Evil Villain Ways. Pete and Bob, who is disguised as an agreeable Toady (and Toads are green too), are off to Michigan where every day is a fresh start in this uncertain world. Much like Chauncy, they are to the rescue! Have fun with that boys. And really, just how long do you think that Pete will last in Detroit? He couldn't take the suburbs and being away from NYC, but he is going to Detroit? I give that three months.
It is a 22 rifle, Pete. Clara told you that it is only good for hunting squirrels. You don't take a 22 to a war zone where they are shooting 50 caliber machine guns and there are land mines (as Ken told you). But maybe Bob Benson is Pete's Super Weapon. Hmmm, I am going to like to see how that pans out.
Girl Hunting
Betty goes for an interview to Miss Porter's School for Proper Young Ladies.
Oh yeah, she brought Sally along because she couldn't get a sitter. Call Chauncy Betty, he is a setter.
Notice something different about Sally? Don would, immediately, if he could look at her. But Don won't be looking at Sally for a while.
Sally isn't wearing her necklace that Allison bought her for Don for Christmas from Macy's. Oh well, Allison left Don's employ after she bought it and slept with Don and then was ignored by him. Now Sally has left Don after catching him in the act with Sylvia or in flagrante delicto as Sylvia would say, she has such pretensions.
Sally had a satisfying interview with Miss Porter's School for Young Girls Who Are Trouble and she and Betty light up with cigarettes on the way back.
It was Good for both of them.
Hey, who would have thought that Weird Glenn would turn out to be a Stand Up Kinda Guy? And he has a really cool army jacket with flash. I just hope that this is not foreshadowing. Don't let Glenn become another Abe.
Dick Cheney Wishes He Were This Good of a Hunter
Now, on to the Big Hunt with the Most Dangerous Hunter hunting the Not So Dangerous Game.
He has spotted his Prey.
He familiarizes himself with their habits and scents.
He waits his prey in his Duck Blind.
He baits the trap with cookies from the Best Ever Bakery. Sweets for the Sweethearts!
He waits patiently camouflaged in his hypocritical concern. He lures them to him with his silver tongued call whistle.
And then, he lets loose the Dogs of Rivalry and Propaganda and War!
Only Peggy knew what hit her. It "dawned" or "donned" on her that she had been "killed".
Oh you DEVIL, Don! You Silver Tongued Devil from Hell!
You Baby! Don!
And then it occurred to me what was happening. Don was becoming
Think about it. He has the wife that he doesn't pay atttention to
Although, Mrs. Nixon is wearing Betty Yellow here. Stop it Janie Bryant.
After his betrayal and loss, Don/Dick Nixon turns his face to the wall and plots his revenge.
Megan is wearing Betty and Pat Yellow here.
He comes back. Meaner and more defensive and more wily than ever. It will be a wild ride at SC&P!
Unless Don/Dick Nixon dies of cirrhosis of the liver first.
Look at the gut on Don. That is one swollen liver. I have seen it on many alcoholics, unfortunately.
Again, look at his gut. And look at those walls and counters closing in on him. It's the Ozu domestic crisis shot. Only in the office does he have room.
Ending
But let's not end on a downer, guys!
Creative at SC&P drink cranberry juice, and the ever perceptive Ginsburg (he and Pete seem to be the only ones who know What's Happening!) suggests that they pee.
What juice is good for the liver?
Screen Caps by Me.
Elmer Fudd courtesy of Looney Tunes.
Mrs. Nixon courtesy of Life magazine.