Last night saw the UK and Ireland Premiere of AMC's latest episode of
MAD MEN "the other woman". Being honest this is my favourite episode of the hit series so far this season .
To say the episode was extremely character driven would be a huge understatement (WARNING SPOILERS FROM HERE), For fans of everyones favourite sexy office worker "Joan Harris" they finally got to see why on earth this amazing well brought up and strong minded woman has been kept behind closed doors the past two months , im sure most are overjoyed and shocked to find out .
Since last weeks episode a lot has changed in the way the agency are thinking , at the end of last weeks episode we had a very confident Don Draper telling the staff that they would make the pitch for JAGUAR and that they would win it .
Fast foward past Christmas , New Year and wake up to 1967 , we see all that confidence the Agency had about bagging its first car has now been destroyed , the staff are overworked and things are getting ugly .
When Pete sees that the prospects of succeeding are getting slimer what does he do ? Why he asks Joan to essentially sell herself to a Jaguar rep , who has the hots for her . Joans inital reaction is one of disgust , and the fact she is offered money makes her feel worse , with a divorce around the corner a baby at home and her life falling apart the idea of being used as a prostitute by the closest thing she has to family leaves her shocked . Oh but Pete doesnt care. "I hope I havent insulted you. Thats all that matters to me" (spoken with a smirk on his face).
As though asking her wasnt bad , he then calls a meeting with all the executives , unsure they dont know wether to back Pete or punch him (this is Joan Harris !), Don who has always respected Joan , so much so he didnt sleep with her last week walks out in anger , Robert just says "hes not paying for it" (so much for last week) Lane tells her to ask for partership in the company if she does decide to go ahead and Mr Cooper .. "let her know she can say no" .
Anyhow Joan makes a decision over the offer and agrees with Lane , she gets the parternship in the company ensuring a good income for her and her baby (Rogers Baby) . Its easy to say this probably saved the company financially but how will it affect characters relationships , with Joan so high up the food chain , wait sorry its 1967 (a woman so far up the food chain).
Joan now so powerful , the dominante female entity in the company for the best part of the decade is left struggleing to be even heard , this of course is Peggy who is left out of the Jaguar pitch and feels completely replaced by Ginsberg .
Left feeling outcasted she reminds us of her value by single handedly saving the Jaguar deal over the phone .
When its announced that Ginsberg may be flying to Paris taking credit for her own pitch , Peggy gets upset and Don under severe presure throws dollar bills at Pegi shouting "You wanna go to Paris ? Here you go" . However its not the trip to Paris Peggy wanted , but the account.
This is the last piece of crap Peggy is going to take and immediately accepts a offer from a rival Advertising Agency and hands in her resignation , all this just as the firm learns they won the Jaguar Deal (thank you Joan) .
Don left dazed finds it hard to believe the woman he has brought from secretary to succesful copywriter is leaving but accepts her decision as a friend . Before leaving Peggy says "dont be a stranger" .
Peggy now realising she has done it , shes gone , walks past the celebration and heads to her small office grabs her things and walks towards the elevator , before walking out the glass doors , Joan catches her walking off from the corner of her eye and smirks in a (so long won't miss you way) . Did joan realise she was leaving ? If so this shows us Joan is deffinetly happy with her decision , she is now the most powerful woman at the agency and with the threat of Peggy challenging her gone , and Megan no longer attched to Don at the hip , she feels accomplished , succesful and most importantly that she now is seeing her life change for the better .
The episode ends with Peggy walking into the elevator looking confident and pleased .
What did you guys think of the episode it sure did change the way in which the woman of Mad Men are looked down on and definetly has created a stirup at the firm , but most importantly we bid farewell to Pegi Olsen but was that the correct decision on her behalf ?
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