So, this was rather strange. That was my first thought upon concluding "The Jet Set." Even by the standards of a show that has gotten so good at focusing on the bizarre minutia of everyday life, this episode was quite beguiling. Appropriate, for an episode that seems to be focused on throwing Don so far out of his comfort zone.
Picking up where we left off last week, Don and Pete end up in LA for a conference, although things don't heat up until about 20 minutes in, when Don attended a seminar about new developments in rocket engineering. And damn, was that a good scene. Watching Don watch as military men explained how much closer they were coming to ending the world made it a lot easier to understand why Don went along with Joy. Joy, for her part, managed to beat Don at his own game, asking him "why would you deny yourself something you want," a line that could come straight out of a creative pitch meeting. I'll admit to not being entirely clear on the whole situation in that house in Palm Springs, but its clear that Don's having a difficult time coping without Betty and, no matter how hard he tries, there's a big hole waiting to be filled.
Meanwhile, Sterling Cooper also had to deal with some changes, courtesy of that new guy who Don hired. He turned out to be openly gay (he's from Europe. Its different there) and we got to see just enough of Salvatore to know that really shook him up. However, the focus of that story was really on Peggy, who got a makeover that seemed at least to catch Pete's attention. The Pete/Peggy dynamic has been really interesting this year and I have to think its all building up to something (especially given that the preview made it look like Pete and Trudy are having troubles next week).
And there's Duck. After spending most of the season being annoying, it was nice to see him get a storyline, albeit one where he's evil. I was less surprised by Duck's maneuvering than by Roger and Bert's willingness to go along with it. Do they need money? Is this what they had in mind? Of course, no matter what, this move likely spells trouble for Don, who has been clashing with Duck all year.
But just when it seemed like Duck's scheming would be the biggest development of the episode, we got that absolute stunner of an ending. "Its Dick Whitman," said Don, causing me to literally yell "What!" at the TV. Unfulfilled by home life, Don found himself falling back into his old patterns. But that life is no longer feasible for him and now Don finds himself clinging onto whatever he can find and recognize. Partying with collegues isn't doing it. Hooking up with random women isn't doing it. Whoever Don's turned to, its clearly a port of last resort for him. And I can't wait to see who or what it is.
Its rare that even a good episode of a TV show can be rewatched a number of times without losing some of its impact. However, The Jet Set demands revisiting. It is a complicated hour of television, jammed full of thematic and character complications that can't possibly be unpacked in an hour. I've spent the last day unable to shake the implications and nuances of this episode, and it will likely be a long time before I can fully decode it. With just two episodes left, its hard to see how Mad Men can get any better, but I have faith that they'll continue to wow us.
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