Mad Men 'Meditations in an Emergency' - Episode 13

'Mad Men' Season Two ended in the style with which it began; with a mesmerising domino effect of shocking events all falling into each other. Where to begin: Betty's pregnancy news, affair and reveal to Don? Pete's professional rise and personal fall? Duck's disastrous take-over? Peggy's ultimate triumph? With this much good material, does it really matter?

Baby Blues
It was very sad to see how disappointed Betty was to find out she was pregnant. A young 'married woman of means' with a 'resilient figure' (must remember that one) she may be but happy she is not. At the risk of being pedantic but is 'spotting' normal at the beginning of a pregnancy? Didn't the doctor have any cautionary advice for Betty, aside from the norm? Then when we saw her up on the horse…I couldn't help but feel how ridiculous and irresponsible she was being. It goes to show the depth of despair Don had driven her to and how trapped she felt. That was nothing though to the shock of seeing a tipsy, pregnant Betty, having sex with Mr. Hot in some bar. If only she'd stuck to her original line: "Thank you so much for the drink, I'd just like to enjoy it if you don't mind." The illicit affair is nothing Don hasn't done to her numerous times before however two wrongs don't make a right and she is with child. It was nice to see that the barman was looking out for her on those two occasions, although would he have cared if she was a married man? This week was yet another reminder of how recent the strictly no smoking and drinking while pregnant rules are.

Clearasil
How confidant and professional did Peggy look standing in Pete's office, telling him to: "Tell the truth. Don't think about the consequences, people respect that." Maybe she was getting her counsel from Father Gill – before he tried to bully and bible-bash her into confession, that is. On a purely professional level, it's easy to feel sorry for Pete as his father-in-law shouldn't be blackmailing him or mixing business with pleasure/family matters. Boy was Peggy right, not only was his news respected but he earned a big promotion into the bargain. Plus getting the thumbs up from Don was the icing on the cake.

Cuban Missile Crisis
That was professionally. Personally, Pete's still an eejit. Whatever love he had for his wife is obviously well and Trudy gone, as he lets her leave Manhattan alone to join her parents. Then he tries to make his move on Peggy once again. I could have yelled for joy when she unburdened herself, shared the load she'd been carrying and said: "I had your baby, and I gave it away." There he was sitting in his office, surrounded by the fear over the Cuban Missile Crisis and his rifle – while I wouldn't want him to harm himself, a little stewing wouldn't do him a bit of harm. Look what it did for Don. Although, if only Don didn't need to stew for so long, he might still be the only man Bets had slept with. He needs to earn her trust, his "Bets, I'd do anything if I could undo what happened" is hardly the apology of the year. Neither was "I was not respectful to you", although it was an improvement and thankfully, Betty finally got her peace of mind: "Well, now I know I'm not crazy, that helps."

Perhaps that fumbled admission of guilt plus the letter, is extreme for men by 60's standards. As for the Cuban Missile Crisis, it was fascinating to see Matt Weiner's recreation of this historical part of the Cold War, as fear swept across the faces of our favourite characters, reflecting the effect of John F Kennedy's words on the American psyche.

Back at the ranch…
Meanwhile Don was in danger of being usurped back in Sterling Cooper. Thankfully a little pat on the back for Pete paid great dividends and earned him the little rat's loyalty when it mattered most. Duck may not be married but he can't hide from his drinking problem, or as Saint John Powell macho-ly put it: "He never could hold his drink".

Combining aka Merging
It never ceases to amaze me just how naïve the boys think the girls are. Lois was the beacon of light this time around when she not only informed the patronising panicked Ken, Sal, Paul, and Harry: "It’s a merger" but sealed a promotion for herself into the bargain. The season ended wonderfully, with the usual array of wonderful costumes (Betty's bar outfit was spectacular), gadgets and events. Here's to Season Three and the wonderful time-travelling adventures that await. Drop us a line and share your thoughts of Season Two and hopes for Season Three below.

Taragh Loughrey-Grant