Episode Report Card Jacob: A | 4 USERS: A YOU GRADE IT Laika Was An Astronaut
By Jacob | Season 1 | Episode 10 | Aired on 2007.09.27
"Volare" is playing in Roger's office, where Don sits with Eleanor's legs across his lap, totally not feeling this whole sordid scene. It's really refreshing to see, for once, somebody on this show be like, "Wait, I'm stuck in gender Viet Nam without an exit strategy! Gross! There is not really a compelling need for me to fuck a twenty-year-old in order to prove my future earning potential to Roger Sterling! 1960! I am so over you!" Not getting the obvious hints that he's not that into her, Eleanor -- whom you only thought was kind of demeaning herself here -- tries to kiss him, and he vaguely kisses her back. She finally hauls her legs off Don, and he makes to leave for the, what, eighth time, and then HOLY HELL. That Goddamned Roger Sterling comes into the room riding Mirabelle like a pony, in her underwear, laughing. And her back is bowing under him, and Don's about to barf, and both of them are laughing until they are rolling around in the floor, but I don't think either of them really mean it either. I don't think either of them find it very funny, I mean. Here's what I think: I think 1960 is gender Viet Nam and unless you really check in with yourself, you could end up almost anywhere at all, and I think that any time the Marquis De Sade shit starts, somebody's not being honest. And I think that Roger is like a toddler who actually really wants his limits defined for him, but nobody will do it because he's too rich and too powerful, and women can't do it because he's very, very beautiful in addition to those things, so he has to go to these grotesque extremes -- while also having his power illustrated for him by the fact that not one person is supplying the totally obvious fact that you do not ride naked ladies around like ponies, and fucking everybody knows that, 1960 or not. So that's the positive reinforcement as well: nobody can tell Roger Sterling no, so it's kind of like everybody is telling him yes. It makes me sad for him. I love Roger Sterling very much.