If last week's 'The Forecast' was all about characters trying – and in some cases failing – to build a future, then 'Time & Life' is a richly rewarding glimpse into Mad Men's past. Packed with specific visual and verbal callbacks, the episode is co-written by the long-standing Erin Levy (whose first credit was way back on season three's finale) and directed by a ghost of SCDP past in Jared 'Lane Pryce' Harris.
As it turns out, the future-building in 'The Forecast' was all smoke and mirrors anyway – McCann asked Roger to make a speech about the future of SCP knowing that it doesn't have one. The firm is being absorbed into McCann, and this time Don's last-minute caper is not going to save the day. Even as he was instructing everyone to rally their conflict-of-interest clients for SCP West, it was clear the scramble was in vain, because you don't get to play that card three times in a row and win.
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It's significant that the episode co-writer Levy's first credit was on 'Shut the Door, Have a Seat', in which Roger, Don and Lane triumphantly outfoxed McCann's attempts to buy them out by going rogue and starting their own agency. Seven years later that agency is barely recognisable, but it's still theirs, and it's fascinating to watch the painful ripple effect of its loss on this jaded bunch of people. For once, we saw just how much everybody cares.
These characters are so alienated from each other so much of the time, but when circumstances make them vulnerable they knit together. Joan's spontaneous little side hug of support to Roger, after several seasons of well-earned animosity between them. Pete being unexpectedly supportive to Joan in the cab, telling her McCann "don't know who they're dealing with" (although he wasn't at that hideous meeting in 'Severance'). Roger affectionately telling Don "You are okay," a line which powerfully recalled Don's Lucky Strike pitch way back in the very first episode of Mad Men:
"Advertising is based on one thing, happiness. And you know what happiness is? Happiness is the smell of a new car. It's freedom from fear. It's a billboard on the side of the road that screams with reassurance that whatever you are doing is okay. You are okay."
Roger was in that meeting, and though I doubt the callback was as intentional for him as it was for the writers of this episode, he knew it was what Don needed to hear – Don, who's about to lose his apartment, his office and his company. It feels as though every single thing tying Don to New York – and by extension to the life he's built there – is being gradually, systematically severed.
But let's face it, this episode really belonged to Pete and Peggy, both separately and together. I admitted a few weeks back that I'm still carrying a torch for these two despite my better judgement, and although I don't think a rekindling of their romance is even remotely on the cards, it was great to see Pete show loyalty to Peggy and for her to show him such affection in return. Almost all of their most significant interactions have taken place on office couches just like this one – Pete serenading Peggy with his hunting fantasy, their second and final tryst, the "I had your baby and I gave it away" conversation – and so this scene was one of the episode's most potent bits of visual nostalgia.
Although it's never been overtly addressed again since season two, there has never been any question of the show forgetting that Pete and Peggy had a child – we've had moments like the pair of them being comedically landed with Joan's baby in season five, or Pete's senile mother mistaking Peggy for Trudy in season six – and here Pete's inspired to reach out to her by the sight of her hugging a little girl.
It struck me that since she confessed to Pete in season two, we haven't actually seen Peggy tell anyone about the baby. She discussed it with Don in 'The Suitcase', but of course he knew already, and her relationship with Stan has been so well developed that this moment felt absolutely earned. It was also just an incredibly well written and believable exchange, with Stan saying characteristically insensitive things and Peggy getting annoyed for reasons that are only slightly about him.
He's trying to lighten the mood when he jokes about not having any children "that he knows of", but all that does is hammer home a basic gender inequality, because women don't have the option of not knowing. Elisabeth Moss was incredibly, incredibly good in this scene.
Pete had a pretty unusually stellar episode all around – on top of his interactions with the women of SCP, he also gets to defend Trudy's honour by punching out the incredibly rude school principal. That scene was truly glorious, made even more so by the fact that the historical MacDonald vs. Campbell massacre it references was the inspiration for Game of Thrones's Red Wedding!
With Trudy clearly lonely and re-appreciating Pete, I wouldn't be remotely surprised to see the Campbell clan reunited in the suburbs. Maybe Mad Men is going to end with everybody back where they started in one way or another, and Don really does sever all ties and shed his identity. At this point, no matter what's coming, I'm just glad to have another three episodes left to spend with these people.
Other thoughts:
- I thought we'd peaked early on with Vincent Kartheiser's delivery of the word "poop", but oh how wrong I was. THE KING ORDERED IT! Not even ashamed to say I watched that scene three times in a row.
- Poor Trudy talking about how she has no friends because all the wives see her as a threat reminded me of Helen Bishop in season one, and how badly she got treated by Francine & co. Things really haven't improved that much for suburban divorcees in ten years.
- The saddest visual callback here was the partners lined up in front of that second floor window, defeated, looking around at the office space they're about to lose. The season five shot of them all lined up there is so iconic, and of course takes place in the episode after Lane dies, which makes having Harris behind the camera all the more significant.
- So Stan and Elaine broke up, judging by his "That won't be a problem" comment. On the one hand, who cares, but on the other hand it seems pretty unlikely Weiner and Levy would slip that line in for no reason. Stan/Peggy really may be the endgame here.
- Don wearily surrendering to the reality of Roger dating Marie Calvet was kind of great. And big of him, considering Marie literally stole all of his furniture.
- "She's not too young, and she's gorgeous and a little bit deep." Ugh. I don't know if it's just the moustache, but almost every single thing Ted says makes me cringe. But good on him for going age-appropriate, I guess?
- Don and Lou talking completely at cross purposes was so hilarious, and even more so when the truth came out and Lou was so gleeful and Don couldn't have given less of a damn. I remember feeling slightly bad for Lou when everybody made fun of Scout's Honour last year, so I wish him every success in his Japanese endeavours, even though he is mostly a douche.
- Please, please, please do not let the last three episodes involve Don running after Diana. Please. The fact that she's still being brought up is deeply unsettling to me.
- "My goodness, Meredith, we should put a bell on you." Is it too late for a Shirley and Dawn spinoff?
- I'm not sure whether we're meant to believe what the principal said about Tammy's Draw-a-Man test, but even if not, his description ("A head, a moustache and a necktie") immediately recalled the Mad Men credit sequence for me, maybe because a necktie is featured prominently on the black-and-white falling man.
- Why is Peggy so reluctant to go to McCann? She's not a partner at SCP, and she's shown in the past that she's fairly pragmatic and willing to jump ship for a better offer, although now she's on better terms with Don maybe it's just obligatory loyalty because she knows he doesn't want to go.
- THE KING ORDERED IT!
Emma Dibdin is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles who writes about culture, mental health, and true crime. She loves owls, hates cilantro, and can find the queer subtext in literally anything.
