Raw Data: The Better Half

These are initial observations for Mad Men episode 6-09 "The Better Half" written by Matthew Weiner and Erin Levy (who wrote another episode whose title alludes to Megan, "Dark Shadows") and directed by Phil Abraham (director and DP for multiple Mad Men episodes).

After a whacked out week on speed, Mad Men returns a themed episode, similar to the season premiere fixated on death for two hours by, perhaps, suggesting something about the duality of man.

The episode includes a few opposite but related items, including:

• Don and Ted's approaches to margarine (price versus taste)
• And both acquiescing to the other in the form of martyrdom
• "Ted wants the idea, Don wants his idea"
• Don versus Ted, at large.  Especially with reference to Peggy.  They may as well stand at opposite ends of the street with a puppy between them and see who the puppy goes to
• Megan's twin characters on her soap
• The episode starting with Peggy having to choose between her mentors' approaches, and declining ("I like them both")
• The episode ending with both doors literally and figuratively shutting before Peggy
• Bob and Roger's opposite approaches to spending time with Joan
• Marks the second time a gift is dropped off for Kevin.  The first time, Bob simply wanted to give the gift and leave.  The second time, Roger was clearly expecting to spend some time with Kevin now that he's on supervised visits with his grandson

Other observations

• It's summer and the windows are open which means you can hear the sirens throughout the entire episode.
• This is the second time Pete is speaking with Duck about job prospects
• Henry is so perceptive about "Stu" at the fundraiser, but oblivious to Don at camp
• Duck's offer for Pete to move to Wichita doesn't sound appealing on the surface.  But after Googling "Wichita" and "companies based in", I wonder if it could be related to Learjet or Koch Industries
• Pete had success with an aerospace client in California in season two
• If this is the end of Abe, I'm not sad

Abe always struck as an insincere character who does things for the story of telling how he did them*.  For example, the best seller list always includes some titles, like Wild ** which seem to tell the story of an experience someone underwent so they could tell the story of undergoing such an experience.  So righteous, he won't give a description of his muggers to play the martyr in his view of the current conflicts in the city. 

Several times in the episode Abe mentions his story in which he may imagine himself as a  pioneer

He's almost gleeful at his mugging and bayoneting, or at least opportunistic, because it will add to the article and the subsequent attention it will garner.  Compare this to Bob's actions the past few weeks which make him seem more and more sincere.

* Similar to the Justin character on Parks & Rec.  His good deeds and fun times are not for the sake of doing them and the benefits people receive as a result of good will but to build his own mystique and credibility.

** Haven't read Wild but I took on blind trust that there would be one on the list that fits this description, and that's what it is this week.  An experience the writer actively chooses, and no doubt takes copious notes during to refer back to for their book, rather than something that happens to the writer, or a memoir.