Raw Data: The Crash

These are initial observations for Mad Men episode 6-08 "The Crash" written by Matthew Weiner and Jason Grote who has two writing credits on IMDB, both for Smash.  The episode is directed by Michael Uppendahl who has done seven previous episodes of Mad Men.

Once or twice a season, Mad Men will play with an episode structure.  They'll incorporate flashbacks* or tell the story in a non-linear manner or even lose time/become unstuck like Billy Pilgrim***

 * Dick's farm and army life, Don's early career.  Once in Season Two I lost track of what was/wasn't a flashback

** "Far Away Places" which involved Don's and Megan's trip to the HoJo

*** As Don did to a drunk weekend, forgetting to pick up his kids, bottoming out before he started swimming and voiceover-ing his journal

This incorporated a few devices, such as flashbacks and a casual relationship with time.

I'm pretty lost on this episode, I'll admit, and am unsure where to start.  I need a second viewing but I'm not even sure that will help.  Kind of like when I saw The Master****. 

But I'm not alone, judging by the first sentence in this review here. 

Part of me thinks Matthew Weiner is just messing with us, putting out nonsense to see what kind of analysis and reviews it gets.

• The doctor asked Don if he had a heart condition, but when Roger reported he had one (unsolicited) he brushed it off.  Did we see Roger***** the rest of the episode?
• Ken's Cosgrove has his submission to the GIF Hall of Fame   
• The only date reference was an aside by Stan that his cousin died in March, which was "three months ago" which would mean June.  Last week's episode was early June, so this is only a few weeks later, at most.  
• It could not have been too long after last week's considering SCDP-CGC remains nameless, like those tribes who don't name their babies until they're three

**** Anyone: "How was The Master?"
Me: It was good?

 ***** "This is nothing compared to when I did LSD."