Mad Men Watch: The Chrysanthemum And The Sword

This, the fourth season of Mad Men has dealt mainly with the characters’ ability to adapt to changing circumstances. This week’s episode, filled with therapy visits, cultural insensitivities, and hoop-jumping corporate trickery, was no exception.

Sally Draper is at it again. Indeed, we’ve been waiting for an incident from the eldest Draper child since her run-in with Glen-the-creepchild, and boy did we get it. Determined to rebel and prove to her mother just how shrew-like and out of touch she really is, Sally cuts her hair, admitting to Bebe “You have short hair, and daddy likes it.” As Don prepares for his inevitable clash with Betty over the situation, it becomes clear that Betty is finding it increasingly difficult to relate to her daughter, perhaps seeing in her daughter’s angst the rashness of her decision to start a new, equally dysfunctional family.

Back at the office, the firm scrambles to appease Japanese automakers Honda, after veteran Roger Sterling makes his cultural dissatisfaction (and blatant racism) apparent in their initial meeting. In yet another instance of Sterling’s cultural irrelevance, Pete takes him down a notch, protesting that he holds on to his stubborn opinions and “wraps himself in the flag” because any success on the part of Pete is tantamount to less reliance on Lucky Strike, and thus an increase in Sterling’s insignificance.

Henry manages to talk Betty down from her motherly high horse, and grants Sally a reprieve to go to her sleepover, with her botched haircut now repaired. Alone, as her friend sleeps soundly on the couch, Sally watches The Man from U.N.C.L.E, and “behaves inappropriately,” with a wandering hand, only to be interrupted by the mother, and hastily taken home. Her actions prompt Henry and Betty to seek professional help for Sally, much to the chagrin of Don, who may recall that Betty’s trips to the psychiatrist marked the beginning of the end of her duties as the wife with the blind eye.

After being given a contract from Honda, and a dollar amount with which to come up with a rough presentation, Don Draper ultimately decides to play rough-- taking a chance and aiming to dismantle his cocky new “competitor,” Ted Shaw. With some clever acting on the part of Joan, the firm manages to convince both Shaw and a director that they plan to break the rules and record a commercial- a stunt that led to my favorite scene this week, Peggy doing donuts on the bright red Honda in an empty soundstage.

Don, having read up on the philosophy of his potential new clients in “The Chrysanthemum & The Sword: Patterns of Japanese Culture,” knows that the grand spectacle produced by Shaw won’t win over their business, and he concedes gracefully, resigning instead of giving a presentation. The plan works, and the Honda account is theirs, but I can’t help but notice that lately, shenanigans seem to outweigh actual creative work in the Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce office. While the success of Sterling Cooper rested completely on the laurels of Don Draper’s creative genius, scrappy upstart SCDP has taken to rely more importantly on a series of grandiose events, swindling businessmen with deceitful tactics.

As the episode closes, and stoic nanny Carla accompanies Sally to her new appointment, I’m hopeful that Dr. Edna is going to really help the Draper women face their demons. In fact, as Betty sat with the doctor, having her initial meeting, I couldn’t help but notice that Dr. Edna seemed to speak to Betty like the child she is, thus getting her to open up. Here’s hoping that things get better as these appointments continue, because let’s be honest, nearly everyone on the show could benefit from a psychiatric visit or two.

What did you guys think? Will Roger “man up” and learn to cope with the changing tide? Will Campbell get in over his head in trying to advance the firm? Will the firm’s reliance on tricks backfire?