Mad Men: Christmas Comes But Once a Year

Mad Men finally gets a Christmas special, because every great series has one. Don't you remember what Lost did with their Christmas episode (The Constant)? Fortunately, Mad Men doesn't pile in an overarching plot about Don saving Christmas with the help of little elves, although that nurse he meets certainly looks like one. A lot more happens here in comparison to Public Relations, with the character of Faye Miller introduced in this episode with wit and charm. Don's careless nature continues to devolve into laziness and neglect, which doesn't quite work his usual wonders on Faye.

We continue on with Peggy's relationship with Mark, or whatever his name is, but even then we realize that they're going to break up pretty soon. He's an idiot, and they don't do well in this show. Lee Garner Jr. inadvertently causes a bit of chaos in the office, but we should probably thank him for giving us one hell of a party. Nothing defines Mad Men comedy more than Roger's stint as Santa. I'm not sure how Freddy Rumsen wasn't able to make it, but I think it would've been beautiful to see an intoxicated Rumsen in the costume.

Speaking of the man, we got some nice interaction between him and Peggy this time around. He's the same old-fashion pig we knew before, but his semi-sexism really comes through to the feministic Peggy this time around. One of my favorite parts of this season is how Sally Draper is becoming more of her own character. It's important to get the kids' side of the divorce, and I think she realizes that her "friendship" with Glen is somewhat unhealthy. Though, I do have to point out how stupid Glen is, as if he really wanted to get the Francis family to move, he should've probably been a little more obviously violent, like actually breaking things.

And then there's Don, who makes one of the larger bad decisions of the season while breaking some of his own rules. Watching this episode again, Don sleeping with Allison feels like a much bigger taboo as we know the consequences of it. Don is devolving more into more of a slob, and that is the most important thing about this season. It's the cost of starting something new, as often you have trouble adjusting, and Don, though suave and handsome, is no exception. Things are about to go entirely downhill for Don.