Mad Men
Season 7 Episode 9 “New Business”
Directed by Michael Uppendahl
Written by Tom Smuts and Matthew Weiner
Created by Matthew Weiner
Starring Jon Hamm, Elizabeth Moss, Christina Hendricks, January Jones, Vincent Kartheiser, John Slattery, Rich Sommer, Aaron Staton, Kiernan Shipka, Kevin Rahm
amc
Air Date: Sunday, April 12th, 2015, 10pm

Before we get to this week’s Mad Men 7.9 “New Business,” review, let’s take a look at what happened last week on 7.8 “Severance.”

Well the severance in question was Ken’s (Aaron Staton), whom Roger (John Slattery) fired at the behest of Ferguson Donnelly. Ken may have only one eye but he had the last laugh as he succeeded his father-in-law as head of Dow Chemicals and now is a client Roger has to please. Sweet karma!

Don (Jon Hamm) is back at the top of his advertising game, but the womanizing is leaving him hollow. He wants to reconnect with Rachel Mencken (Maggie Siff) after dreaming of her, which was a haunting foreshadowing, because she had passed away the week before.

Joan (Christina Hendricks) gets severely sexually harassed by clients, then gets in a snit with Peggy (Elizabeth Moss) when Peggy kinda alludes to it being her fault. Peggy goes on a unexpectedly wonderful blind date, then thinks again during next harsh light of the morning.

Mad Men
Season 7 Episode 8 “Severance”
Directed by Scott Hornbacher
Created and written by Matthew Weiner
Starring Jon Hamm, Elizabeth Moss, Christina Hendricks, Vincent Kartheiser, John Slattery, Rich Sommer, Aaron Staton, and Kevin Rahm
amc
Air Date: Sunday, April 5th, 2015, 10pm

First a recap, then a review. Beware of spoilers!

The first of the final seven episodes of acclaimed AMC series Mad Men aired last night nearly a year after the 7th season began, and I miss it already. The first half of the season ended with a major death, that of quirky, wear-only-your-socks-in-his-office Bert Cooper (Robert Morse). Although Roger (John Slattery) got the news that he passed while Bert was offscreen, Don (John Hamm) was treated to a song and dance of Bert (either a ghost or the insanity in Don’s head) doing “The Best Things In Life Are Free,” with secretary back-up dancers. Don also lost his wife and almost completely lost his job in Episode 7.7 “Waterloo,” against the backdrop of the Apollo Moon Landing. It was the losing of the job that spurred the realization of divorce, for when he called Megan (Jessica Pare) and the possibility that he was now free to move to California to be with her came up, there was a knowing silence. It turns out McCann saves Don as they want a partnership with the company that makes them all rich, but they won’t do it without Ted (Kevin Rahm) or Don. And just like that, he’s back.