Season 5 of Mad Men at last came together in episode 4

We're four episodes into Season 5 of "Mad Men," and I'd been holding off for a number of reasons but mainly because I was somewhat disappointed in the first 4 episodes - especially the dull 2-hour season opener (far too long a time segment for this kind of incrementalist series). Season 5 seemed to be having some trouble establishing, or re-establishing characters and finding an over-riding theme: Don settling into marriage with Meagan and dealing with issues such as his wayward past, his being much older than Meagan, his sense of guilt about the breakup of his marriage - kind of well-worn territory; Betsy's angst about her weight and a medical scare as well (January Jones either gained weight for the part or the did some digital reimaging); the breakup apparently of Joan's marriage to that stiff. All of this, however, came together beautifully in episode 4 (directed by my clone, John Slattery) - a terrific and really funny blending of several plot lines: the insufferable Pete gets into a fist-fight with the needy and nerdy Lane, a hilarious suburban dinner party and Pete's in which Don wears a weird madras jacket, fashionable at the time, and Don becomes the new exemplar of marital fidelity (!). The only thing slightly off in episode 4 was the young exec's writing career, which he keeps under wraps - not sure why that would be so, thousands of ad guys (Heller, Yates, Gaddis) pursued serious writing on the side. I also really like the rough-edged genious ad guy Ginzberg introduced earlier, who had no role in this episode - and I hope he stays a part of the team.