An image that capture the insidious nature of advertising

Though apparently there's one more episode in the current half-season of Mad Men, it's worth weighing in on a few points in episode 6, which, while not the best written of the series - it's a bit choppy and over-burdened with plot - does advance the story line in some significant ways. As we depart from episode 6 we see that Megan is moving ever farther, emotionally and professionally, away from Don: she doesn't seem to miss him all that much, and she's bring more and more of her "stuff" out to California. Suddenly, the character of Joan is revived in this episode, and she makes a rather beautiful confession: that she's truly for romantic love, for a man who will care for her, and, as she puts it, rather than accept a proposal of convenience (from a gay colleague who wants to be married for appearances, and will certainly treat her well every way but sexually and romantically) she would rather die at least hoping for that chance. This moment is significant largely because of its contrast with everything else in the MM world. As this season focuses increasingly on Don (with a little pull-back in this episode), we see a very beautiful scene in which he's working late at night or early a.m. even with Peggy and confesses to her that he feels his life is a failure - and we know how empty and alone she feels, how she feels she has driven men away from her - and then a Sinatra song comes on the radio and Don asks Peggy to dance, and he lightly kisses her hair, not at all as a come-on but almost paternalistic. He's still her mentor, and in this key scene, she is big enough to realize that he's the true genius and she wants to learn how he thinks. She does think: and comes up w/ the idea for their client, Burger Chef!, that at their restaurants "every table is a family table." She pitches that to Don and to the despicable Pete and in an incredibly poignant closing image we see the 3 of them sitting at a table in Burger Chef - and could there be any 3 people who are less involved w/ family? Each has spurred or destroyed a family, maybe several. Each is basically alone. They barely trust one another. But there they sit, talking about every table being a family table, and for us, it's a tableaux, like a renaissance painting perhaps, the annunciation of the insidious, deceitful, self-delusional nature of advertising - brilliant minds using words to ill effect. It's no wonder Don considers himself a failure - but what will he do?