"Mad Men" recap: Who's contract is it, anyway?

This week on "Mad Men," we saw a lot of people acting out against authority figures. Don, picking up on last season's revelation that he doesn't have a contract, kicked and screamed when the Ster/Coop bosses finally insisted on tying him down. Betty continued in her flirtation with the politician she met a few episodes ago -- and bought a fairly ugly piece of furniture, flying against the wishes of her imperious decorator.
And Peggy, upset from an argument with Don, made another excellent decision about men.
Spoilers below.
So, a few episodes ago, we had our first real fantasy sequence, with a doped out Betty in the hospital. This episode, "Mad Men" went all "Lost" on us and intercut the storylines with shots of Don, Betty, and Peggy all in the aftermath of the decisions they'd make throughout the hour.
In fact, the episode begins with quick snaps of how they'll all end up. An ashamed, confused Peggy is lying naked in a hotel room, next to an as-of-yet unidentified man, whom we'll later learn is Duck Philips. Betty is lying on her new fainting sofa, no doubt fantasizing about Henry Francis, the man she's flirting with. And Don is lying on the floor, after having been doped, beaten and robbed by those draft-dodging hitchhikers. He staggers up, sees his beaten face in the mirror and...we cut back to the Don of a few days before, fresh and heading off to work. That's when we know that the scenes we've just witnessed are snips of what's going to happen, not what has happened.
When Don gets into work, he sees Pete and the other youngsters eagerly camped outside his door. Conrad Hilton is inside, they inform him. By the way, this scene is hilarious, with all the guys so giddy that I thought for sure Pete was about to launch into another awkward dance routine. Alas, this was not to be. Don shoos the little flies away, and meets the hotel magnate, who proceeds to lecture Don about the absence of a Bible and family photos in his office. Then, they do business. Connie hires Don to do all of his New York business, and they'll go from there. Don agrees. Meanwhile, Pete comes in, still all bouncy and excited, and says he'd love to work on the Hilton account. Don patiently tells Pete to tend to his other work first, then they'll see. I mention this mainly because Don's grace and patience with Pete at this point is starkly different from how he treats Peggy when she makes a similar request later in the episode.
Don is invited to the Ster/Coop inner sanctum, where Bert, Roger and Lane all congratulate him on his victory with Hilton. There is one small thing, however. Hilton's people insist that Don finally have a contract with Ster/Coop. They want make sure Don will be around a while, I guess. The Ster/Coop guys make Don an offer, and Don basically spits in their faces, stamping his feet and yelling "I won't sign a contract! You can't MAKE me sign!"
Well, no. I made that last part up. But that's about the size of it. The three wise men all respond typically. Lane is indignant. Roger gets all silver foxy, calling the Draper house and "accidentally" mentioning Don's contract to Betty. Cooper, meanwhile, thinks. Because that's what Cooper does.
After Roger's call, Betty actually stands up for Don, but is unnerved and later unloads at Don for his unwillingness to be tied to Sterling Cooper. No doubt she sees this as a reflection of the larger commitment issues that spurred her to throw him out of the house.
Don finally gets clarity after a misspent night in which he picks up some hitchhikers who ply him with drugs, beat him up and take his money (they do leave him his car, though, which is sporting of them). The next day, a beaten Don shows up at work claiming he was in a fender bender. To make matters worse, Coop shows up in his office, and lays down the law, slyly uses the whole Dick Whitman thing as leverage. Once again, he tells Don (as he did last season) "Would you agree I know something about you?" Don agrees, and Cooper gently pushes the contract in front of him, pointing out that, when you get right down to it, who's really signing this contract anyway? Ha! Coop you sly one! You act all dotty but you really don't miss a thing, do you?
Anyway, on to Betty's thread of the episode, which I'm kind of going to speed through, due to a lack of time and a lack of interest (I always find the Betty threads important but, with rare exceptions, they're kind of the vegetable you have to plow through to get to the treat of the Don/Peggy/Pete/Roger/Joan/etc. scenes). Anyway, Betty is already neglecting her brand new child, instead sinking her time into redecorating and working with the Junior League. The latter is especially important, because Betty finds a way to use it to reconnect with Henry Francis, the belly groper from Roger's party. She wants him to use his influence with the governor to keep a local reservoir from being drained. There's little he can do, but that doesn't seem to bother our Betty. Really, she's just happy for the time away from home, and the opportunity to continue her flirtation. Her investment in the Henry Francis relationship deepens throughout the episode. When she complains of dizziness following their outing to the bakery, Henry suggests she buy a fainting sofa, like Victorian ladies used. She does, and her decorator has a fit. I kind of agree -- the sofa is ugly. Of course, sometimes a sofa is more than a sofa. This one is, judging from the way Betty gently runs her hands over her body while lying upon it, no doubt dreaming of the potential of this new quasi-relationship.
Now onto the good stuff -- Peggy. Duck is continuing to woo her and Pete, sending them expensive gifts. When Peggy's arrives, Pete is on hand, telling her he knows it's from Duck. It is -- and it's a lovely Hermes scarf. Then we get our longest, and least hostile, Pete/Peggy interaction of the season. Pete, less angry than we saw him a few episodes ago, asks Peggy what she's going to do. Peggy doesn't know -- she's probably not going to take the job, but she REALLY likes this scarf. Maybe she'll keep it? Nope, says Pete. Duck is using Peggy to hurt Don and, even if she turns down the job, keeping the scarf will make Duck think he has some sort of advantage with her. She's got to give it back. Peggy sheepishly agrees. During this same conversation, she learns about the Hilton account, which must strengthen her resolve to remain at the Coop. She calls Duck and firmly refuses the gift. Duck, genially, tells her he's meeting the Hermes people at a hotel. Maybe she could swing by and return the gift in person? She says no, but is momentarily softened when Duck jokes that his new agency resembles a Penn Station bathroom. That Peggy. Always impressed by a well-turned phrase. But she maintains her position, and hangs up the phone. Then, she goes to Don, asking to be put on the Hilton account. Don, frustrated by the whole contract situation, berates her for always wanting something. You know -- like basic respect. The nerve of her! "You were my secretary" he sneers, chiding her ambition and neediness. You're good, he says, in a half-assed attempt to say something kind. Then he undercuts the compliment by telling her to get better and stop asking for stuff. Ouch. What's a girl to do but swing by the lair of Don's mortal enemy, Duck Philips? Duck is happy to see her, even after she, once again, turns down the job at Grey. This is what opportunity looks like, he gently tells her. She says no again.
Then Duck starts hitting on her. He never noticed her before, he says, but now... they make out and Duck offers to remove her clothes with his teeth and give her the "once over" of her life. How can poor, angry, vulnerable Peggy say no? They shag and, the next morning, she walks the walk of shame to Ster Coop, clad, I believe, in her clothes from the day before.
Weirdly, no one seems to notice.
Here are some more thoughts on "Seven Twenty Three":
* Ah -- I've gone and forgotten Miss Farrell, whom Don sees again after her intoxicated phone call to him. She's helping the kids make viewing boxes for the coming eclipse. Don flirts with her and she, oddly, calls him on it immediately. Don, put off by her directness, is flustered and, seems to back off (unless I misread the scene). Maybe they aren't headed for affairs-ville after all? And why does Miss Farrell put Don off, telling him he's just like the other dads, as she's clearly flirted with him as much as he's flirted with her? Oh, those naughty schoolteachers.
* Though I really found the Betty plot boring (we get it! Her affair has made her curious about extramarital hanky-panky!), I did like one moment from it: the contrast between her polite phone voice with Henry Francis's secretary, and the way she bellows "LUNCH!" at her children. Ha! That's such a mom thing to do!
* OK, so, who's watching Gene while Betty's redecorating/Junior Leaguing/Henry Francis flirting? Didn't she say last week that she was letting Carla go to spend more time with the kids? I assume Carla's not there, as we haven't seen her. Also, Sally is clearly looking after Bobby, as evidenced by her chiding him to wash his hands before lunch (and how adorable is their horseplay at the sink? So refreshing to see them acting like kids!). So who's watching Gene?
* We established a few episodes ago that Duck has stopped drinking. However, he's clearly got a ways to go on the 12-step road. "I love the taste of alcohol on your breath" he lustfully tells Peggy during their tryst. Eek.
* So why does Duck seduce Peggy? Is it just to hurt Don? Or maybe to hurt Pete who, we've been led to believe, also rejected the job? Or does he just assume Peggy's easy, because she slept with a goofball like Pete? Peggy, for her part, does seem to be acting out against her surrogate daddy Don after he hurt her. Though she was admiring Duck's turtleneck during their lunch a few episodes back. And she's chronically incapable of making good decisions when it comes to guys.
* You gotta love Bert calling Hilton "eccentric." Man, I love Bert Cooper.
* During their climactic exchange, Don tells Cooper that he does not want to have any more interaction with Roger. Oh Don -- don't you know that will just make Roger more dead set on winning you over?
* Overall, I wasn't that into this episode. It felt a little flat, particularly after last week's spectacular "Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency." I liked the furthering of the Peggy storyline, but the Betty/Don stuff wasn't that interesting. What did you think?

Killer TV: Reviewing the new season of "Dexter"

Showtime's "Dexter" is the TV equivalent of that little girl in the nursery rhyme -- the one with the curl right in the middle of her forehead. When it's good, it's very, very good. And when it's bad, it's...well, not horrid exactly. Just really disappointing.
But I try to cut this series some slack. After all, its central character is a serial killer. Talk about a high degree of difficulty. And, admittedly, nearly all the stuff involving the bloodthirsty Dexter (played brilliantly by Michael C. Hall) is usually pretty good. The highlight of last season was his attempt to establish a real friendship with unbalanced assistant district attorney Miguel Prado, played by the excellent Jimmy Smits. The problem was, everything surrounding the Prado plot kind of stunk (with the possible exception of Dexter's realization that his girlfriend Rita was pregnant with his baby). Also, the Prado stuff wrapped up in the second-to-last episode, meaning the finale was a bunch of mumbo jumbo about a killer who skinned his victims.
Given that disappointing wrap-up, I was less than enthused about the show's new season, which starts Sunday at 9 p.m.
I shouldn't have worried. Judging from the four preview episodes Showtime sent out, this has the potential to be the best season since the series' first. Since we last saw him absent-mindedly bleeding on his new bride at his own wedding, Dexter has fully ensconced himself in his role as father and husband. Rita, played by Julie Benz, has given birth to their new son, Harrison, and Dexter is now stepdad to Rita's two older kids. And, like many a working parent before him, he's determined to have it all. This means he must balance his new family with his day job as a forensics expert for the Miami police department, and his "side project" killing murderers who have managed to evade the law.
In the season premiere, Dexter's struggle isn't going well, as the addled dad botches a court appearance due to lack of sleep. Rest isn't coming any time soon. Dexter is quickly visited by a figure from his past, serial killer-hunting FBI Agent Frank Lundy (Keith Carradine, reprising his season two role). Lundy is on the trail of a murderer who has evaded him for decades and needs Dexter's help. The killer in question is nicknamed Trinity, for his habit of killing in threes. He's played by bracingly creepy John Lithgow who has only a handful of scenes in the first few episodes, yet still managed to scare the bejesus out of me.
Dexter is intrigued by the story of Trinity who, if Lundy is right, is the most successful serial killer of all time.
Meanwhile, the other stories are more successful this season than they were last time around. Dexter's foster sister Deb (Hall's real-life wife, Jennifer Carpenter) is trying to prove herself as a new police detective, while maintaining a new relationship and continuing to set records for profanity use. She's also sent into a tailspin by the return of Lundy, her former lover, though he insists he's just in town to track Trinity.
The rest of the characters are sort of background noise this time around, with the exception of an unexpected romantic subplot that I'm actually kind of enjoying.
Deb's partner Quinn (Desmond Harrington), continues to be a dull, grating drain, but, overall, things are in good shape.
There's a lot of serious, interesting examination of whether Dexter can balance his family and his dark desires. We've seen this explored before, but I think the arrival of a son -- the first flesh-and-blood relative Dexter's had since murdering his brother to protect Deb -- makes the conflict more difficult and more real. The story is explored extremely well in the fourth episode, in which Dexter stalks a cop who might have murdered her own family.
There's also a lot of humor, as lone wolf Dexter tries awkwardly to fit in with the other suburban dads in his neighborhood. In these moments, Hall's plastic smiles and deer-in-headlights expressions are things of beauty. Even when the show slips, Hall is always at the top of his game, showing us a man who has to playact at being human.
The show is flawed, but it's still one of the most challenging, and perversely entertaining, series on TV. I hope it maintains the complicated creepiness of these first few episodes. If it does, the season could be very, very good indeed.

Is there an Echo in here?: Reviewing the new season of "Dollhouse"

The Fox sci-fi drama "Dollhouse" is a classic case of show improving the minute it gets out of its own way. When the series, created by "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" mastermind Joss Whedon, debuted earlier this year, it had little more going for it than the good will of fans.
Sure, the show's premise -- a massively successful "secret" company that imprints human beings with various personalities -- was intriguing, but the execution left something to be desired. That's mainly because the lead character, Echo (Eliza Dushku) was, by definition, devoid of personality. She was, simply, a human doll, just wandering aimlessly through the "Dollhouse" of the title, waiting for her next mission.
It was hard to get invested in someone who doesn't have a soul. And most of the non-doll characters were evil, with the possible exception of Echo's handler Boyd Langton (Harry Lennix) and the obsessed FBI agent Paul Ballard (Tahmoh Penikett) -- but even they were a little too intense and flawed to be relatable.
But, over time, the show opened up. We learned that Echo was slowly absorbing her personalities, evolving within the context of her "doll" persona. We learned more about Agent Ballard, who is completely infatuated with Echo's former self, Caroline. We learned that Dollhouse manager Adelle DeWitt (Olivia Williams), wasn't entirely evil and was, herself, just a pawn in a sprawling corporation.
As the characters grew and the show's arc became more apparent, it got better. By the end of its first season, Dollhouse had become a fascinating, if still flawed, parable about humanity, exploitation and free will.
The new season beings Friday at 9 p.m., and it picks up where we left off. Echo is back at the Dollhouse, after having all her old identities downloaded into her at once by rogue doll Alpha. Ballard now works for the Dollhouse, much to the disapproval of Langton. Given the assignment Ballard sends Echo on (see the above photo), Langton's skepticism is understandable.
Meanwhile, Dr. Saunders is still dealing with the realization that she's actually a doll named Whiskey. Full of rage and sadness, she's acting out by tormenting Dollhouse techie Topher (Fran Kranz) with mice and, um, other stuff (Topher, as usual, gets the premiere episode's funniest moment, which involves him denying lustful feelings for Fozzie Bear).
And, for those of you who were wondering, the show doesn't seem to be ignoring the unaired "Dollhouse" episode "Epitaph One," even though that episode was only unavailable via download and on the first season DVD. Judging from the premiere, the series does seem to be sowing the seeds for the futuristic world we see in "Epitaph." However, if you haven't seen that episode, you'll still be able to follow the premiere.
"Dollhouse," much like its heroine, really seems to be evolving before our eyes, developing depth and a strong identity of its own. I'm looking forward to seeing where it's going.

Please stop "Flash"-ing me

Look, I'm as willing to eat my sheep food as the next person. I respond to hype. I jump on bandwagons. I can follow with the best of them. So when ABC kept shoving its new series "Flash Forward" in my face in the form of a massive ad campaign, I was right there with them, declaring the show a must-watch before I'd even seen it.
And now, I've seen it.
And, well, it's not bad but honestly? I don't love it. I know! I'm a bad sheep!
As anyone not living under a rock for the past several months knows, "Flash Forward," which premieres tonight at 8, centers on a massive, worldwide blackout in which nearly everyone on earth loses consciousness for about two minutes. While blacked out, they all have a "flash" of an event on a specific day, at a specific time -- six months in the future. The unconscious FBI Agent Mark Benford (Joseph Fiennes of "Elizabeth" and "Shakespeare in Love," ditching the tights for jeans) seems himself investigating the source of the blackout. He also sees himself drinking -- a major source of despair, as he's a recovering alcoholic. His surgeon wife Olivia (Sonya Walger of "Lost") sees herself with another man. And Benford's partner (John Cho) sees nothing. Maybe because he'll be dead in six months?
It's admittedly intriguing, but the pilot is all hype, no emotion. I wasn't invested enough in these characters to really care what happens to them in six months. And serials like this really depend on you being "with" the characters, don't they? Why would we follow these people down their twisty path if we don't care about them?
True, the pilot has a lot of glitz, lots of car crashes, helicopter crashes and other drama that occurs during the blackout. There's a healthy dose of melodrama and creepiness. Yet, underneath, I didn't feel much. I wasn't invested. But maybe that will change. There's enough good stuff on "Flash Forward" to make it worth a look, and I'm even willing to give it another shot.
After all, Dominic Monaghan of "Lost" is set to join the cast a few episodes down the line, and the story is interesting enough to keep me engaged for a little while longer. But it's not the powerhouse ABC wants me to believe it is. Sorry.

When life changes in an instant: Reviewing "The Good Wife"

In the opening scenes of the new CBS series "The Good Wife" (which premieres at 10 tonight), Alicia Florrick (Juliana Marguiles) cuts a familiar figure. Clad in an uncomfortable-looking suit, she stands beside her politician husband Peter (Christopher Noth) as he apologizes to the American public for his role in a sex scandal. Alicia stands next to him, looking stunned but supportive. A closer look tells a slightly different story. Alicia is terrified, angry and lost. As the conference ends, she and Peter walk out of the room. In the adjoining hallway, free from the prying eyes of the media, Alicia hauls off and smacks Peter. It's a cathartic moment for anyone who has watched time and time again as the wives of embattled politicians stand beside their men in seeming support, as they admit to crime and/or infidelity.
But "The Good Wife" shows us what happens to Alicia after delivering that slap. It shows us that she needs to move on with her life and start taking care of her family. With her husband in jail, Alicia must rejoin the workforce and pick up the law career she abandoned to start a family.
The show offers a nice window into the lives of an archetype we think we all know: the scandalized political wife. As Florrick, Marguiles (along with the show's writers) turn a cliche into a human being. We see her struggle at work, where seemingly half her firm is conspiring against her. Her only allies are an old friend (the always welcome Josh Charles of "Sports Night") and the firm's smart, no-nonsense investigator (Archie Panjabi).
With its combination of legal drama (the pilot follows Alicia as she tries to clear a scorned woman of murder) and political intrigue, "The Good Wife" is one of the best new shows of the fall. Marguiles, coming off the short-lived "Canterbury's Law," seems to have found a TV character to equal the beloved Carol on "ER." Alicia is smart, strong and relatable, and Marguiles is radiant in the part. Panjabi is also excellent as the woman who reluctantly becomes her sidekick. The byplay between them is the show's highpoint.
Though other shows, including ABC's "Flash Forward," are getting a lot more hype, "The Good Wife" is definitely worth your time, if only to see what happens to those poor wives once the lights dim and cameras go away.

"Mad Men" recap: Missed it by a foot

Before we get in to this week's "Mad Men" recap, I'd like to congratulate the entire cast and crew on their second consecutive Emmy win for Best Drama. And what a night to win! Look, we all know the "Mad Men" formula: slow, methodical character development that occasionally leads up to a shocking moment, made all the more stunning by the calm that preceded it. Well, last night contained one of those moments and, by my count, might be the first one to contain actual bloodshed. Yeesh.
Spoilers ahead.
Let's start with that bloodshed, shall we? This week's episode followed this dramatic template, once famously described by Chekhov: If you introduce a riding mower in the first act, then you must show a pompous Brit getting his foot chewed up by said mower by the last. I'm paraphrasing of course. But that's exactly what happened here. Near the start of the episode, co-head of accounts Ken Cosgrove tootles in on a lawn tractor, given to him by clients at John Deere. He's feeling chuffed, but sobering news is on the way. The British are coming. Specifically, the higher ups at Ster/Coop's new owners, Putnam, Powell and Lowe, are on their way in for an inspection.
Their visit also coincides with Joan's last day at Ster/Coop. She's expecting Worthless Greg to be made chief resident, so she can start a life of leisure as a doctor's wife.
In Bert's office, Coop and Roger muse over what the British visit will be like. Coop thinks they're interested in something big for Don, possibly in London. Alas, it's not to be. The British come and the only person they're interested in relocating is Mr. Pryce, whom they want to send to the PPL Bombay office. Mr. Pryce is sad, but stoic. Less stoic are the Ster/Coop peeps, who participate in a presentation about PPL's new plan for the agency. According to a chart, Don and Bert will share managing duties with a PPL rising star named Guy. There's, of course, an important name left off the chart: Roger's. When our favorite silver fox points out this fact, a flustered Guy claims it's an oversight, but fails to mention exactly what Roger's role is. Roger isn't pleased. In fact, no one is pleased, except Harry -- the only one to get a promotion under the new setup.
Just as Don learns, to his disappointment, that he won't be moving to London, Joan learns, to her disappointment, that Worthless Greg won't be made chief resident. He's still a doctor, he explains, but not a surgeon. After a lot of hemming and hawing, he reveals that he's only got one year left in his residency, and they can't afford for Joan to leave her job. But that's done, she says. Find a new one, he replies.
At work the next day, Joan is greeted with a nice sendoff from the bosses...then promptly bursts into tears. However, she gathers herself well enough to make the rounds of the office and have a heart-to-heart with Peggy, who awkwardly tries to explain how much Joan has meant to her. It's a nice moment...until the riding mower makes its reappearance.
As Joan and Peggy talk, Smitty is riding the tractor around the office with various secretaries. Ken seems mildly worried, but not enough to actually do anything. Then Smitty makes the mistake of allowing the massively incompetent Lois to ride the mower. She loses control of it and: MOWS RIGHT OVER GUY'S FOOT! Oh my God! I knew something bad would happen as soon as Lois took the mower controls, but I wasn't prepared for the sight of Guy's blood splattered all over Harry, Paul and others like melon at a Gallagher show. Unbelievable!
Joan, being the super-competent star she is, immediately takes over, staunching the bleeding of Guy's foot, and getting him off to the hospital.
As all this is happening, Don is taking a surprise meeting with hotel magnate Conrad Hilton, whose office seemingly calls him out of the blue. Turns out, the man in the white dinner jacket Don made a drink for a Roger's derby party was Conrad himself (kudos to those sharp-eyed viewers who immediately knew who he was). Conrad asks Don's advice on a set of ads featuring a mouse showing off Hilton hotels. Don, as usual, is pointed and practical: no one wants to think about a mouse in their hotel. Conrad agrees, and wants to hear Don's ideas. Don suggests Hilton hires Ster/Coop to create a new campaign. And, like that, a chance encounter at a party leads to a new relationship. Booze is good, people!
Anyway, Don gets a call from Joan while at Hilton's office and rushes to the hospital, where the blood-soaked departing secretary sits waiting for word. They have a tender moment together where Don says he'll miss her, and Joan looks grateful for his sincere admiration. The Brits arrive, and thank Joan for her quick thinking. But they also reveal that they have to dump Guy: He can't run an ad agency without a foot! How will he play golf? The logic is bizarre, but maybe it was par for the course at the time. Clearly, people with disabilities were treated much differently in the 1960s than they are now. A missing foot might have been viewed as a severe obstacle to success in a way that it wouldn't today. However, I can't help but wonder if Mr. Pryce wasn't at least a little responsible for pushing his bosses in this direction. Because, as soon as guy is out the door, Pryce is back in.
Here are some more thoughts on "Guy walks into an advertising agency" (by the way, I think this is my favorite episode title to date!):
* I've skipped over the entire subplot involving Sally and baby Gene, but let's sum it up here: little Sally has suddenly become afraid of the dark. Don solves this by buying a night light. But something's still wrong. She won't go near baby Gene not even after Betty, in a rare show of something resembling parenting, buys her a new Barbie, saying it's from the bambino. Sally later tells Don that she's terrified that Gene is her grandfather, reincarnated. He has his name, she explains. He sleeps in his room. He looks just like Grandpa Gene. Don consoles her, tells her the baby is just and baby, and even gets her to hold the child. It's a poignant subplot, because it reminds us yet again that Don is a good dad -- when he's around. He's much better at handling these little kid issues than Betty is, and he does love his children. I'm not sure how he's going to do with Gene, though. Like his daughter, Don seems disturbed by the fact that the child is named for his hated father-in-law. This could cause problems along the way.
* OK -- let's discuss the foot scene again. Has this show ever had such a gory moment? There's been pain and violence -- Betty shooting the pigeons, Peggy's sudden labor, Roger's heart attacks -- but nothing quite so, well, gross. The image of the cleaning staff mopping up Guy's blood in the wake of the debacle is at once comical and horrifying, as is Roger's assertion that, in some office, somewhere, this has happened before. Speaking of Roger, the foot incident gives him possibly his best line to date. When Paul mentions that the ambitious Guy lost his foot, the acerbic Roger replies "Just when he got it in the door." Zing!
* When Guy gets mowed down Peggy, in a rare show of feminine delicacy, faints -- and Pete catches her. Aw. So maybe he doesn't completely hate her.
* Joan once again shows that she's simply awesome, rushing to Guy's side and using basic First Aid to help him when everyone else is freaking out. Yet she seems so convinced that her job is lost to her forever. I just can't believe that. First, they're replacing her with Mr. Hooker, who isn't even a tenth as competent as Joan. Second, she's so well-liked and well-thought of. I'm sure they'd thrill to have her back. Plus they can afford it, as I'm sure they'll finally be firing Lois for good now that she's maimed someone.
* When it's announced the British are on their way, Bert demands that Roger and Don make amends -- and compares them to Martin and Lewis. I think we can all agree that Roger is Jerry Lewis in this scenario, correct?
* Must mention Roger's pointed line about being left off the Putnam, Powell and Low chart of power: "I'm being punished for making my job look easy." I wonder if John Slattery, who plays Roger, had the same reaction upon losing his second consecutive best supporting actor Emmy.
* Do you think there's anything to the tenderness between Don and Joan in the hospital, particularly her decision to kiss him on the cheek before leaving? I know some people might try to make something off it, but I found it to be perfectly sweet and innocent -- an honest exchange between two people who like and respect each other. I hope that's all it is.

I Screen's totally unscientific, most likely incorrect Emmy predictions!

Sunday night at 8, CBS will host the latest installment of the Primetime Emmy Awards. Though there are some glaring omissions among this year's nominees (OK, one last time: No major nominations for "The Shield"? GRRRRR!!!!), I still plan to watch, and I've still picked my favorites. Of course, my favorites almost never win, but I dare to dream.
Below is my list of the nominees for all the major categories, along with my picks for who should win, and who likely will win. Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Best Supporting Actor, Drama
Christian Clemenson, "Boston Legal"
Michael Emerson, "Lost"
William Hurt, "Damages"
Aaron Paul, "Breaking Bad"
William Shatner, "Boston Legal"
John Slattery, "Mad Men"
Should win: Though this is a very strong category, it's a bit compromised by the fact the year's best supporting male dramatic performance, by Walton Goggins on "The Shield," wasn't nominated. Having said that, there are some great performances here, and it's tough to pick my favorite. I'd probably just barely go with Michael Emerson's always-perfect turn as Ben on "Lost" over Aaron Paul's wrenching work as a lonely drug dealer on "Breaking Bad." But it's hard to bet against Emerson, whose creepy stares and deadpan delivery are the best thing about many a "Lost" episode.
Will win: Unless the want to give William Shatner a winning sendoff following the final season of "Boston Legal," I'm guessing Emmy voters will back me up, finally rewarding Emerson.
Best Supporting Actress, Drama
Rose Byrne, "Damages"
Hope Davis, "In Treatment"
Cherry Jones, "24"
Sandra Oh, "Grey's Anatomy"
Dianne Wiest, "In Treatment"
Chandra Wilson, "Grey's Anatomy"
Should win: This is a hard category for me for a totally different reason -- I don't watch "In Treatment" or "Grey's Anatomy." So I'm going with Cherry Jones who, as "24's" first female president, actually managed to make the show's ridiculous dialogue sound less ridiculous.
Will win: A toughie, but Chandra Wilson is a favorite with critics and fans and her show is still popular, so I'm guessing Emmy voters will bless her with a statue.
Best Supporting Actor Comedy
Jon Cryer, "Two and a Half Men"
Kevin Dillon, "Entourage"
Neil Patrick Harris "How I Met Your Mother"
Jack McBrayer, "30 Rock"
Tracy Morgan "30 Rock"
Rainn Wilson, "The Office"
Should win: Though he's often overshadowed by co-stars Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan is an essential part of the "30 Rock" equation as lunatic comic Tracy Jordan. He's coming off of an especially strong season, and it's first nomination, so I'd love to see him win.
Will win: However, I'm pretty sure the Emmy will go to Neil Patrick Harris who, incidentally, is hosting the freakin' Emmys! He's a critic's darling, an industry darling, and he's funny. Sigh. Better luck next year, Tracy.
Best Supporting Actress, Comedy:
Kristin Chenoweth, "Pushing Daisies"
Jane Krakowski, "30 Rock"
Elizabeth Perkins, "Weeds"
Amy Poehler, "Saturday Night Live"
Kristen Wiig, "Saturday Night Live"
Should and Will Win: Though all her competitors are great, Amy Poehler is my bet for the win, as Emmy will likely want to reward what was more or less her "SNL" swan song. Also, the new mom performed on the show almost right until she went into labor. So I think an Emmy is the least we can do.
Best Actress, Drama
Glenn Close, "Damages"
Sally Field, "Brothers & Sisters"
Mariska Hargitay, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"
Holly Hunter, "Saving Grace"
Elisabeth Moss, "Mad Men"
Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer"
Should Win: A toughie. I think it's inexcusable that Kyra Sedgwick has never won an Emmy for her stellar work as Deputy Police Chief Brenda Johnson on "Mad Men," but I also love Elisabeth Moss's quiet, understated work as the talented, career-minded Peggy on "Mad Men." I guess, when you get down to it, I'm rooting for Sedgwick, but just by a hair.
Will Win: Again, the category is wide open, but voters rewarded Glenn Close last year for "Damages," and I expect they'll do it again. She's a film actress, which always catches voters' eyes. She plays a flashy character, and she's a gracious winner. All things Emmy likes. Sorry, Kyra, Elisabeth and company: I think Glenn's got this one.
Best Drama, Actor:
Simon Baker, "The Mentalist"
Gabriel Byrne, "In Treatment"
Bryan Cranston, "Breaking Bad"
Michael C. Hall, "Dexter"
Jon Hamm, "Mad Men"
Hugh Laurie, "House"
Should win: Look, I love Jon Hamm and Michael C. Hall, but Bryan Cranston is just The Man. His performance in "Breaking Bad's" second season was even better than his Emmy-winning work in season one. This is a career defining performance, and I'd love to see him collect another statuette...
Will Win: ... but I think voters are going to go with Jon Hamm. He's glamorous and his show has burst into pop culture in a way "Breaking Bad" hasn't. Hamm is a star and Emmy likes stars, regardless of their decision to reward Cranston last year. I think he takes it home.
Best Actress, Comedy:
Christina Applegate, "Samantha Who?"
Toni Collette, "United States of Tara"
Tina Fey, "30 Rock"
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "The New Adventures of Old Christine"
Mary-Louise Parker, "Weeds"
Sarah Silverman, "The Sarah Silverman Program"
Should win: Can I just say that it's so nice to see the female-centered categories so full of quality nominees this year? It's a strong contrast to the Oscars, which often struggle to find enough actresses to fill the categories. Anyway, I'm going with Tina Fey who, even in an uneven season, was always a pleasure to watch as dippy but lovable Liz Lemon.
Will Win: The only thing I can say definitively here is that quirky category newcomer Sarah Silverman won't win for her work on her own Comedy Central sitcom (unless, of course, she does win. Emmy can surprise us, after all). Other than her, I think all the other nominees have a strong shot. But I think Emmy will go glamorous and pick Toni Collette, a former Oscar nominee who plays multiple roles on Showtime's "United States of Tara."
Best Actor, Comedy:
Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"
Steve Carell, "The Office"
Jemaine Clement, "Flight of the Conchords"
Jim Parsons, "The Big Bang Theory"
Tony Shalhoub, "Monk"
Charlie Sheen, "Two and a Half Men"
Should Win: I love Jemaine Clement, but it's hard to top Alec Baldwin's oily, hilarious work as money-loving Jack Donaghy. He had another strong season, and I'd love to see him take it home.
Will Win: Everyone's gone gaga over category newcomer Jim Parsons, and Emmy does like to reward dark horses on occasion (case in point -- giving a statuette to Zeljko Ivanek over Ted Danson last year). But I think Baldwin will still win. Jack Donaghy is pretty hard to resist.
Best Comedy Series:
"30 Rock"
"Entourage"
"Family Guy"
"Flight of the Conchords"
"How I Met Your Mother"
"The Office"
"Weeds"
Should Win: Can I tell you which show I really, really, really DON'T want to win? "Entourage." This show is pleasantly amusing at best, and certainly not one of the five best comedies on TV. Other than that, it's hard, but I'm going to pick "30 Rock." Yes, the season was a little shaky at times, but there were so many great moments (Oprah! Kidney Now! "I want to go to there"!) that it can't be overlooked.
Will Win: "30 Rock," unless Stewie from "Family Guy" blackmails the Emmy voters into giving that series a statue.
Best Drama Series:
"Big Love"
"Breaking Bad"
"Damages"
"Dexter"
"House"
"Lost"
"Mad Men"
Should and Will Win: Again, the category is compromised by the omission of "The Shield." That said, it's hard to see "Mad Men" losing this one, despite the presence of the excellent "Big Love" and "Breaking Bad." And you know what? I'd be fine with a "Mad Men" win.