Roundup: This Week on TV - Mixed Drinks and Mixed Emotions

My Top TV Choice for this week actually happened last night, but I think it’s okay to look backward a little considering it was the season finale of Mad Men, “Tomorrowland.” If you don’t watch the show or are a few episodes behind, you can jump to my other TV choices for this week. Spoilers ahead.

For me, “Tomorrowland” wasn’t as “aww”-inspiring as Don’s Kodak pitch, nor was it as exhilarating as the formation of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. Instead, it left me a little confused. In fact, I’m pretty sure I looked like all the all the guys in the room with Ken when he told them his fiancée was the most important part of his life. Well, that wasn’t the answer I was expecting.

Maybe it was because, like Ken, “Tomorrowland” put family over work. I was surprised that there wasn’t more focus on the office. I was very surprised that nothing major happened to Sally. I was yelling-at-my-TV surprised that Don proposed to Megan. (I wasn’t surprised that Joan was still pregnant, but I’m pretty sure no one was).

There’ll be plenty of time to deal with the consequences of everything that happened (and everything that didn’t) next season. But I do want to say that I started liking the episode a lot more when I remembered that even the events that bothered me happened for a reason.

We had to spend a lot of time away from SCDP. Otherwise, we’d have no perspective on how little anyone appreciated Peggy’s efforts to save the company. Because nothing happened to Sally, I have to keep worrying about her for another season. And of course I’m supposed to be completely uncomfortable with Don’s impulsivity. I didn’t know how to feel when the episode was over, but I’m starting to feel very satisfied with the episode as a whole.

Final thoughts and favorite scenes:

- Sal’s unfair termination finally has some competition in the category of “most heart-breaking firing. I’ll definitely miss Carla if she’s gone, but her absence could bring Betty and Sally’s issues to the surface.

- It was nice to see that Don can be silly and sweet with his children.

- I loved that in the end, Don needed Peggy’s approval. And that she gave it to him, even if she was lying.

- I loved even more that Peggy and Joan gossiped about the day’s happenings afterwards, since that’s all I wanted to do too.

Other Workplace Relationships I’m Watching this Week:

House and Cuddy (House, Monday on Fox at 8/7c)

House and Wilson wind up taking care of Cuddy’s daughter, Rachel. Hilarity (some of it heartwarming?) is sure to ensue.

Andy and Erin (The Office, Thursday on NBC at 9/8c)

Andy forms a band, and I’m hoping it’s another attempt to woo Erin with his singing skills (like his charmingly earnest Sweeney Todd exploits two weeks ago).

Dexter and Lumen (Dexter, Sunday on Showtime at 9/8c)

Okay. It’s not a workplace per se, since Lumen’s getting involved in Dexter’s homicidal side job, but I’m excited to see an innocent (albeit damaged) character step into his secret world.

-Nora Sullivan ‘12