Mad Men's two-hour sixth-season debut fell right in line with past years' of the AMC series premieres: a slow, studied episode that updates Don Draper's world with charming nuance (Megan's a recognizable soap star! Ginsberg has a horrifying mustache!) without vaulting us into any Earth-shattering plot developments. It was a bit dull, but we were given enough bait to ponder the rest of the year. What does Peggy's dazzling confidence at work mean for her? Is Betty seriously rummaging through flophouses and deadpanning to her husband about rape fantasies? (Of course she is.) Here are my five predictions (or hopes?) for the season ahead.
1. Someone else close to Roger dies.
Roger spent the episode waxing about life's myriad, yet boring opportunities (complete with a monologue to his psychologist about doors only revealing other doors), and he reacted blankly when he heard the news that his mother died. After a disastrous memorial where Don threw up and Roger shooed away his guests, he finally broke down after he learned about another death. The greatest punishment for the endlessly dense Roger is that he keep on living and not learning; therefore, I'm predicting he'll lose someone else close to him. Jane? She's my guess for now, mostly because she looked unbelievably stunning last episode.
2. Peggy and Abe part ways.
Peggy and her squeeze Abe have a harmonious relationship at the moment, but Peggy's utter workplace excellence (loved her grilling that guy about a Viet Cong-referencing "ear" monologue on The Tonight Show that could damage her headphones campaign) makes me think she's doomed to alienate him.
3. Henry Francis wises up.
We're always waiting for the other shoe to drop with Henry Francis, right? He loves Betty unconditionally, smirks at her (along with us) on the right occasions, and always offers what seems like a rational counterbalance to her immaturity. I'm sick of that being all he represents. This season, I hope Henry reads Betty the riot act and threatens to divorce her. He's already embarrassing himself with that sweater, so he's got some ground to make up.
4. Don's affair ends disastrously
Oh, look: Don's cheating on Megan with the wife of his doctor friend. In bed, Don tells the woman (played by Linda Cardellini): "I want to stop doing this." I hope he'll be forced to; I'm waiting for one of Don's mistresses to die or kill herself or expose him in a big way. Don's gotten off easy with past ladies like Faye; I hope he's subject to a Lindsay Weir freakout this time around.
5. We haven't seen the last of that gorgeous photographer's assistant.
Is this a purely selfish prediction? Maybe, but it felt like the camera wanted to linger on this clean-cut cutie. He stood in the background of several scenes with his wide eyes and, basically, it was hard to keep my eyes off him. Don't deny the star-power, Matthew Weiner!
What do you think we can expect from season six? Here's a good question: Where can Joan go from here?
