Mad Men – Ep. 8 – The Hobo Code
Woah. This episode kicks off different from most. Peggy’s ad for the lipstick company is successful. She and Pete both happen to be in the office early and unfortunately they have sex in the office. Pete obviously is having problems with his wife, so what’s wrong with turning to a co-worker to have sex? And there is certainly more room for affairs in this show. The irony of Peggy judging Don with his affairs with Midge, now she off to doing her own little things. I am honestly not into the whole Peggy and Pete thing. Not a fan at all, and did not enjoy that scene.
Let’s get to Sal first. He is very feminine and I have thought this since I was first introduced to the character. He always makes gay remarks, anybody could have caught this. He actually reminds me of a co-worker I have and it is shocking how similar they look. He goes out with one of the lipstick executives and seems quite nervous. He obviously is hiding his sexuality and is nervous to come out. I’m sure Dick, I mean Don feels the same way. Sal does whatever he can to keep his identity as a straight man like his “appearances.” He seems conflicted on how “out” he wants to be. There is a lot of deception in this show with all the affairs and the living in the shadow or with a different name. The 60′s were badass.
The flashbacks are back and who doesn’t love flashbacks? Especially with Don’s secretive past, this is really interesting. In this flashback of Don as a kid he is on his family’s farm when a homeless man asking little Don for some money and food. If that was me I would mortified. As a young kid I wouldn’t know what to say, and this is where we get the name of the episode, “The Hobo Code.” The homeless man takes out some chalk and draws out some codes and explains that this is how hobos communicate with one another. This is very creepy and unpredictable, it is like I’m watching another show. One of the symbols means “a dishonest man lives here.” When little Don gets home, he sees the exact same symbol on the fence in his house. Right now, I don’t know what to think of this, but Don is unhappy seeing the symbol by his home and does not want to be like his father who sent the hobo away.
Don didn’t have a good relationship with his parents and it is revealed that someone told Don to think of himself as a whore’s son. The hobo became friendly with Don and told him he can be anyone he wants to be and with that he probably came up with his fake life he is living now. Don goes to Midge and hangs with her friends there and smokes pot with them. This shows how he feels when he is around her. He would never do that with his friends or at work, but with Midge he is willing to do anything, he is free, just like what the hobo told him.
I am giving this episode a 5/5. Absolutely awesome. I loved the hobo flashbacks and the interactions and dialogue between him and Don. I cannot stop watching this show and I am really enjoying it. There’s a reason why Mad Men has won so many awards and the accuracy of the show needs to be one of the main reasons. I feel like I am living in the 60′s and I want to be there now! Back to reality. Till next time…
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