Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (1x01)
The first thing that strikes me is that there is an intertitle explaining the origins of the term "Mad Men". I completely forgot that existed. First shot of Don is from behind, which is a clever bit of stage direction. The black busboy is great - "That's a sad story." "It's a tragedy." The first woman we meet is Midge, though I'm not sure we ever actually hear her addressed by name. She and Don have an interesting relationship, underscored by the usage of Don Cherry's "Band of Gold" early in the episode. She's also the benefactor of the most perfectly positioned bedsheet ever.
At Sterling Cooper, we meet Ken, Paul and Harry first, clowning around in the elevator in front of new girl Peggy. We learn that Pete, who we meet in the next scene, is having his bachelor party that night, less than a week before the wedding (which seems a little close). When we meet Pete, he is looking forward to marriage, though the photo he has in his hands looks nothing like Alison Brie. We learn that Sterling Cooper has two big items of business on the docket - rehabbing the image of Lucky Strike Cigarettes, and snaring fairly large fish Menken's Department Store. Maggie Siff, who is probably now most famous for Sons of Anarchy, plays Rachel Menken, the elegant proprietor of the store, whose presence completely throws off the entirety of the Sterling Cooper team assigned to her account. "Oops"
Don rectifies the situation by taking her out for drinks and saves the account, at least for the time being. The entire scene between Jon Hamm and Maggie Siff is perfectly shot and acted - "I'm living like there's no tomorrow...because there isn't one," is such a brilliant line to punctuate a brilliant monologue. Don also has a decidedly "House" moment with the Lucky Strike folks - you can say whatever you want, he realizes. "It's toasted" becomes their slogan, even though every tobacco company toasts their product.
The last scene takes a number of these disparate parts - Don's relationship with Midge, his date with Rachel, his scenes with groom-to-be Pete and ties them all together. We get Don, on the train, then driving his fairly gaudy car through some suburb, and into a driveway of a lovely little white Cape. He walks up to the door, opens it, puts down his things, and goes upstairs to give wife, and then his kids, each a goodnight kiss.
Stray Observations
*When Joan is introducing Peggy to the office (another great scene - very Sorkinlike), they stop into the "nerve center": the switchboard. One of the switchboard operators was Kristen Schaal, who I can only identify by her voice.
*I never realized how obviously gay Sal is from the very beginning. Cases in point: "So we're supposed to believe that people are living one way and secretly thinking the exact opposite? That's ridiculous," and also, at the strip club with those floozies - "I love this place. It's hot, loud, and full of men," to which Sal replies "I know what you mean."
*Music: "Band of Gold" by Don Cherry (first song after the credits); "On the Street Where You Live" by Vic Damone (closing credits)
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"Occulams razor says you are scum" - masterplum