TV Review: Mad Men: Season 5 – Episode 8: “Lady Lazarus” (2012)

MAD MEN
SEASON FIVE

Episode 8: “Lady Lazarus”

BY CHRISTOPHER HASKELL
APRIL 9, 2013

One episode ago, Megan is hitting the Heinz winning home run ad. The next, she’s lying to Don and sneaking off to acting auditions. And further yet, quits the firm, with Don’s unexpected approval (“don’t want her to end up unhappy like Betty”). Peggy is conflicted with this news. Empty elevator shafts offer some possible foreshadowing for Don or a blatant metaphor. And Dennis Haskins (“Saved By The Bell”) cameos as a chef for Cool Whip.

Of course, the most exciting happening now is Pete’s affair with the ultra-sexy Beth Dawes (Alexis Bledel). Pete rides the train with Beth’s husband, who openly admits to cheating. She’s so gorgeous; Pete cannot help but accept her advances, a side of Pete that’s been brewing for the last few episodes. Getting stood up by Beth, as he sits in his car, she appears in the passenger’s seat of the car next to his, drawing a delicate heart in the fog on her window, just the sign Pete needs to keep on with the fantasy. To drive home the episode, Don listens to a master recording of The Beatles’ “Tomorrow Never Knows” from the album “Revolver,” the absolute perfect song to end the almost ideal episode, but not Don’s choice of music as he turns it off after a minute.

RELEASE DATE
May 6, 2012

DIRECTOR
Phil Abraham

WRITTEN BY
Matthew Weiner

STUDIO
Lionsgate Television

NETWORK
AMC

TV-14

DRAMA
48 minutes