There are a few things to quibble with in this episode, but all in all, this was the most enjoyable episode of the season.

The final third of this late-season entry provides some of the best acting, directing, and writing of the season, and makes this episode essential.

It’s horrifying to think that other people might see a color in a different way. But “The Color Blue” of the title refers as much to a general feeling of sadness enveloping the lives of many of our heroes this week.

I’m late getting to the write-up this week because, you know, life happens. Fortunately Mad Men waits for me. It’s not as demanding as a crying baby or an “eccentric” hotel baron or a lascivious cigarette salesman.

I don’t know how I feel about these short-season series. They come and go like traveling salesmen in the night, tempting you with their exotic wares, only to abandon you before you’ve even turned the clocks back to standard time. I’m nursing a cold.

The metaphor-rich seventh episode of the season begins with three striking images of Peggy, Betty, and Don as they travel through four days in July.

This was the episode where the masterplot of the season really started to take shape. This is going to be a season about expectations: dreaming big, counting your chickens, taking chances, the grass is always greener, and be careful what you wish for.

This week’s descent into narrative madness was one of the worst episodes of Mad Men yet produced.