Mad Men (TV Series) Christmas Waltz (2012) User Reviews

A couple of loose ends seem to be accounted for ...

[tforbes-2 · 8/10 · 21 May 2012]

While this episode seemed scattered, it was really worth watching, because we get to see the seeds of what may be Lane Pryce's self destruction. He is having financial difficulties, and decides to embezzle $8,000 to cover the taxes owed to Her Majesty's Government.

And his solicitor's fees remain unaccounted for.

Meantime, we get to see what happened with Paul Kinsey, who's now in the grasp of the Hare Krishnas. What unfolds is a less than flattering portrait of the organization, and of Paul's desire to have Harry help him in selling a script for "Star Trek." Other people have not received this portion of the episode well, but I thought it provided something interesting.

Seeing Don Draper and Joan Harris together was fun, and it was interesting that she was served divorce papers. Strangely, though, I thought she might receive news that he would be killed in Vietnam, but one never knows. Anyway, their time together was interesting, and we may get to see more of the old Don Draper in action, getting the Jaguar account landed.

Overall, the season has been a little uneven, and I would have appreciated at least a reference or two to "Batman," which was THE SHOW of 1966, as well as other pop references. But I think we're getting set up for something very interesting, between Lane Pryce and Jaguar.

Where things start to stir

[skbpirocks · 9/10 · 2 April 2020]

Amongst the Christmas spirit being shared among many characters, such as Harry and Paul (nice to see him again), were events that would dictate the following two powerful episodes. This episode proved to be a blend of slow character-driven moments as well as a greater influence with choices made that change lives for the rest of the series. A particular scene that I, along with many others, found interesting was the barside chat between two similar characters, Don and Joan. Each dialogue was layered with inner meaning towards their own issues and was a great moment to watch. The ending leaves viewers on a melancholic note as they know that whatever is to come will be crucial. Definitely an underrated episode.

A Waltz with Two Mad Men Favorites Spending the Holidays in Different Circumstances

[tbmforclasstsar · 9/10 · 21 May 2012]

Christmas time can be such a lovely time of the year. The snow falls outside, the lights and decorations light up streets and homes, and people come together to look back on their years as the holidays swing into full gear.

And even in a world full of mad men looking to make a big advertising deal with any number of clients, there is still time to find a way to enjoy the presence of other people.

Take Harry Crane for example. While often a pompous and sarcastic jerk in his day to day life, Harry takes a meeting with his former co-worker Paul Kinsey, who has made a different life for himself. Enlightened through the Krishna ceremonies he has started to attend, Paul invites Harry to sing along the Hare Krishna and find enlightenment in his own laugh. The singing and reaction by Harry is… laughable, to say the last. Harry seems afraid to join in, confused by what is going on, and out of place from the rest of the group. Luckily for Harry, Mother Lakshmi (an attractive women int eh movement) leads him through the beginning of the ceremony and teaches him the words to sing as they go along.

When the song finishes some long time later, Harry is fully singing along to the Hare Hare. The entire group stops, but he continues on before realizing he is the only one singing, like the guy at a sports event that thought the fans were going to keep chanting and continued on one too many times. Paul takes Harry from the meeting to go get some food, but he reveals in the cab ride to dinner his real reason for wanting to meet. Paul has written a script for an episode of Star Trek and wants Harry to get it to NBC producers. Harry is astonished. He had to sit through that whole ceremony, sing like a fool, and see visions for nothing. Harry asks why Paul is even bothering to stick with the group, and Paul tells Harry that he has fallen madly in love with Lakshmi. Oh those Hare Krishna chanting beauties…they'll get you every time. Harry tells Paul he will try his best to get the script to NBC and the two part ways.

Later on in the episode, Lakshmi shows up at Harry's office. Disguising her past the secretary with the old babysitter applicant trick, Harry is stunned as Lakshmi starts to come on to him. She kisses him, but Harry pulls away. But he can only resist once. After explaining that she is burning for him, she bends over Harry's desk, and Harry can't gets his pants off quick enough. If only snap offs had been invented in the 60s…

To read the rest of the review (IMDb form too short) visit: http://custodianfilmcritic.com/mad- men-5-10-christmas-waltz/

The Kinsey Complex

[TheFearmakers · 6/10 · 25 October 2019]

The pipe smoking Orson Welles lookalike Paul Kinsey was a pretentious character on Mad Men, on purpose, and one of the main cast in the first three seasons, a beatnik very ahead of his time...

But he returns here a hairless Hare Krishna who writes a really awful Star Trek spec script, and his backstory after we'd last seen him is given as being a failure after being pretty much abandoned with the old Sterling Cooper offices, which in itself was unfair since he was one of the original characters, and is far more known for this show than the annoyingly contrived Ginsberg (and Sal, too, was a great original character, and he never even gets a goodbye)...

But more on Trek... Nicholas Guest, Christopher's Spinal Tap brother, plays an Englishmen, and he was in The Wrath of Khan, so that's something there... Also, Kinsey script is about the black race enslaving the write race, which didn't happen on Trek, however, Gene Roddenberry made a TV movie called PLANET EARTH where women enslave men (which actually happens anyway)...

Then there's the Joan and Don story... the two perfect looking characters that everyone has thought, at least twice, they should hook up but then quickly realizes, it would be just too perfect...

It's like an episode of MASH when they had Hawkeye and Hot Lips stranded together... a kind of fantasy coupling of male and female fan-favorites, and these two always did compliment either other while being, on their own, too good for the other, somehow... or something...

Anyhow, it was nice they were finally put together for a story-line, probably the best thing going on in this episode. Better than Kinsey Krishna, and better than what they eventually do to Lane Pryce... god, talk about getting rid of a great character without any respect..

And for the reviewers who think this episode made the Krishna movement look negative, boy oh boy, what thin skin you have. Imagine what Christians go through on almost all shows and movies...

Disappointed with the lazy research too

[Kali1008 · 2/10 · 21 May 2012]

As an avid fan of Mad Men and also a former member of the Hare Krishna movement, I was very disappointed with this episode. I just thought that Mad Men would be the one show that actually at least got the clothes right when they depicted hare krishnas. The guys don't wear 'togas' with material draped over their shoulders. The usual clothing for Hare Krishna men is a white or saffron top with a white or saffron doti - which is a long piece of cloth that is worn in a specific way - but cloth trousers are quite acceptable too.

The women wear saris, and generally keep their hair in a neat plait at the back. As for this 'Lakshmi' woman who is supposedly an initiated devotee since she has a devotee name and is not of Indian descent - well pleeaase !

I'm really tired of the total misrepresentation of the Hare Krishnas whenever they are depicted on TV. Vaisnvaism is a strict religion that adheres to principles laid out in the Vedic scriptures and four regulative principles must be strictly followed by the devotees.

These are: No meat, fish or eggs; no intoxication (the really strict devotees won't drink coffee or eat brown chocolate - and they sure as hell wouldn't eat in a diner either) no gambling and very importantly no illicit sex - which means none outside of marriage, and even then it is regulated depending on the individual couple's choices.

In all my years in the Hare Krishna movement I never heard anyone referred to as a 'recruiter' and certainly back in the days when Prabhupada was in New York there were some hippie types hanging around, some of whom did become HK devotees. Once accepted and initiated however, there is no question of a young devotee woman asking for an alcoholic drink and then offering herself up for sex for any reason. This is the Hare Krishna movement - not the Rajneeshis ! There is no sharing of women or free sex or anything of that nature. There is no having a 'girlfriend'either.

Of course the HK movement has had its share of scandals, and individuals may break the principles - like may occur in all religions - but it is not the norm. To offer up this nonsense as a glimpse into the HK movement in the 60s is lazy research and actually quite insulting - especially to the dedicated women of the Hare Krishna movement of today and back then in the 1960s.

Waltz Your Way Right Out of Here **

[edwagreen · 4/10 · 20 May 2012]

I was extremely disappointed with this episode. It fails because it really didn't deal with one central issue. Instead, we find that we have a hodgepodge of stories. The Hare Krishna, Joan's outburst when she served with divorce papers, our English partner ready to steal money from the firm, and Don's commitment to the automobile are all interesting issues, but they are not dealt with firmly as the camera seems to move from one situation to another rather quickly.

That Krishna woman was something else.

Don almost acts as a guidance counselor when he catches Joan during her outburst to the secretary. He takes her around and lets her vent out her emotions. Don shows his compassionate side here, but the fact remains that the guy knows how to drink.