So I'll start by saying that Lane Pryce (played by the incredible Jared Harris) has been one of my favorite characters on my favorite television show (my favorite television show of all time, even. Yes, full admission.) for many a season. On the surface, Lane is veddy British, his office boasting a collection of teapots, his suit always replete with a natty weskit, his demeanor civilized and crisp. But just lightly scratch under that surface, and find a complex and tortured soul, forever battling against the memories (some not that distant) of being bullied by a domineering father, of never living up to his rigid standards.
At times, Lane displayed a naivete around the office, almost seeming younger than Draper himself. He seemingly looked up to Don, attempted to fit into the "Mad" world, but mostly unsuccessfully. Or perhaps it was his genuinely true and honest spirit that wasn't able to swim effectively with the sharks, clumsily engaging in an extra-marital affair that became more than a fling (but which he had to disengage from due to that aforementioned domineering father).
************SPOILER ALERT - READ NO FURTHER IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED "Commissions and Fees" from Season5 *****************************************
After Lane forged Don's name on a check in order to pay off back taxes, I could start to feel the wheels of a Shakespearean tragedy begin to speed up, the tragedy that started as far back as the moment Lane's father literally kicked him when he was down, churned up by breaking up with the Playboy bunny who stole his heart (she was African American and his father would have absolutely nothing of it), and wound to a fever pitch when Don asked for Lane's resignation after learning about the forgery. Might I also add there was an affection between him and Joan that he knew could never be consummated? In a state of despair, he attempted suicide, in the fancy new "racing green" Jaguar his wife bought with money that was not his own (ironically bought to celebrate the company's new Jaguar account). In a flash of dark, comedic irony that only "Mad Men" can pull off so superbly, the car didn't start - so Lane, sensing no hope for his future, went back to his office, typed out his letter of resignation (fulfilling his obligation to the firm, being the stand-up and proper British gent that he is), and proceeded to hang himself, freeing himself of his internal torture, his "dark night of the soul".Earlier in the season, "Mad Men" gave us a bit of a red herring: Don summoned an elevator and, when the door opened, almost stepped into an open elevator shaft. So many folks I know had been speculating how that might creep back and swallow up one of the characters (during a season of much tumult and shake-up). For Lane, that empty elevator shaft came in the form of the sense that all around was hopeless, there was no redemption, and he'd rather take his own life than be berated by his father yet again. Very tragic, indeed. Like the man in the 9 of Swords card, in his mind Lane felt all around was black and dark, that the floor had fallen out. And last night, while watching the final ten minutes of the episode that sealed Lane's fate, I found myself saying out loud, "No, please don't. You dear, sweet man - there's always hope".
Next Sunday is the Season 5 finale. The tarot reader in me is wondering if the 10 of Swords might be applicable then, the card that promises after destruction a new day will dawn.
BTW - if you're wondering why I didn't write about the Hanged Man today: it doesn't apply here, sadly. The Hanged Man is about soul-searching and being in a zen-like state, while things swirl all about you. It's about reaching a transcendent state Wish Lane would've found that sense of peace.
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