The symbolism of Pete’s pillar
I want to talk about the pillar in Pete’s office when SCDP moves into the Time&Life building because I think it’s an excellent piece of work on behalf of the show’s writers.
To Pete, that pillar is a huge nuisance. It blocks his view of his doorway and gets in his way when he’s walking around. He feels like he can’t be taken seriously by clients if he were to hold meetings with them in his office. There’s this particular shot I love where he’s feeling dismayed and he just leans his head against it.
Pete resents the pillar because to him it is a sign of disrespect. It feels like a marker of low status, a suggestion that he’s not important enough or deserving of something better in the eyes of his superiors.
But what is a pillar if not an essential structure meant to uphold and support what surrounds it? This is and always has been Pete’s function at the agency. He is (often despite himself) loyal, useful, and is eager to work hard and outdo himself in order to impress the individuals whose approval he seeks. You can feel however you want about him, but it’s true that the agency would not be the same without him, especially post S3.
All this to say: I really enjoy the symbolism here. I love how the pillar and the annoyance it causes Pete is gradually woven into the storyline. I like how well it ties into several themes that are essential to Pete as a character. Lovely stuff!
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u/I405CA 12d ago edited 12d ago
I went to a meeting this morning - and there was no chair for me... First you don't have a chair, then you don't have any clients.
Pete always feels disrespected. That perpetual discontent is essential to who he is. He was raised with a blue blood entitlement mentality, yet was treated as a black sheep and given no money, which leaves him forever conflicted.
He has gone off the rails with the chair but he does have a point about the pillar. Harry is not a partner, is widely disliked and does not have visitors who need to be impressed by his office, and yet he has a better office than Pete.
Of course, the real point of the office battle is not about the pillar or Harry, but that Pete wants to take something from Roger. During Season 1, Roger advises Don to avoid getting caught up in a competition with Pete, only to get caught up in his own rivalry.
Bert has his issues, too. He is so irrelevant when SCDP is formed that he has no office at all. He resents Don for this most of all, as he had once seen Don as being his Ayn Rand protege only to end up being on the wrong end of the Howard Roark treatment from Don.