Carla, Roger and Racial Stirrings on 'Mad Men'

In the Draper household, Carla the maid is not happy. Not only does she not have a last name, but Betty's dad, who has moved in, gets her first name wrong. She sternly corrects him, and we know the show is saying, "It's 1963."

Black characters haven't had much of a role or a back-story on AMC's "Mad Men," perhaps reflecting the one-dimensional way the show's central players view them. Let's hope Sunday night's rumblings are just a hint, and the elevator guy is next in line for a copywriter job. Seriously, I know it's entertainment, folks. But when you tackle the women's movement, anti-Semitism and the homosexuals barricading themselves in that closet, the fight for racial equality has to get a nod.

Carla's role in the Draper household, if not on the show, was always critical. With Don out working and womanizing and Betty in her semi-zombified state of dissatisfaction, Carla is keeping house and trying to control the otherwise ignored kids.

Now she's in charge of cantankerous Grandpa as he slides into his own world. He calls her out of her name before practically accusing her of swiping his five bucks. Turns out the creepy little girl did it; we'd better start keeping an eye on her.

After serving dinner, Carla eats hers standing up at the counter. But she doesn't look happy about it. Meanwhile, the upper echelon at Sterling Cooper is trying to hold back progress at a Derby Day party at an exclusive club. Roger Sterling descends into full-blown fool when he slathers on the blackface to serenade his blotto young bride with a tipsy tune. Though it's "My Old Kentucky Home," I hear "The Times They Are A-Changin'" faintly in the background.