Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Next time on Mad Men - Space?
Here's a longer preview of the next episode. Once again, Don singles out Peggy as his star employee of the month.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Mad Men #22 (2.9), 9/28/08: Goodbye, Freddie Jeane
August, 1962.
Don finishes his morning cigarette with a cough. He's rented a nice room at the Roosevelt; the New York World-Telegram outside his door proclaims Marilyn Monroe's death: "MM: ACCIDENT OR SUICIDE? Body of Star Lies Unclaimed."
Carla takes the kids out to school while Betty watches dully from the top of the stairs. After they leave, Betty mocks Carla's cheery greeting in an irritated tone and goes back to her room.
Don and Peggy commiserate with Hollis, the elevator operator, about Monroe. Peggy is surprised that such a famous woman could have been alone. "Some people just hide in plain sight," says Hollis.
"My mother and sister keep calling," Peggy says.
"Suicide is disturbing," Don says. (If he's thinking about his brother, it doesn't show.)
"I keep thinking about Joe DiMaggio," Hollis says as the elevator dings on their floor.
Peggy's glad they never placed that Playtex ad with the Marilyn/Jackie look-alike.
The secretaries are all weeping in the office.
The madmen are planning a blood drive that they want to "win." Don suggests that they pay all of the underlings a dollar apiece for participating. He jokes that the "prize" is helping another human being and watching women faint. Harry says that if they get 100% participation, they'll be in the Times.
Harry asks Don if he'd like to go to NBC's Mitch Miller concert. Don coughs and says his kid is sick. Harry thinks he's been snubbed.
Betty is in her housecoat. She's defrosting the freezer and cutting contact paper to line the kitchen drawers.
Jane tells Don that his daughter called last night and asked when he would come back from his business trip. She blurted "Wednesday." He says "Mrs. Draper is working out some things." He reminds Jane that this is personal and stop giving him concerned looks. She assures him that she's very discreet.
Nitpick: August 5 was the date of Monroe's death; it was a Sunday. That would make this Monday. After this little exchange, it seems that it's Tuesday, but Jane is wearing the same dress that she was crying in earlier. So either they're still crying for a second day, which is somewhat plausible considering that no one claimed Monroe's body, or else this was a slight error. I doubt that Sally called Jane at the office on a Sunday night.
Betty mopes around the house, drinking wine, and turns on the radio. They are talking about - who else - Marilyn Monroe. Betty puts on classical music instead and sits down with a book.
Pete, Peggy, and Sal go to Freddie's office to plan their pitch to Samsonite. He tells them that his daughter is having man problems; I suppose this is his excuse for drinking in the middle of the day.
They talk about the presentation for a while; then Freddie turns around as if to get another drink. He stands there quietly with his back to them, not moving, and then there's a splattering sound around his feet.
Relive the horror here.
He turns back to face them, oblivious. Peggy suggests that he change his pants. The other guys laugh, but Freddie sits down and says he needs to think for a minute. He slumps in his chair - they wonder if he's dead. He's passed out.
And the clients are there. Pete considers putting it off till tomorrow. Sal tells Peggy to do Freddie's part instead. Peggy wants to tell Don. Pete says he'll "handle this." Peggy says that if the clients ask about Freddie, they'll say he's sick.
Pete expresses disgust. Peggy is much more sympathetic. Peggy asks Freddie's receptionist to keep people out of his office.
Betty has been sleeping and/or crying on the couch. (Cough cough, what, does everyone have lung cancer?) Sara Beth (her friend from the stables) is at the door to borrow a dress. Betty says she forgot, and explains that she's sick. She and Don won't be able to go to SB's tonight as planned, but they still have a lunch date on Thursday.
SB thinks her husband is too good for her. She's been seeing a psychiatrist (same one Betty went to, I think); diagnosis: boredom. SB saw Arthur, their young friend, fight with his girlfriend, and she's been dreaming about him ever since. She'd like Betty to ride with them, to take the "pressure" off.
Betty advises her not to talk to Arthur so much. She says it's like a switch that you can turn on and off. SB is surprised that Betty doesn't have these kinds of thoughts; but then, "Don is perfect."
Betty says she's feeling crummy again, so SB takes the dresses and leaves.
Freddie wakes up on the sofa in his office. He leaves the building holding his hat, jacket, and briefcase in front of his pants and announces his early departure. His wet shoe squeaks loudly as he walks out; the secretaries all look at one another.
Joan is lying on the couch in Roger's office - she thought he had left. She's been crying over Marilyn Monroe. Roger tries to reason with her. "This world destroyed her," she says. He tells her she's not like Marilyn, who had everything, and threw it all away.
To Roger's flippant attitude, she says, "one day you'll lose someone who's important to you. You'll see. It's very painful."
It must be Wednesday evening. Don has taken the kids out somewhere, and Betty has gotten dressed and washed her hair. She makes a snide remark about Don letting them in his car, and sends them to bed. Sally is sad that he's leaving again. He hugs her and calls her "Salamander," too cute. After she leaves, he tells Betty that Sally had called his office Monday night. Betty didn't even know.
He wants a cover story for the kids. He says he can either say he's working in Philadelphia during the week and come home on weekends, or he can just come home. Betty's angry that he was able to think up such a great lie on the spot, and kicks him out.
Next day at the office. Jane has brought him some shirts - from Menken's. She reminds him about the blood drive. It seems she's been looking out for him, as he told her not to.
Peggy tells Freddie the pitch went okay. He apologizes and thanks her for filling in for him. He zones out for a moment before going into his office. (I hope he didn't crap his pants.)
Betty is trying to pick the lock on Don's desk at home. I think she's still wearing the same blouse. Carla offers to take the kids out. Noting Betty's dark mood, Carla asks if she needs anything. Betty says she hasn't been sleeping well. Carla says "splash cold water on your face and go outside - you'll notice things are right where you left them."
Roger calls Don to his office. Duck and Pete are already there. Pete tells Don what Freddie did. Don says "how'd the presentation go?" but Roger and Duck and Pete all want him fired. Don sticks up for him, but it's a done deal. Duck doesn't want this sort of thing to happen in front of clients.
After Duck and Pete leave, Don is angry with Roger for letting Duck fire one of Don's people. His theory: Duck is a teetotaler, and that's why he has it in for Freddie. Roger says that he himself can fire anyone he wants. (They don't even want Cooper to know about this.) Apparently, they're going to call this a "six-month leave of absence," and Freddie will know what that means. Don is aghast that Roger is just throwing Freddie away. Roger says that Don's loyalty is becoming a liability.
Betty goes to the stables. From a distance, she sees Sara Beth flirting with Arthur. Betty approaches him after Sara Beth leaves and asks if he's seen her. He says he thinks he saw her on Monday. HA! She coyly remarks that it's good for SB to get out once in a while, and that it seems that being around Arthur cheers SB up, and she talks about him all the time. She suggests that they all meet for lunch and cheer her up.
Back at the office, the madmen are donating blood and joking about Freddie. Paul says that Hollis (elevator guy) has a novel. (I don't know if that means he's written one, he's reading one, or something else.) Don chastises them for making childish jokes about Freddie.
Don and Roger meet with Freddie in a restaurant (with drinks) to tell him about his six months' leave of absence - at full salary. Freddie doesn't understand what the big deal is, but he correctly guesses that Duck was involved in getting him fired. Apparently, Roger's father was the original Sterling of Sterling-Cooper, and he drank a lot, and he would have fired Freddie too.
Freddie tries to talk his way out of it, saying he'll be fine on Monday. Roger recommends that he go to Hazelden for treatment. Freddie considers working in some other city. His father, a greeting card salesman, used to randomly pick cities that they could move to so that he could sell his wares there.
But the plan for tonight is to party. They sneak through a side door in a dark building, Roger gives the bouncer a password ("swordfish") and some money, and the bouncer takes them down on the elevator to a private, illegal casino. Don is tense. Freddie tries to cheer him up. He's surprised that Pete Campbell had it in for him too.
Time passes. Don has not done especially well at the tables. Roger's had more luck. Freddie is still playing. A saloon girl wanders up, and Roger gets rid of her.
Roger can tell that Don's in the doghouse. Don doesn't want to talk about it. Roger - Mr. "Don't Get Married" - advises him to make nice with Betty.
Jimmy Barrett is playing at the same table as Freddie. Don punches him in the face and they all leave. They send Freddie away in a cab. He wonders what he'll tell his wife, and what he's going to do. Don tells him it's a fresh start. Freddie says he won't know who he is if he can't go to his job.
Roger and Don go to a quieter, Barrett-free bar. Roger teases Don about getting so angry. Don says "it was a real Archibald Whitman maneuver," allegedly some hothead drunk he used to know. (Actually, his father.) He admits he's staying at the Roosevelt. He doesn't want to discuss the details, but he doesn't feel bad about it, and in fact he's relieved.
Roger asks Don if he's in love. Don seems surprised by the question, and says that'd be easier - he'd know what to do. He says life's too short and "you have to move forward." Roger, who has survived two major coronary events, seems to take this to heart. (No pun intended.) "You gotta move forward. It's your life," he repeats. But it seems that Don's having an existential crisis of his own.
Next work day. Peggy's in a closed-door meeting with Don. He compliments her on the presentation. Samsonite wants her to be the copywriter; Freddie's supposedly taking a few months off, and Peggy will get all of his work.
Peggy knows what Don really means. She is shocked. Don is angry that he had to find out about this from Pete and Duck rather than from her. Peggy is horrified that they talked about it at all, and that this is how she's getting the promotion. He basically tells her to get over it.
She runs into Pete's office to yell at him for blabbing. (His secretary is also mad at him for blabbing.) He asks why she feels sorry for him; "those people" have no self-control and blame their problems on society. It's Freddie's own fault. She credits Freddie for getting her out of the secretarial pool; Pete thinks he deserves credit for her getting the original jr. copywriter job. He also figures the rest of them will all get raises and she'll move into a bigger office. Peggy is disgusted and leaves.
Sara Beth and Arthur both show up for lunch with Betty. SB is surprised to see Arthur. They're both still expecting Betty. SB tells Arthur her day just became more fun. He sweet-talks her the same way he tried to sweet-talk Betty. (He seems sincere. Is he for real? Or is he just very good at his game?)
Meanwhile, Betty is at home, dressed for the world of the living, but not dressed up for lunch. She's baking something with the kids. She casually takes the phone off the hook. (I don't know whether she thinks she's helping Sara Beth, or if she's making mischief on purpose.)
The madmen are having a meeting with Duck about using a nature-loving cartoon turtle mascot to soften people up for plans to build a power plant in their community. Duck asks Peggy if she's "on board with that." Petty seems surprised to remember that she has Freddie's job now.
Mona bursts into Don's office, hopping mad, to inform Don that Roger's leaving her for a secretary. She thinks it's Don's fault. Something about how it's his life and he has to move forward.
Roger is waiting for her outside. She refuses to speak to him and refers him to their daughter Margaret.
Jane is cringing at her desk. Roger reaches for her, and she runs away.
Don stares at Roger in disbelief. Roger says he can explain. Don doesn't want Jane as his secretary any more.
Closing music: "I'm Through With Love," Marilyn Monroe. Nice slideshow here.
Quote of the week: "Can't you find something else to do besides dining on the drama of other people's lives like a bunch of teenage girls?" (Don)
Next week: Betty's still mad, but it seems her father is even madder.
And now, let's remember Freddie Rumsen as he was:
Don finishes his morning cigarette with a cough. He's rented a nice room at the Roosevelt; the New York World-Telegram outside his door proclaims Marilyn Monroe's death: "MM: ACCIDENT OR SUICIDE? Body of Star Lies Unclaimed."
Carla takes the kids out to school while Betty watches dully from the top of the stairs. After they leave, Betty mocks Carla's cheery greeting in an irritated tone and goes back to her room.
Don and Peggy commiserate with Hollis, the elevator operator, about Monroe. Peggy is surprised that such a famous woman could have been alone. "Some people just hide in plain sight," says Hollis.
"My mother and sister keep calling," Peggy says.
"Suicide is disturbing," Don says. (If he's thinking about his brother, it doesn't show.)
"I keep thinking about Joe DiMaggio," Hollis says as the elevator dings on their floor.
Peggy's glad they never placed that Playtex ad with the Marilyn/Jackie look-alike.
The secretaries are all weeping in the office.
The madmen are planning a blood drive that they want to "win." Don suggests that they pay all of the underlings a dollar apiece for participating. He jokes that the "prize" is helping another human being and watching women faint. Harry says that if they get 100% participation, they'll be in the Times.
Harry asks Don if he'd like to go to NBC's Mitch Miller concert. Don coughs and says his kid is sick. Harry thinks he's been snubbed.
Betty is in her housecoat. She's defrosting the freezer and cutting contact paper to line the kitchen drawers.
Jane tells Don that his daughter called last night and asked when he would come back from his business trip. She blurted "Wednesday." He says "Mrs. Draper is working out some things." He reminds Jane that this is personal and stop giving him concerned looks. She assures him that she's very discreet.
Nitpick: August 5 was the date of Monroe's death; it was a Sunday. That would make this Monday. After this little exchange, it seems that it's Tuesday, but Jane is wearing the same dress that she was crying in earlier. So either they're still crying for a second day, which is somewhat plausible considering that no one claimed Monroe's body, or else this was a slight error. I doubt that Sally called Jane at the office on a Sunday night.
Betty mopes around the house, drinking wine, and turns on the radio. They are talking about - who else - Marilyn Monroe. Betty puts on classical music instead and sits down with a book.
Pete, Peggy, and Sal go to Freddie's office to plan their pitch to Samsonite. He tells them that his daughter is having man problems; I suppose this is his excuse for drinking in the middle of the day.
They talk about the presentation for a while; then Freddie turns around as if to get another drink. He stands there quietly with his back to them, not moving, and then there's a splattering sound around his feet.
Relive the horror here.
He turns back to face them, oblivious. Peggy suggests that he change his pants. The other guys laugh, but Freddie sits down and says he needs to think for a minute. He slumps in his chair - they wonder if he's dead. He's passed out.
And the clients are there. Pete considers putting it off till tomorrow. Sal tells Peggy to do Freddie's part instead. Peggy wants to tell Don. Pete says he'll "handle this." Peggy says that if the clients ask about Freddie, they'll say he's sick.
Pete expresses disgust. Peggy is much more sympathetic. Peggy asks Freddie's receptionist to keep people out of his office.
Betty has been sleeping and/or crying on the couch. (Cough cough, what, does everyone have lung cancer?) Sara Beth (her friend from the stables) is at the door to borrow a dress. Betty says she forgot, and explains that she's sick. She and Don won't be able to go to SB's tonight as planned, but they still have a lunch date on Thursday.
SB thinks her husband is too good for her. She's been seeing a psychiatrist (same one Betty went to, I think); diagnosis: boredom. SB saw Arthur, their young friend, fight with his girlfriend, and she's been dreaming about him ever since. She'd like Betty to ride with them, to take the "pressure" off.
Betty advises her not to talk to Arthur so much. She says it's like a switch that you can turn on and off. SB is surprised that Betty doesn't have these kinds of thoughts; but then, "Don is perfect."
Betty says she's feeling crummy again, so SB takes the dresses and leaves.
Freddie wakes up on the sofa in his office. He leaves the building holding his hat, jacket, and briefcase in front of his pants and announces his early departure. His wet shoe squeaks loudly as he walks out; the secretaries all look at one another.
Joan is lying on the couch in Roger's office - she thought he had left. She's been crying over Marilyn Monroe. Roger tries to reason with her. "This world destroyed her," she says. He tells her she's not like Marilyn, who had everything, and threw it all away.
To Roger's flippant attitude, she says, "one day you'll lose someone who's important to you. You'll see. It's very painful."
It must be Wednesday evening. Don has taken the kids out somewhere, and Betty has gotten dressed and washed her hair. She makes a snide remark about Don letting them in his car, and sends them to bed. Sally is sad that he's leaving again. He hugs her and calls her "Salamander," too cute. After she leaves, he tells Betty that Sally had called his office Monday night. Betty didn't even know.
He wants a cover story for the kids. He says he can either say he's working in Philadelphia during the week and come home on weekends, or he can just come home. Betty's angry that he was able to think up such a great lie on the spot, and kicks him out.
Next day at the office. Jane has brought him some shirts - from Menken's. She reminds him about the blood drive. It seems she's been looking out for him, as he told her not to.
Peggy tells Freddie the pitch went okay. He apologizes and thanks her for filling in for him. He zones out for a moment before going into his office. (I hope he didn't crap his pants.)
Betty is trying to pick the lock on Don's desk at home. I think she's still wearing the same blouse. Carla offers to take the kids out. Noting Betty's dark mood, Carla asks if she needs anything. Betty says she hasn't been sleeping well. Carla says "splash cold water on your face and go outside - you'll notice things are right where you left them."
Roger calls Don to his office. Duck and Pete are already there. Pete tells Don what Freddie did. Don says "how'd the presentation go?" but Roger and Duck and Pete all want him fired. Don sticks up for him, but it's a done deal. Duck doesn't want this sort of thing to happen in front of clients.
After Duck and Pete leave, Don is angry with Roger for letting Duck fire one of Don's people. His theory: Duck is a teetotaler, and that's why he has it in for Freddie. Roger says that he himself can fire anyone he wants. (They don't even want Cooper to know about this.) Apparently, they're going to call this a "six-month leave of absence," and Freddie will know what that means. Don is aghast that Roger is just throwing Freddie away. Roger says that Don's loyalty is becoming a liability.
Betty goes to the stables. From a distance, she sees Sara Beth flirting with Arthur. Betty approaches him after Sara Beth leaves and asks if he's seen her. He says he thinks he saw her on Monday. HA! She coyly remarks that it's good for SB to get out once in a while, and that it seems that being around Arthur cheers SB up, and she talks about him all the time. She suggests that they all meet for lunch and cheer her up.
Back at the office, the madmen are donating blood and joking about Freddie. Paul says that Hollis (elevator guy) has a novel. (I don't know if that means he's written one, he's reading one, or something else.) Don chastises them for making childish jokes about Freddie.
Don and Roger meet with Freddie in a restaurant (with drinks) to tell him about his six months' leave of absence - at full salary. Freddie doesn't understand what the big deal is, but he correctly guesses that Duck was involved in getting him fired. Apparently, Roger's father was the original Sterling of Sterling-Cooper, and he drank a lot, and he would have fired Freddie too.
Freddie tries to talk his way out of it, saying he'll be fine on Monday. Roger recommends that he go to Hazelden for treatment. Freddie considers working in some other city. His father, a greeting card salesman, used to randomly pick cities that they could move to so that he could sell his wares there.
But the plan for tonight is to party. They sneak through a side door in a dark building, Roger gives the bouncer a password ("swordfish") and some money, and the bouncer takes them down on the elevator to a private, illegal casino. Don is tense. Freddie tries to cheer him up. He's surprised that Pete Campbell had it in for him too.
Time passes. Don has not done especially well at the tables. Roger's had more luck. Freddie is still playing. A saloon girl wanders up, and Roger gets rid of her.
Roger can tell that Don's in the doghouse. Don doesn't want to talk about it. Roger - Mr. "Don't Get Married" - advises him to make nice with Betty.
Jimmy Barrett is playing at the same table as Freddie. Don punches him in the face and they all leave. They send Freddie away in a cab. He wonders what he'll tell his wife, and what he's going to do. Don tells him it's a fresh start. Freddie says he won't know who he is if he can't go to his job.
Roger and Don go to a quieter, Barrett-free bar. Roger teases Don about getting so angry. Don says "it was a real Archibald Whitman maneuver," allegedly some hothead drunk he used to know. (Actually, his father.) He admits he's staying at the Roosevelt. He doesn't want to discuss the details, but he doesn't feel bad about it, and in fact he's relieved.
Roger asks Don if he's in love. Don seems surprised by the question, and says that'd be easier - he'd know what to do. He says life's too short and "you have to move forward." Roger, who has survived two major coronary events, seems to take this to heart. (No pun intended.) "You gotta move forward. It's your life," he repeats. But it seems that Don's having an existential crisis of his own.
Next work day. Peggy's in a closed-door meeting with Don. He compliments her on the presentation. Samsonite wants her to be the copywriter; Freddie's supposedly taking a few months off, and Peggy will get all of his work.
Peggy knows what Don really means. She is shocked. Don is angry that he had to find out about this from Pete and Duck rather than from her. Peggy is horrified that they talked about it at all, and that this is how she's getting the promotion. He basically tells her to get over it.
She runs into Pete's office to yell at him for blabbing. (His secretary is also mad at him for blabbing.) He asks why she feels sorry for him; "those people" have no self-control and blame their problems on society. It's Freddie's own fault. She credits Freddie for getting her out of the secretarial pool; Pete thinks he deserves credit for her getting the original jr. copywriter job. He also figures the rest of them will all get raises and she'll move into a bigger office. Peggy is disgusted and leaves.
Sara Beth and Arthur both show up for lunch with Betty. SB is surprised to see Arthur. They're both still expecting Betty. SB tells Arthur her day just became more fun. He sweet-talks her the same way he tried to sweet-talk Betty. (He seems sincere. Is he for real? Or is he just very good at his game?)
Meanwhile, Betty is at home, dressed for the world of the living, but not dressed up for lunch. She's baking something with the kids. She casually takes the phone off the hook. (I don't know whether she thinks she's helping Sara Beth, or if she's making mischief on purpose.)
The madmen are having a meeting with Duck about using a nature-loving cartoon turtle mascot to soften people up for plans to build a power plant in their community. Duck asks Peggy if she's "on board with that." Petty seems surprised to remember that she has Freddie's job now.
Mona bursts into Don's office, hopping mad, to inform Don that Roger's leaving her for a secretary. She thinks it's Don's fault. Something about how it's his life and he has to move forward.
Roger is waiting for her outside. She refuses to speak to him and refers him to their daughter Margaret.
Jane is cringing at her desk. Roger reaches for her, and she runs away.
Don stares at Roger in disbelief. Roger says he can explain. Don doesn't want Jane as his secretary any more.
Closing music: "I'm Through With Love," Marilyn Monroe. Nice slideshow here.
Quote of the week: "Can't you find something else to do besides dining on the drama of other people's lives like a bunch of teenage girls?" (Don)
Next week: Betty's still mad, but it seems her father is even madder.
And now, let's remember Freddie Rumsen as he was:
Friday, September 26, 2008
Betty Draper plans a 3-way?
Another Mad Men Episode 9 teaser clip
Also, I've copied all of the Season 2 recaps so far from the old site. I backdated them to 9/22 so that the more timely stuff didn't get shoved to the very bottom of the page.
Also, I've copied all of the Season 2 recaps so far from the old site. I backdated them to 9/22 so that the more timely stuff didn't get shoved to the very bottom of the page.
9/25/08: Great Moments in "The Office"
I didn't record this show, and as a result I missed some of the best quotes. But these are perfectly good too:
Dwight: Hold it in your mouth if you can't swallow.
Jim (to Michael): Nothing?
Jim: Friends don't talk about other friends' butts.
Pam: I will be a little fish in the Big Apple.
Andy: My uncle went to Cornell with the current groundskeeper.
Jan:: You know that girl who went missing... guess whose candles they used for the vigil?
Michael: I once went 28 years without having sex.
Jim: Just going to see Pam. Maybe put up some shelves.
(This is much funnier if you remember a certain scene from Three's Company.)
Creed: That wasn't a tapeworm.
Michael: You know my seduction method.
Michael: We are the goateeless brothers.
Toby: It's nice to have visitors.
Dwight: Hold it in your mouth if you can't swallow.
Jim (to Michael): Nothing?
Jim: Friends don't talk about other friends' butts.
Pam: I will be a little fish in the Big Apple.
Andy: My uncle went to Cornell with the current groundskeeper.
Jan:: You know that girl who went missing... guess whose candles they used for the vigil?
Michael: I once went 28 years without having sex.
Jim: Just going to see Pam. Maybe put up some shelves.
(This is much funnier if you remember a certain scene from Three's Company.)
Creed: That wasn't a tapeworm.
Michael: You know my seduction method.
Michael: We are the goateeless brothers.
Toby: It's nice to have visitors.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Mad Men stuff
Obviously, I haven't gotten around to sprucing up the site yet, but I have some Mad Men stuff to share:
- Mad Men Season 2 so far: Thursday September 25, 4 pm to midnight ET. (Sorry for the short notice - I just found out!)
- There was a "You Could Be on Mad Men Contest" that I also didn't know about. Poo. (I'm in the loop now, though, baby!) People submitted video clips of themselves as a Mad Men character. The winning video is a scream.
- You've probably already seen the ad for Sunday's episode a million times, but here's a bonus preview clip. Honestly, if I hadn't been told that this was a preview clip, I would have guessed that it was something they shot as a joke; it's surreal, and the guys are obviously out of their element. Also, this intriguing photo.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Mad Men #21 (2.8), 9/14/08: Agitation
Saturday morning.
Betty has an exhausting workout with her horse. Don is still lounging in bed when she gets home. She is feeling some stress about a party next week. An electrical outlet in the dining room needs to be replaced. He wants an electrician to do it; he joking suggests that Betty could do it (Betty is in no humor); finally he promises to do it.
Peggy arrives at Anita's with colored pencils for the boys and a Horatio Hornblower book for Gerry, who is in bed with a bad back again. (He had been hoping she'd find him a sequel to Moby Dick.) Anita says he cried at the chiropractor, so I guess he's hurtin' for real.
Father Gill drops in to see Gerry. He and Peggy make awkward small talk. He wants her to be more "involved" - he asks her to help with publicity for the CYO dance. The promotion for last year's event was a dud. The committee really wants kids to show up for this one.
Suddenly, it's Monday. Duck tells Harry that he now costs more than he makes. A Russian "agitator" scene in a TV movie led into a washing machine commercial spotlighting its special "agitator" - the client is mad and doesn't want to pay. Henry needs to read all the scripts to avoid this kinds of conflicts. The mad men aren't particularly supportive or sympathetic.
New client: Heineken. Duck warns Don that they want to compete in bars. Don thinks that a foreign beer will appeal to housewives and the home market. As a test, they should put it in some grocery stores in affluent areas and see what happens. Pete agrees. Duck's skeptical and warns that Heineken still needs to be convinced.
Duck says he's not sure he can make Don's party. Don says the party is more Roger's idea, because he wants them to meet with Crab Colson (the guy from the country club two weeks ago who was building a bomb shelter). Pete is curious, but they do not elaborate.
Meanwhile, back in the 'burbs, Betty gets annoyed with a wobbly formal dining room chair and smashes it up. The kids turn their attention from The Three Stooges to watch.
Harry asks Roger about expanding the TV department. There should be someone who reads the scripts full time. Roger turns him down. Harry thinks some accountant named Mitch is out to get him.
Fr. Gill calls Peggy. (Peggy answers her phone as Peggy's secretary, then waits and answers as herself.) There's a problem with the flyer for the dance. "A Night to Remember" is too sexy ("it sends the wrong message to the girls"). Peggy thinks she knows better, so he asks her to speak to "them" so they won't feel left out.
Roger has told Joan that Harry needs a "girl" to help with the work. This isn't what Harry had in mind, but Joan thinks it's interesting and takes the scripts home. Harry's officemate Warren is totally in love with her.
It's already the night of the party. Roger and Mona are there, and Crab Cowan and wife Petra are there. Sally is dancing for them.
Duck shows up, late and dateless, but with flowers. Don introduces the kids and sends them to bed. He asks for tomato juice instead of a cocktail. Roger gets a big kick out of introducing the Crab to the Duck. The Cowans and Sterlings commiserate about the high cost of boat ownership, and Crab tries to get Don to join the country club.
It's time to eat. Roger confides to Don that he likes Crab. Petra bounces drunkenly off the doorframe, so you know she'll fit right in with this gang too.
Betty introduces the dinner, which is a culinary trip around the world. The drink choices are burgundy from France, or beer from Holland. Duck thinks Don bought it. Don pleads innocent. Betty has no idea what they're talking about, and she's not amused by the explanation when everyone laughs at how brilliant Don was when he predicted that housewives would buy Heineken.
Petra begs to sit down. Mona asks for wine right away. Duck sips water.
Peggy explains "A Night to Remember" to the committee. It's about hand-holding that will someday lead to marriage. The ladies are very concerned about the drawing, too, because the kids are dancing too close together. (Honestly, I'm not sure why they even want this dance to take place.) Even though their last dance had very poor attendance, they aren't willing to consider new ideas. Peggy ends the meeting with "I'll see what I can do." She's annoyed with Fr. Gill for not making it clear that they should respect her expertise. (Imagine if Duck or Don went into a meeting with that attitude!)
Joan's Dr. Boyfriend comes home and complains that she didn't set the table yet. She asks him questions about comas based on what she's read in scripts for As the World Turns. He thinks she should be watching the shows with bonbons in her lap, not reading them. He sends her to the kitchen to fetch him some water.
Betty sends Carla home after the party. Carla congratulates her on a successful party. Betty snaps off the TV and confronts Don for embarrassing her about the beer. Yes, she's angry that he knows her so well. He knows everything about her. And then they all laughed, like they were all in on a joke about her. She was embarrassed. He says he didn't mean it. He assures her that no one will remember that, and that she's making too much of a big deal of this.
She tells him she knows about him and Bobbie. He is shocked.
"How could you? She's so old!"
She says Jimmy told her everything. He tries to find out how much she knows, but she won't tell him. He won't admit to anything, but he doesn't explicitly deny it either. Instead, he says things like "you think I would sleep with that woman?" She accuses him of lying. He goes to bed. Betty spends the night in Sally's bed. She's still wearing her party dress at the breakfast table the next morning.
Harry introduces Joan to two representatives from Maytag. They love Joan. Everything's been smoothed over.
Betty's still wearing the dress. She's drinking - it's very early in the day - and going through all of Don's things, looking for evidence. First the clothes in his closet, all of the pockets, then his desk, every note-on-a-napkin. There are old valentines from Sally, his "What do women want?" riddle for deodorant, but none of what Betty is looking for.
It's 11 AM and time for the Heineken meeting. Pete says people are drinking more at home. Heineken still isn't interested in this market. Don says their test in supermarkets did very well. He grimaces as Duck talks about the incident at the party. "It sounds like you do know your wife," the Heineken guy says. Duck describes her as the perfect wife. They could even use her menu in their ads in ladies' magazines. The Heineken guys are impressed by the potential, and agree to a regional campaign. ("Why would I lie?" Don asks ironically.)
Joan and Harry meet with some client to make recommendations based on the scripts Joan has read. She's excited about the upcoming coma storyline, which will be a blockbuster, and has done some additional homework to discover that there will be a big summer promotion too. She convinces the client to lock in before advertising premiums go up. The client specifically thanks Joan for her help.
Betty is on the bed, still in the party dress. Sally asks if she's okay and offers aspirin. Betty says she needs some rest and tells her to go play with Bobby. She tries to get out of bed and steps on her wineglass, breaking it and cutting her foot.
Roger tells Harry that all is well again. Better than well. He wants Joan's work to be converted to a full-time job, paying $150 a week. "He" will have to share an office. (Roger pauses in front of his door, waiting for Harry to open it for him.)
Don comes home to a dark, quiet house. The kids are in bed. (I'm trying to imagine the childhood that Sally and Bobby are going to remember growing up; drunk mom hanging around in a party dress all day, shooting the neighbor's pigeons, smashing chairs, putting them to bed whenever she's in a bad mood....) Betty is still in the dress, still drunk. She tells him she went through all his things and found nothing but advertising notes. She doesn't understand how he could do this to her. He denies that he did anything.
After the commercial break, Don is sleeping on the couch. Betty has finally washed up and changed. She wants to talk. He reaches for her. She doesn't let him smooth it away with sex. She observes that only now does he look her in the eye. And he never says he loves her. He says he says it all the time. (Not that I've noticed. I think he would love her more if she were an advertising mascot, like the Swiss Miss. Or maybe the Utz cartoon girl!) She asks if he hates her. He looks her in the eye and says he loves her and the children and he doesn't want to lose them. She walks away.
Another weekday morning. Peggy shows Fr. Gill around the office. Ken and Pete joke that this must be the "Miracle" Whip account. They wonder if Peggy's an undercover nun.
Harry thanks Joan for "filling in" and introduces her to Danny Lindstrom (he'd rather be called "Dan"), who will take over the job she's been putting her heart and soul into. Boy, do I feel for her. Finally she finds something that really means something to her, and she has to hand it off to some new guy. She's supposed to train him. Right now. So she explains the basic premise of the job in a few sentences. There's lots more that she could tell him, like the storylines of all the daytime soaps, and all the contact people she's spoken to in her spare time, but a hard swallow signals us (but not those clueless oafs) that she's getting choked up. Dan assumes she'll be around to help with the "details."
Fr. Gill is enchanted with the copy machine. Since they're alone, he asks her if she has something she needs to talk about, since he noticed she doesn't take Communion. "God already knows," he reminds her. In that case, she thinks there's no need to talk. And she doesn't think Fr. Gill would understand. He says she's pushing everyone away, there's no sin so big that she can't reconcile herself with God and have a new start. Does she feel that she doesn't deserve God's love? "Your copies are done," she replies. She boxes them up (I can see that they're different from the original flyer, but I can't make them out) and sends him on his way.
Betty checks the roast and sits down in front of the TV. Jimmy's Utz commercial comes on. Betty frowns.
Duck tells Don they've placed Heiney in lots of big markets. Betty calls and tells Don not to come home. That's it. She hangs up. She turns off (or down) the oven.
Joan's getting ready for bed.
Peggy's sitting in the bathtub.
Fr. Gill takes off his priest stuff and transforms into a regular man. He takes out a guitar and sings a song I should recognize, but don't, a little bit off-key.
Don has a Heineken in the break room.
Closing music: ??
Next week: Peggy accuses Pete of blabbing about something.
Betty has an exhausting workout with her horse. Don is still lounging in bed when she gets home. She is feeling some stress about a party next week. An electrical outlet in the dining room needs to be replaced. He wants an electrician to do it; he joking suggests that Betty could do it (Betty is in no humor); finally he promises to do it.
Peggy arrives at Anita's with colored pencils for the boys and a Horatio Hornblower book for Gerry, who is in bed with a bad back again. (He had been hoping she'd find him a sequel to Moby Dick.) Anita says he cried at the chiropractor, so I guess he's hurtin' for real.
Father Gill drops in to see Gerry. He and Peggy make awkward small talk. He wants her to be more "involved" - he asks her to help with publicity for the CYO dance. The promotion for last year's event was a dud. The committee really wants kids to show up for this one.
Suddenly, it's Monday. Duck tells Harry that he now costs more than he makes. A Russian "agitator" scene in a TV movie led into a washing machine commercial spotlighting its special "agitator" - the client is mad and doesn't want to pay. Henry needs to read all the scripts to avoid this kinds of conflicts. The mad men aren't particularly supportive or sympathetic.
New client: Heineken. Duck warns Don that they want to compete in bars. Don thinks that a foreign beer will appeal to housewives and the home market. As a test, they should put it in some grocery stores in affluent areas and see what happens. Pete agrees. Duck's skeptical and warns that Heineken still needs to be convinced.
Duck says he's not sure he can make Don's party. Don says the party is more Roger's idea, because he wants them to meet with Crab Colson (the guy from the country club two weeks ago who was building a bomb shelter). Pete is curious, but they do not elaborate.
Meanwhile, back in the 'burbs, Betty gets annoyed with a wobbly formal dining room chair and smashes it up. The kids turn their attention from The Three Stooges to watch.
Harry asks Roger about expanding the TV department. There should be someone who reads the scripts full time. Roger turns him down. Harry thinks some accountant named Mitch is out to get him.
Fr. Gill calls Peggy. (Peggy answers her phone as Peggy's secretary, then waits and answers as herself.) There's a problem with the flyer for the dance. "A Night to Remember" is too sexy ("it sends the wrong message to the girls"). Peggy thinks she knows better, so he asks her to speak to "them" so they won't feel left out.
Roger has told Joan that Harry needs a "girl" to help with the work. This isn't what Harry had in mind, but Joan thinks it's interesting and takes the scripts home. Harry's officemate Warren is totally in love with her.
It's already the night of the party. Roger and Mona are there, and Crab Cowan and wife Petra are there. Sally is dancing for them.
Duck shows up, late and dateless, but with flowers. Don introduces the kids and sends them to bed. He asks for tomato juice instead of a cocktail. Roger gets a big kick out of introducing the Crab to the Duck. The Cowans and Sterlings commiserate about the high cost of boat ownership, and Crab tries to get Don to join the country club.
It's time to eat. Roger confides to Don that he likes Crab. Petra bounces drunkenly off the doorframe, so you know she'll fit right in with this gang too.
Betty introduces the dinner, which is a culinary trip around the world. The drink choices are burgundy from France, or beer from Holland. Duck thinks Don bought it. Don pleads innocent. Betty has no idea what they're talking about, and she's not amused by the explanation when everyone laughs at how brilliant Don was when he predicted that housewives would buy Heineken.
Petra begs to sit down. Mona asks for wine right away. Duck sips water.
Peggy explains "A Night to Remember" to the committee. It's about hand-holding that will someday lead to marriage. The ladies are very concerned about the drawing, too, because the kids are dancing too close together. (Honestly, I'm not sure why they even want this dance to take place.) Even though their last dance had very poor attendance, they aren't willing to consider new ideas. Peggy ends the meeting with "I'll see what I can do." She's annoyed with Fr. Gill for not making it clear that they should respect her expertise. (Imagine if Duck or Don went into a meeting with that attitude!)
Joan's Dr. Boyfriend comes home and complains that she didn't set the table yet. She asks him questions about comas based on what she's read in scripts for As the World Turns. He thinks she should be watching the shows with bonbons in her lap, not reading them. He sends her to the kitchen to fetch him some water.
Betty sends Carla home after the party. Carla congratulates her on a successful party. Betty snaps off the TV and confronts Don for embarrassing her about the beer. Yes, she's angry that he knows her so well. He knows everything about her. And then they all laughed, like they were all in on a joke about her. She was embarrassed. He says he didn't mean it. He assures her that no one will remember that, and that she's making too much of a big deal of this.
She tells him she knows about him and Bobbie. He is shocked.
"How could you? She's so old!"
She says Jimmy told her everything. He tries to find out how much she knows, but she won't tell him. He won't admit to anything, but he doesn't explicitly deny it either. Instead, he says things like "you think I would sleep with that woman?" She accuses him of lying. He goes to bed. Betty spends the night in Sally's bed. She's still wearing her party dress at the breakfast table the next morning.
Harry introduces Joan to two representatives from Maytag. They love Joan. Everything's been smoothed over.
Betty's still wearing the dress. She's drinking - it's very early in the day - and going through all of Don's things, looking for evidence. First the clothes in his closet, all of the pockets, then his desk, every note-on-a-napkin. There are old valentines from Sally, his "What do women want?" riddle for deodorant, but none of what Betty is looking for.
It's 11 AM and time for the Heineken meeting. Pete says people are drinking more at home. Heineken still isn't interested in this market. Don says their test in supermarkets did very well. He grimaces as Duck talks about the incident at the party. "It sounds like you do know your wife," the Heineken guy says. Duck describes her as the perfect wife. They could even use her menu in their ads in ladies' magazines. The Heineken guys are impressed by the potential, and agree to a regional campaign. ("Why would I lie?" Don asks ironically.)
Joan and Harry meet with some client to make recommendations based on the scripts Joan has read. She's excited about the upcoming coma storyline, which will be a blockbuster, and has done some additional homework to discover that there will be a big summer promotion too. She convinces the client to lock in before advertising premiums go up. The client specifically thanks Joan for her help.
Betty is on the bed, still in the party dress. Sally asks if she's okay and offers aspirin. Betty says she needs some rest and tells her to go play with Bobby. She tries to get out of bed and steps on her wineglass, breaking it and cutting her foot.
Roger tells Harry that all is well again. Better than well. He wants Joan's work to be converted to a full-time job, paying $150 a week. "He" will have to share an office. (Roger pauses in front of his door, waiting for Harry to open it for him.)
Don comes home to a dark, quiet house. The kids are in bed. (I'm trying to imagine the childhood that Sally and Bobby are going to remember growing up; drunk mom hanging around in a party dress all day, shooting the neighbor's pigeons, smashing chairs, putting them to bed whenever she's in a bad mood....) Betty is still in the dress, still drunk. She tells him she went through all his things and found nothing but advertising notes. She doesn't understand how he could do this to her. He denies that he did anything.
After the commercial break, Don is sleeping on the couch. Betty has finally washed up and changed. She wants to talk. He reaches for her. She doesn't let him smooth it away with sex. She observes that only now does he look her in the eye. And he never says he loves her. He says he says it all the time. (Not that I've noticed. I think he would love her more if she were an advertising mascot, like the Swiss Miss. Or maybe the Utz cartoon girl!) She asks if he hates her. He looks her in the eye and says he loves her and the children and he doesn't want to lose them. She walks away.
Another weekday morning. Peggy shows Fr. Gill around the office. Ken and Pete joke that this must be the "Miracle" Whip account. They wonder if Peggy's an undercover nun.
Harry thanks Joan for "filling in" and introduces her to Danny Lindstrom (he'd rather be called "Dan"), who will take over the job she's been putting her heart and soul into. Boy, do I feel for her. Finally she finds something that really means something to her, and she has to hand it off to some new guy. She's supposed to train him. Right now. So she explains the basic premise of the job in a few sentences. There's lots more that she could tell him, like the storylines of all the daytime soaps, and all the contact people she's spoken to in her spare time, but a hard swallow signals us (but not those clueless oafs) that she's getting choked up. Dan assumes she'll be around to help with the "details."
Fr. Gill is enchanted with the copy machine. Since they're alone, he asks her if she has something she needs to talk about, since he noticed she doesn't take Communion. "God already knows," he reminds her. In that case, she thinks there's no need to talk. And she doesn't think Fr. Gill would understand. He says she's pushing everyone away, there's no sin so big that she can't reconcile herself with God and have a new start. Does she feel that she doesn't deserve God's love? "Your copies are done," she replies. She boxes them up (I can see that they're different from the original flyer, but I can't make them out) and sends him on his way.
Betty checks the roast and sits down in front of the TV. Jimmy's Utz commercial comes on. Betty frowns.
Duck tells Don they've placed Heiney in lots of big markets. Betty calls and tells Don not to come home. That's it. She hangs up. She turns off (or down) the oven.
Joan's getting ready for bed.
Peggy's sitting in the bathtub.
Fr. Gill takes off his priest stuff and transforms into a regular man. He takes out a guitar and sings a song I should recognize, but don't, a little bit off-key.
Don has a Heineken in the break room.
Closing music: ??
Next week: Peggy accuses Pete of blabbing about something.
Mad Men #20 (2.7), 9/7/08: Modern Problems
Don admires a blue Cadillac. The dealer tries to snow Don into buying it. When he realizes that Don was sent by Roger, he goes for the keys.
Flashback: The new Don Draper is selling a used car to a kid named Charlie. The kid's not sure if he wants it. Don nudges, but doesn't push. A woman comes to see him, so he lets the boy talk to his father.
The woman is from the real Donald Draper's past, and she knows that's not him.
Shaken by the memory, Don turns down the salesman's offer of a test drive and leaves.
In the office, Roger flirts with Jane. She cuts him off. Don comes in. Jane says Mrs. Barrett called. Roger tells her to get Duck.
Roger thinks Don should be hot for Jane. He tries to cheer Don up about the incredibly high price tag ($6,500!!!) of the Cadillac.
Duck shows up. Their coffee client has some kind of problem and Duck had to spend Saturday birdwatching with one of their guys to keep him happy. Our long-lost young friends Kurt and Smitty show up (after attempting, unsuccessfully, to flirt with Jane) to give their youthful perspectives. Smitty quotes a poetic statement from a 60-page manifesto written by a friend in school - his "focus group." He's a member of SLS. Kurt makes a nonsensical comment. Don really doesn't see where this is going, but braces himself for their pitch.
Meanwhile, the rest of the madmen watch as Paul pours coffee into a disposable diaper next to a naked baby doll. (When you think about it, it's a good thing they used blue liquid for color broadcasts.) They want to send this setup to every maternity nurse. Don has already weighed in on this - the price is going to be a problem. Sal thinks that at 10 cents apiece, they should be reusable. Jane comes in with some other notes from Don. Ken beams at her. They ask Jane to clean up the diapers.
Harry boasts that he's going to meet with Cooper tomorrow. Sal says it's to ask his opinion of a painting. Ken jokes to Jane about how gullible Harry is. Harry is bummed because he was hoping Cooper would expand the TV department, which currently consists only of him. Jane tells him to go see the painting now - Cooper has left for the day. She thinks they should all sneak up for a look. In any case, she's going. Ken, Paul, Sal, and Harry eagerly follow.
Cooper's secretary is missing, and his door is open. The guys are scared, but Jane is fearless. They do, however, remove their shoes. Paul chickens out and leaves.
The rest of them gaze at a $10,000 blur in red. Sal recognizes the work of Mark Rothko. Jane shrugs at it and wanders aimlessly around the office. Harry nervously tries to anticipate the kind of reaction Cooper will want. He searches Cooper's office (!!) for an explanatory brochure. Sal doesn't think Cooper really understands it. He tries to figure out what the painting "means." Ken says it makes him feel something very deep. Ken's spontaneous reaction takes Sal by surprise.
They get their things and leave. Jane jokes that they could have stolen it. Ken considers writing a story about the experience. (He makes sure to tell Jane that he's been published.) Feigning confusion, Jane refers to him as an "accountant." Sal openly admires Ken's skill as an author.
Next day, Ken wants to tell Paul all about how exciting Jane is. Paul would rather hear about the painting. Joan overhears - Ken flees. She tells Paul she "heard" that he, Ken, and Jane were in Cooper's office. Although she's obviously bluffing, Paul confirms enough of her suspicions by saying that he had nothing to do with it. "Nothing happened," he adds hastily.
Kurt and Smitty are telling Sal that they don't need artwork for their pitch to Martinson's Coffee at 3. Don signed off on it.
Ken approaches Sal, remembering his kind words about his writing, and says "you're not like everyone else around here." Sal denies this. Ken asks him to beta-read his new story. Sal invites him over for dinner on Sunday.
Don begins the coffee meeting with a short preamble about the importance of using young people to reach a young audience. Smitty pitches his anti-authority, anti-establishment message. Martinson's coffee is delicious, hot, and brown. They play a song about sexy naked Mexican girls with coffee. The client asks Peggy's opinion. "It stays with you." Client asks about the visuals. "If you sign, we'll tell you," Don says.
Harry goes to Cooper's office for his meeting. It is, as he had hoped, about his TV gig, but Harry keeps looking at the painting. Cooper scolds him for not paying attention. Harry pretends to recognize it as a Rothko work, and asks Cooper's opinion. Surprised, Cooper replies "it's none of your business." Then he asks Harry what he thinks of it. Harry admits he knows nothing about art. Cooper tells him not to worry about it, and focus on the numbers instead.
But Cooper himself is stuck on the painting - because of the numbers. He expects it will double in value by Christmas.
Jimmy Barrett calls Betty at home. He tells her that "Grin & Barrett" got picked up. He tells Betty to book Don's "dance card" for the night of the party. He begs Betty to go to the party. He flirts with her, then tries a more sincere approach and makes it personal. Betty promises nothing, but says "we will try."
Martinson's really liked Kurt & Smitty's pitch. Don congratulates Duck. Duck is hoping to get a shot at Life Savers next.
Jane reports that Cooper asked for Don. Duck isn't invited.
Roger is there. Jim Van Dyke, of Martinson's Coffee, wants Don to be a board member of a museum that doesn't exist yet - the Museum of Early American Folk Art. Philanthropy is the gateway to power (says Cooper, the Ayn Rand fan), and Don will be wearing his tuxedo more often. (I don't know whether "tuxedo" was still considered gauche in 1962, but for a long time, "dinner jacket" was the preferred term.) He sends Roger out and tells Don he's made the big, big time.
Don goes back to the dealership and sits in the Cadillac. He still doesn't want a test drive. He wants to buy it.
Joan calls Jane on her unauthorized visit to Cooper's office. Jane blames it on "them." Joan doesn't buy it. Jane is cocky; she's a whole 20 years old and asks if Joan is the only person who gets to have fun. Joan tells Jane to pack up and leave.
Betty is delighted with the Cadillac. It has a headlight sensor that dims the lights when another car approaches. (What the hell? 46 years later, why doesn't my car - a Toyota with a darkness sensor that turns the headlights on automatically - have this?) Betty tells Don about Jimmy's party.
The car makes Betty horny. They have an hour before the kids come home. "Not in here," Don says.
Jane takes her boxful of things to Roger's office "to say goodbye." He is confused. She tells him Joan fired her. He offers her a drink and says Joan's "going through a tough time." Roger is kind to Jane, who finally reveals that she lives on Jane St. in Greenwich Village (he's asked her before where she lives), and tells her to come back on Monday.
It must be Sunday now, because Ken goes to Sal & Kitty's for wine and spaghetti. It turns out that Kitty grew up in Sal's old neighborhood in Baltimore.
Ken is awed by Sal's sauce. Ken begs for Sal's opinion of his story, "The Gold Violin." Kitty hasn't read it yet. Sal was awed by it. Ken is awed by Sal's acclaim.
The Cadillac has taken Don, Betty, and the kids on a picnic. Bobby has to pee. Don sends him behind a tree. Sally wants to too. Don thinks everyone should before they get back in the car. Now Sally doesn't have to.
Don says that when he was a kid, they had to feel their way to the outhouse on a rope on moonless night. Sally asks if they're rich. Betty thinks talking about money isn't polite. Bobby is proud of himself for having tinkled outdoors successfully. Don hurls his beer can, hopefully into a wastebasket, but who knows.
Sal and Ken finish the wine and talk about work. (They wonder what Harry's meeting with Cooper was about, and if Coop's going to meet with everyone.) Kitty keeps trying to get into the conversation, but Sal changes the subject back to Ken every time.
He asks Ken why he doesn't write for a living. Ken says it's just for fun. This amazes Sal. Ken volunteers to leave. Sal says "you can't" and offers him a cigarette and coffee. Ken begs off with a to-go dessert and kisses Kitty goodbye on the cheek.
Sal turns down Kitty's offer for pie and says he'll clean up. Kitty is upset that she feels awkward and left out around Sal's coworkers. He apologizes. She has been feeling like a social dud and thinks he ignores her. He apologizes again, profusely, and tells her to sit down and relax with some pie while he cleans up. He does seem sorry.
He picks up the cigarette lighter (is it Ken's?) and puts it in his pocket.
Jane shows up to work on Monday. Ken tries to lure her on a date to a Mets game. She blows him off. Ken tells Sal he'd like to call Kitty to thank her for her hospitality. He admits to Sal that a visit like that makes him regret being a bachelor.
Joan goes to Jane's desk to confront her. Jane asks if Roger spoke to her. She says Roger said that Joan loses her temper a lot, and it's not serious. Joan is angry with Jane for speaking to "Mr. Sterling." Jane says she simply "ran into him" on her way out. Joan is very cold, and her tone makes it clear that she thinks Jane is having a thing with Roger.
Don and Betty go to Jimmy's party. Bobbie greets Betty first, then Don. Don wants to get out of there to "get drinks." Unfortunately Betty volunteers, leaving Don with Bobbie. Her idea is basically a scheme to get Jimmy a Rolex. The guy from ABC is okay with this as long as they kill Candid Camera in the ratings.
Jimmy corners Betty, who is relieved to have someone to talk to. He offers her a drink; she says she's too drunk, but Jimmy jokes that a drink for her will make him funny. ABC's research proved it.
He pulls her aside for a chat. He praises Betty lavishly and flirts mercilessly. He notes how Don and Bobbie and the ABC guy are looking cozy. He cannot shut up about how hot Betty is and asks how much she thinks has happened between Don and Bobbie. Betty is offended. Jimmy doesn't back down. Betty says, "you people are ugly and crude." He asks, "what people? You mean comedians?"
Sal and Kitty sit in opposite corners of their living room in the dark, watching TV. She does embroidery, he lights a cigarette with that lighter that I guess must be Ken's because he gives it a special look. (Are we headed for a love triangle from hell? I hope so! Um, I mean I hope not! I don't know if I can take the angst!)
Jimmy approaches Don and thanks him for getting him the show and everything he wants. He says not too many people get that. As for Bobbie, he says, "lots of people have had that."
Whee! Video!
Of course Don denies everything with a straight face. Jimmy calls Don garbage for screwing Bobbie and recommends that he go to a whore instead. Betty shows up, and Jimmy bids them a cheery good-night.
Don and Betty drive home in his luscious Cadillac in dreadful silence... until Betty starts barfing. In the Cadillac.
Closing music: "Break It to Me Gently" (Brenda Lee)
Quote of the week: "Young people do not drink coffee, and that can become a lifetime habit." (Don Draper)
Flashback: The new Don Draper is selling a used car to a kid named Charlie. The kid's not sure if he wants it. Don nudges, but doesn't push. A woman comes to see him, so he lets the boy talk to his father.
The woman is from the real Donald Draper's past, and she knows that's not him.
Shaken by the memory, Don turns down the salesman's offer of a test drive and leaves.
In the office, Roger flirts with Jane. She cuts him off. Don comes in. Jane says Mrs. Barrett called. Roger tells her to get Duck.
Roger thinks Don should be hot for Jane. He tries to cheer Don up about the incredibly high price tag ($6,500!!!) of the Cadillac.
Duck shows up. Their coffee client has some kind of problem and Duck had to spend Saturday birdwatching with one of their guys to keep him happy. Our long-lost young friends Kurt and Smitty show up (after attempting, unsuccessfully, to flirt with Jane) to give their youthful perspectives. Smitty quotes a poetic statement from a 60-page manifesto written by a friend in school - his "focus group." He's a member of SLS. Kurt makes a nonsensical comment. Don really doesn't see where this is going, but braces himself for their pitch.
Meanwhile, the rest of the madmen watch as Paul pours coffee into a disposable diaper next to a naked baby doll. (When you think about it, it's a good thing they used blue liquid for color broadcasts.) They want to send this setup to every maternity nurse. Don has already weighed in on this - the price is going to be a problem. Sal thinks that at 10 cents apiece, they should be reusable. Jane comes in with some other notes from Don. Ken beams at her. They ask Jane to clean up the diapers.
Harry boasts that he's going to meet with Cooper tomorrow. Sal says it's to ask his opinion of a painting. Ken jokes to Jane about how gullible Harry is. Harry is bummed because he was hoping Cooper would expand the TV department, which currently consists only of him. Jane tells him to go see the painting now - Cooper has left for the day. She thinks they should all sneak up for a look. In any case, she's going. Ken, Paul, Sal, and Harry eagerly follow.
Cooper's secretary is missing, and his door is open. The guys are scared, but Jane is fearless. They do, however, remove their shoes. Paul chickens out and leaves.
The rest of them gaze at a $10,000 blur in red. Sal recognizes the work of Mark Rothko. Jane shrugs at it and wanders aimlessly around the office. Harry nervously tries to anticipate the kind of reaction Cooper will want. He searches Cooper's office (!!) for an explanatory brochure. Sal doesn't think Cooper really understands it. He tries to figure out what the painting "means." Ken says it makes him feel something very deep. Ken's spontaneous reaction takes Sal by surprise.
They get their things and leave. Jane jokes that they could have stolen it. Ken considers writing a story about the experience. (He makes sure to tell Jane that he's been published.) Feigning confusion, Jane refers to him as an "accountant." Sal openly admires Ken's skill as an author.
Next day, Ken wants to tell Paul all about how exciting Jane is. Paul would rather hear about the painting. Joan overhears - Ken flees. She tells Paul she "heard" that he, Ken, and Jane were in Cooper's office. Although she's obviously bluffing, Paul confirms enough of her suspicions by saying that he had nothing to do with it. "Nothing happened," he adds hastily.
Kurt and Smitty are telling Sal that they don't need artwork for their pitch to Martinson's Coffee at 3. Don signed off on it.
Ken approaches Sal, remembering his kind words about his writing, and says "you're not like everyone else around here." Sal denies this. Ken asks him to beta-read his new story. Sal invites him over for dinner on Sunday.
Don begins the coffee meeting with a short preamble about the importance of using young people to reach a young audience. Smitty pitches his anti-authority, anti-establishment message. Martinson's coffee is delicious, hot, and brown. They play a song about sexy naked Mexican girls with coffee. The client asks Peggy's opinion. "It stays with you." Client asks about the visuals. "If you sign, we'll tell you," Don says.
Harry goes to Cooper's office for his meeting. It is, as he had hoped, about his TV gig, but Harry keeps looking at the painting. Cooper scolds him for not paying attention. Harry pretends to recognize it as a Rothko work, and asks Cooper's opinion. Surprised, Cooper replies "it's none of your business." Then he asks Harry what he thinks of it. Harry admits he knows nothing about art. Cooper tells him not to worry about it, and focus on the numbers instead.
But Cooper himself is stuck on the painting - because of the numbers. He expects it will double in value by Christmas.
Jimmy Barrett calls Betty at home. He tells her that "Grin & Barrett" got picked up. He tells Betty to book Don's "dance card" for the night of the party. He begs Betty to go to the party. He flirts with her, then tries a more sincere approach and makes it personal. Betty promises nothing, but says "we will try."
Martinson's really liked Kurt & Smitty's pitch. Don congratulates Duck. Duck is hoping to get a shot at Life Savers next.
Jane reports that Cooper asked for Don. Duck isn't invited.
Roger is there. Jim Van Dyke, of Martinson's Coffee, wants Don to be a board member of a museum that doesn't exist yet - the Museum of Early American Folk Art. Philanthropy is the gateway to power (says Cooper, the Ayn Rand fan), and Don will be wearing his tuxedo more often. (I don't know whether "tuxedo" was still considered gauche in 1962, but for a long time, "dinner jacket" was the preferred term.) He sends Roger out and tells Don he's made the big, big time.
Don goes back to the dealership and sits in the Cadillac. He still doesn't want a test drive. He wants to buy it.
Joan calls Jane on her unauthorized visit to Cooper's office. Jane blames it on "them." Joan doesn't buy it. Jane is cocky; she's a whole 20 years old and asks if Joan is the only person who gets to have fun. Joan tells Jane to pack up and leave.
Betty is delighted with the Cadillac. It has a headlight sensor that dims the lights when another car approaches. (What the hell? 46 years later, why doesn't my car - a Toyota with a darkness sensor that turns the headlights on automatically - have this?) Betty tells Don about Jimmy's party.
The car makes Betty horny. They have an hour before the kids come home. "Not in here," Don says.
Jane takes her boxful of things to Roger's office "to say goodbye." He is confused. She tells him Joan fired her. He offers her a drink and says Joan's "going through a tough time." Roger is kind to Jane, who finally reveals that she lives on Jane St. in Greenwich Village (he's asked her before where she lives), and tells her to come back on Monday.
It must be Sunday now, because Ken goes to Sal & Kitty's for wine and spaghetti. It turns out that Kitty grew up in Sal's old neighborhood in Baltimore.
Ken is awed by Sal's sauce. Ken begs for Sal's opinion of his story, "The Gold Violin." Kitty hasn't read it yet. Sal was awed by it. Ken is awed by Sal's acclaim.
The Cadillac has taken Don, Betty, and the kids on a picnic. Bobby has to pee. Don sends him behind a tree. Sally wants to too. Don thinks everyone should before they get back in the car. Now Sally doesn't have to.
Don says that when he was a kid, they had to feel their way to the outhouse on a rope on moonless night. Sally asks if they're rich. Betty thinks talking about money isn't polite. Bobby is proud of himself for having tinkled outdoors successfully. Don hurls his beer can, hopefully into a wastebasket, but who knows.
Sal and Ken finish the wine and talk about work. (They wonder what Harry's meeting with Cooper was about, and if Coop's going to meet with everyone.) Kitty keeps trying to get into the conversation, but Sal changes the subject back to Ken every time.
He asks Ken why he doesn't write for a living. Ken says it's just for fun. This amazes Sal. Ken volunteers to leave. Sal says "you can't" and offers him a cigarette and coffee. Ken begs off with a to-go dessert and kisses Kitty goodbye on the cheek.
Sal turns down Kitty's offer for pie and says he'll clean up. Kitty is upset that she feels awkward and left out around Sal's coworkers. He apologizes. She has been feeling like a social dud and thinks he ignores her. He apologizes again, profusely, and tells her to sit down and relax with some pie while he cleans up. He does seem sorry.
He picks up the cigarette lighter (is it Ken's?) and puts it in his pocket.
Jane shows up to work on Monday. Ken tries to lure her on a date to a Mets game. She blows him off. Ken tells Sal he'd like to call Kitty to thank her for her hospitality. He admits to Sal that a visit like that makes him regret being a bachelor.
Joan goes to Jane's desk to confront her. Jane asks if Roger spoke to her. She says Roger said that Joan loses her temper a lot, and it's not serious. Joan is angry with Jane for speaking to "Mr. Sterling." Jane says she simply "ran into him" on her way out. Joan is very cold, and her tone makes it clear that she thinks Jane is having a thing with Roger.
Don and Betty go to Jimmy's party. Bobbie greets Betty first, then Don. Don wants to get out of there to "get drinks." Unfortunately Betty volunteers, leaving Don with Bobbie. Her idea is basically a scheme to get Jimmy a Rolex. The guy from ABC is okay with this as long as they kill Candid Camera in the ratings.
Jimmy corners Betty, who is relieved to have someone to talk to. He offers her a drink; she says she's too drunk, but Jimmy jokes that a drink for her will make him funny. ABC's research proved it.
He pulls her aside for a chat. He praises Betty lavishly and flirts mercilessly. He notes how Don and Bobbie and the ABC guy are looking cozy. He cannot shut up about how hot Betty is and asks how much she thinks has happened between Don and Bobbie. Betty is offended. Jimmy doesn't back down. Betty says, "you people are ugly and crude." He asks, "what people? You mean comedians?"
Sal and Kitty sit in opposite corners of their living room in the dark, watching TV. She does embroidery, he lights a cigarette with that lighter that I guess must be Ken's because he gives it a special look. (Are we headed for a love triangle from hell? I hope so! Um, I mean I hope not! I don't know if I can take the angst!)
Jimmy approaches Don and thanks him for getting him the show and everything he wants. He says not too many people get that. As for Bobbie, he says, "lots of people have had that."
Whee! Video!
Of course Don denies everything with a straight face. Jimmy calls Don garbage for screwing Bobbie and recommends that he go to a whore instead. Betty shows up, and Jimmy bids them a cheery good-night.
Don and Betty drive home in his luscious Cadillac in dreadful silence... until Betty starts barfing. In the Cadillac.
Closing music: "Break It to Me Gently" (Brenda Lee)
Quote of the week: "Young people do not drink coffee, and that can become a lifetime habit." (Don Draper)
Mad Men #19 (2.6), 8/31/08: Dog, Duck, Dick
When you have a hangup about something and then there's a story that hits that hangup, it really doesn't matter what else is in that story, because all you're going to see is that sad, abandoned dog and hate the guy who ran him off.
May, 1962.
Opening song: "The Infanta," by the Decemberists.
Client Playtex is jealous of Maidenform's sexy, fantasy-based advertising and wants their own ads to have more sex appeal. Don and the madmen question the need to change their strategy, since sales are strong. As a bra-wearer and de facto spokeswoman for women, Peggy is asked whether she wears Playtex, and why. She does, and she agrees with the survey: Playtex has legitimate selling points that attract customers. (I could be more specific, but I don't feel like doing a Playtex ad.) Duck makes a really lame suggestion that's essentially a paraphrase of the current Maidenform ad.
Duck's ex-wife Pauline (the credits say this is Alexandra Paul - I did not recognize her!) shows up to drop off their two teenage kids, Mark and Patricia, and dog Chauncey, for the holiday. Pauline hints at a severe alcohol problem that Duck claims not to have any more.
Pete, Peggy, and Sal brainstorm on a Clearasil campaign. (Pete's father in law has some connection to Clearasil, I forget what.) Peggy has an idea, a story about a date, which would work both for print and TV. She says there's "some kind of line" at the end. Pete keeps suggesting "Thanks, Clearasil!," but Peggy stubbornly resists this idea. Sal likes it. Finally Peggy says she'll "think about it."
It's Memorial Day. Betty and Don go to some country club function as guests of the Pattersons. \Marcy Patterson speaks nostalgically of the Rosenberg execution and wonders if a power failure could cause the Sing Sing Correctional Facility's electronic gates to unlock. (The Sing Sing prison is located in Ossining, NY - where the Drapers live.) Betty asks to change the subject and later seems to dodge some kind of invitation from them.
Meanwhile, Don's friend Crab says that he was scapegoated and fired from a PR firm which had been contracted by the CIA to inspire rebellion and sabotage in Cuba. Don is surprised to hear that his friend has no confidence in Kennedy, is nervous about Cuba, and is building a bomb shelter that his wife doesn't want people to know about.
Betty runs into that young twit Arthur from the horse place who made a pass at her. He guesses that she changed her riding schedule to avoid him. He promises to stay out of her way. She says that it isn't necessary, and she wants to be friends. He tells her of some of his recent mishaps with the horses. Betty seems willing to hear more, but Bobby and Sally show up and scare him off.
It's time to listen to speeches. All the servicemen in the audience are asked to stand for applause. Don is among them. He doesn't get up right away and is uncomfortable with the applause.
Pete and Trudy have Pete's brother and his wife over for a cookout. Pete's brother jokes that Mom talks about Pete all the time. They laugh at this. Trudy is not amused. Pete and Trudy are supposed to visit with Mom. Pete says he's too important to the agency to take that much time off.
There's a fashion show and auction at the country club - women modeling swimsuits. Betty is very surprised when Don gets up in the middle of it, saying he has to go to work. He phones Bobbie at her hotel, but she's made other plans to take her college-age son to the beach. (Don is surprised she has a son.) But Jimmy will be out of town for 10 days, during which they can screw around all they want to. She wants Don to come to that place she has at the beach, but he doesn't want to be reminded of their accident. (Bobbie thinks about it all the time and seems to need to talk about it.)
Pete tells Peggy that his father-in-law loved "Thanks, Clearasil!" He also cluelessly gives away the ending of a movie she hasn't seen yet. He acknowleges that Peggy didn't like "Thanks, Clearasil!" She says it's all about keeping his FIL happy, and adds "I'll do my job, and you do yours." This strikes Pete as snarky, but she plays innocent.
He then tries to find out where she lives and whether she's seeing anyone. She tells him the neighborhood and that she spent the holiday with her family. Then she gets rid of him.
Roger shows some interest in Don's new secretary Jane and bums a cigarette from Don. He tells Don to make nice with Duck.
Duck brings the dog and kids to work. He finds out from them that Pauline is remarrying - "Franklin Reeve" has bribed the kids with large cash gifts. Duck tries to be big about it reminds them that he and their mother need to start new lives. However, he is more upset when the kids say that Pauline wants him to take the dog back - after originally having taken the dog away from him - because Frank's allergic. Duck slumps out of his own office, defeated.
The madmen have had an offsite "meeting," i.e. drinks at a bar, to which Peggy was not invited. In reference to the Playtex campaign, they decided that all women want to be either Jackie Kennedy or Marilyn Monroe. They pitch the idea to Don. Sal says "a line and a curve - nothing goes better together." Ha ha. Peggy disagrees with the Jackie vs. Marilyn theory; Ken says she's more of a Gertrude Stein. Some of the madmen laugh; Sal solemnly says she's more "classical" - Hellenic (Greek). Don says she's like Irene Dunne.
Chauncey follows Duck into Don's office; Duck seems annoyed, but the madmen flock around the dog to pet and admire it. Don shoos them away and Duck kicks out the dog. Don and Duck have "lunch," which consists of the two men discussing the tension between them. After eighteen months, Don thinks Duck's still not integrating well with the company. He's been selling clients' ideas to Don more than he's been selling Don's ideas to the clients. Duck says he's grateful to Don for hiring him and wants Don to stop holding the American Airlines debacle over his head. He looks bad, but his mistakes haven't hurt the company. Don agrees... but I think they both know that the only thing they accomplished on this foodless lunch in Duck's office was to hold Roger off for a little while.
Peggy confronts Freddie about the "meeting" she wasn't invited to. He blows her off and tells her to write some "titillating" copy.
Don takes the afternoon off to see Bobbie. Afterwards, she needs to take off - to see her college-age daughter in a play. Don asks if that's "everyone"; Bobbie doesn't really answer. She seems surprised when he doesn't want to hang around.
The madmen "bra-dition" models for the Playtex campaign. Again, no one tells Peggy, and she's pissed when she finds out. Ken assures her that he won't let Paul do any writing without her.
Pete meets Duck's dog, Chauncey. Duck claims he made his wife give the dog back because he missed him. He says dogs communicate better than wives. Pete jokes (I think he's joking) that he should get a dog of his own to be the office dog, to improve the atmosphere there. Duck humorlessly says it's a bad idea.
Pete meets one of the rejected would-be Playtex models and goes back to her place, where they have sex on her couch while her elderly mom waits in the kitchen. A phallic-looking military plane soars on the TV screen while a voiceover recites the breathtaking poem "High Flight" by John Magee. He goes home to a darkened apartment afterwards; Trudy didn't wait up for him.
Next morning, Betty is serving breakfast in a two-piece yellow swimsuit that she plans to wear to the pool at the country club. Don sharply disapproves and says she looks "desperate" and will be ogled by all the men.
Peggy tries to get Joan to make sure she's included in all Playtex-related communications. She complains that she's been left out of the activities. "I'm a good drinker," Peggy says. Joan says she has no involvement in these things, and Peggy needs to learn "their" language. She says Peggy's never taken her advice before anyway. (Not true, Peggy took her advice to go on the Pill and look how well that turned out.) Joan does give Peggy one more piece of advice: Stop dressing like a little girl.
The madmen have taken two photos of a model - in one photo she's Marilyn in white, and in the other photo she's Jackie in black. The Playtex guys love it and ask the madmen to stash it away - because they've decided for now to stick with their current campaign.
Duck is embarrassed. Don is gracious about it.
The Playtex guys offer to take the gang out to celebrate at a gentlemen's club. Peggy isn't invited, but she overhears the address and makes a mental note.
Having had a truly crappy day, Duck tries to sneak a drink after hours. Chauncey stares at him with pleading eyes. Duck leads the dog to the front door, removes his leash, and lets him out into the wilds of Manhattan. The dog barks for Duck's attention, but Duck doesn't look back. The dog runs away.
Don goes to Bobbie for another tryst. He asks her not to talk, but she won't shut up. She babbles that his reputation as a lover is well known - women, including some chick named Sarah Tierney from Random House, have been talking about him. He denies knowing this woman, but only after a hesitation that's long enough to suggest that he knows exactly who she is. Don is really angry to hear that Bobbie thinks he's like her. He ties her to the bed, which excites her even more, but then he gets dressed and leaves. "I told you to stop talking." Bobbie is aghast.
The guys are enjoying a girlie show at the Tom-Tom club. Peggy shows up - and she has chosen this evening to dress like a grown-up. Paul and Freddie welcome her, and Playtex guy pulls her onto his lap.
Not all of the guys are interested to see Peggy at all, but only one of them looks upset to see Peggy this way: Pete. She gives him a hard look for a moment, then falters and looks away.
Next morning. Don wakes up coughing. Sally comes into the bathroom to watch him shave. "I'm not going to talk - I don't want you to cut yourself." Don tries to shave, but can't do it. (I think he suddenly can't stop thinking about cutting himself. Not to mention the painful contrast between sweet little QUIET Sally and big awful BLABBERMOUTH Bobbie.)
Sally notices the freaked out look on his face and asks if he's okay. He sends her out and washes his face and sits down and stares into space.
May, 1962.
Opening song: "The Infanta," by the Decemberists.
Client Playtex is jealous of Maidenform's sexy, fantasy-based advertising and wants their own ads to have more sex appeal. Don and the madmen question the need to change their strategy, since sales are strong. As a bra-wearer and de facto spokeswoman for women, Peggy is asked whether she wears Playtex, and why. She does, and she agrees with the survey: Playtex has legitimate selling points that attract customers. (I could be more specific, but I don't feel like doing a Playtex ad.) Duck makes a really lame suggestion that's essentially a paraphrase of the current Maidenform ad.
Duck's ex-wife Pauline (the credits say this is Alexandra Paul - I did not recognize her!) shows up to drop off their two teenage kids, Mark and Patricia, and dog Chauncey, for the holiday. Pauline hints at a severe alcohol problem that Duck claims not to have any more.
Pete, Peggy, and Sal brainstorm on a Clearasil campaign. (Pete's father in law has some connection to Clearasil, I forget what.) Peggy has an idea, a story about a date, which would work both for print and TV. She says there's "some kind of line" at the end. Pete keeps suggesting "Thanks, Clearasil!," but Peggy stubbornly resists this idea. Sal likes it. Finally Peggy says she'll "think about it."
It's Memorial Day. Betty and Don go to some country club function as guests of the Pattersons. \Marcy Patterson speaks nostalgically of the Rosenberg execution and wonders if a power failure could cause the Sing Sing Correctional Facility's electronic gates to unlock. (The Sing Sing prison is located in Ossining, NY - where the Drapers live.) Betty asks to change the subject and later seems to dodge some kind of invitation from them.
Meanwhile, Don's friend Crab says that he was scapegoated and fired from a PR firm which had been contracted by the CIA to inspire rebellion and sabotage in Cuba. Don is surprised to hear that his friend has no confidence in Kennedy, is nervous about Cuba, and is building a bomb shelter that his wife doesn't want people to know about.
Betty runs into that young twit Arthur from the horse place who made a pass at her. He guesses that she changed her riding schedule to avoid him. He promises to stay out of her way. She says that it isn't necessary, and she wants to be friends. He tells her of some of his recent mishaps with the horses. Betty seems willing to hear more, but Bobby and Sally show up and scare him off.
It's time to listen to speeches. All the servicemen in the audience are asked to stand for applause. Don is among them. He doesn't get up right away and is uncomfortable with the applause.
Pete and Trudy have Pete's brother and his wife over for a cookout. Pete's brother jokes that Mom talks about Pete all the time. They laugh at this. Trudy is not amused. Pete and Trudy are supposed to visit with Mom. Pete says he's too important to the agency to take that much time off.
There's a fashion show and auction at the country club - women modeling swimsuits. Betty is very surprised when Don gets up in the middle of it, saying he has to go to work. He phones Bobbie at her hotel, but she's made other plans to take her college-age son to the beach. (Don is surprised she has a son.) But Jimmy will be out of town for 10 days, during which they can screw around all they want to. She wants Don to come to that place she has at the beach, but he doesn't want to be reminded of their accident. (Bobbie thinks about it all the time and seems to need to talk about it.)
Pete tells Peggy that his father-in-law loved "Thanks, Clearasil!" He also cluelessly gives away the ending of a movie she hasn't seen yet. He acknowleges that Peggy didn't like "Thanks, Clearasil!" She says it's all about keeping his FIL happy, and adds "I'll do my job, and you do yours." This strikes Pete as snarky, but she plays innocent.
He then tries to find out where she lives and whether she's seeing anyone. She tells him the neighborhood and that she spent the holiday with her family. Then she gets rid of him.
Roger shows some interest in Don's new secretary Jane and bums a cigarette from Don. He tells Don to make nice with Duck.
Duck brings the dog and kids to work. He finds out from them that Pauline is remarrying - "Franklin Reeve" has bribed the kids with large cash gifts. Duck tries to be big about it reminds them that he and their mother need to start new lives. However, he is more upset when the kids say that Pauline wants him to take the dog back - after originally having taken the dog away from him - because Frank's allergic. Duck slumps out of his own office, defeated.
The madmen have had an offsite "meeting," i.e. drinks at a bar, to which Peggy was not invited. In reference to the Playtex campaign, they decided that all women want to be either Jackie Kennedy or Marilyn Monroe. They pitch the idea to Don. Sal says "a line and a curve - nothing goes better together." Ha ha. Peggy disagrees with the Jackie vs. Marilyn theory; Ken says she's more of a Gertrude Stein. Some of the madmen laugh; Sal solemnly says she's more "classical" - Hellenic (Greek). Don says she's like Irene Dunne.
Chauncey follows Duck into Don's office; Duck seems annoyed, but the madmen flock around the dog to pet and admire it. Don shoos them away and Duck kicks out the dog. Don and Duck have "lunch," which consists of the two men discussing the tension between them. After eighteen months, Don thinks Duck's still not integrating well with the company. He's been selling clients' ideas to Don more than he's been selling Don's ideas to the clients. Duck says he's grateful to Don for hiring him and wants Don to stop holding the American Airlines debacle over his head. He looks bad, but his mistakes haven't hurt the company. Don agrees... but I think they both know that the only thing they accomplished on this foodless lunch in Duck's office was to hold Roger off for a little while.
Peggy confronts Freddie about the "meeting" she wasn't invited to. He blows her off and tells her to write some "titillating" copy.
Don takes the afternoon off to see Bobbie. Afterwards, she needs to take off - to see her college-age daughter in a play. Don asks if that's "everyone"; Bobbie doesn't really answer. She seems surprised when he doesn't want to hang around.
The madmen "bra-dition" models for the Playtex campaign. Again, no one tells Peggy, and she's pissed when she finds out. Ken assures her that he won't let Paul do any writing without her.
Pete meets Duck's dog, Chauncey. Duck claims he made his wife give the dog back because he missed him. He says dogs communicate better than wives. Pete jokes (I think he's joking) that he should get a dog of his own to be the office dog, to improve the atmosphere there. Duck humorlessly says it's a bad idea.
Pete meets one of the rejected would-be Playtex models and goes back to her place, where they have sex on her couch while her elderly mom waits in the kitchen. A phallic-looking military plane soars on the TV screen while a voiceover recites the breathtaking poem "High Flight" by John Magee. He goes home to a darkened apartment afterwards; Trudy didn't wait up for him.
Next morning, Betty is serving breakfast in a two-piece yellow swimsuit that she plans to wear to the pool at the country club. Don sharply disapproves and says she looks "desperate" and will be ogled by all the men.
Peggy tries to get Joan to make sure she's included in all Playtex-related communications. She complains that she's been left out of the activities. "I'm a good drinker," Peggy says. Joan says she has no involvement in these things, and Peggy needs to learn "their" language. She says Peggy's never taken her advice before anyway. (Not true, Peggy took her advice to go on the Pill and look how well that turned out.) Joan does give Peggy one more piece of advice: Stop dressing like a little girl.
The madmen have taken two photos of a model - in one photo she's Marilyn in white, and in the other photo she's Jackie in black. The Playtex guys love it and ask the madmen to stash it away - because they've decided for now to stick with their current campaign.
Duck is embarrassed. Don is gracious about it.
The Playtex guys offer to take the gang out to celebrate at a gentlemen's club. Peggy isn't invited, but she overhears the address and makes a mental note.
Having had a truly crappy day, Duck tries to sneak a drink after hours. Chauncey stares at him with pleading eyes. Duck leads the dog to the front door, removes his leash, and lets him out into the wilds of Manhattan. The dog barks for Duck's attention, but Duck doesn't look back. The dog runs away.
Don goes to Bobbie for another tryst. He asks her not to talk, but she won't shut up. She babbles that his reputation as a lover is well known - women, including some chick named Sarah Tierney from Random House, have been talking about him. He denies knowing this woman, but only after a hesitation that's long enough to suggest that he knows exactly who she is. Don is really angry to hear that Bobbie thinks he's like her. He ties her to the bed, which excites her even more, but then he gets dressed and leaves. "I told you to stop talking." Bobbie is aghast.
The guys are enjoying a girlie show at the Tom-Tom club. Peggy shows up - and she has chosen this evening to dress like a grown-up. Paul and Freddie welcome her, and Playtex guy pulls her onto his lap.
Not all of the guys are interested to see Peggy at all, but only one of them looks upset to see Peggy this way: Pete. She gives him a hard look for a moment, then falters and looks away.
Next morning. Don wakes up coughing. Sally comes into the bathroom to watch him shave. "I'm not going to talk - I don't want you to cut yourself." Don tries to shave, but can't do it. (I think he suddenly can't stop thinking about cutting himself. Not to mention the painful contrast between sweet little QUIET Sally and big awful BLABBERMOUTH Bobbie.)
Sally notices the freaked out look on his face and asks if he's okay. He sends her out and washes his face and sits down and stares into space.
Mad Men #18 (2.5), 8/24/08: "It will shock you how much it never happened"
Catch this and the other four episodes of the season so far on Sunday, August 31, from 5 to 10 pm.
This is a rant-free recap!
Pete and Trudy go to a fertility specialist. Pete is immature and defensive about some of the questions, but insists he hasn't had any problems. He thinks he wants a child, but sometimes - with the world the way it is - he's not so sure. (He wonders if having a Xerox machine elsewhere in the office interferes with his fertility.) He admits to being insecure about the Bomb, his job, his in-laws, the economy, his father's death... before long it sounds like he needs a psychiatrist. The fertility guy is supportive and reassuring.
At the office, Joan is showing off her engagement ring. She wants to get married around Christmas.
Bobbie calls for Don. "Grin and Bear It," the mean-spirited Candid Camera ripoff, is going to be piloted. Jimmy's gone home in a snit. She wants Don to drink and celebrate with her. He says no. She hangs up on him. He joins her. She orders his drink. Rachel shows up with her husband Tilden Katz. (Evidently, the Menkens eventually took their advertising business to a place called Grey.) Bobbie has to introduce herself. The Katzes excuse themselves. Bobbie notes Don's altered mood.
Bobbie describes her work with Jimmy - she basically does everything for him all the time. She enjoys negotiating. Don doesn't. She asks what does he like, then? Does he like the ocean? She (she doesn't say "we") has a place by the shore. She wants her some sex on the beach.
They head out to the beach. They're drinking straight out of the bottle in the car. She questions him about all the things he likes and doesn't like. He likes the Italian film La Notte (I don't think this was the film he was watching in episode 3 this season). She feels great. Don says he doesn't feel a thing.
She tries to give him something to feel. He closes his eyes. Someone honks. Don swerves to avoid a collision. They skid and flip over.
At the police station, the cop says Don's over the legal limit of 0.15% (the legal limit in most states now is 0.08%). The fine is $150. Don offers $63 cash and promises to mail the rest. Or he could send $500 tomorrow. The cop doesn't bite; the opportunity to nail an overprivileged city boy is worth more than $500 to him.
Don calls Peggy, who shows up with $110. She gives Bobbie a funny look (she is sporting a black eye from the accident) but doesn't say anything. She drives them home in her brother-in-law Gerry's car and gripes about the possibility of having to clean their barf out of it.
They begin planning their alibis; Bobbie will stay with Peggy until her black eye gets better so Jimmy can't see it. They squabble about which airport (for Don to rent a car) is quicker to get to to get to, LaGuardia vs. Idlewild. Peggy will pick up Bobbie's dry cleaning so she'll have something to wear.
Don swears Peggy to silence. "It's business," he explains defensively. She doesn't want him treating her badly because she reminds him of it. "This can be fixed," she says.
Don finally gets home in the wee hours and tells Betty he had an accident and didn't want to call and wake her. He tells her he has high blood pressure, and the pills mixed with the drinks made him lose control of the car. She's upset she didn't tell him. Her father has high blood pressure too.
Bobbie is at Peggy's. She's wearing that dry-cleaned outfit - a red party gown. She tells Jimmy she's at a fat farm because one of his friends made a crack about her. She says she needs to lose weight if she's going to be on TV.
She is trying to be a good houseguest for Peggy. She bemoans Marilyn Monroe's personal problems. Peggy thinks most women would love to have Monroe's problems. Monroe will be singing at the President's birthday party on TV. Peggy wonders if Bobbie has a concussion or worse. Bobbie says she keeps forgetting the accident. The memory keeps getting stranger. Peggy says, "if you're lucky it will disappear."
Don's new secretary, Lois's replacement, went to college, so Joan expects her to be a quick study with her impatient boss Mr. Draper while (Joan casually adds) she's planning her wedding. Joan says she's been offered a few rings, but this one's the best. Jane, the new girl, says she's "a little bit clairvoyant" and that Joan and what's-his-name will be very happy together.
Ken, Paul, and Harry show up to check Jane out. Ken claims he needs to see Don. (He and Jane are making a lot of eye contact.) Don shows up, says "morning," and hands her his hat. He tells Ken he doesn't pay much attention anymore because they don't last very long.
Don's arm is in a sling. He tells Ken he fell on the stairs. Ken says Jimmy wants to come in. Don wants to hold him off. He calls Bobbie. She's mystified - she thought she was covered.
Peggy offers to play cards with Bobbie. Bobbie wants to know why Peggy is doing this for Don. Is she seeing him? Peggy says he made her a copywriter. "I bet you made yourself a copywriter." Bobbie muses ruefully that he's a more decent man than you would expect. Peggy gives a pissy reply and goes to her room for a nap.
Flashback: Peggy's in the hospital. The doctor is telling her pregnant sister and her mother she has a psychoneurotic disorder. Peggy responds to her mother's voice. The doctor sends them out of the room and interviews Peggy. She's doped up and "relaxed" so she'll feel like talking. (She doesn't seem very chatty to me.) She knows what year it is and where she is, but not why she's there. He reminds her she had a baby. She doesn't react.
Pete goes to the fertility clinic and prepares to give his sample. Cut to Roger playing with a rubber ball/elastic/wooden paddle toy. Joan comes in to scold him about the sound, which can be heard in the office. He questions Joan about her engagement. He's snarky and sour. He is not a fan of marriage and he's disappointed she's going for it. She says she's in love and makes it clear that she won't be playing with him. He predicts she'll quit her job. She doesn't think so.
Peggy continues to keep Bobbie company. She's still wearing that same party dress. She used to be a dancer. Does Peggy have a boyfriend? Is she in love with Don? Peggy says no and takes offense at the personal questions. She doesn't want to know personal things about Bobbie either.
Jane seems to be giving a peepshow for her fan club. Joan scatters the crowd and scolds Jane. Jane plays innocent, but Joan tells her to get a sweater at lunch.
Ken comes by to warn Jane about Jimmy's visit. Actually, he's trying very hard to impress her with his celebrity friendship. Jane asks what his title is. "Title? I'm Ken! Cosgrove... Accounts?" She calmly tells him the appointment is already in her book.
He tries to ask her out on a date to see one of Jimmy's shows. The dubious magic of this moment is spoiled when Freddie comes out of his office and plays a Mozart tune on his pants zipper, practically in Jane's face. Neither Ken nor Jane is amused. Ken stalks off, frustrated. Freddie is miffed that his virtuoso performance fell flat.
Bobbie is finally in another dress, getting ready to leave. Her bruise is hidden with makeup. She keeps trying to thank Peggy for letting her stay, and Peggy keeps trying to deflect her thanks. Bobbie doesn't think Peggy is ambitious enough. She advises her to live the life of the person she wants to be, and treat Don only as an equal. Don't try to be a man, but be a woman.
I'm not sure Peggy welcomes the advice. Bobbie arranges to go to the station and pretend she's coming back from the fat farm.
Trudy says the doctor's office said his fish are swimmin'. He's so pleased that he doesn't notice she's upset. Even when she explains why, he still doesn't really get it. He questions why they have to do this at all. They won't be able to travel or go anywhere. She says he's immature. He's angry that she isn't thrilled with his test results and he isn't at all concerned that she may have a health problem. He lets her know she's on her own with this. She apologizes to him. She asks what "all this" (their life together) is for if they don't have a baby. He takes her out to dinner.
Peggy folds the blankets on the sofa where Bobbie slept.
Flashback. Don's visiting Peggy at St. Mary's Hospital. She's surprised to see him. He says she disappeared after she got her promotion, so he called her roommate, who had him call Peg's mom, who said she was quarantined with tuberculosis. "I guess that was supposed to lessen my concern," he jokes wryly. She tells him she doesn't know what's wrong or what she's supposed to do.
"Yes you do. Do it. Do whatever they say." He leans in close. "Peggy, listen to me. Get out of here and move forward. This never happened. It will shock you how much it never happened."
Peggy is finally back in the office. She tells the junior madmen she was "sick." Don makes a big show of giving Peggy a hard time in front of them. He still gives her a hard time about being unprepared when they're alone. She stiffens her spine and asks him to pay back the $110 she gave him. He gives her some of it and promises to have the rest the next day. "I guess when you try to forget something, you have to forget everything." Peggy boldly looks him in the eye and thanks him.
Jimmy and Bobbie Barrett show up. It's hard to tell whether he sees the look Bobbie and Peggy exchange. The Barrett's go into Don's office, where Jimmy seems to express doubt about the origin of Don's injury. He thanks Don for helping him handle Utz to get him the show. He expresses surprise that Don was willing to help, in light of Jimmy's bad behavior.
Is this a sincere thank you? Or is he passively-aggressively hinting that he knows or suspects something? Did someone (Rachel?) tip him off, or is Jimmy smarter than he pretends to be?
Meatloaf for dinner. The kids cheer Don as usual when he gets home. Betty's greeting is much more subdued. He's annoyed there's no salt. She tells the kids it's because they love him.
Closing music: Incidental music, but they were listening to "Theme from 'A Summer Place'" in the car on the way to the beach. End credits are followed with a warning not to drink and drive. Ah, thanks for that, I wasn't sure what you were trying to tell me when the car flipped over. (It might make more sense to show the warning in all the episodes where the car does NOT flip over. They should also warn people not to drive with their eyes closed.)
Quote of the week: "Pick a job and become the person that does it." (Bobbie)
This is a rant-free recap!
Pete and Trudy go to a fertility specialist. Pete is immature and defensive about some of the questions, but insists he hasn't had any problems. He thinks he wants a child, but sometimes - with the world the way it is - he's not so sure. (He wonders if having a Xerox machine elsewhere in the office interferes with his fertility.) He admits to being insecure about the Bomb, his job, his in-laws, the economy, his father's death... before long it sounds like he needs a psychiatrist. The fertility guy is supportive and reassuring.
At the office, Joan is showing off her engagement ring. She wants to get married around Christmas.
Bobbie calls for Don. "Grin and Bear It," the mean-spirited Candid Camera ripoff, is going to be piloted. Jimmy's gone home in a snit. She wants Don to drink and celebrate with her. He says no. She hangs up on him. He joins her. She orders his drink. Rachel shows up with her husband Tilden Katz. (Evidently, the Menkens eventually took their advertising business to a place called Grey.) Bobbie has to introduce herself. The Katzes excuse themselves. Bobbie notes Don's altered mood.
Bobbie describes her work with Jimmy - she basically does everything for him all the time. She enjoys negotiating. Don doesn't. She asks what does he like, then? Does he like the ocean? She (she doesn't say "we") has a place by the shore. She wants her some sex on the beach.
They head out to the beach. They're drinking straight out of the bottle in the car. She questions him about all the things he likes and doesn't like. He likes the Italian film La Notte (I don't think this was the film he was watching in episode 3 this season). She feels great. Don says he doesn't feel a thing.
She tries to give him something to feel. He closes his eyes. Someone honks. Don swerves to avoid a collision. They skid and flip over.
At the police station, the cop says Don's over the legal limit of 0.15% (the legal limit in most states now is 0.08%). The fine is $150. Don offers $63 cash and promises to mail the rest. Or he could send $500 tomorrow. The cop doesn't bite; the opportunity to nail an overprivileged city boy is worth more than $500 to him.
Don calls Peggy, who shows up with $110. She gives Bobbie a funny look (she is sporting a black eye from the accident) but doesn't say anything. She drives them home in her brother-in-law Gerry's car and gripes about the possibility of having to clean their barf out of it.
They begin planning their alibis; Bobbie will stay with Peggy until her black eye gets better so Jimmy can't see it. They squabble about which airport (for Don to rent a car) is quicker to get to to get to, LaGuardia vs. Idlewild. Peggy will pick up Bobbie's dry cleaning so she'll have something to wear.
Don swears Peggy to silence. "It's business," he explains defensively. She doesn't want him treating her badly because she reminds him of it. "This can be fixed," she says.
Don finally gets home in the wee hours and tells Betty he had an accident and didn't want to call and wake her. He tells her he has high blood pressure, and the pills mixed with the drinks made him lose control of the car. She's upset she didn't tell him. Her father has high blood pressure too.
Bobbie is at Peggy's. She's wearing that dry-cleaned outfit - a red party gown. She tells Jimmy she's at a fat farm because one of his friends made a crack about her. She says she needs to lose weight if she's going to be on TV.
She is trying to be a good houseguest for Peggy. She bemoans Marilyn Monroe's personal problems. Peggy thinks most women would love to have Monroe's problems. Monroe will be singing at the President's birthday party on TV. Peggy wonders if Bobbie has a concussion or worse. Bobbie says she keeps forgetting the accident. The memory keeps getting stranger. Peggy says, "if you're lucky it will disappear."
Don's new secretary, Lois's replacement, went to college, so Joan expects her to be a quick study with her impatient boss Mr. Draper while (Joan casually adds) she's planning her wedding. Joan says she's been offered a few rings, but this one's the best. Jane, the new girl, says she's "a little bit clairvoyant" and that Joan and what's-his-name will be very happy together.
Ken, Paul, and Harry show up to check Jane out. Ken claims he needs to see Don. (He and Jane are making a lot of eye contact.) Don shows up, says "morning," and hands her his hat. He tells Ken he doesn't pay much attention anymore because they don't last very long.
Don's arm is in a sling. He tells Ken he fell on the stairs. Ken says Jimmy wants to come in. Don wants to hold him off. He calls Bobbie. She's mystified - she thought she was covered.
Peggy offers to play cards with Bobbie. Bobbie wants to know why Peggy is doing this for Don. Is she seeing him? Peggy says he made her a copywriter. "I bet you made yourself a copywriter." Bobbie muses ruefully that he's a more decent man than you would expect. Peggy gives a pissy reply and goes to her room for a nap.
Flashback: Peggy's in the hospital. The doctor is telling her pregnant sister and her mother she has a psychoneurotic disorder. Peggy responds to her mother's voice. The doctor sends them out of the room and interviews Peggy. She's doped up and "relaxed" so she'll feel like talking. (She doesn't seem very chatty to me.) She knows what year it is and where she is, but not why she's there. He reminds her she had a baby. She doesn't react.
Pete goes to the fertility clinic and prepares to give his sample. Cut to Roger playing with a rubber ball/elastic/wooden paddle toy. Joan comes in to scold him about the sound, which can be heard in the office. He questions Joan about her engagement. He's snarky and sour. He is not a fan of marriage and he's disappointed she's going for it. She says she's in love and makes it clear that she won't be playing with him. He predicts she'll quit her job. She doesn't think so.
Peggy continues to keep Bobbie company. She's still wearing that same party dress. She used to be a dancer. Does Peggy have a boyfriend? Is she in love with Don? Peggy says no and takes offense at the personal questions. She doesn't want to know personal things about Bobbie either.
Jane seems to be giving a peepshow for her fan club. Joan scatters the crowd and scolds Jane. Jane plays innocent, but Joan tells her to get a sweater at lunch.
Ken comes by to warn Jane about Jimmy's visit. Actually, he's trying very hard to impress her with his celebrity friendship. Jane asks what his title is. "Title? I'm Ken! Cosgrove... Accounts?" She calmly tells him the appointment is already in her book.
He tries to ask her out on a date to see one of Jimmy's shows. The dubious magic of this moment is spoiled when Freddie comes out of his office and plays a Mozart tune on his pants zipper, practically in Jane's face. Neither Ken nor Jane is amused. Ken stalks off, frustrated. Freddie is miffed that his virtuoso performance fell flat.
Bobbie is finally in another dress, getting ready to leave. Her bruise is hidden with makeup. She keeps trying to thank Peggy for letting her stay, and Peggy keeps trying to deflect her thanks. Bobbie doesn't think Peggy is ambitious enough. She advises her to live the life of the person she wants to be, and treat Don only as an equal. Don't try to be a man, but be a woman.
I'm not sure Peggy welcomes the advice. Bobbie arranges to go to the station and pretend she's coming back from the fat farm.
Trudy says the doctor's office said his fish are swimmin'. He's so pleased that he doesn't notice she's upset. Even when she explains why, he still doesn't really get it. He questions why they have to do this at all. They won't be able to travel or go anywhere. She says he's immature. He's angry that she isn't thrilled with his test results and he isn't at all concerned that she may have a health problem. He lets her know she's on her own with this. She apologizes to him. She asks what "all this" (their life together) is for if they don't have a baby. He takes her out to dinner.
Peggy folds the blankets on the sofa where Bobbie slept.
Flashback. Don's visiting Peggy at St. Mary's Hospital. She's surprised to see him. He says she disappeared after she got her promotion, so he called her roommate, who had him call Peg's mom, who said she was quarantined with tuberculosis. "I guess that was supposed to lessen my concern," he jokes wryly. She tells him she doesn't know what's wrong or what she's supposed to do.
"Yes you do. Do it. Do whatever they say." He leans in close. "Peggy, listen to me. Get out of here and move forward. This never happened. It will shock you how much it never happened."
Peggy is finally back in the office. She tells the junior madmen she was "sick." Don makes a big show of giving Peggy a hard time in front of them. He still gives her a hard time about being unprepared when they're alone. She stiffens her spine and asks him to pay back the $110 she gave him. He gives her some of it and promises to have the rest the next day. "I guess when you try to forget something, you have to forget everything." Peggy boldly looks him in the eye and thanks him.
Jimmy and Bobbie Barrett show up. It's hard to tell whether he sees the look Bobbie and Peggy exchange. The Barrett's go into Don's office, where Jimmy seems to express doubt about the origin of Don's injury. He thanks Don for helping him handle Utz to get him the show. He expresses surprise that Don was willing to help, in light of Jimmy's bad behavior.
Is this a sincere thank you? Or is he passively-aggressively hinting that he knows or suspects something? Did someone (Rachel?) tip him off, or is Jimmy smarter than he pretends to be?
Meatloaf for dinner. The kids cheer Don as usual when he gets home. Betty's greeting is much more subdued. He's annoyed there's no salt. She tells the kids it's because they love him.
Closing music: Incidental music, but they were listening to "Theme from 'A Summer Place'" in the car on the way to the beach. End credits are followed with a warning not to drink and drive. Ah, thanks for that, I wasn't sure what you were trying to tell me when the car flipped over. (It might make more sense to show the warning in all the episodes where the car does NOT flip over. They should also warn people not to drive with their eyes closed.)
Quote of the week: "Pick a job and become the person that does it." (Bobbie)
Mad Men #17 (2.4), 8/17/08: Nobody's perfect
So much for my claim that I was going to do either micro-recaps or just funny quotes. This show is too damn good not to recap. I'll try to control myself (and hopefully go much shorter, for the sake of my wrists) next time!
It's Sunday, April 8, 1962. Peggy is at church, listening to a monsignor drone on very pompously about the temptation of lust and how each person must bear "his" own cross. The whole thing makes Peggy nauseous, and she excuses herself to her mother Katherine and sister Anita. Anita grumbles and accuses Peggy of being hung over.
Peggy runs into Father Gill - the new "visiting" priest - on her way out. He's paying no attention to Mass, instead looking out the open door into the street. He recognizes that Peggy was trying to sneak out, but doesn't give her a hard time about it. By some coincidence, he'll be having dinner with them tonight. There's a strange chemistry between him and Peggy right away. She agrees to go back to the Mass with him.
Someone named Caroline calls the Draper household, waking Betty and Don. It's about a barbecue they aren't especially excited about. Don convinces Betty to cancel. They reschedule to Easter. Don's horny, but the kids interrupt. Don kicks them out. I don't know if he and Betty get to finish.
Later, Sally mixes a very strong Bloody Mary for her father in a gold-leaf glass similar to a set my (and apparently everyone's) grandparents used to have. Bobby fiddles with the record player; Betty yells at him, and he lies and says he wasn't touching it. Don agrees to dance with Betty at her request.
Anita's husband Gerry is stretched out on the couch watching baseball when Fr. Gill arrives. Gerry says he has too much back pain to answer the door, sit at the dinner table, or even put on his own shoes. A neighbor joins them for dinner as well - she greets the priest like he's a rock star. Gerry gets up just long enough to greet the priest, then gets horizontal again.
Anita is almost as excited as the neighbor to have a priest in their midst. She asks him to say grace; he gives a warm, off-the-cuff, free-form blessing that does not meet Katherine's approval. She makes him say the standard, formal, generic grace as well. He charms the hell out of the ladies. Katherine brags about Peggy's job. Anita tries to cut her short, but Katherine is too proud of Peggy. Peggy excuses herself. Fr. Gill suddenly realizes it's "late" and offers her a ride home. (If you're wondering, as I was, if the "4th Ave. BMT" was some kind of halfway house for confused unwed mothers, it's actually a stop on the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit. D'oh!) The women insist on taking a picture before he leaves!
Roger and Mona have dinner with their daughter and her fiance, Brooks. The parents are disappointed and perplexed that the kids don't want a fancy wedding. In fact, despite obviously being in love, they haven't begun making any plans at all.
Outside Peggy's place, Father Gill hesitantly asks Peggy for some advice about public speaking, because he has to say Mass on Palm Sunday next week. She tells him being prepared and confident is helpful, and to make eye contact to focus your message. She also tells him to make the sermon simpler to understand since it's the only part of the service that's in English.
Sally and Bobby join their parents on the bed for snuggling and laughs. Bobby jumps up and down; Betty asks him to stop; he doesn't and the bed collapses. Betty yells at him and tries to send the kids to bed. Sally says they haven't had dinner yet, and Don says it's only 7:30. (I'm really surprised Betty's not on Valium. Maybe it hasn't been invented yet.)
The Lunch Specials board at the restaurant says it's Monday, April 16 already. It also says that corn chowder is 80 cents, so you can tell it's a swanky place! Ken and Pete are having lunch with client Marty. Marty tells what he presumes to be a funny story. Pete laughs a little too hard, and Ken joins in after a moment's hesitation. Vicky, the "date" they've arranged for Marty, shows up. Roger arrives soon after. Vicky introduces herself as Marty's wife. Roger likes Vicky and invites her to tomorrow's meeting. Later, when Roger asks Pete and Ken about Marty's wife, they admit she's not his wife.
Bobbie Barrett - the loudmouth comedian's manager - shows up at Don's office without an appointment. She's all business. She has an idea for a TV show: similar to Candid Camera, but meaner. They think Utz will let Jimmy do this if they think it will make him a more powerful pitchman for their product.
Typing at Lois's old desk, Joan hears someone turn the lock on Don's door.
Don won't help Bobbie sell the show, but he agrees to speak the the Schillings (the Utz people). She tries to seduce him. He rejects her. She doesn't take no for an answer.
Bobby is in hot water again when Don gets home. He broke the record player and lied about it. Don goes up to his room and tells him not to do it again. Although the mere tone of Don's voice seems to shame the boy enough, Betty is disgusted that Don didn't spank him to teach him the difference between right and wrong. Don says it doesn't work that way. She asks if he'd be the man he is now if his father hadn't hit him. Don asks for something to eat.
Confusingly, it's now Sunday, April 15 - Palm Sunday. (Either the church is confused, or the restaurant was.) Betty's still mad at Don. Duck calls - the whole team has to work today because the American Airlines pitch has been moved up to Good Friday. Don hangs up on him when Bobby burns himself on the stove. Betty (who is putting butter on the burn - a big no-no) blames Don. She's even madder when she finds out that she has to take Bobby to the ER while Don goes to work. Don agrees to take Sally with him. Sally is psyched!
Anita's house. Gerry appears to be asleep on the couch with the radio tuned to some Irish guy while everyone else - the family, plus even more neighbors - is at the table. Fr. Gill shows up but can't stay. He asks for Peggy; they say she's sick. (She's at work.) He tells them she helped him with his sermon. Katherine is impressed. Anita seems miffed.
The women at the office think Don is hotter than ever now that they see him with his daughter. Of course he immediately leaves her with Joan. Duck choreographs their pitch to American. He wants them to have three campaigns ready. Don assembles his creative staff.
Sally tells Joan of her plan to someday have "big ones" like Joan's and her mother's.
The mad men have been killing themselves over this campaign. Don reviews what they've prepared. He doesn't like Sal's artwork for the campaign to recruit stewardesses. Paul has created a menu in French. Peggy has picked out a china pattern.
One person who has not been killing himself with work is Roger. He has a date with Vicki in his bedroom. Kissing isn't included; he has to offer her $100 to do it. He warns her about his health. She claims that no one dies doing this. (Ironically, the commercial coming out of Roger's scene is for a mens' hair coloring product.)
Sally pesters Paul while he's trying to work. She sees the picture of Sheila on his desk and asks if she's his maid. When she finds out she's his girlfriend, Sally wants to know if he ever gets on top of her. He sends her out.
There's a makeshift buffet dinner. The secretaries have to wait until the rest of the staff eats. (A few of them glare enviously at Peggy, who is already eating.) Sally is wandering around without supervision. Cooper gets gum on his socks. He yells at Duck's gum-chewing secretary and fires her, then goes back into his office. Duck thanks her for getting Cooper out and assures her that Cooper won't remember firing her!
Don comes out to describe his concept. It's going to be about the future, not the past. It's about the moon. No apologizing for the crash; that happened to someone else. He tells his people to scrap everything and start over. The guys gripe behind Don's (but not Sally's) back until Duck says something positive about Don, possibly meant for Sally's ears.
Bored, Sally sneaks a glass that still has some scotch in it off of someone's desk.
Vicky's done with Roger. He wants her to hang around for dinner. She agrees, only if he pays for the gig she'll have to cancel and takes her to Lutêce. He thinks their $8.50 lunch is way expensive; he's bragging, not complaining.
It's finally quittin' time. Don collects his sleeping child from the sofa. He sees the glass fall out of her hand and sarcastically thanks Joan for babysitting. (I don't think this is headed towards a "Little Girl Lost" subplot, but doesn't she look like Drew Barrymore at that age?)
Peggy calls Anita to find out how the sermon was. Anita says it was good and that the priest gave her a copy for Peggy. After the call, Katherine says it's great that he's getting to know Peggy without her "troubles." Anita complains that Peggy does whatever she wants, with no regard for others.
Gerry is warming up the car, so evidently he can get up sometimes...
Friday, April 20. The mad men are in their best clothes; everything is meticulously laid out for the meeting with American.
Duck comes in looking queasy. His friend Shel - the guy Pete shocked with the news of his father's death in the crash - just got fired from American. Basically, the deal is off, and now they'll just be going through the motions.
Anita goes to Confession with Fr. Gill. The purpose of this confession seems not so much to relieve her conscience, but to let him know what an awful person Peggy is. To be fair, she never mentions her sister by name, but Fr. Gill knows who she is. Anita claims that Peggy is hurting their mother, but it's obvious that Anita's the one who's feeling overburdened and resentful. (I know some people think Katherine is suffering too, but she seems very proud of Peggy to me.)
Anita tells the padre that Peggy "seduced" a married man and had a baby with him; now she doesn't take responsibility for it. Anita feels guilty for hating Peggy and being jealous that everyone admires and helps her. It's unfair, when Anita's been so good - and for what? Father tells her not to judge, and to trust in God to see her goodness and reward her in heaven. For this and a couple of trivial sins, he prescribes 3 Hail Marys, 2 Our Fathers, and to forgive her sister for not being as strong as Anita is.
I've had nearly a week to read what other people have been saying about this, and I am stunned by the way some people have reacted to this scene. They feel that Anita is 100% right and Peggy is the devil. Maybe they don't remember what happened:
I am guessing that Peggy couldn't put her child up for adoption because she was committed and therefore wasn't allowed to make decisions. The choice would have been to either have a relative take him, or else place him with strangers in a foster family until Peggy got better. Anita made a big sacrifice for her sister, and Peggy's not giving anything back.
But I doubt Peggy has anything to give.
OK, I'm done.
People are quiet in the boardroom after the American pitch. They know nothing will come of it. Don and Roger speak privately. Don points out that Duck was supposed to bring in new business, and instead he ran Mohawk off. Roger seems very casual about it.
Don comes home early in a foul mood. They're having dinner. Bobby knocks over a full glass of something with the toy robot Betty told him not to play with at the table. Betty tells Don to "do something," so he flings the robot across the room and it smashes to pieces against the wall, scaring the kids. Betty follows him up to their room, saying he takes no responsibility. (Meanwhile, Sally picks up a very large knife to slice some bread in the basket. Or does she? That's what I thought when I was watching the episode, but in this YouTube clip it's a paper napkin. Hmm... paper napkins at Betty Draper's 1962 dinner table?) They argue about how hard it is for Betty to be "outnumbered" all day at home and he does nothing - except pay for everything they own. He says she's lucky he doesn't bring home his anger from work. The kids listen at the bottom of the stairs.
She shoves him. He shoves her. She tells the kids it's time for bed.
Bobby comes up to apologize to Don. Don says dads get mad sometimes. Bobby asks what Don's dad was like. Don says his father looked like him, but was bigger. He liked ham, and violet candy. He was a farmer. "But he died," Bobby says. "We have to get you a new daddy."
This says so much about what Bobby thinks of his daddy, it makes me sniffle. Don gives him a hug.
Bedtime. Don pretends to be asleep. Betty wants to talk. She accuses him of being one of the children. Don says Bobby is just a little kid. Don's father beat the hell out of him. It didn't make Don a better person, but it did make him fantasize about murdering him. Bobby's not as bad as Don was.
It's Sunday, April 22. There's an Easter egg hunt at church. Peggy tells Fr. Gill she read his sermon from last week and liked it. He gives her an Easter egg "for the little one."
Now Peggy knows that he knows.
Quote of the week: "Let's pretend we know what 1963 looks like." (Don)
It's Sunday, April 8, 1962. Peggy is at church, listening to a monsignor drone on very pompously about the temptation of lust and how each person must bear "his" own cross. The whole thing makes Peggy nauseous, and she excuses herself to her mother Katherine and sister Anita. Anita grumbles and accuses Peggy of being hung over.
Peggy runs into Father Gill - the new "visiting" priest - on her way out. He's paying no attention to Mass, instead looking out the open door into the street. He recognizes that Peggy was trying to sneak out, but doesn't give her a hard time about it. By some coincidence, he'll be having dinner with them tonight. There's a strange chemistry between him and Peggy right away. She agrees to go back to the Mass with him.
Someone named Caroline calls the Draper household, waking Betty and Don. It's about a barbecue they aren't especially excited about. Don convinces Betty to cancel. They reschedule to Easter. Don's horny, but the kids interrupt. Don kicks them out. I don't know if he and Betty get to finish.
Later, Sally mixes a very strong Bloody Mary for her father in a gold-leaf glass similar to a set my (and apparently everyone's) grandparents used to have. Bobby fiddles with the record player; Betty yells at him, and he lies and says he wasn't touching it. Don agrees to dance with Betty at her request.
Anita's husband Gerry is stretched out on the couch watching baseball when Fr. Gill arrives. Gerry says he has too much back pain to answer the door, sit at the dinner table, or even put on his own shoes. A neighbor joins them for dinner as well - she greets the priest like he's a rock star. Gerry gets up just long enough to greet the priest, then gets horizontal again.
Anita is almost as excited as the neighbor to have a priest in their midst. She asks him to say grace; he gives a warm, off-the-cuff, free-form blessing that does not meet Katherine's approval. She makes him say the standard, formal, generic grace as well. He charms the hell out of the ladies. Katherine brags about Peggy's job. Anita tries to cut her short, but Katherine is too proud of Peggy. Peggy excuses herself. Fr. Gill suddenly realizes it's "late" and offers her a ride home. (If you're wondering, as I was, if the "4th Ave. BMT" was some kind of halfway house for confused unwed mothers, it's actually a stop on the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit. D'oh!) The women insist on taking a picture before he leaves!
Roger and Mona have dinner with their daughter and her fiance, Brooks. The parents are disappointed and perplexed that the kids don't want a fancy wedding. In fact, despite obviously being in love, they haven't begun making any plans at all.
Outside Peggy's place, Father Gill hesitantly asks Peggy for some advice about public speaking, because he has to say Mass on Palm Sunday next week. She tells him being prepared and confident is helpful, and to make eye contact to focus your message. She also tells him to make the sermon simpler to understand since it's the only part of the service that's in English.
Sally and Bobby join their parents on the bed for snuggling and laughs. Bobby jumps up and down; Betty asks him to stop; he doesn't and the bed collapses. Betty yells at him and tries to send the kids to bed. Sally says they haven't had dinner yet, and Don says it's only 7:30. (I'm really surprised Betty's not on Valium. Maybe it hasn't been invented yet.)
The Lunch Specials board at the restaurant says it's Monday, April 16 already. It also says that corn chowder is 80 cents, so you can tell it's a swanky place! Ken and Pete are having lunch with client Marty. Marty tells what he presumes to be a funny story. Pete laughs a little too hard, and Ken joins in after a moment's hesitation. Vicky, the "date" they've arranged for Marty, shows up. Roger arrives soon after. Vicky introduces herself as Marty's wife. Roger likes Vicky and invites her to tomorrow's meeting. Later, when Roger asks Pete and Ken about Marty's wife, they admit she's not his wife.
Bobbie Barrett - the loudmouth comedian's manager - shows up at Don's office without an appointment. She's all business. She has an idea for a TV show: similar to Candid Camera, but meaner. They think Utz will let Jimmy do this if they think it will make him a more powerful pitchman for their product.
Typing at Lois's old desk, Joan hears someone turn the lock on Don's door.
Don won't help Bobbie sell the show, but he agrees to speak the the Schillings (the Utz people). She tries to seduce him. He rejects her. She doesn't take no for an answer.
Bobby is in hot water again when Don gets home. He broke the record player and lied about it. Don goes up to his room and tells him not to do it again. Although the mere tone of Don's voice seems to shame the boy enough, Betty is disgusted that Don didn't spank him to teach him the difference between right and wrong. Don says it doesn't work that way. She asks if he'd be the man he is now if his father hadn't hit him. Don asks for something to eat.
Confusingly, it's now Sunday, April 15 - Palm Sunday. (Either the church is confused, or the restaurant was.) Betty's still mad at Don. Duck calls - the whole team has to work today because the American Airlines pitch has been moved up to Good Friday. Don hangs up on him when Bobby burns himself on the stove. Betty (who is putting butter on the burn - a big no-no) blames Don. She's even madder when she finds out that she has to take Bobby to the ER while Don goes to work. Don agrees to take Sally with him. Sally is psyched!
Anita's house. Gerry appears to be asleep on the couch with the radio tuned to some Irish guy while everyone else - the family, plus even more neighbors - is at the table. Fr. Gill shows up but can't stay. He asks for Peggy; they say she's sick. (She's at work.) He tells them she helped him with his sermon. Katherine is impressed. Anita seems miffed.
The women at the office think Don is hotter than ever now that they see him with his daughter. Of course he immediately leaves her with Joan. Duck choreographs their pitch to American. He wants them to have three campaigns ready. Don assembles his creative staff.
Sally tells Joan of her plan to someday have "big ones" like Joan's and her mother's.
The mad men have been killing themselves over this campaign. Don reviews what they've prepared. He doesn't like Sal's artwork for the campaign to recruit stewardesses. Paul has created a menu in French. Peggy has picked out a china pattern.
One person who has not been killing himself with work is Roger. He has a date with Vicki in his bedroom. Kissing isn't included; he has to offer her $100 to do it. He warns her about his health. She claims that no one dies doing this. (Ironically, the commercial coming out of Roger's scene is for a mens' hair coloring product.)
Sally pesters Paul while he's trying to work. She sees the picture of Sheila on his desk and asks if she's his maid. When she finds out she's his girlfriend, Sally wants to know if he ever gets on top of her. He sends her out.
There's a makeshift buffet dinner. The secretaries have to wait until the rest of the staff eats. (A few of them glare enviously at Peggy, who is already eating.) Sally is wandering around without supervision. Cooper gets gum on his socks. He yells at Duck's gum-chewing secretary and fires her, then goes back into his office. Duck thanks her for getting Cooper out and assures her that Cooper won't remember firing her!
Don comes out to describe his concept. It's going to be about the future, not the past. It's about the moon. No apologizing for the crash; that happened to someone else. He tells his people to scrap everything and start over. The guys gripe behind Don's (but not Sally's) back until Duck says something positive about Don, possibly meant for Sally's ears.
Bored, Sally sneaks a glass that still has some scotch in it off of someone's desk.
Vicky's done with Roger. He wants her to hang around for dinner. She agrees, only if he pays for the gig she'll have to cancel and takes her to Lutêce. He thinks their $8.50 lunch is way expensive; he's bragging, not complaining.
It's finally quittin' time. Don collects his sleeping child from the sofa. He sees the glass fall out of her hand and sarcastically thanks Joan for babysitting. (I don't think this is headed towards a "Little Girl Lost" subplot, but doesn't she look like Drew Barrymore at that age?)
Peggy calls Anita to find out how the sermon was. Anita says it was good and that the priest gave her a copy for Peggy. After the call, Katherine says it's great that he's getting to know Peggy without her "troubles." Anita complains that Peggy does whatever she wants, with no regard for others.
Gerry is warming up the car, so evidently he can get up sometimes...
Friday, April 20. The mad men are in their best clothes; everything is meticulously laid out for the meeting with American.
Duck comes in looking queasy. His friend Shel - the guy Pete shocked with the news of his father's death in the crash - just got fired from American. Basically, the deal is off, and now they'll just be going through the motions.
Anita goes to Confession with Fr. Gill. The purpose of this confession seems not so much to relieve her conscience, but to let him know what an awful person Peggy is. To be fair, she never mentions her sister by name, but Fr. Gill knows who she is. Anita claims that Peggy is hurting their mother, but it's obvious that Anita's the one who's feeling overburdened and resentful. (I know some people think Katherine is suffering too, but she seems very proud of Peggy to me.)
Anita tells the padre that Peggy "seduced" a married man and had a baby with him; now she doesn't take responsibility for it. Anita feels guilty for hating Peggy and being jealous that everyone admires and helps her. It's unfair, when Anita's been so good - and for what? Father tells her not to judge, and to trust in God to see her goodness and reward her in heaven. For this and a couple of trivial sins, he prescribes 3 Hail Marys, 2 Our Fathers, and to forgive her sister for not being as strong as Anita is.
I've had nearly a week to read what other people have been saying about this, and I am stunned by the way some people have reacted to this scene. They feel that Anita is 100% right and Peggy is the devil. Maybe they don't remember what happened:
- Peggy thought she had taken precautions. The doctor didn't tell her that it takes a week for the Pill to kick in. It's not outrageous for her to have been "sure" she couldn't get (or be) pregnant. Even if she had known, her only safe and legal option was to have the baby.
- Peggy never seduced Pete. They've been together a grand total of two times, both of which were his idea. The fact that Anita (or anyone) can imagine Peggy as a seductive vixen catching poor innocent Pete in her plush den of sensuality says more about Anita's imagination than about Peggy's character. It was an unplanned encounter with a drunken coworker in a dumpy little apartment.
- Pete was not a married man the first time, and in any case it is not Peggy's responsibility to keep Pete faithful to Trudy. (It's not Trudy's responsibility, either. It's Pete's.) Peggy herself was not cheating on anyone.
- Anita chose to lead a domestic life. There is nothing wrong with that, but you can't pick one kind of life and then be bitter when you see how well the alternative works out for someone else. Not that Peggy's choice has worked out flawlessly. I don't think that being committed is something to be envious of. Again, Anita has a very selective way of looking at Peggy's life. It's not as glamorous as Anita imagines.
- Peggy really was mentally ill (or didn't some people see the last episode of season 1?). No fair saying that she's "using" her breakdown to evade responsibility. Do people in wheelchairs "use" their disability so they don't have to walk? Ridiculous.
Yes, this is a real illness. It is hardly a secret in 2008. Peggy can't deal with the baby. It's not that she "won't" or that she's lazy. She CAN'T. She can barely look at it. Maybe someday she will feel differently; and maybe someday people won't say "vitamins and exercise" dismissively when the subject of postpartum mood disorders comes up. Maybe in another 46 years? - A woman who is supporting herself financially is not evading responsibility. A lazy, irresponsible woman can find someone to mooch off of so she doesn't have to hold down a job. Peggy could "use" her illness to sponge off of her family, but she doesn't.
I am guessing that Peggy couldn't put her child up for adoption because she was committed and therefore wasn't allowed to make decisions. The choice would have been to either have a relative take him, or else place him with strangers in a foster family until Peggy got better. Anita made a big sacrifice for her sister, and Peggy's not giving anything back.
But I doubt Peggy has anything to give.
OK, I'm done.
People are quiet in the boardroom after the American pitch. They know nothing will come of it. Don and Roger speak privately. Don points out that Duck was supposed to bring in new business, and instead he ran Mohawk off. Roger seems very casual about it.
Don comes home early in a foul mood. They're having dinner. Bobby knocks over a full glass of something with the toy robot Betty told him not to play with at the table. Betty tells Don to "do something," so he flings the robot across the room and it smashes to pieces against the wall, scaring the kids. Betty follows him up to their room, saying he takes no responsibility. (Meanwhile, Sally picks up a very large knife to slice some bread in the basket. Or does she? That's what I thought when I was watching the episode, but in this YouTube clip it's a paper napkin. Hmm... paper napkins at Betty Draper's 1962 dinner table?) They argue about how hard it is for Betty to be "outnumbered" all day at home and he does nothing - except pay for everything they own. He says she's lucky he doesn't bring home his anger from work. The kids listen at the bottom of the stairs.
She shoves him. He shoves her. She tells the kids it's time for bed.
Bobby comes up to apologize to Don. Don says dads get mad sometimes. Bobby asks what Don's dad was like. Don says his father looked like him, but was bigger. He liked ham, and violet candy. He was a farmer. "But he died," Bobby says. "We have to get you a new daddy."
This says so much about what Bobby thinks of his daddy, it makes me sniffle. Don gives him a hug.
Bedtime. Don pretends to be asleep. Betty wants to talk. She accuses him of being one of the children. Don says Bobby is just a little kid. Don's father beat the hell out of him. It didn't make Don a better person, but it did make him fantasize about murdering him. Bobby's not as bad as Don was.
It's Sunday, April 22. There's an Easter egg hunt at church. Peggy tells Fr. Gill she read his sermon from last week and liked it. He gives her an Easter egg "for the little one."
Now Peggy knows that he knows.
Quote of the week: "Let's pretend we know what 1963 looks like." (Don)
Mad Men #16 (2.3), 8/10/08: An episode that won't be nominated for an Emmy
Hey. They can't all be "The Wheel." This one's a slow episode, but I think it's setting things up for some future excitement.
It's Thursday.
Comedian Jimmy Barrett is shooting an ad for Utz snacks. He's brilliant, but he doesn't slow down when the owners of Utz, the Schillings, show up. They beam with delight to see their favorite comic perform, but then he begins telling jokes about Mrs. Schilling's weight. It takes Ken and Freddie a moment to realize what is happening. Within those few seconds, Jimmy likens her to a blimp, a buffalo, a movie screen, and a whale. Freddie tries to make Jimmy stop, but he's on a roll. Ken ushers the Schillings out.
Betty is at the horse place with her friend, Sara Beth Carson (not Mona Sterling as I had thought last week). Sara Beth is wondering what to get her husband for their ten-year anniversary. They notice that young guy that SB has been admiring; he's not very good with horses. SB says he reminds her of a movie character who learned how to ride in hopes of being accepted in monied society. His fiancee Tara Montague is there; she's amused by his incompetence. Trainer Gertie's contempt for the lad is plain. Betty tries to get away as they approach, but SB makes her stay and be introduced. Tara seems charming and polite, but reveals something of her true character when she says "I've done plenty of things for him, and I'd love to continue doing so."
SB tells Betty she won't be there for some event on Saturday because her daughter has a ballet recital. She dreads seeing her chubby daughter Becky in tights. (This was the girl SB said was saving her lunch money in her pencil-box last week.)
Harry gets Ken's paycheck by mistake and discovers that Ken is making $300 a week. He tries to swap out the torn envelope with his own, but mangles his own envelope even worse. He calls his nauseated, pregnant wife, who gets nervous hearing his tone; when she finds out what's wrong, she is furious. (He is trying to glue the envelope together.) She feels Harry should be paid more than Ken because he's married and has a kid on the way. And he works long hours. She's angry that he doesn't demand more money. He asks if she knows where he can find a windowpane envelope.
Don is watching a French film in a mostly-empty cinema. It's probably something famous, but I don't recognize it. It looks like a montage of photographs with a French voiceover and English subtitles that are too far away to read.
Hmm. Poetry two weeks ago, and now this. Do you think he misses Midge and her friends?
Sal, who seems to be wearing a wedding ring - perhaps Kitty is his wife - is cleaning up some artwork for American Airlines. (I guess this means they got that deal.) Harry asks him for a windowpane envelope, or to fix the one he wrecked; Sal advises him to throw it away (not in the office, since nosy people go through the trash) and then Ken will ask for his check and they'll cut him a new one.
Sal expresses subtle disgust at the $300 figure (he sharpens his pencil and says he wishes Harry hadn't told him). He says media is a meritocracy and Harry's not worth that much. Harry asks what they can do to be worth that much. Sal says the question just proves his point.
Lois buzzes Don and gets Ken's name wrong. It hardly matters since Roger and Ken are already showing themselves in. Roger bums a cigarette from Ken, even though the supply room is full of them; Roger says he doesn't smoke. (So if you smoke only in private, you won't have another heart attack? Is that how it works? Sweet deal.) Lois announces Freddie even as he is walking through the door. Ken says that Freddie's drinking is interfering with his job.
Duck actually waits for Lois's introduction before entering Don's office. They're going to lose Utz as a client! The Schillings aren't answering their phone; Duck (I may start calling him "Captain Obvious") says that "someone" needs to talk to Jimmy. Don thinks it's pointless to talk to Jimmy, but Roger says Don has to fix it. Duck blames Freddie for "getting" Jimmy drunk. Don says they should have told him the Schillings were there; he would have kept them away. Ken says he told Lois, but Don was out.
Don looks like a deer caught in the headlights. He backpedals and says he'll talk to the Schillings and to Jimmy. Meeting over. Roger stays behind and asks where Don was. Don says he was at the printer's. "You should tell your girl that," Roger says, stubbing out the cigarette.
Don calls Lois in. In an extremely rare flash of insight, Lois realizes what's happening even before Don utters the words. She doesn't understand why, though. He tells her she's incompetent. She whines that she tries to cover for him all the time. He says she shouldn't "cover" for him, but manage people's expectations. She doesn't understand what this means. He tells her to stick to switchboard jobs.
Harry's officemate, who's already been miffed by Harry's strange attitude once today, again wonders what's going on. He teases Harry for looking for "ways not to go home." Alone at last, he calls a friend at CBS. That friend doesn't have a job for him; in fact, he's losing sponsors over The Defenders. They're pulling out over an episode called "The Benefactor," which features an abortion in the opening scene. Harry asks him to send a copy to the office. The friend agrees, since he's pretty sure he'll be fired anyway.
It's Friday.
Joan says she'll be Don's secretary until they can replace Lois; there's a touch of sarcasm (and envy?) in her voice as she says she'll find him "another Miss Olsen" (Peggy). He wants to intercept Jimmy at the studio where he's shooting. Joan says he's been running about eight hours late.
Harry watches "The Benefactor" alone in a conference room. He's very uncomfortable; maybe he's thinking of his wife and the baby.
Don meets with Jimmy's manager Bobbie, who is also his "wife." She's scornful and uncooperative. He offers to drive her somewhere in the rain. They get caught in a hailstorm. Stuck in the car, she makes a move on him. He protests, but the third kiss attempt is the charm.
Now he's home. The kids want to go riding with Mommy on Saturday. He supports Betty in saying no. She asks him to babysit. Betty gives him his newly-repaired watch back, monogrammed. Hah! He feels cheap!
Now it's Saturday.
The young guy at the riding school isn't controlling his animal at all. He's letting her graze on the lawn. Betty scolds him for not being firm with the horse. He asks about Sara Beth. He admits he's afraid of animals and would rather shoot them than ride them. His fiancee doesn't understand. The men in her family all ride, but they don't work, so maybe they know something he doesn't.
Don calls Bobbie and sets up a formal restaurant dinner on Monday with him, Betty, Bobbie, Jimmy, and the Schillings. She's somewhat miffed that he's all business, "I'm at home with my children." She makes fun of him "being bad and then going home and being good."
Betty tells the lad, whose name is Arthur, not to smoke in the stables. He is flippant about the possibility of burning the place down. Betty is cold and harsh with him. He thinks Tara is jealous of Betty and Sara Beth. He's frustrated with their relationship. Betty warns him off. He tells her how rich and spoiled Tara is. He thinks Betty is beautiful and nothing like Tara. It bothers him that Tara doesn't need anything that someone else can't give her. Betty says he's just nervous about getting married, but it will be fine.
He says he thinks about her. Betty says she likes him and asks him not to say anything to spoil it. "You're so profoundly sad," he says. (I can't tell whether he's being sincere, or if he's just really good at this stuff.) "No, it's just my people are Nordic," Betty replies. He tries to kiss her. She pushes him away twice. He tries the profoundly sad line again. She says no, she's grateful. She lights a cigarette on her way out. Are her hands shaking?
Betty's still a little shaken up when she gets home. Don tells her about the fancy dinner at Lutêce. She's happy until he mentions Jimmy. From her reaction, I take it she's not a fan. He wants her to be fun and charming. She gripes about the short notice and that she won't have anything special to wear.
It's Monday. The madmen, including Peggy, are watching The Defenders. A man finds out his daughter has had an abortion; he insults her and slaps her. Peggy cringes in the back of the room. Elliot, from Belle Jolie - he's the man who had dinner with Sal in episode 8 last year and made a pass at him (I haven't finished the recap yet) - says he gets the idea. Peggy gratefully turns the projector off.
Harry wants to advertise Belle Jolie's lipstick on that show. They can get in for pennies on the dollar - the controversy will bring in eyeballs. Peggy, their de facto representative for the entire female gender, is asked her opinion. She loyally agrees, though something tells me she'll make an appointment with herself to never watch that show. Ken pipes in with an "idea" too, but Harry cuts him off - evidently the idea is already in the research materials he gave to Elliot. Don smirks at Harry's defensive attitude.
Elliot says Belle Jolie can't advertise with this kind of show. The company's owner wants a wholesome image. Don says they can't get much out of advertising on daytime TV alone. Elliot doesn't want his company to be "part of this debate." Harry pushes it, saying politics are "in" right now, and women will be watching. Don checks him with a glance.
The meeting's over. Elliot thanks Don and says he wishes Belle Jolie were a different kind of company.
Elliot asks Sal how it's going. Sal answers with a stiff "very well, thank you." Aaaaah. Smell that sexual tension!
Roger calls Harry into his office. Roger is vague and mysterious at first; Harry seems to think he's been busted for looking at Ken's check. (I wouldn't be surprised if Roger knew about that too.) But this is about the meeting with Belle Jolie. He and Cooper are impressed. He asks Harry what he wants. Harry says they need a TV department, and he should run it. Roger agrees; Harry is the head and sole member of it. He also asks for a raise; he gets $200 a week now and wants $310. Roger tells him not to be greedy - no one makes anywhere near that much. Instead he offers $225 and business cards. "You drive a hell of a bargain," Roger says. Harry leaves, looking like he's just been struck by lightning.
The Drapers and the Schillings are at Lutêce. (Betty seems to have found time to iron a dress after all.) Jimmy and Bobbie are late. Jimmy is in rare form. Betty pretends to like him. Jim flirts without mercy, asking Betty if little birds hang her laundry, etc. He's rude to the waiter and demands drinks right away. He asks Betty to tell him all about the horses.
Bobbie excuses herself. Jimmy continues to ignore everyone except Betty. Don excuses himself. He finds Bobbie and tells her Jimmy needs to do the apology before the appetizers. She says no, his contract doesn't say that he has to apologize; in fact they have to pay him even if they fire him. A public apology will cost them $25K and newspaper coverage.
Don reaches up Bobbie's dress, pinches her in a sensitive place, and threatens to ruin Jimmy. "Do what I say," he hisses. She seems disappointed when he lets go and goes back to the table.
Harry's wife is happy about the raise, but even happier that she can brag to her coworkers at the phone company that her husband is the head of TV at Sterling Cooper. He opts not to tell her about The Defenders. "You wouldn't like it." (Wow, he really is nervous about that baby!)
At the restaurant, Jimmy is still in fine form, and Betty is still pretending to be charmed. Bobbie comes back to the table and prompts Jimmy. He says he'd rather eat Utz chips than anything at Lutêce. "They have snails here, you know." He gives a spectacular apology to the Schillings. The air is cleared. Dinner can proceed. Don snaps his fingers at a waiter. (I didn't realize there was ever a time when this wasn't considered horribly gauche.)
Betty gets sniffly on the way home. She's happy because the dinner made her feel like a part of his life. "We make a great team."
Do we close with a different song every week? Believe it or not, I didn't notice till tonight. This one ends with "Lollipops and Roses."
Quote of the week: "I miss the Fifties." (Roger)
Next week: A lot more excitement.
It's Thursday.
Comedian Jimmy Barrett is shooting an ad for Utz snacks. He's brilliant, but he doesn't slow down when the owners of Utz, the Schillings, show up. They beam with delight to see their favorite comic perform, but then he begins telling jokes about Mrs. Schilling's weight. It takes Ken and Freddie a moment to realize what is happening. Within those few seconds, Jimmy likens her to a blimp, a buffalo, a movie screen, and a whale. Freddie tries to make Jimmy stop, but he's on a roll. Ken ushers the Schillings out.
Betty is at the horse place with her friend, Sara Beth Carson (not Mona Sterling as I had thought last week). Sara Beth is wondering what to get her husband for their ten-year anniversary. They notice that young guy that SB has been admiring; he's not very good with horses. SB says he reminds her of a movie character who learned how to ride in hopes of being accepted in monied society. His fiancee Tara Montague is there; she's amused by his incompetence. Trainer Gertie's contempt for the lad is plain. Betty tries to get away as they approach, but SB makes her stay and be introduced. Tara seems charming and polite, but reveals something of her true character when she says "I've done plenty of things for him, and I'd love to continue doing so."
SB tells Betty she won't be there for some event on Saturday because her daughter has a ballet recital. She dreads seeing her chubby daughter Becky in tights. (This was the girl SB said was saving her lunch money in her pencil-box last week.)
Harry gets Ken's paycheck by mistake and discovers that Ken is making $300 a week. He tries to swap out the torn envelope with his own, but mangles his own envelope even worse. He calls his nauseated, pregnant wife, who gets nervous hearing his tone; when she finds out what's wrong, she is furious. (He is trying to glue the envelope together.) She feels Harry should be paid more than Ken because he's married and has a kid on the way. And he works long hours. She's angry that he doesn't demand more money. He asks if she knows where he can find a windowpane envelope.
Don is watching a French film in a mostly-empty cinema. It's probably something famous, but I don't recognize it. It looks like a montage of photographs with a French voiceover and English subtitles that are too far away to read.
Hmm. Poetry two weeks ago, and now this. Do you think he misses Midge and her friends?
Sal, who seems to be wearing a wedding ring - perhaps Kitty is his wife - is cleaning up some artwork for American Airlines. (I guess this means they got that deal.) Harry asks him for a windowpane envelope, or to fix the one he wrecked; Sal advises him to throw it away (not in the office, since nosy people go through the trash) and then Ken will ask for his check and they'll cut him a new one.
Sal expresses subtle disgust at the $300 figure (he sharpens his pencil and says he wishes Harry hadn't told him). He says media is a meritocracy and Harry's not worth that much. Harry asks what they can do to be worth that much. Sal says the question just proves his point.
Lois buzzes Don and gets Ken's name wrong. It hardly matters since Roger and Ken are already showing themselves in. Roger bums a cigarette from Ken, even though the supply room is full of them; Roger says he doesn't smoke. (So if you smoke only in private, you won't have another heart attack? Is that how it works? Sweet deal.) Lois announces Freddie even as he is walking through the door. Ken says that Freddie's drinking is interfering with his job.
Duck actually waits for Lois's introduction before entering Don's office. They're going to lose Utz as a client! The Schillings aren't answering their phone; Duck (I may start calling him "Captain Obvious") says that "someone" needs to talk to Jimmy. Don thinks it's pointless to talk to Jimmy, but Roger says Don has to fix it. Duck blames Freddie for "getting" Jimmy drunk. Don says they should have told him the Schillings were there; he would have kept them away. Ken says he told Lois, but Don was out.
Don looks like a deer caught in the headlights. He backpedals and says he'll talk to the Schillings and to Jimmy. Meeting over. Roger stays behind and asks where Don was. Don says he was at the printer's. "You should tell your girl that," Roger says, stubbing out the cigarette.
Don calls Lois in. In an extremely rare flash of insight, Lois realizes what's happening even before Don utters the words. She doesn't understand why, though. He tells her she's incompetent. She whines that she tries to cover for him all the time. He says she shouldn't "cover" for him, but manage people's expectations. She doesn't understand what this means. He tells her to stick to switchboard jobs.
Harry's officemate, who's already been miffed by Harry's strange attitude once today, again wonders what's going on. He teases Harry for looking for "ways not to go home." Alone at last, he calls a friend at CBS. That friend doesn't have a job for him; in fact, he's losing sponsors over The Defenders. They're pulling out over an episode called "The Benefactor," which features an abortion in the opening scene. Harry asks him to send a copy to the office. The friend agrees, since he's pretty sure he'll be fired anyway.
It's Friday.
Joan says she'll be Don's secretary until they can replace Lois; there's a touch of sarcasm (and envy?) in her voice as she says she'll find him "another Miss Olsen" (Peggy). He wants to intercept Jimmy at the studio where he's shooting. Joan says he's been running about eight hours late.
Harry watches "The Benefactor" alone in a conference room. He's very uncomfortable; maybe he's thinking of his wife and the baby.
Don meets with Jimmy's manager Bobbie, who is also his "wife." She's scornful and uncooperative. He offers to drive her somewhere in the rain. They get caught in a hailstorm. Stuck in the car, she makes a move on him. He protests, but the third kiss attempt is the charm.
Now he's home. The kids want to go riding with Mommy on Saturday. He supports Betty in saying no. She asks him to babysit. Betty gives him his newly-repaired watch back, monogrammed. Hah! He feels cheap!
Now it's Saturday.
The young guy at the riding school isn't controlling his animal at all. He's letting her graze on the lawn. Betty scolds him for not being firm with the horse. He asks about Sara Beth. He admits he's afraid of animals and would rather shoot them than ride them. His fiancee doesn't understand. The men in her family all ride, but they don't work, so maybe they know something he doesn't.
Don calls Bobbie and sets up a formal restaurant dinner on Monday with him, Betty, Bobbie, Jimmy, and the Schillings. She's somewhat miffed that he's all business, "I'm at home with my children." She makes fun of him "being bad and then going home and being good."
Betty tells the lad, whose name is Arthur, not to smoke in the stables. He is flippant about the possibility of burning the place down. Betty is cold and harsh with him. He thinks Tara is jealous of Betty and Sara Beth. He's frustrated with their relationship. Betty warns him off. He tells her how rich and spoiled Tara is. He thinks Betty is beautiful and nothing like Tara. It bothers him that Tara doesn't need anything that someone else can't give her. Betty says he's just nervous about getting married, but it will be fine.
He says he thinks about her. Betty says she likes him and asks him not to say anything to spoil it. "You're so profoundly sad," he says. (I can't tell whether he's being sincere, or if he's just really good at this stuff.) "No, it's just my people are Nordic," Betty replies. He tries to kiss her. She pushes him away twice. He tries the profoundly sad line again. She says no, she's grateful. She lights a cigarette on her way out. Are her hands shaking?
Betty's still a little shaken up when she gets home. Don tells her about the fancy dinner at Lutêce. She's happy until he mentions Jimmy. From her reaction, I take it she's not a fan. He wants her to be fun and charming. She gripes about the short notice and that she won't have anything special to wear.
It's Monday. The madmen, including Peggy, are watching The Defenders. A man finds out his daughter has had an abortion; he insults her and slaps her. Peggy cringes in the back of the room. Elliot, from Belle Jolie - he's the man who had dinner with Sal in episode 8 last year and made a pass at him (I haven't finished the recap yet) - says he gets the idea. Peggy gratefully turns the projector off.
Harry wants to advertise Belle Jolie's lipstick on that show. They can get in for pennies on the dollar - the controversy will bring in eyeballs. Peggy, their de facto representative for the entire female gender, is asked her opinion. She loyally agrees, though something tells me she'll make an appointment with herself to never watch that show. Ken pipes in with an "idea" too, but Harry cuts him off - evidently the idea is already in the research materials he gave to Elliot. Don smirks at Harry's defensive attitude.
Elliot says Belle Jolie can't advertise with this kind of show. The company's owner wants a wholesome image. Don says they can't get much out of advertising on daytime TV alone. Elliot doesn't want his company to be "part of this debate." Harry pushes it, saying politics are "in" right now, and women will be watching. Don checks him with a glance.
The meeting's over. Elliot thanks Don and says he wishes Belle Jolie were a different kind of company.
Elliot asks Sal how it's going. Sal answers with a stiff "very well, thank you." Aaaaah. Smell that sexual tension!
Roger calls Harry into his office. Roger is vague and mysterious at first; Harry seems to think he's been busted for looking at Ken's check. (I wouldn't be surprised if Roger knew about that too.) But this is about the meeting with Belle Jolie. He and Cooper are impressed. He asks Harry what he wants. Harry says they need a TV department, and he should run it. Roger agrees; Harry is the head and sole member of it. He also asks for a raise; he gets $200 a week now and wants $310. Roger tells him not to be greedy - no one makes anywhere near that much. Instead he offers $225 and business cards. "You drive a hell of a bargain," Roger says. Harry leaves, looking like he's just been struck by lightning.
The Drapers and the Schillings are at Lutêce. (Betty seems to have found time to iron a dress after all.) Jimmy and Bobbie are late. Jimmy is in rare form. Betty pretends to like him. Jim flirts without mercy, asking Betty if little birds hang her laundry, etc. He's rude to the waiter and demands drinks right away. He asks Betty to tell him all about the horses.
Bobbie excuses herself. Jimmy continues to ignore everyone except Betty. Don excuses himself. He finds Bobbie and tells her Jimmy needs to do the apology before the appetizers. She says no, his contract doesn't say that he has to apologize; in fact they have to pay him even if they fire him. A public apology will cost them $25K and newspaper coverage.
Don reaches up Bobbie's dress, pinches her in a sensitive place, and threatens to ruin Jimmy. "Do what I say," he hisses. She seems disappointed when he lets go and goes back to the table.
Harry's wife is happy about the raise, but even happier that she can brag to her coworkers at the phone company that her husband is the head of TV at Sterling Cooper. He opts not to tell her about The Defenders. "You wouldn't like it." (Wow, he really is nervous about that baby!)
At the restaurant, Jimmy is still in fine form, and Betty is still pretending to be charmed. Bobbie comes back to the table and prompts Jimmy. He says he'd rather eat Utz chips than anything at Lutêce. "They have snails here, you know." He gives a spectacular apology to the Schillings. The air is cleared. Dinner can proceed. Don snaps his fingers at a waiter. (I didn't realize there was ever a time when this wasn't considered horribly gauche.)
Betty gets sniffly on the way home. She's happy because the dinner made her feel like a part of his life. "We make a great team."
Do we close with a different song every week? Believe it or not, I didn't notice till tonight. This one ends with "Lollipops and Roses."
Quote of the week: "I miss the Fifties." (Roger)
Next week: A lot more excitement.
Mad Men #15 (2.2), 8/3/08: Overkill
95 people die in a plane crash.
The agency dumps a faithful client on the outside chance of landing a bigger one.
Pete leverages his father's death, determined to get some posthumous benefit out of the jerk.
Paul plays an ubercruel joke on Joan for being a mean spirited, bigoted bitch.
If I missed any more overkill, I apologize.
It's February 28, 1962.
Pete and Trudy go to a party at Paul's swanky bachelor pad that's way far out. Trudy mentions that some of the other madmen are Pete's employees; somehow I missed this, but it would explain why he recently got a bigger office.
Peggy has met a guy named Eugene who went to Princeton with Paul. Paul, who is wearing a neckerchief and smoking a pipe, brags about all the culture in his neighborhood.
Ken's date Donna is smashed. He tries very hard to make time with her.
Sal's girlfriend's name is Kitty - she's the woman who was watching Jackie Kennedy with him last week. I guess that means Lois didn't get to go out with him. Or maybe she did and it didn't last - I mean, it's been 15 months at this point...
Joan is here without a date. Apparently Dr. Boyfriend is on call tonight. Paul claims he has a pain in his right abdomen (not sure if he's joking or not, but there are several organs that can go wrong in that area). She thinks it's lame and pretentious of Paul to have fancy brandy but no sofa.
Paul introduces his "baby" - an African-American girl named Sheila White. Paul is called away to deal with a nosy neighbor; he begs the women not to talk until he comes back.
Joan tries to be friendly, but makes the gaffe of assuming that Sheila can't afford to shop at the market where she works. She also feels compelled to mention that she and Paul dated and that she didn't think he was "open-minded."
Ken notices that Paul took home a typewriter from the office. Someone else was blamed for its disappearance and nearly got fired for it.
Eugene wants to take Peggy home. She turns him down cold and goes home. She sleeps late the next morning, letting the phone ring and ring.
It's March 1, 1962.
On the Sterling-Cooper elevator, Roger Sterling is grumpy about the traffic jam caused by a ticker tape parade in honor of Colonel John Glenn, who, just over a week earlier, became the first American to orbit the Earth. Roger bitterly complains that there's nothing heroic about circling the planet if no one is shooting at you. Don likes Glenn. Roger teases him.
A crowd is gathered around the radio at the office. An American Airlines flight has gone down near Idlewild (now JFK) Airport, killing all 95 people aboard. (This really happened, and it was horrible.) Don tells them to turn off the radio and stop crying. He has them pull all of their Mohawk Airlines ads so that people don't see the Mohawk ad next to a photo of the floating remains of a crashed airplane.
Peggy shows up late with a vacuum cleaner. It looks like an old Electrolux. Nobody notices. She looks at the crowd around the radio and sneaks into her office.
Lois has to be prompted to answer the phone ringing on her desk. The guys start making tasteless jokes about plane crashes. Pete fires off the best one - something about a planeload of dead golfers turning the bay plaid. Even Roger has to crack a smile at that one.
Duck meets with Roger and Cooper. He thinks someone should tell Don to pull all of the Mohawk ads. Man, he's smart. Is it just me, or is anyone else hoping this guy either gets murdered or sent to jail very soon? He has a contact at American Airlines who says the airline will be looking for a PR makeover. Cooper and Sterling are intrigued.
Pete, who told the best airplane crash joke, gets a phone call and starts drinking. He steps out of his office and looks around blankly. Everyone notices that he doesn't look well. Stunned, he strolls into Don's office to say that his brother called. Pete's father was on the plane. Pete doesn't know what to do. He starts babbling. Don closes the door and pours him a drink. Pete keeps asking Don for advice. Don tells him to go home. Pete thinks he's not going to tell anyone. He wonders if he will cry. Don tells him again to go home, because that's what people do. He lies and says that's what he would do, too. Pete is confused because everything seems the same. Don cancels Pete's meeting with a client and sends him home. He tells Pete that there's life, and then there's work.
It's the nicest I've ever seen Don be with Pete.
Still in shock, Pete wanders back to his office. People are still making crash jokes.
Cooper, Sterling, and Duck are waiting for Don. (Way to give your boss a message, Lois!) They break the news about American Airlines wanting a new agency. Don is shocked that they're talking about this while the bodies are still floating in the bay. He wants them to stick with Mohawk, the airline that didn't crash. But American is a national account, and they have to dump Mohawk to even be considered. Duck wants it. Roger plays neutral. Cooper doesn't say anything, but it's clear enough where he stands. Don doesn't want to dump a loyal and timely paying account based on a wink from American. (I can definitely vouch for the merit of Don's point of view. Often, when you have mostly medium-size accounts and then you land a really huge one, you find yourself at the huge client's mercy, to the detriment of your smaller customers.)
Pete's mother frets about the funeral plans. She's sure that older son Bud and the lawyer Dunham will forget something. She's upset that there are no remains. (She spies a pink elephant figurine on some furniture, is offended by it, and demands that Trudy keep it.) Bud's wife says nice things about her dead FIL. "What a nice thing to say," Trudy says with a note of irritation in her voice; I sense some tension.
Pete's brother Bud confidentially reports to Pete that Dad died insolvent, and he also cashed out most of Pete's mother's trust. Not that Pete was expecting to inherit anything, but where'd all the money go? There wasn't a woman; rather, it seems he blew it on oysters, travel, and club memberships. Pete's mom doesn't know. They don't want to tell her. She says their father called his sons "salt" and "pepper." (I don't know which is which.)
That night, Don is not thrilled that Francine and Carlton are coming over to play cards, but he makes nice. Sally gets to play bartender, actually mixing their drinks. (I think she's about 8.) Don complains that she didn't do a good job of "muddling" the ingredients in their Old Fashioneds.
Carlton confides to Don that his babysitter is hot. He complains that Francine is irritable even though he gave up his apartment in the city and is taking her to Nassau.
Peggy brings the vacuum cleaner (evidently, she borrowed it) to her mother's place. Her sister is there too. They're talking about the crash. They heard that sharks (in New York, in March) were feasting on the victims' bodies.
Mom says that "people" have been asking about Peggy. Peggy's not interested. Mom suggests that Peggy light a candle for her father. The sister says their mom lies about Peggy's whereabouts to explain why she's never at their church. Peggy says she's capable of making her own decisions. Her sister says the State of New York didn't think so, and neither did the doctors.
(Ah, so that's where she was for "a few months" as the madmen were saying last week...)
Peggy says goodbye to her mother and sister. The sister prompts her to say goodnight, pointing to a door. Peggy approaches the door nervously and peeks inside, where a terrifying monster stares up at her eagerly from his crib... wait no, that's just her 14-month-old baby. Two other small children are in the room; one of them says says "hi Aunt Peggy." Peggy says nothing and leaves.
Sally and Bobby listen to their parents and the neighbors complain around the card table about urban sprawl. Francine is clearly miffed that her husband turned down the chance to buy that property; the silence is awkward. Next they talk about the crash.
Bobby sneaks down for candy. He says he heard something. Don brings him upstairs. Betty says she doesn't care what the kids do once they're in bed, as long as they're quiet. Don says Bobby saw a ghost and was scared. Betty says he's a liar. He traced a picture of George Washington at school and took credit for what he didn't do. Francine says "the book" says they start fibbing at that age to see if they can make it come true. Betty says she doesn't need a book to know what little boys do. Don smirks.
Later, Betty tells Don that Helen Bishop is trying to prevent the installation of parking meters at the shopping plaza. Does she think this is a great thing? Hell no, it's meant as some kind of slam against Helen for being "chummy" with some administrator at the high school.
She thinks that Carlton's weight gain indicates that he's happy. Don expressed doubt. Betty angrily says that Carlton should be happy and grateful at home after cheating on Francine. Don is not in the mood for a fight. Betty takes out the trash. Don takes another drink and watches her light a cigarette outside. He checks on the sleeping children.
Pete is remembering his last conversation with his father. It was a dumb argument about dog breeds. Trudy knows more about dogs than Pete does; it turns out Pete was wrong. Pete is disappointed that his father won the argument posthumously.
It seems that the strange young Smith boys from last week have been hired; we don't see them, but Paul needs his secretary to give them a copy of some memo. Paul is giving Joan the cold shoulder. He knows Joan said something rude to Sheila, but isn't sure what. "Describe her to me," Joan says cheekily. She mocks him for dating a "checkout girl" (Sheila's an assistant manager). He says Joan's jealous. She thinks he's just doing it to show what a cool guy he is with his fancy apartment and his pipe and his beard. (LOL, she really is jealous. Not sure if it's because she's jealous of Sheila, or if she resents not being able to grow a beard.) Paul stares at her with contempt and stalks off.
Pete broods in his office with the blinds drawn. Duck comes in to pep-talk. He read about Pete's father in the newspaper. Pete says he doesn't want to talk. Duck's father was a Boston adman. Pete realizes he knows little about his father except that he didn't like advertising. Duck says he's noticed Pete's acumen. He breaks the news about trying to land American Airlines as a client. He wants Pete to take a large role. Pete's not comfortable. He hasn't cried yet. Duck apologizes and leaves. (Can I call him "Dick" from now on? I probably shouldn't, since "Dick" was Don's original name...)
A man's arm reaches into a locker and pulls out Joan's new red purse.
Don's annoyed with Lois for bringing him the wrong papers. (This girl is skating on thin ice.) Roger comes in for a meeting and kicks her out rudely. He wants Don to set up a meet with Mohawk in a public but quiet place to dump them. This will show American that they're serious about wanting their business. Even if they don't get the account, it will make them look good just to have been considered. (Don thinks it will merely make them look desperate.) Roger indicates that this is not up for debate.
Pete wants to call his wife. No he doesn't. He looks at Peggy. He breezes past Lois to talk to Don. Don is in a bad mood and throws him out without explanation. (Lois tells Pete that he can leave Don a note. "People do that," she explains solemnly.)
Some people are giggling at a photocopy of Joan's drivers license that's been posted to the bulletin board with her date of birth circled. (Both the bulletin board and the copy machine are still in Peggy's office.) It seems that Joan was born on 2/24/31, which means she just had her 31st birthday! Peggy tries to make it out as a compliment, but Joan is deeply wounded by this cruelty. She wishes people would leave their personal problems at the door. Peggy says she even looks forward to it. Joan makes some bitter observations about people wanting to drag her into the trash so she'll be as miserable as they are.
The Mohawk guy shows up for his dinner meeting/execution with Don. Even though he knows what's coming, he's still shocked and heartbroken when he hears it. Don disavows the decision, but the client doesn't believe him. He recalls that when he signed on with Sterling & Cooper, he was told that Don was the guy who really ran things. He's disappointed that their relationship is ending after all of Don's big promises. "You fooled me," he accuses. He leaves without even a drink.
Duck is pushing hard - maybe a little too hard - to close the deal with Shel, the American Airlines guy. He's surprised when Pete shows up; evidently being blown off by Don helped him make up his mind about throwing in his lot with Duck. Shel says it's too soon to decide yet. Pete points out that it will be a delicate operation to rebuild the public's and stockholders' confidence - he says they'll put someone on the account who knows what they're going through. (Duck suppresses a smirk, perhaps surprised by Pete's cutthroat approach.) Pete leans in for the kill: he tells Shel his father was on that flight.
Shel is taken aback by this borderline-blackmail effort. With a perfectly straight face, Pete says "it's a horrible thing, but hopefully something good will come of it." Shel promises to think about it.
A pretty Asian girl (who almost looks like Betty in a wig and makeup) at the restaurant tries hard to get Don's attention. He stares at her, uncomprehending. She's not his waitress, but she offers to come back. He decides to leave before she can do so.
Peggy goes to church with her sister and mother and her beautiful monstrous blond baby. She sits out Communion. I don't know if the local people realize that the baby's hers, or if they assume it belongs to her sister.
Quote of the week: "I like to offer a nice bouquet of thoughts." (Pete's sister-in-law)
This episode was dedicated to Christopher Allport, the actor who played Pete's father in the first season. Allport died in an avalanche while snowboarding in California this past January. He was 60.
The agency dumps a faithful client on the outside chance of landing a bigger one.
Pete leverages his father's death, determined to get some posthumous benefit out of the jerk.
Paul plays an ubercruel joke on Joan for being a mean spirited, bigoted bitch.
If I missed any more overkill, I apologize.
It's February 28, 1962.
Pete and Trudy go to a party at Paul's swanky bachelor pad that's way far out. Trudy mentions that some of the other madmen are Pete's employees; somehow I missed this, but it would explain why he recently got a bigger office.
Peggy has met a guy named Eugene who went to Princeton with Paul. Paul, who is wearing a neckerchief and smoking a pipe, brags about all the culture in his neighborhood.
Ken's date Donna is smashed. He tries very hard to make time with her.
Sal's girlfriend's name is Kitty - she's the woman who was watching Jackie Kennedy with him last week. I guess that means Lois didn't get to go out with him. Or maybe she did and it didn't last - I mean, it's been 15 months at this point...
Joan is here without a date. Apparently Dr. Boyfriend is on call tonight. Paul claims he has a pain in his right abdomen (not sure if he's joking or not, but there are several organs that can go wrong in that area). She thinks it's lame and pretentious of Paul to have fancy brandy but no sofa.
Paul introduces his "baby" - an African-American girl named Sheila White. Paul is called away to deal with a nosy neighbor; he begs the women not to talk until he comes back.
Joan tries to be friendly, but makes the gaffe of assuming that Sheila can't afford to shop at the market where she works. She also feels compelled to mention that she and Paul dated and that she didn't think he was "open-minded."
Ken notices that Paul took home a typewriter from the office. Someone else was blamed for its disappearance and nearly got fired for it.
Eugene wants to take Peggy home. She turns him down cold and goes home. She sleeps late the next morning, letting the phone ring and ring.
It's March 1, 1962.
On the Sterling-Cooper elevator, Roger Sterling is grumpy about the traffic jam caused by a ticker tape parade in honor of Colonel John Glenn, who, just over a week earlier, became the first American to orbit the Earth. Roger bitterly complains that there's nothing heroic about circling the planet if no one is shooting at you. Don likes Glenn. Roger teases him.
A crowd is gathered around the radio at the office. An American Airlines flight has gone down near Idlewild (now JFK) Airport, killing all 95 people aboard. (This really happened, and it was horrible.) Don tells them to turn off the radio and stop crying. He has them pull all of their Mohawk Airlines ads so that people don't see the Mohawk ad next to a photo of the floating remains of a crashed airplane.
Peggy shows up late with a vacuum cleaner. It looks like an old Electrolux. Nobody notices. She looks at the crowd around the radio and sneaks into her office.
Lois has to be prompted to answer the phone ringing on her desk. The guys start making tasteless jokes about plane crashes. Pete fires off the best one - something about a planeload of dead golfers turning the bay plaid. Even Roger has to crack a smile at that one.
Duck meets with Roger and Cooper. He thinks someone should tell Don to pull all of the Mohawk ads. Man, he's smart. Is it just me, or is anyone else hoping this guy either gets murdered or sent to jail very soon? He has a contact at American Airlines who says the airline will be looking for a PR makeover. Cooper and Sterling are intrigued.
Pete, who told the best airplane crash joke, gets a phone call and starts drinking. He steps out of his office and looks around blankly. Everyone notices that he doesn't look well. Stunned, he strolls into Don's office to say that his brother called. Pete's father was on the plane. Pete doesn't know what to do. He starts babbling. Don closes the door and pours him a drink. Pete keeps asking Don for advice. Don tells him to go home. Pete thinks he's not going to tell anyone. He wonders if he will cry. Don tells him again to go home, because that's what people do. He lies and says that's what he would do, too. Pete is confused because everything seems the same. Don cancels Pete's meeting with a client and sends him home. He tells Pete that there's life, and then there's work.
It's the nicest I've ever seen Don be with Pete.
Still in shock, Pete wanders back to his office. People are still making crash jokes.
Cooper, Sterling, and Duck are waiting for Don. (Way to give your boss a message, Lois!) They break the news about American Airlines wanting a new agency. Don is shocked that they're talking about this while the bodies are still floating in the bay. He wants them to stick with Mohawk, the airline that didn't crash. But American is a national account, and they have to dump Mohawk to even be considered. Duck wants it. Roger plays neutral. Cooper doesn't say anything, but it's clear enough where he stands. Don doesn't want to dump a loyal and timely paying account based on a wink from American. (I can definitely vouch for the merit of Don's point of view. Often, when you have mostly medium-size accounts and then you land a really huge one, you find yourself at the huge client's mercy, to the detriment of your smaller customers.)
Pete's mother frets about the funeral plans. She's sure that older son Bud and the lawyer Dunham will forget something. She's upset that there are no remains. (She spies a pink elephant figurine on some furniture, is offended by it, and demands that Trudy keep it.) Bud's wife says nice things about her dead FIL. "What a nice thing to say," Trudy says with a note of irritation in her voice; I sense some tension.
Pete's brother Bud confidentially reports to Pete that Dad died insolvent, and he also cashed out most of Pete's mother's trust. Not that Pete was expecting to inherit anything, but where'd all the money go? There wasn't a woman; rather, it seems he blew it on oysters, travel, and club memberships. Pete's mom doesn't know. They don't want to tell her. She says their father called his sons "salt" and "pepper." (I don't know which is which.)
That night, Don is not thrilled that Francine and Carlton are coming over to play cards, but he makes nice. Sally gets to play bartender, actually mixing their drinks. (I think she's about 8.) Don complains that she didn't do a good job of "muddling" the ingredients in their Old Fashioneds.
Carlton confides to Don that his babysitter is hot. He complains that Francine is irritable even though he gave up his apartment in the city and is taking her to Nassau.
Peggy brings the vacuum cleaner (evidently, she borrowed it) to her mother's place. Her sister is there too. They're talking about the crash. They heard that sharks (in New York, in March) were feasting on the victims' bodies.
Mom says that "people" have been asking about Peggy. Peggy's not interested. Mom suggests that Peggy light a candle for her father. The sister says their mom lies about Peggy's whereabouts to explain why she's never at their church. Peggy says she's capable of making her own decisions. Her sister says the State of New York didn't think so, and neither did the doctors.
(Ah, so that's where she was for "a few months" as the madmen were saying last week...)
Peggy says goodbye to her mother and sister. The sister prompts her to say goodnight, pointing to a door. Peggy approaches the door nervously and peeks inside, where a terrifying monster stares up at her eagerly from his crib... wait no, that's just her 14-month-old baby. Two other small children are in the room; one of them says says "hi Aunt Peggy." Peggy says nothing and leaves.
Sally and Bobby listen to their parents and the neighbors complain around the card table about urban sprawl. Francine is clearly miffed that her husband turned down the chance to buy that property; the silence is awkward. Next they talk about the crash.
Bobby sneaks down for candy. He says he heard something. Don brings him upstairs. Betty says she doesn't care what the kids do once they're in bed, as long as they're quiet. Don says Bobby saw a ghost and was scared. Betty says he's a liar. He traced a picture of George Washington at school and took credit for what he didn't do. Francine says "the book" says they start fibbing at that age to see if they can make it come true. Betty says she doesn't need a book to know what little boys do. Don smirks.
Later, Betty tells Don that Helen Bishop is trying to prevent the installation of parking meters at the shopping plaza. Does she think this is a great thing? Hell no, it's meant as some kind of slam against Helen for being "chummy" with some administrator at the high school.
She thinks that Carlton's weight gain indicates that he's happy. Don expressed doubt. Betty angrily says that Carlton should be happy and grateful at home after cheating on Francine. Don is not in the mood for a fight. Betty takes out the trash. Don takes another drink and watches her light a cigarette outside. He checks on the sleeping children.
Pete is remembering his last conversation with his father. It was a dumb argument about dog breeds. Trudy knows more about dogs than Pete does; it turns out Pete was wrong. Pete is disappointed that his father won the argument posthumously.
It seems that the strange young Smith boys from last week have been hired; we don't see them, but Paul needs his secretary to give them a copy of some memo. Paul is giving Joan the cold shoulder. He knows Joan said something rude to Sheila, but isn't sure what. "Describe her to me," Joan says cheekily. She mocks him for dating a "checkout girl" (Sheila's an assistant manager). He says Joan's jealous. She thinks he's just doing it to show what a cool guy he is with his fancy apartment and his pipe and his beard. (LOL, she really is jealous. Not sure if it's because she's jealous of Sheila, or if she resents not being able to grow a beard.) Paul stares at her with contempt and stalks off.
Pete broods in his office with the blinds drawn. Duck comes in to pep-talk. He read about Pete's father in the newspaper. Pete says he doesn't want to talk. Duck's father was a Boston adman. Pete realizes he knows little about his father except that he didn't like advertising. Duck says he's noticed Pete's acumen. He breaks the news about trying to land American Airlines as a client. He wants Pete to take a large role. Pete's not comfortable. He hasn't cried yet. Duck apologizes and leaves. (Can I call him "Dick" from now on? I probably shouldn't, since "Dick" was Don's original name...)
A man's arm reaches into a locker and pulls out Joan's new red purse.
Don's annoyed with Lois for bringing him the wrong papers. (This girl is skating on thin ice.) Roger comes in for a meeting and kicks her out rudely. He wants Don to set up a meet with Mohawk in a public but quiet place to dump them. This will show American that they're serious about wanting their business. Even if they don't get the account, it will make them look good just to have been considered. (Don thinks it will merely make them look desperate.) Roger indicates that this is not up for debate.
Pete wants to call his wife. No he doesn't. He looks at Peggy. He breezes past Lois to talk to Don. Don is in a bad mood and throws him out without explanation. (Lois tells Pete that he can leave Don a note. "People do that," she explains solemnly.)
Some people are giggling at a photocopy of Joan's drivers license that's been posted to the bulletin board with her date of birth circled. (Both the bulletin board and the copy machine are still in Peggy's office.) It seems that Joan was born on 2/24/31, which means she just had her 31st birthday! Peggy tries to make it out as a compliment, but Joan is deeply wounded by this cruelty. She wishes people would leave their personal problems at the door. Peggy says she even looks forward to it. Joan makes some bitter observations about people wanting to drag her into the trash so she'll be as miserable as they are.
The Mohawk guy shows up for his dinner meeting/execution with Don. Even though he knows what's coming, he's still shocked and heartbroken when he hears it. Don disavows the decision, but the client doesn't believe him. He recalls that when he signed on with Sterling & Cooper, he was told that Don was the guy who really ran things. He's disappointed that their relationship is ending after all of Don's big promises. "You fooled me," he accuses. He leaves without even a drink.
Duck is pushing hard - maybe a little too hard - to close the deal with Shel, the American Airlines guy. He's surprised when Pete shows up; evidently being blown off by Don helped him make up his mind about throwing in his lot with Duck. Shel says it's too soon to decide yet. Pete points out that it will be a delicate operation to rebuild the public's and stockholders' confidence - he says they'll put someone on the account who knows what they're going through. (Duck suppresses a smirk, perhaps surprised by Pete's cutthroat approach.) Pete leans in for the kill: he tells Shel his father was on that flight.
Shel is taken aback by this borderline-blackmail effort. With a perfectly straight face, Pete says "it's a horrible thing, but hopefully something good will come of it." Shel promises to think about it.
A pretty Asian girl (who almost looks like Betty in a wig and makeup) at the restaurant tries hard to get Don's attention. He stares at her, uncomprehending. She's not his waitress, but she offers to come back. He decides to leave before she can do so.
Peggy goes to church with her sister and mother and her beautiful monstrous blond baby. She sits out Communion. I don't know if the local people realize that the baby's hers, or if they assume it belongs to her sister.
Quote of the week: "I like to offer a nice bouquet of thoughts." (Pete's sister-in-law)
This episode was dedicated to Christopher Allport, the actor who played Pete's father in the first season. Allport died in an avalanche while snowboarding in California this past January. He was 60.
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