Pam: I can't even take off my hat, because then I'm Hitler.
Pam: They came up with that idea really fast.
Michael: I've dated almost four women, and you are so far above them it's stupid.
Holly: Please don't make it harder than it has to be.
Michael: That's what she said.
Creed (on Cornell University): It's pronounced "Colonel." It's the highest rank in the military.
Michael: Here's my wish. I want you to meet a great guy and I want you to be happy. My wish has come true, incidentally.
Darryl: Please call me back. Please.
Andy: When the hourglass strikes three, then in the room whence employees confer.
Andy: Applicant has a head shaped like a trapezoid.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
"The Simpsons" pays tribute to "Mad Men"
That was the season finale, but we're not done just yet! Mark your calendars for The Simpsons on November 2. They'll be doing a Mad Men tribute.
Mad Men #26 (2.13), 10/26/08: Peggy gives her confession
It's approximately October 22, 1962, when Kennedy gave his first televised speech about the Cuban missile crisis.
It turns out that Betty was bleeding last week because she's pregnant. He gives her some standard (for the time) pregnancy advice. He is surprised that Betty isn't showing more enthusiasm. At first, he thinks it's because she's afraid the pregnancy will affect her appearance. She tells him, "I can't have a baby right now." The doctor says the option she's hinting at is "for young girls who have no other options." He assures her that her husband and friends will make her feel better about it.
The doctor leaves the room so that Betty can undress for the exam. Instead, she leaves.
At the office, the mad men (minus Pete) wonder why they're being asked for ad revenue numbers earlier than usual, and if it has anything to do with Don's mysterious absence. Their pet theory is that the company might be considering opening a west coast office to cash in on the aerospace boom.
Pete is worried about what's going to happen to him when it's understood that they're losing the Clearasil account because of his problems with Trudy's father. Peggy advises him to be honest about what happened, without worrying about the outcome, because "people respect that." She also warns him, half-jokingly, not to blame it on Creative.
Don returns from his magical mystery tour and meets Betty at the stables (she has been riding, contrary to the doctor's orders). He seems apologetic and sincere. Betty expresses doubt and says things haven't been much different without him. She promises to call him later.
Pete meets with Duck, who offers him a drink (he's about to pour one for himself anyway). Pete tells him about losing the Clearasil account. He specifically says that it's not the fault of Sales or Creative; Duck easily guesses that it's Pete's father-in law.
Duck confidentially tells Pete that they'll soon be merging with the British company, and Duck will be president of Sterling-Cooper. He wants Pete to replace him as head of Accounts. Pete asks about Don, but Duck is cocky and says Don will either have to knuckle under or find a new job, since they all have non-competes in their contracts. (Evidently he doesn't know that Don insisted on working without a contract, as a condition of not jumping ship with a competitor last season. Which calls into question how Don would have been able to jump ship with a non-compete in his contract in the first place... I don't remember the details.)
Next day: it's raining. Don returns to the office. Joan updates him on recent developments and asks about the company's Civil Defense procedure. Don expresses skepticism that hiding under their desks will save their lives.
Pete is upset that Don abandoned him to handle General Dynamics alone; he reminds Don that he can't even drive. Nevertheless, Don thinks Pete did fine and congratulates Pete on handling things so well without him. Don says that Pete sometimes wants things before he's ready for them; now, in his opinion, Pete's ready.
Roger tells Don about the impending merger. Don's share will net him more than half a million dollars. Don is speechless. Roger spins the story such that Bert Cooper and his sister loved the idea, and Roger just went along to be team player. (I don't think even he believes that he's fooling Don.)
Roger is also miffed with President Kennedy for daring the Russians to bomb them from Cuba, just as he's about to get married. Don says they can't know what's really going on.
Peggy goes to Mass, where Fr. Gill urges his flock to confess their sins to God just in case they all get killed.
Betty is at the beauty shop, where neighbor Francine and some other women chat worriedly about the missiles pointed at them from Cuba, waiting to wipe them all out. Betty is sitting off to the side; she can hear them, but that doesn't prevent them from talking about her too. One woman thinks Betty's smug because she has a bomb shelter (not that I know of!). Another woman complains that they shouldn't discuss this in front of her daughter. Francine thinks it's better to be open with the kids about it.
Assuming that Betty is worrying about the missiles too, Francine offers her a Miltown. Betty tells her she's pregnant and that it's not a good time to be pregnant. Francine tells her about a doctor in Albany and a hospital procedure in Puerto Rico (not a good time to go to PR either). She advises Betty not to be hasty.
The madmen are getting more nervous not that there's a memo out asking for a list of people in every department. (Also, Harry's TV isn't working.) They pull Lois out of the switchboard room (apparently she got to stay with Sterling-Cooper after Don banished her from the secretarial pool). Lois swears them to secrecy and says that she and the other switchboard ladies have figured out that they're merging with the British advertising agency, and that there will be redundancies. Lois begs them to rescue her from the switchboard if they survive the redundancies.
Betty drops the kids off at the Roosevelt to spend the night with Don, where they order room service and watch Leave it to Beaver. (It's the one where a girl has to break a date with Wally because she has to stay home with her sister, so Wally suggests that they double-date with her sister and Beaver.) Don writes a letter.
Betty sees something she likes in a store window and buys it. Then she goes into a swanky lounge for water and a gimlet. A handsome stranger pays for the drink and tries to make conversation about the scary missiles. She rebuffs him, but then meets him in the service hallway (or whatever it is) and makes out with him. She tells him she's married. I think I see a ring on his hand too. He doesn't have a problem with that, so they have hasty sofa sex in either an office or a club room. Afterwards, she declines to tell the stranger her name. Then she goes home and feasts on leftover fried chicken.
Peggy brings some baked goods to Father Gill for the church's basement/fallout shelter - her mother thought the place should be well-stocked in case a lot of people have to stay there for a while. He warns Peggy that their lives could be ended in a rain of Cuban missiles at any moment and then she'd die and go to hell. He feels that God his sent him to this parish specifically to save her; he begs her to confess her sin. Evidently, however, Peggy's not sure that God's the one she needs to settle things with.
Trudy gathers her and Pete's valuables and prepares to take them with her to her parents' place in Rehoboth Beach. (She's worried about looters.) Pete says that a nuclear blast would put her parents' lawn furniture in their Manhattan living room anyway. Trudy gives him an envelope full of cash and urges him to pay someone to drive him to Rehoboth Beach if he needs to get out of Manhattan in a hurry. Pete says he wants to die in Manhattan.
Next day, the mad men are still worrying about the merger. Harry says he thinks it best to remain neutral; a loyalist will probably be fired. Paul whines and feels that Harry's attitude is crass.
Pete tells Don off-the-record that he knows about the merger, and that Duck is expecting to take over and hold it over Don's head. He can't explain why he's warning Don, but thought Don would like to know.
(There's a lot of undercurrent in this episode about "taking a stand" vs. "daring" the Russians. I just thought I'd mention it, because "undercurrent" is difficult to capture in a recap.)
Betty comes home from another day with the horsies and finds a note that Don left for her when he dropped off the kids with Carla. In the letter, he says that she won't be alone long, but he'll be alone forever if he can't be with her. (From what I've seen, he's alone even when they're together.)
Now there's the meeting with the British advertising guys, plus Bert Cooper, Roger, Don, and Duck. The British guys announce that Duck will be president. Duck pretends to be surprised, and happily accepts. He demurely says he's not prepared yet, then stands and gives a prepared speech about where he'd like to take the company.
He wants to increase the role of television advertising, and de-emphasize Creative. (Don beams in expectation.) Bert is annoyed that client satisfaction isn't even mentioned. Don takes this opportunity to quit. The British guys are taken aback. Duck gloats about the "artistic temperament" and Don's ego. He smugly mentions Don's contract. Don tells him, "I don't have a contract." Roger casually says they didn't feel he needed a contract.
Don says he's willing to discuss this further on Monday, and leaves. Duck says they can replace Don in a second with some kid. The British guy asks Duck to leave the room for a moment. Roger nervously asks if this will affect the merger. The British guy says that Duck never could hold his liquor.
(I assume that they've set him up to fail. Duck made his role in this merger conditional upon being put in charge; now that the merger's a reality, they don't need him any more, and they know he's a boozer. The British guy has been encouraging Duck to drink ever since that restaurant meeting a few weeks ago; they even sent a case of gin to his office. I suppose the plan was to hasten his departure.)
Joan tells Don that Betty has asked him to come home. Don sends Joan home too; the radio is on, and everyone in the office seems to be a nervous wreck.
Pete invites Peggy into his office for a drink. He says he picked the wrong woman. He understands her, and she understands him. He thinks she's perfect.
She tells him that she's not perfect. He says he loves her. She could have shamed him into being with her forever, but she didn't want to: she had his baby and she gave it away.
"I'm sorry, Pete." Pete is stunned.
Don comes home to his family, and they have a regular evening.
Pete spends the night awake with that silly rifle (the one he traded a surplus chip'n'dip wedding gift for) in his lap.
Peggy prays in her pink bed.
Betty is washing the dishes. The radio says that the Russians are taking their missiles down. Betty tells Don that she's pregnant. He takes her hand.
Quote of the week: "One day you're there, and all of a sudden there's less of you. And you wonder where that part went, if it's living somewhere outside of you, and you keep thinking maybe you'll get it back. And then you realize, it's just gone." (Peggy)
It turns out that Betty was bleeding last week because she's pregnant. He gives her some standard (for the time) pregnancy advice. He is surprised that Betty isn't showing more enthusiasm. At first, he thinks it's because she's afraid the pregnancy will affect her appearance. She tells him, "I can't have a baby right now." The doctor says the option she's hinting at is "for young girls who have no other options." He assures her that her husband and friends will make her feel better about it.
The doctor leaves the room so that Betty can undress for the exam. Instead, she leaves.
At the office, the mad men (minus Pete) wonder why they're being asked for ad revenue numbers earlier than usual, and if it has anything to do with Don's mysterious absence. Their pet theory is that the company might be considering opening a west coast office to cash in on the aerospace boom.
Pete is worried about what's going to happen to him when it's understood that they're losing the Clearasil account because of his problems with Trudy's father. Peggy advises him to be honest about what happened, without worrying about the outcome, because "people respect that." She also warns him, half-jokingly, not to blame it on Creative.
Don returns from his magical mystery tour and meets Betty at the stables (she has been riding, contrary to the doctor's orders). He seems apologetic and sincere. Betty expresses doubt and says things haven't been much different without him. She promises to call him later.
Pete meets with Duck, who offers him a drink (he's about to pour one for himself anyway). Pete tells him about losing the Clearasil account. He specifically says that it's not the fault of Sales or Creative; Duck easily guesses that it's Pete's father-in law.
Duck confidentially tells Pete that they'll soon be merging with the British company, and Duck will be president of Sterling-Cooper. He wants Pete to replace him as head of Accounts. Pete asks about Don, but Duck is cocky and says Don will either have to knuckle under or find a new job, since they all have non-competes in their contracts. (Evidently he doesn't know that Don insisted on working without a contract, as a condition of not jumping ship with a competitor last season. Which calls into question how Don would have been able to jump ship with a non-compete in his contract in the first place... I don't remember the details.)
Next day: it's raining. Don returns to the office. Joan updates him on recent developments and asks about the company's Civil Defense procedure. Don expresses skepticism that hiding under their desks will save their lives.
Pete is upset that Don abandoned him to handle General Dynamics alone; he reminds Don that he can't even drive. Nevertheless, Don thinks Pete did fine and congratulates Pete on handling things so well without him. Don says that Pete sometimes wants things before he's ready for them; now, in his opinion, Pete's ready.
Roger tells Don about the impending merger. Don's share will net him more than half a million dollars. Don is speechless. Roger spins the story such that Bert Cooper and his sister loved the idea, and Roger just went along to be team player. (I don't think even he believes that he's fooling Don.)
Roger is also miffed with President Kennedy for daring the Russians to bomb them from Cuba, just as he's about to get married. Don says they can't know what's really going on.
Peggy goes to Mass, where Fr. Gill urges his flock to confess their sins to God just in case they all get killed.
Betty is at the beauty shop, where neighbor Francine and some other women chat worriedly about the missiles pointed at them from Cuba, waiting to wipe them all out. Betty is sitting off to the side; she can hear them, but that doesn't prevent them from talking about her too. One woman thinks Betty's smug because she has a bomb shelter (not that I know of!). Another woman complains that they shouldn't discuss this in front of her daughter. Francine thinks it's better to be open with the kids about it.
Assuming that Betty is worrying about the missiles too, Francine offers her a Miltown. Betty tells her she's pregnant and that it's not a good time to be pregnant. Francine tells her about a doctor in Albany and a hospital procedure in Puerto Rico (not a good time to go to PR either). She advises Betty not to be hasty.
The madmen are getting more nervous not that there's a memo out asking for a list of people in every department. (Also, Harry's TV isn't working.) They pull Lois out of the switchboard room (apparently she got to stay with Sterling-Cooper after Don banished her from the secretarial pool). Lois swears them to secrecy and says that she and the other switchboard ladies have figured out that they're merging with the British advertising agency, and that there will be redundancies. Lois begs them to rescue her from the switchboard if they survive the redundancies.
Betty drops the kids off at the Roosevelt to spend the night with Don, where they order room service and watch Leave it to Beaver. (It's the one where a girl has to break a date with Wally because she has to stay home with her sister, so Wally suggests that they double-date with her sister and Beaver.) Don writes a letter.
Betty sees something she likes in a store window and buys it. Then she goes into a swanky lounge for water and a gimlet. A handsome stranger pays for the drink and tries to make conversation about the scary missiles. She rebuffs him, but then meets him in the service hallway (or whatever it is) and makes out with him. She tells him she's married. I think I see a ring on his hand too. He doesn't have a problem with that, so they have hasty sofa sex in either an office or a club room. Afterwards, she declines to tell the stranger her name. Then she goes home and feasts on leftover fried chicken.
Peggy brings some baked goods to Father Gill for the church's basement/fallout shelter - her mother thought the place should be well-stocked in case a lot of people have to stay there for a while. He warns Peggy that their lives could be ended in a rain of Cuban missiles at any moment and then she'd die and go to hell. He feels that God his sent him to this parish specifically to save her; he begs her to confess her sin. Evidently, however, Peggy's not sure that God's the one she needs to settle things with.
Trudy gathers her and Pete's valuables and prepares to take them with her to her parents' place in Rehoboth Beach. (She's worried about looters.) Pete says that a nuclear blast would put her parents' lawn furniture in their Manhattan living room anyway. Trudy gives him an envelope full of cash and urges him to pay someone to drive him to Rehoboth Beach if he needs to get out of Manhattan in a hurry. Pete says he wants to die in Manhattan.
Next day, the mad men are still worrying about the merger. Harry says he thinks it best to remain neutral; a loyalist will probably be fired. Paul whines and feels that Harry's attitude is crass.
Pete tells Don off-the-record that he knows about the merger, and that Duck is expecting to take over and hold it over Don's head. He can't explain why he's warning Don, but thought Don would like to know.
(There's a lot of undercurrent in this episode about "taking a stand" vs. "daring" the Russians. I just thought I'd mention it, because "undercurrent" is difficult to capture in a recap.)
Betty comes home from another day with the horsies and finds a note that Don left for her when he dropped off the kids with Carla. In the letter, he says that she won't be alone long, but he'll be alone forever if he can't be with her. (From what I've seen, he's alone even when they're together.)
Now there's the meeting with the British advertising guys, plus Bert Cooper, Roger, Don, and Duck. The British guys announce that Duck will be president. Duck pretends to be surprised, and happily accepts. He demurely says he's not prepared yet, then stands and gives a prepared speech about where he'd like to take the company.
He wants to increase the role of television advertising, and de-emphasize Creative. (Don beams in expectation.) Bert is annoyed that client satisfaction isn't even mentioned. Don takes this opportunity to quit. The British guys are taken aback. Duck gloats about the "artistic temperament" and Don's ego. He smugly mentions Don's contract. Don tells him, "I don't have a contract." Roger casually says they didn't feel he needed a contract.
Don says he's willing to discuss this further on Monday, and leaves. Duck says they can replace Don in a second with some kid. The British guy asks Duck to leave the room for a moment. Roger nervously asks if this will affect the merger. The British guy says that Duck never could hold his liquor.
(I assume that they've set him up to fail. Duck made his role in this merger conditional upon being put in charge; now that the merger's a reality, they don't need him any more, and they know he's a boozer. The British guy has been encouraging Duck to drink ever since that restaurant meeting a few weeks ago; they even sent a case of gin to his office. I suppose the plan was to hasten his departure.)
Joan tells Don that Betty has asked him to come home. Don sends Joan home too; the radio is on, and everyone in the office seems to be a nervous wreck.
Pete invites Peggy into his office for a drink. He says he picked the wrong woman. He understands her, and she understands him. He thinks she's perfect.
She tells him that she's not perfect. He says he loves her. She could have shamed him into being with her forever, but she didn't want to: she had his baby and she gave it away.
"I'm sorry, Pete." Pete is stunned.
Don comes home to his family, and they have a regular evening.
Pete spends the night awake with that silly rifle (the one he traded a surplus chip'n'dip wedding gift for) in his lap.
Peggy prays in her pink bed.
Betty is washing the dishes. The radio says that the Russians are taking their missiles down. Betty tells Don that she's pregnant. He takes her hand.
Quote of the week: "One day you're there, and all of a sudden there's less of you. And you wonder where that part went, if it's living somewhere outside of you, and you keep thinking maybe you'll get it back. And then you realize, it's just gone." (Peggy)
Saturday, October 25, 2008
10/23/08: Great Moments in "The Office"
Michael: I'm actually thinking of getting my own set of putt-putt golf clubs.
Michael: If she starts having sex with me, I'll know for sure.
Phyllis: You're making a knife with a knife?
Dwight: She introduced me to so many things: pasteurized milk, sheets, monotheism, presents on your birthday, preventative medicine...
Phyllis: Angela's not really a risk taker, and Andy's not a risk.
Michael: If we turn these dials all the way down, now THEY CAN'T HEAR US.
Kevin: Oscar, I'm now going to be prone to surges.
Dwight: Motive - financial, or possibly vintage HP computer collectors.
Michael: So much for sex without consequences.
Andy: You're always safe with me. I'm a very good screamer.
Creed: Nobody steals from Creed Bratton and gets away with it. The last person to do this disappeared. His name? Creed Bratton.
Michael: It squeaks when you bang it. That's what she said.
Dwight: You slap like a girl.
Dwight: I'll tell you what Phyllis did wrong. She stuck her nose in my business and tried to help me.
Michael: If she starts having sex with me, I'll know for sure.
Phyllis: You're making a knife with a knife?
Dwight: She introduced me to so many things: pasteurized milk, sheets, monotheism, presents on your birthday, preventative medicine...
Phyllis: Angela's not really a risk taker, and Andy's not a risk.
Michael: If we turn these dials all the way down, now THEY CAN'T HEAR US.
Kevin: Oscar, I'm now going to be prone to surges.
Dwight: Motive - financial, or possibly vintage HP computer collectors.
Michael: So much for sex without consequences.
Andy: You're always safe with me. I'm a very good screamer.
Creed: Nobody steals from Creed Bratton and gets away with it. The last person to do this disappeared. His name? Creed Bratton.
Michael: It squeaks when you bang it. That's what she said.
Dwight: You slap like a girl.
Dwight: I'll tell you what Phyllis did wrong. She stuck her nose in my business and tried to help me.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
Mad Men #25 (2.12), 10/19/08: The Original Mrs. Draper
Betty signs Don's name on his latest paycheck. (She's a lefty.) She catches Sally smoking a cigarette in the bathroom and has a fit. She sticks the kid in the closet and promises a variety of other punishments. Sally threatens to tell Daddy and says he left because Mommy's stupid and mean and she won't let him come home. Sally also notes that his suitcase is there in the closet, suggesting that she doesn't believe Betty's story that he's on a business trip.
Betty opens the closet. Sally wants to call Daddy. Betty lets her out, and Sally begs Betty not to tell him.
Peggy is hosting a meeting in her office - the noisy copy room. They are trying to figure out how to sell Popsicles in the winter. She and Sal compare notes on childhood treats; their mothers always broke the pops in half. This act of sharing strikes Peggy as very Christian, almost like the sacrament of Communion. I sense a brainstorm coming.
Hildy tells Pete that Accounting is dinging him again over his expenses. Also, he has an appointment with adoption people. She congratulates him, but he is taken by surprise and does not look happy.
Bertram Cooper meets with his sister, Alice. (Yes, her name is Alice Cooper.) She's the company's other major stockholder in addition to Bert and Roger. She refuses to remove her shoes in his office, on the grounds that her stockings are better than his carpet. She is in favor of the sale to to Duck's British friends. He's unsure; he (apparently) promised Roger's father to take care of him, and he's not eager to retire, and he doesn't trust the British.
Don arrives in San Pedro, CA by bus and goes to a house. He falls into a flashback.
Back in Manhattan, Pete goes home and hollers at Trudy for trying to arrange an adoption. He grabs her lovely roasted chicken and throws it over the balcony. He pours himself a drink and turns on the TV, where the movie of the night is The Day the Earth Stood Still (remake to be released in December, with an incredible cast including our own Don Draper).
Joanie and her fiance, Dr. Greg Harris, are having sex. Sort of. It sounds as though he's been "tired" for a while, and he admits he's tired tonight too. She gets on top of him and offers to take over. He is turned off and embarrassed by her initiative and her experience, and he expresses misgivings about her past, which she won't discuss. He feigns sleepiness and rolls away from her.
Peggy is still at the office. She sneaks a cigarette out of a secretary's desk on her way out.
It's still sunny in California, three time zones away. Don is wearing Anna's ex-boyfriend's old pants. They're too big. He admires the porch. She grins and says he paid for it. She invites him to tell her about what's happening to him; she feels that they met to make each others' lives better.
He talks about his home life and says he ruined everything. He tells her about sending Adam away (he doesn't tell her that Adam hanged himself afterwards), and says that Anna knows more about him than Betty does. Anna says that's because he loves Betty. "I'm sure there are things about her you don't know." He doesn't want to phone home. He admits to feeling alienated from his own life.
Roger is excited about the merger offer; his enthusiasm seems to annoy Cooper even more. Especially since it's motivated by Roger's divorce from the woman that Cooper's own deceased wife introduced him to. Roger becomes sarcastic and reminds Cooper that it's a merger, not a sellout.
Pete dictates a letter to some aerospace company to convince them to spend some money on advertising to get public support (and government funding) for their efforts. Tom, his father-in-law, calls. He threatens to have Clearasil dump Sterling-Cooper because Pete isn't making Trudy happy. Pete says he DID love Trudy, but Tom and his wife are the ones who made her unhappy, getting her obsessed with having children. Then he tries to backpedal on the "WAS in love with her" comment, but it doesn't work.
Also, I notice that Peggy is wearing grownup clothes these days.
Betty calls her friend Sarah Beth, supposedly to ask about the private school SB's daughter goes to. Then she mentions that Arthur and Tara are getting married next weekend. After a long silence, she smirks and asks SB if she's still there. SB admits she's a mess over Arthur. Betty smirks some more, "really?" SB says she can't even sleep. She can't stop thinking about him. She thinks her husband suspects. She's made a terrible mistake.
SB is defensive with Betty; she says that Betty wanted him too. Betty self-righteously taunts her that there's a difference between wanting and having. SB blames Betty for encouraging her, and says Betty's an awful woman. "No one MADE you sleep with him," Betty says triumphantly. SB hangs up on her.
You need to see this for yourself to appreciate how smug Betty is about her infidelity-by-proxy.
The Xerox repairman snottily instructs Peggy on the proper operation of the copy machine and tells her to repeat it to all of her little friends. (I wish this was a telenovela; then he'd get run over by a car or something for disrespecting her.)
She intercepts Roger on his way out of his office and tells him that she single-handedly got the Popsicle account. She thinks she should have Freddie's office. He agrees. He says, "you young women are very aggressive... it's cute." He's impressed that she asked him when none of the guys did.
Joan comes in with Dr. Greg and tells Roger about their dinner plans. "I thought you hated French food," Roger comments. Their familiarity is not lost on Greg.
It's the end of the day, and almost everyone has left the office. Greg asks Joan to mix him a drink in Don's office. She's not so sure, but he wants her to pretend he's her boss. She can see he's in a playful mood and pours his drink. He puts the moves on her, but she doesn't want to do it in Don's office. He doesn't back down and asks how Roger knows so much about her. She reminds him that she's worked there for nine years.
He becomes aggressive; again she says it's not her office to fool around in. He pushes her down onto the floor. "This is what you want, right?" he hisses in her ear. She says no multiple times and tries to push him away, but he likes it better this way. He rapes her, and she zones out and stares at Don's coffee table. Then they act like nothing happened and go to dinner. (I hope he is smashed to death by a defenestrated copy machine repairman.)
Roger, Alice, and Bert meet with the Sterling-Cooper lawyer, Mr. Whitehouse. Bert says that Don's 12% ownership makes him "mathematically insignificant." Still, Bert and Alice are curious about his absence. Roger tells them, off the record, that Don's taking care of some marital problems. Alice and Roger vote yea on the merger. Bert also votes yea, but in a defeated tone. (This only means that Whitehouse will issue a counteroffer; it's not a done deal yet.) Roger says they're all rich. Alice says he has to think of his children, too. "I just have the one," Roger says, confused. "Really?" Alice says sarcastically.
I like Alice. I hope she comes back soon. As for Bert, he looks like he just donated all of his internal organs by mistake.
Don is bringing groceries to Anna's place when he runs into some guys (Kess and son Doogie, and their friend Walt) working on hotrods. Don recognizes the ancient car parts from when he used to sell them... used. He introduces himself as Dick. He's intrigued and says he needs work, and offers to help, but they say business isn't great. Don wants to see them race. They invite them to an event in Long Beach.
Peggy moves her stuff into Freddie's old office. Peggy asks about Don. Joan has no info, but congratulates Peggy on her move. Peggy says nice things about Dr. Greg. Joan hesitates, then smiles and gives what sounds like a well-rehearsed speech about his virtues. He specializes in thoracic surgery and volunteers at the hospital in Harlem, "stitching up Negro children."
Paul is back from Mississippi, alive and in one piece. Harry says Sheila dumped Paul three days into the trip. (What took her so long?) The guys, especially Harry, are pissed that Peggy has her own office. Speaking of pissed, Ken advises her to get a new couch. With a straight face, Joan tells them that Don called and told them to get back to work. Joan promises Peggy she'll get the name changed on her door. She also says she's getting married at Christmas.
(Hopefully they will honeymoon in Mexico, so she can get divorced in time for New Year's.)
Betty apologizes to Sally for being unfair and offers her a gift - a pair of riding boots. (It appears that Bobby, the icky little son that Betty seems to despise, will be getting jack squat.) Betty admits to Sally that she and Daddy aren't getting along, and she doesn't even know where he is or when he's coming back. But "everything's going to be okay." This seems to satisfy Sally.
Then Betty gets a funny look and gets up from the couch and looks down. "Mommy, you're bleeding," Sally says, looking somewhere in the vicinity of her pants. (We don't get to see what she's referring to, but it seems to take Betty by surprise. Let's just hope she doesn't end up needing thoracic surgery.)
Don repairs a chair for Anna while she lays out some tarot cards. He scoffs at the cards, saying you just see what you want to see. He notices she received the copy of "Meditations in an Emergency" he sent her. She said it worried her. He's a little worried about some of the cards he sees. Her verdict, based on the position of the Soul of the World card, is that "the only thing keeping you from being happy is the belief that you are all alone." She says he can change. He doesn't think people can change. She says you learn things as you live. Don stares at the window. He can smell the ocean.
Pete visits Peggy in her office, where she's drinking from the remains of Freddie's bar. He asks her how she got the room. She jokes that she's sleeping with Don. He tells her that Clearasil's pulling out. He declines to go into the details, but he anticipates that Don will dance on his grave.
Peggy asks what happened in LA. Pete says Don disappeared, didn't even check out at the hotel. Pete hints that he knows things about Don and says he might not come back. "He's done it before." Peggy adamantly doesn't want to hear about Don's secrets and she's sure whatever Don does is for a good reason. Pete congratulates her again and leaves.
Don wades into the ocean with his pants on.
Closing music: "Cup of Loneliness" by George Jones
Quote of the week: "I have been watching my life. It's right there. I keep scratching at it, trying to get into it. I can't." (Don)
Next week: The Season 2 finale. Way too soon!
Betty opens the closet. Sally wants to call Daddy. Betty lets her out, and Sally begs Betty not to tell him.
Peggy is hosting a meeting in her office - the noisy copy room. They are trying to figure out how to sell Popsicles in the winter. She and Sal compare notes on childhood treats; their mothers always broke the pops in half. This act of sharing strikes Peggy as very Christian, almost like the sacrament of Communion. I sense a brainstorm coming.
Hildy tells Pete that Accounting is dinging him again over his expenses. Also, he has an appointment with adoption people. She congratulates him, but he is taken by surprise and does not look happy.
Bertram Cooper meets with his sister, Alice. (Yes, her name is Alice Cooper.) She's the company's other major stockholder in addition to Bert and Roger. She refuses to remove her shoes in his office, on the grounds that her stockings are better than his carpet. She is in favor of the sale to to Duck's British friends. He's unsure; he (apparently) promised Roger's father to take care of him, and he's not eager to retire, and he doesn't trust the British.
Don arrives in San Pedro, CA by bus and goes to a house. He falls into a flashback.
Anna - the woman who confronted New Don Draper at the car dealership a few weeks ago - was Original Don Draper's wife. At first, he tries to lie, but she's too smart and she threatens to expose him. He apologizes and tells her what happened (though he omits the fact that he switched their tags). She is sad to hear that Original Don never mentioned her; she admits he had actually wanted to marry her sister, who had two good legs. (Anna walks with a slight limp.) He offers her Original Don's medals and such, and some money.In the present, Anna answers the door. She is thrilled to see Don. A piano student is practicing "The Hall of the Mountain King" (the real title of this episode). Don applauds. Anna introduces Don as her friend Dick. The boy leaves, and Don and Anna chat briefly. It's obvious that they're good friends, and she can tell something's up; but right now, Don wants only a shower and a nap.
Back in Manhattan, Pete goes home and hollers at Trudy for trying to arrange an adoption. He grabs her lovely roasted chicken and throws it over the balcony. He pours himself a drink and turns on the TV, where the movie of the night is The Day the Earth Stood Still (remake to be released in December, with an incredible cast including our own Don Draper).
Joanie and her fiance, Dr. Greg Harris, are having sex. Sort of. It sounds as though he's been "tired" for a while, and he admits he's tired tonight too. She gets on top of him and offers to take over. He is turned off and embarrassed by her initiative and her experience, and he expresses misgivings about her past, which she won't discuss. He feigns sleepiness and rolls away from her.
Peggy is still at the office. She sneaks a cigarette out of a secretary's desk on her way out.
It's still sunny in California, three time zones away. Don is wearing Anna's ex-boyfriend's old pants. They're too big. He admires the porch. She grins and says he paid for it. She invites him to tell her about what's happening to him; she feels that they met to make each others' lives better.
He talks about his home life and says he ruined everything. He tells her about sending Adam away (he doesn't tell her that Adam hanged himself afterwards), and says that Anna knows more about him than Betty does. Anna says that's because he loves Betty. "I'm sure there are things about her you don't know." He doesn't want to phone home. He admits to feeling alienated from his own life.
Roger is excited about the merger offer; his enthusiasm seems to annoy Cooper even more. Especially since it's motivated by Roger's divorce from the woman that Cooper's own deceased wife introduced him to. Roger becomes sarcastic and reminds Cooper that it's a merger, not a sellout.
Pete dictates a letter to some aerospace company to convince them to spend some money on advertising to get public support (and government funding) for their efforts. Tom, his father-in-law, calls. He threatens to have Clearasil dump Sterling-Cooper because Pete isn't making Trudy happy. Pete says he DID love Trudy, but Tom and his wife are the ones who made her unhappy, getting her obsessed with having children. Then he tries to backpedal on the "WAS in love with her" comment, but it doesn't work.
It's Christmas Eve sometime in the 50s. "I met a girl," New Don tells Anna excitedly. He loves the way she laughs and he wants to marry her. He is totally smitten. He wants to introduce them, and Anna is excited. He reminds her they'll need a divorce. He promises her a good alimony payment. She tries to let him out of it, but he feels obligated to Original Don. She's tickled by the whole thing but also feels that it means this will be their last Christmas together. He disagrees and thinks she should be his "cousin" from now on. She wants him to start a new life instead.Ken tells the Popsicle folks that Don is out sick, but he's signed off on everything. Peggy does the pitch. She tells them about kids splitting Popsicles. It's not about summer; it's a ritual about sharing that's as meaningful coming out of the freezer as it is from the ice cream truck. "Take it, break it, share it, love it." The client rep, who looks grumpy even when he's pleased, admits that they were secretly wanting something with the word "love" in it.
Also, I notice that Peggy is wearing grownup clothes these days.
Betty calls her friend Sarah Beth, supposedly to ask about the private school SB's daughter goes to. Then she mentions that Arthur and Tara are getting married next weekend. After a long silence, she smirks and asks SB if she's still there. SB admits she's a mess over Arthur. Betty smirks some more, "really?" SB says she can't even sleep. She can't stop thinking about him. She thinks her husband suspects. She's made a terrible mistake.
SB is defensive with Betty; she says that Betty wanted him too. Betty self-righteously taunts her that there's a difference between wanting and having. SB blames Betty for encouraging her, and says Betty's an awful woman. "No one MADE you sleep with him," Betty says triumphantly. SB hangs up on her.
You need to see this for yourself to appreciate how smug Betty is about her infidelity-by-proxy.
The Xerox repairman snottily instructs Peggy on the proper operation of the copy machine and tells her to repeat it to all of her little friends. (I wish this was a telenovela; then he'd get run over by a car or something for disrespecting her.)
She intercepts Roger on his way out of his office and tells him that she single-handedly got the Popsicle account. She thinks she should have Freddie's office. He agrees. He says, "you young women are very aggressive... it's cute." He's impressed that she asked him when none of the guys did.
Joan comes in with Dr. Greg and tells Roger about their dinner plans. "I thought you hated French food," Roger comments. Their familiarity is not lost on Greg.
It's the end of the day, and almost everyone has left the office. Greg asks Joan to mix him a drink in Don's office. She's not so sure, but he wants her to pretend he's her boss. She can see he's in a playful mood and pours his drink. He puts the moves on her, but she doesn't want to do it in Don's office. He doesn't back down and asks how Roger knows so much about her. She reminds him that she's worked there for nine years.
He becomes aggressive; again she says it's not her office to fool around in. He pushes her down onto the floor. "This is what you want, right?" he hisses in her ear. She says no multiple times and tries to push him away, but he likes it better this way. He rapes her, and she zones out and stares at Don's coffee table. Then they act like nothing happened and go to dinner. (I hope he is smashed to death by a defenestrated copy machine repairman.)
Roger, Alice, and Bert meet with the Sterling-Cooper lawyer, Mr. Whitehouse. Bert says that Don's 12% ownership makes him "mathematically insignificant." Still, Bert and Alice are curious about his absence. Roger tells them, off the record, that Don's taking care of some marital problems. Alice and Roger vote yea on the merger. Bert also votes yea, but in a defeated tone. (This only means that Whitehouse will issue a counteroffer; it's not a done deal yet.) Roger says they're all rich. Alice says he has to think of his children, too. "I just have the one," Roger says, confused. "Really?" Alice says sarcastically.
I like Alice. I hope she comes back soon. As for Bert, he looks like he just donated all of his internal organs by mistake.
Don is bringing groceries to Anna's place when he runs into some guys (Kess and son Doogie, and their friend Walt) working on hotrods. Don recognizes the ancient car parts from when he used to sell them... used. He introduces himself as Dick. He's intrigued and says he needs work, and offers to help, but they say business isn't great. Don wants to see them race. They invite them to an event in Long Beach.
Peggy moves her stuff into Freddie's old office. Peggy asks about Don. Joan has no info, but congratulates Peggy on her move. Peggy says nice things about Dr. Greg. Joan hesitates, then smiles and gives what sounds like a well-rehearsed speech about his virtues. He specializes in thoracic surgery and volunteers at the hospital in Harlem, "stitching up Negro children."
Paul is back from Mississippi, alive and in one piece. Harry says Sheila dumped Paul three days into the trip. (What took her so long?) The guys, especially Harry, are pissed that Peggy has her own office. Speaking of pissed, Ken advises her to get a new couch. With a straight face, Joan tells them that Don called and told them to get back to work. Joan promises Peggy she'll get the name changed on her door. She also says she's getting married at Christmas.
(Hopefully they will honeymoon in Mexico, so she can get divorced in time for New Year's.)
Betty apologizes to Sally for being unfair and offers her a gift - a pair of riding boots. (It appears that Bobby, the icky little son that Betty seems to despise, will be getting jack squat.) Betty admits to Sally that she and Daddy aren't getting along, and she doesn't even know where he is or when he's coming back. But "everything's going to be okay." This seems to satisfy Sally.
Then Betty gets a funny look and gets up from the couch and looks down. "Mommy, you're bleeding," Sally says, looking somewhere in the vicinity of her pants. (We don't get to see what she's referring to, but it seems to take Betty by surprise. Let's just hope she doesn't end up needing thoracic surgery.)
Don repairs a chair for Anna while she lays out some tarot cards. He scoffs at the cards, saying you just see what you want to see. He notices she received the copy of "Meditations in an Emergency" he sent her. She said it worried her. He's a little worried about some of the cards he sees. Her verdict, based on the position of the Soul of the World card, is that "the only thing keeping you from being happy is the belief that you are all alone." She says he can change. He doesn't think people can change. She says you learn things as you live. Don stares at the window. He can smell the ocean.
Pete visits Peggy in her office, where she's drinking from the remains of Freddie's bar. He asks her how she got the room. She jokes that she's sleeping with Don. He tells her that Clearasil's pulling out. He declines to go into the details, but he anticipates that Don will dance on his grave.
Peggy asks what happened in LA. Pete says Don disappeared, didn't even check out at the hotel. Pete hints that he knows things about Don and says he might not come back. "He's done it before." Peggy adamantly doesn't want to hear about Don's secrets and she's sure whatever Don does is for a good reason. Pete congratulates her again and leaves.
Don wades into the ocean with his pants on.
Closing music: "Cup of Loneliness" by George Jones
Quote of the week: "I have been watching my life. It's right there. I keep scratching at it, trying to get into it. I can't." (Don)
Next week: The Season 2 finale. Way too soon!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Jon Hamm hosting Saturday Night Live 10/25
D'oh! I forgot to watch Jeopardy on Friday, so I totally missed the Man Men-inspired category.
But I'm not going to forget to watch Jon Hamm host SNL on 10/25.
But I'm not going to forget to watch Jon Hamm host SNL on 10/25.
10/16/08: Great Moments in "The Office"
Dwight: Growing up, I performed my own circumcision.
Michael: Did you get the live storks?
Meredith: "Ass-turd"?
Michael: Where's my golden shower, Phyllis?
Phyllis: I'm no longer under Angela's heel, and her little grape-head is under mine.
Stanley: You think my nipples don't get sore too?
Dwight: Jan had the baby and Michael wasn't there to mark it. So the baby could be anybody's. Except Michael's.
Michael: Babies are drawn to me, and I think it's because they see me as one of them. But cooler.
Kevin: Who wants to guess when the baby will be born?
Jan: You don't flash around a newborn baby.
Michael: I was going to talk to Holly about her hygiene. She smells like old tomatoes and dirt.
Dwight: I like to call this the bumper test.
Michael: I didn't feel much when I held Astrid, but I got a good feeling from Holly.
Michael: Did you get the live storks?
Meredith: "Ass-turd"?
Michael: Where's my golden shower, Phyllis?
Phyllis: I'm no longer under Angela's heel, and her little grape-head is under mine.
Stanley: You think my nipples don't get sore too?
Dwight: Jan had the baby and Michael wasn't there to mark it. So the baby could be anybody's. Except Michael's.
Michael: Babies are drawn to me, and I think it's because they see me as one of them. But cooler.
Kevin: Who wants to guess when the baby will be born?
Jan: You don't flash around a newborn baby.
Michael: I was going to talk to Holly about her hygiene. She smells like old tomatoes and dirt.
Dwight: I like to call this the bumper test.
Michael: I didn't feel much when I held Astrid, but I got a good feeling from Holly.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Mad Men on Jeopardy & next episode preview
Straight from AMC's PR people:
On Friday, October 17, Jeopardy! will feature a category inspired by Mad Men and the early 1960s.
Starting today, October 13, Jeopardy! has an online version of its Mad Men game.
Details at AMC's Mad Men blog.
Also, there are only two more episodes left in this season. Next episode preview here. Pete receives unwelcome news. Wotta grouch!
On Friday, October 17, Jeopardy! will feature a category inspired by Mad Men and the early 1960s.
Starting today, October 13, Jeopardy! has an online version of its Mad Men game.
Details at AMC's Mad Men blog.
Also, there are only two more episodes left in this season. Next episode preview here. Pete receives unwelcome news. Wotta grouch!
Mad Men #24 (2.11), 10/12/08: Don's magical mystery tour
Roger asks Jane to marry him, which necessitates a divorce from Mona. Roger's lawyer warns it will be expensive.
At a brainstorming meeting for Right Guard, Ken points out that women have body odor too. Peggy flippantly proposes that there should be a Right Guard deodorant product for women. Since no Gillette reps are there at the time, this idea doesn't go anywhere (at least not for now!).
According to a presentation at the rocket show, the USSR has the technology to totally bomb the USA at a moment's notice, as well as a very sophisticated defense system. It's wildly exaggerated, but it seems to get to Don.
Duck approaches Roger about becoming a partner. Roger turns him down flat, saying his numbers haven't been what Duck had promised.
Don is befriended by a freewheeling bunch of attractive, cosmopolitan, well-traveled, unemployed, possibly rich people (or maybe just very accomplished moochers), including a young woman named Joy. He makes a spur-of-the-moment decision to ditch the rocket show without telling Pete so that he can hang out with his new pals in Palm Springs. (This after being grumpy with Pete for wanting to hang out and socialize.)
Pete doesn't like CA and doesn't find the people friendly, but does his best to conduct business... from the hotel pool... without Don.
Don goes to the house in Palm Springs. It supposedly belongs to some friends of theirs who are out of town. Don passes out from heat stroke, but he's okay. Joy is very vague about who these people are or why they wander around. I keep thinking it's a cult or something, but Don doesn't seem worried.
At dinner, a man who is later to revealed to be Joy's father says he's smarter and stronger now than he ever was, which is another reason I kept thinking they were some kind of cult and they were going to try to sell Don a "secret," but this doesn't go anywhere.
At the office, when Ken, Sal, Joan, and Harry hear that Peggy and Kurt have a date to see Bob Dylan, they start to tease, but Kurt casually tells them that he's gay.
Peggy pretends not to be shocked. After he leaves the room, the rest of the guys complain, horrified, and ask Smitty if he knew about this. (LOL!) Smitty explains, "he's from Europe. It's different there." And that means more ladies for him, he says, gazing hopefully at Joan. They're so rattled they want to call a meeting to warn the female employees.
Duck meets with his former employer, who is miffed that he's not drinking (evidently they don't know about his problem; they didn't fire him - he quit) and don't want to hire him back. He drinks two Gibsons and tries to get them to buy out Roger's share of Sterling-Cooper - it'll be cheap because of Roger's ugly divorce. He wants to be in charge of accounts and specifically asks that Creative report to him.
Kurt shows up at Peggy's and she gives him a chance to dump her in favor of a boy if he wants. She complains that she doesn't pick the right boys. He says it's her outdated hairstyle, so he gives her a haircut before the Dylan show. He finally cuts off that damn stupid ponytail that's been bugging me all this time and she looks fabulous!!
Joy tells Don that the next stop is Nassau, and then Capri. She thinks it has "something to do with taxes." He's welcome to stay with them - her dad likes him and Joy says he can fool around with anyone he likes; she's not possessive.
Duck receives a case of gin from his British pal, his former employer. Apparently this is the go-ahead signal to proceed with the deal. He gives one bottle to Joan.
The madmen see on TV that there's a lot of racially-charged unrest in Mississippi, where Paul and Sheila have gone to do good deeds for civil rights. A black man has just enrolled at the state university, and the protest riots have been so severe that President Kennedy sent in Federal forces to restore order. (Let's forget that it was early August last week when Marilyn Monroe died and Pete and Don left for California, and that this event took place in late September.)
Pete returns to the office with a bag of oranges. He's surprised to hear that no one has heard from Don. He likes Peggy's haircut. Ken tells him about Kurt. Evidently, this news is ruining his week.
Duck pops a breath mint and tells Cooper and Sterling that Putnam, Powell, & Lowe approached him and want to buy them out. This will be the company's chance to make the big time. He makes it sound as though he's going to play hardball with them. Cooper wants them to make the first move.
Don lounges alone in the Palm Springs house and places a phone call. He says he's Dick Whitman and he wants to see this unnamed person. He hastily writes something - I think an address, but it's too blurry to see - on the last page of the book Joy's been reading, The Sound and the Fury. He tears the page out (Joy's in for a rude surprise).
Don's luggage, which got lost on the way to California (he's been borrowing things at the house), is delivered to the Draper home. No one comes to the door.
Closing music: "What'll I Do" by Johnny Mathis.
Quote of the week: "I like sex. You do, too - I can tell." (Joy)
Next week: Don's still MIA.
At a brainstorming meeting for Right Guard, Ken points out that women have body odor too. Peggy flippantly proposes that there should be a Right Guard deodorant product for women. Since no Gillette reps are there at the time, this idea doesn't go anywhere (at least not for now!).
According to a presentation at the rocket show, the USSR has the technology to totally bomb the USA at a moment's notice, as well as a very sophisticated defense system. It's wildly exaggerated, but it seems to get to Don.
Duck approaches Roger about becoming a partner. Roger turns him down flat, saying his numbers haven't been what Duck had promised.
Don is befriended by a freewheeling bunch of attractive, cosmopolitan, well-traveled, unemployed, possibly rich people (or maybe just very accomplished moochers), including a young woman named Joy. He makes a spur-of-the-moment decision to ditch the rocket show without telling Pete so that he can hang out with his new pals in Palm Springs. (This after being grumpy with Pete for wanting to hang out and socialize.)
Pete doesn't like CA and doesn't find the people friendly, but does his best to conduct business... from the hotel pool... without Don.
Don goes to the house in Palm Springs. It supposedly belongs to some friends of theirs who are out of town. Don passes out from heat stroke, but he's okay. Joy is very vague about who these people are or why they wander around. I keep thinking it's a cult or something, but Don doesn't seem worried.
At dinner, a man who is later to revealed to be Joy's father says he's smarter and stronger now than he ever was, which is another reason I kept thinking they were some kind of cult and they were going to try to sell Don a "secret," but this doesn't go anywhere.
At the office, when Ken, Sal, Joan, and Harry hear that Peggy and Kurt have a date to see Bob Dylan, they start to tease, but Kurt casually tells them that he's gay.
Peggy pretends not to be shocked. After he leaves the room, the rest of the guys complain, horrified, and ask Smitty if he knew about this. (LOL!) Smitty explains, "he's from Europe. It's different there." And that means more ladies for him, he says, gazing hopefully at Joan. They're so rattled they want to call a meeting to warn the female employees.
Duck meets with his former employer, who is miffed that he's not drinking (evidently they don't know about his problem; they didn't fire him - he quit) and don't want to hire him back. He drinks two Gibsons and tries to get them to buy out Roger's share of Sterling-Cooper - it'll be cheap because of Roger's ugly divorce. He wants to be in charge of accounts and specifically asks that Creative report to him.
Kurt shows up at Peggy's and she gives him a chance to dump her in favor of a boy if he wants. She complains that she doesn't pick the right boys. He says it's her outdated hairstyle, so he gives her a haircut before the Dylan show. He finally cuts off that damn stupid ponytail that's been bugging me all this time and she looks fabulous!!
Joy tells Don that the next stop is Nassau, and then Capri. She thinks it has "something to do with taxes." He's welcome to stay with them - her dad likes him and Joy says he can fool around with anyone he likes; she's not possessive.
Duck receives a case of gin from his British pal, his former employer. Apparently this is the go-ahead signal to proceed with the deal. He gives one bottle to Joan.
The madmen see on TV that there's a lot of racially-charged unrest in Mississippi, where Paul and Sheila have gone to do good deeds for civil rights. A black man has just enrolled at the state university, and the protest riots have been so severe that President Kennedy sent in Federal forces to restore order. (Let's forget that it was early August last week when Marilyn Monroe died and Pete and Don left for California, and that this event took place in late September.)
Pete returns to the office with a bag of oranges. He's surprised to hear that no one has heard from Don. He likes Peggy's haircut. Ken tells him about Kurt. Evidently, this news is ruining his week.
Duck pops a breath mint and tells Cooper and Sterling that Putnam, Powell, & Lowe approached him and want to buy them out. This will be the company's chance to make the big time. He makes it sound as though he's going to play hardball with them. Cooper wants them to make the first move.
Don lounges alone in the Palm Springs house and places a phone call. He says he's Dick Whitman and he wants to see this unnamed person. He hastily writes something - I think an address, but it's too blurry to see - on the last page of the book Joy's been reading, The Sound and the Fury. He tears the page out (Joy's in for a rude surprise).
Don's luggage, which got lost on the way to California (he's been borrowing things at the house), is delivered to the Draper home. No one comes to the door.
Closing music: "What'll I Do" by Johnny Mathis.
Quote of the week: "I like sex. You do, too - I can tell." (Joy)
Next week: Don's still MIA.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
10/9/08: Great Moments in "The Office"
Creed: The tall guy got engaged.
Michael: To be married?
Michael: Why are you helping her? You're not even dating her.
Andy: I took "Intro to Philosophy" twice. No big deal.
Dwight: It's a trick question. The bread is poisoned. Also, it's not your real family. You've been cuckolded by a stronger, smarter male.
Michael: You are a thief of joy.
Meredith: I wouldn't have done it if it wasn't for the discount paper. Not a lot of fruit in those looms.
Jim: The story's kind of bland. It's about this guy named Dumbledore Calrissian who needs to return the ring back to Mordor.
Michael: I just don't want my employees thinking that their jobs depend on performance.
Michael: Meredith needs this job. This is her main source of money.
Michael: I saw this thing like a belt with a key... it's more of an undewear garment.
Michael: How do you tell somebody that you care about deeply, "I told you so"?
Stan: It's a quarter to five, and I have started to gather my things.
Michael: To be married?
Michael: Why are you helping her? You're not even dating her.
Andy: I took "Intro to Philosophy" twice. No big deal.
Dwight: It's a trick question. The bread is poisoned. Also, it's not your real family. You've been cuckolded by a stronger, smarter male.
Michael: You are a thief of joy.
Meredith: I wouldn't have done it if it wasn't for the discount paper. Not a lot of fruit in those looms.
Jim: The story's kind of bland. It's about this guy named Dumbledore Calrissian who needs to return the ring back to Mordor.
Michael: I just don't want my employees thinking that their jobs depend on performance.
Michael: Meredith needs this job. This is her main source of money.
Michael: I saw this thing like a belt with a key... it's more of an undewear garment.
Michael: How do you tell somebody that you care about deeply, "I told you so"?
Stan: It's a quarter to five, and I have started to gather my things.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Next time on Mad Men
Here's a longer preview of the next episode. Looks like Peggy just casually created a new product.
Mad Men #23 (2.10), 10/5/08: It's not easy for anyone
Paul and Pete will be going to a trade show for engineering companies wanting to join the space race. Peggy has prepared a detailed and helpful report, and Don gets annoyed when it's apparent that they didn't read it. When Paul starts saying something pompous, Don interrupts and specifically says that Pete should do all the talking. Paul should do the listening.
Pete won't let Trudy to go with him, supposedly because he thinks it will make him seem less serious to his coworkers. She'll spend the time with her parents instead, then; they're worried that they haven't had a kid yet. The topic annoys Pete. Trudy tries to talk to him about adoption. He doesn't like the idea, but he's worried her parents think he says no to everything.
Betty calls Don at his hotel. Her father had a stroke three days ago and she only just found out now from her brother because father's wife Gloria didn't bother to tell her. Don wants her to leave the kids with a neighbor now and he'll come over, but she doesn't want to wake the kids. She grumpily agrees to let him come over in the morning.
He and Betty go there the next day. Gloria, who quickly establishes herself as the queen of vapid small talk, insists it was no big deal. Betty's brother William arrives. He expresses envy at the sight of Don's Cadillac. Betty's father seems glad to see them. Betty expresses a wish that Gloria had called sooner, supposedly so they could hook him up with a really good doctor. William makes a snide remark about how she and Don think everything's better in New York.
Dad calls Betty "Ruthie" (his deceased wife). Gloria kindly explains that she's Betty, his daughter, and reminds him that Ruth is dead. He shakes Betty's hand like a stranger. Then he's himself again. He says this stroke was just like last time. Betty is even more upset that no one told her about any previous stroke. It seems that there have been a few.
Sheila meets Paul at the office for lunch. Pete mentions the trip to LA. It's news to her. She's miffed because Paul hadn't mentioned it yet. As far as she knows, they were going to be registering black voters in Mississippi. She's mad that he's put work stuff first. He tells her that she can always get another grocery store job, but his job is harder to replace.
In the elevator, Paul insists that Hollis call him Paul (not "Mr. Kensington") and introduces Sheila. Sheila says she'll go to Mississippi without him. He wants her to wait till after his trip.
Pete meets with his brother Bud, trying to figure out how to get some of their father's money back for their mother, enough for however long she's going to live. Pete jokes about bumping her off, a la the Hitchcock movie Rope. Bud says his wife Judy doesn't seem to want kids, but they do have a five-year plan. Pete admits they've "tried." Bud assures him that adoption is acceptable.
Don makes a jigsaw puzzle with Betty's dad and William's wife Judy (not to be confused with Bud's wife Judy). He claims that he takes Bobby to baseball games "all the time." (Not that we've noticed?) In the next room, Betty stares at a painting of her mother. She's upset that Gloria has gotten rid of her mother's things. She can't stand her. She and William reminisce over Dad fining them for small talk (Gloria's specialty). William reveals that their father's been acting oddly for a while; at least Gloria takes care of him. He's sour that Betty isn't around to take care of him. Betty is sour that he's taken some of Mother's things. He's mad that she's drunk.
Dad starts grumping about Don. He doesn't know anything about Don's past and he accuses him of taking Betty for granted. "He has no people - you can't trust a person like that," he tells Betty. Then he wants to eat. Betty doesn't. Don tries to cheer her up. She's not in the mood.
Bud and Pete sign financial papers with Mother. Mother greets Pete coldly and has already heard about the possibility of Pete and Trudy adopting. She threatens not to let him inherit anything if he doesn't "keep at it." She says Pete's father saw adoption as "pulling from the discards." Pete blurts that Dad spent all of his money with strangers and there's nothing left. Bud tries to send Pete home and smooth things over; Mother asks Bud about her "fiduciary state." He tries to explain it off as bad investments, but she's better-informed than he expects and doesn't believe him. Pete gratefully leaves.
Don and Betty get ready for bed together, awkwardly, in the guest room. He sleeps on the floor - until she joins him there and gets him to perform his husbandly duty.
He wakes alone in the morning. Betty's in the dining room, where her father and Gloria are criticizing her for smoking too much. Judy comes in with the big ugly vase that Betty had been asking about and apologizes and gives it to Betty. Dad mistakes Betty for Ruth again, makes a pass at her in front of everyone, and gropes at her breast. Gloria blandly explains that he's mixed up. "You're mixed up," he retorts wittily.
Gloria blames it on a lack of sleep. William wants him to go to the doctor again. Gloria's already made the appointment. Dad offers to take Betty into town and buy her a milkshake. (It's not clear that he know who she is.) Don rubs her back protectively. Gloria tries to be upbeat.
Viola - evidently Betty's maid/nanny since childhood - comes in and asks how Betty's kids are. Betty wants her to watch over her father, but it seems she's been marginalized by Gloria. Betty is relieved when the maid agrees that he's very sick - no one else has said it aloud. She says she overheard the doctor say it will only get worse. Betty feels like an orphan. The maid says Betty's job is to take care of her husband and children now. As soon as Betty leaves, Viola says, she'll remember her father the way he used to be.
Don takes Betty home. He offers to get the kids; she says Carla will bring them home later tomorrow. He wants to take a shower; she wants him to leave now. He wants to be there for her, but she sarcastically says she knows how he feels about grieving (he doesn't approve). As for last night, nothing has changed; they were "just pretending."
Don goes to the office and finds Harry's baby shower in progress - more like a cross between a baby shower and a bachelor party, actually - everybody's drinking, and many of the "gifts" are samples from their clients.
Cooper pokes his head in and perfunctorily wishes no one in particular a happy birthday. There's a box from Tiffany's, from Jane ("and Roger, I'm sure," Paul laughs).
Don takes Joan aside to catch up on business. Roger interrupts. Don is very chilly with him and announces that he's going to the rocket fair in Paul's place.
Harry's telling the party he hopes to go to CA soon too, to do TV stuff. Hildy, the secretary he boinked on the night of the 1960 presidential election, drunkenly wishes him luck with the baby. Joan happily tells Paul that his trip is getting canceled. The other partygoers snicker.
Paul calls Sheila and grandly informs her that he'll be going to Mississippi with her after all. He'll be at her side and "make a stand."
After the party, Pete nabs Peggy on her way out and tipsily tells her that he's going away - on a plane. He's nervous because it's how his father died. She sensibly tells him that it's unlikely to happen to two people in one family. He blurts that he hates his mother. Peggy doesn't know what he's talking about, but she tries to reassure him about the flight and tells him to go home. "Everything's so easy for you," he says bitterly. Peggy says it's not easy for anyone.
Betty is drinking alone in the kitchen at night. There's a noise outside. Polly whines. Betty locks the door and goes back to her wine.
Polly is still barking the next morning. Betty looks in the playhouse and finds Glen Bishop (neighbor Helen's son) camped out there. He's been there for a few days; he wanted to see Betty and she wasn't home. His father wants him and his sister Charlotte to live with him, and his mother doesn't care because she's more interested in her boyfriends.
They talk about Glen's mother being angry with Betty. He says he's a "problem" for his parents. His father has a new baby and his wife is mean. Glen takes care of his own sister while his mother writes pamphlets and hands them out.
They watch cartoons for a while. Glen confides that he doesn't like ham, or any meat. He keeps looking at her and smiling. He takes her hand. Finally he says he came to rescue her.
Sally and Bobby come home with Carla. Betty sends the kids upstairs to play. Glen reluctantly goes up with them. (Sally seems interested in him.) Betty calls Helen, who comes over to get him right away. Glen tells Betty he hates her. "I know," Betty says. "I'm sorry." Sally watches sympathetically.
Meanwhile, Paul (with pipe in hand) is boring a busload civil rights volunteers, mostly black, with a pompous speech about how advertising is a force of social change and consumers have no color. Sheila smiles proudly at him. One man seems to listen politely. No one else pays much attention.
Helen comes back to Betty's place to scold Betty. Betty says there's nothing going on, but Glen feels alone and she doesn't blame him. She scolds Helen for not taking good care of him when he depends on her for everything. He doesn't get anything from her. Helen ruefully agrees that she's not a good mother.
Betty admits Don isn't living there any more. The kids don't even know yet. Helen asks if it's over. (She seems like she might be interested.) Betty feels like she'll float away without Don there to hold her down. Helen says it's hard when you realize that you're in charge.
Meanwhile, Don and Pete are floating away to Los Angeles on puffy clouds of cigarette smoke.
Closing music: "Telstar" by the Tornados. It was the first single by a British band to reach #1 in the United States.
Quote of the week: "We can go anywhere. I have money." (Glen Bishop)
Next week: Don calls Pete on his slacking. Roger, who supposedly hates marriage, wants to marry Jane. Duck might be in trouble. Kurt and Smitty are going somewhere.
Pete won't let Trudy to go with him, supposedly because he thinks it will make him seem less serious to his coworkers. She'll spend the time with her parents instead, then; they're worried that they haven't had a kid yet. The topic annoys Pete. Trudy tries to talk to him about adoption. He doesn't like the idea, but he's worried her parents think he says no to everything.
Betty calls Don at his hotel. Her father had a stroke three days ago and she only just found out now from her brother because father's wife Gloria didn't bother to tell her. Don wants her to leave the kids with a neighbor now and he'll come over, but she doesn't want to wake the kids. She grumpily agrees to let him come over in the morning.
He and Betty go there the next day. Gloria, who quickly establishes herself as the queen of vapid small talk, insists it was no big deal. Betty's brother William arrives. He expresses envy at the sight of Don's Cadillac. Betty's father seems glad to see them. Betty expresses a wish that Gloria had called sooner, supposedly so they could hook him up with a really good doctor. William makes a snide remark about how she and Don think everything's better in New York.
Dad calls Betty "Ruthie" (his deceased wife). Gloria kindly explains that she's Betty, his daughter, and reminds him that Ruth is dead. He shakes Betty's hand like a stranger. Then he's himself again. He says this stroke was just like last time. Betty is even more upset that no one told her about any previous stroke. It seems that there have been a few.
Sheila meets Paul at the office for lunch. Pete mentions the trip to LA. It's news to her. She's miffed because Paul hadn't mentioned it yet. As far as she knows, they were going to be registering black voters in Mississippi. She's mad that he's put work stuff first. He tells her that she can always get another grocery store job, but his job is harder to replace.
In the elevator, Paul insists that Hollis call him Paul (not "Mr. Kensington") and introduces Sheila. Sheila says she'll go to Mississippi without him. He wants her to wait till after his trip.
Pete meets with his brother Bud, trying to figure out how to get some of their father's money back for their mother, enough for however long she's going to live. Pete jokes about bumping her off, a la the Hitchcock movie Rope. Bud says his wife Judy doesn't seem to want kids, but they do have a five-year plan. Pete admits they've "tried." Bud assures him that adoption is acceptable.
Don makes a jigsaw puzzle with Betty's dad and William's wife Judy (not to be confused with Bud's wife Judy). He claims that he takes Bobby to baseball games "all the time." (Not that we've noticed?) In the next room, Betty stares at a painting of her mother. She's upset that Gloria has gotten rid of her mother's things. She can't stand her. She and William reminisce over Dad fining them for small talk (Gloria's specialty). William reveals that their father's been acting oddly for a while; at least Gloria takes care of him. He's sour that Betty isn't around to take care of him. Betty is sour that he's taken some of Mother's things. He's mad that she's drunk.
Dad starts grumping about Don. He doesn't know anything about Don's past and he accuses him of taking Betty for granted. "He has no people - you can't trust a person like that," he tells Betty. Then he wants to eat. Betty doesn't. Don tries to cheer her up. She's not in the mood.
Bud and Pete sign financial papers with Mother. Mother greets Pete coldly and has already heard about the possibility of Pete and Trudy adopting. She threatens not to let him inherit anything if he doesn't "keep at it." She says Pete's father saw adoption as "pulling from the discards." Pete blurts that Dad spent all of his money with strangers and there's nothing left. Bud tries to send Pete home and smooth things over; Mother asks Bud about her "fiduciary state." He tries to explain it off as bad investments, but she's better-informed than he expects and doesn't believe him. Pete gratefully leaves.
Don and Betty get ready for bed together, awkwardly, in the guest room. He sleeps on the floor - until she joins him there and gets him to perform his husbandly duty.
He wakes alone in the morning. Betty's in the dining room, where her father and Gloria are criticizing her for smoking too much. Judy comes in with the big ugly vase that Betty had been asking about and apologizes and gives it to Betty. Dad mistakes Betty for Ruth again, makes a pass at her in front of everyone, and gropes at her breast. Gloria blandly explains that he's mixed up. "You're mixed up," he retorts wittily.
Gloria blames it on a lack of sleep. William wants him to go to the doctor again. Gloria's already made the appointment. Dad offers to take Betty into town and buy her a milkshake. (It's not clear that he know who she is.) Don rubs her back protectively. Gloria tries to be upbeat.
Viola - evidently Betty's maid/nanny since childhood - comes in and asks how Betty's kids are. Betty wants her to watch over her father, but it seems she's been marginalized by Gloria. Betty is relieved when the maid agrees that he's very sick - no one else has said it aloud. She says she overheard the doctor say it will only get worse. Betty feels like an orphan. The maid says Betty's job is to take care of her husband and children now. As soon as Betty leaves, Viola says, she'll remember her father the way he used to be.
Don takes Betty home. He offers to get the kids; she says Carla will bring them home later tomorrow. He wants to take a shower; she wants him to leave now. He wants to be there for her, but she sarcastically says she knows how he feels about grieving (he doesn't approve). As for last night, nothing has changed; they were "just pretending."
Don goes to the office and finds Harry's baby shower in progress - more like a cross between a baby shower and a bachelor party, actually - everybody's drinking, and many of the "gifts" are samples from their clients.
Cooper pokes his head in and perfunctorily wishes no one in particular a happy birthday. There's a box from Tiffany's, from Jane ("and Roger, I'm sure," Paul laughs).
Don takes Joan aside to catch up on business. Roger interrupts. Don is very chilly with him and announces that he's going to the rocket fair in Paul's place.
Harry's telling the party he hopes to go to CA soon too, to do TV stuff. Hildy, the secretary he boinked on the night of the 1960 presidential election, drunkenly wishes him luck with the baby. Joan happily tells Paul that his trip is getting canceled. The other partygoers snicker.
Paul calls Sheila and grandly informs her that he'll be going to Mississippi with her after all. He'll be at her side and "make a stand."
After the party, Pete nabs Peggy on her way out and tipsily tells her that he's going away - on a plane. He's nervous because it's how his father died. She sensibly tells him that it's unlikely to happen to two people in one family. He blurts that he hates his mother. Peggy doesn't know what he's talking about, but she tries to reassure him about the flight and tells him to go home. "Everything's so easy for you," he says bitterly. Peggy says it's not easy for anyone.
Betty is drinking alone in the kitchen at night. There's a noise outside. Polly whines. Betty locks the door and goes back to her wine.
Polly is still barking the next morning. Betty looks in the playhouse and finds Glen Bishop (neighbor Helen's son) camped out there. He's been there for a few days; he wanted to see Betty and she wasn't home. His father wants him and his sister Charlotte to live with him, and his mother doesn't care because she's more interested in her boyfriends.
They talk about Glen's mother being angry with Betty. He says he's a "problem" for his parents. His father has a new baby and his wife is mean. Glen takes care of his own sister while his mother writes pamphlets and hands them out.
They watch cartoons for a while. Glen confides that he doesn't like ham, or any meat. He keeps looking at her and smiling. He takes her hand. Finally he says he came to rescue her.
Sally and Bobby come home with Carla. Betty sends the kids upstairs to play. Glen reluctantly goes up with them. (Sally seems interested in him.) Betty calls Helen, who comes over to get him right away. Glen tells Betty he hates her. "I know," Betty says. "I'm sorry." Sally watches sympathetically.
Meanwhile, Paul (with pipe in hand) is boring a busload civil rights volunteers, mostly black, with a pompous speech about how advertising is a force of social change and consumers have no color. Sheila smiles proudly at him. One man seems to listen politely. No one else pays much attention.
Helen comes back to Betty's place to scold Betty. Betty says there's nothing going on, but Glen feels alone and she doesn't blame him. She scolds Helen for not taking good care of him when he depends on her for everything. He doesn't get anything from her. Helen ruefully agrees that she's not a good mother.
Betty admits Don isn't living there any more. The kids don't even know yet. Helen asks if it's over. (She seems like she might be interested.) Betty feels like she'll float away without Don there to hold her down. Helen says it's hard when you realize that you're in charge.
Meanwhile, Don and Pete are floating away to Los Angeles on puffy clouds of cigarette smoke.
Closing music: "Telstar" by the Tornados. It was the first single by a British band to reach #1 in the United States.
Quote of the week: "We can go anywhere. I have money." (Glen Bishop)
Next week: Don calls Pete on his slacking. Roger, who supposedly hates marriage, wants to marry Jane. Duck might be in trouble. Kurt and Smitty are going somewhere.
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