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)
2008-08-23
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.) 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.) 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)
2008-08-22
Ugly Betty and stars win Imagen awards
Ugly Betty won Best Primetime Program at the Imagen awards last night.
Tony Plana - Betty's dad Ignacio - won Best Supporting Actor (for his work in Ugly Betty) and a Lifetime Achievement award (for everything else).
Tony Plana - Betty's dad Ignacio - won Best Supporting Actor (for his work in Ugly Betty) and a Lifetime Achievement award (for everything else).
2008-08-21
Mad Men 1.8: Crossroads
Earlier this week, I claimed that episode 7 - in which Roger vomits in front of Nixon's people - was my favorite episode ever. I accidentally lied. Episode 8 is actually my favorite: Pete and Joan are both coping with the stifling limitations they've placed on themselves by taking the road-more-traveled. A similar choice stares Sal right in the face, and he decides to play it safe too. Meanwhile Peggy takes a chance that pays off, and Don remembers the stranger whose visit opened up the entire world to young Dickie.
Just to remind us it's 1960, the janitor - a black man - asks permission to share an elevator with Pete and Peggy because the service elevator is out of order.
It's 7 in the morning. No one else is in the office yet. Pete and Peggy go into Pete's office. He shuts the door and confesses that he's hot for her. They're on the sofa. He's tearing her blouse. The janitor sees their silhouettes getting frisky through the frosted glass walls.
Pete admits that he didn't read Peggy's copy for Belle Jolie. He's supposed to be at home today, supervising the packing and moving into the new apartment; clearly he has mixed feelings about this.
Lois, the new switchboard girl, has a crush on Sal the artist. She swoonily eavesdrops as he speaks Italian to his mother on the phone.
Cooper calls Don in for a private meeting and offers Don a $2500 bonus. He pretty much admits it's a blatant bribe to keep Don from joining another company. He also tells Don to read something by Ayn Rand. (Considering that Don is reading modern poetry in the second season, I'd say the Rand experience didn't "take.") Cooper trims a bonsai tree.
Lois goes to the art department, pretending to be "lost," so that she can giggle and flirt. The guys smirk knowingly; they know what she's up to, and they're jealous of Sal.
Trudy ambushes Pete at lunch to get him to go home and watch the movers do their thing. He doesn't want to do it, and he's angry with her for coming the office without calling ahead. He sits on the Sexy Sofa and hurriedly turns over one of the cushions to hide any evidence of the morning's festivities. Trudy is insulted by Pete's seemingly hostile attitude.
Peggy doesn't get to sit in on the Belle Jolie pitch. The client doesn't like the "Mark Your Man" concept. Don gets all indignant and says in that case, forget about it, get out. His imperious approach intrigues the client. Don says women want many choices, but they ultimately choose only one - one man, one lipstick - thus "mark your man." It's about ownership. NOW the client likes it!
After the client leaves, the madmen celebrate with drinks as usual. Don calls Peggy in, supposedly to ask for ice. He has her close the door. Then he offers her a big drink!
The switchboard girls all seem to be proud of Peggy. Joan is snotty. I could write a hundred pages on what Joan's problem is, but I'll just briefly say that if you choose a certain path in life and it doesn't work out the way you would like, then putting down someone who took a chance and got what she really wanted is not going to make your own life any better. (I'll try not to make the same exact speech about Peggy's sister Anita when I recap the most recent episode...)
Everyone's planning to go to a party to celebrate. Pete doesn't want to commit.
Lois rings Sal to connect him to an imaginary call. Then she says oops, silly me, I lost it. (In retrospect, this is one of the few times she had to fake making a mistake.) Then she invites him to the party.
After work, Don goes to see Midge. Roy and some other shaggy friends are there. Midge is angry that Don didn't call first. He wants to take her to Paris. Instead they all smoke pot and listen to Miles Davis.
A blond girl is interested in Don. Roy sarcastically praises Don's way with words, but I hear grudging admiration in his voice. The blond girl's boyfriend is just as disrespectful to her as Don is to people in his own world - so much for this crowd being more "enlightened."
Don has a flashback:
Don's a kid - I suppose I should call him Dickie now. A hobo comes to the house wanting food. Dick's stepmother says "food today, work tomorrow." She is a harsh but honest and stingily compassionate woman. She asks the hobo if he's a Communist and says "they are souls, but they can't be saved." She takes a nickel from a locked cabinet and gives it to the hobo. Archie (Dickie's father) takes it away.
Sal's having dinner the Belle Jolie guy, Elliot. He's shy about admitting that he likes showtunes.
Now we're at the party in a bar. Joan is bad-mouthing Peggy to Lois. Lois is more interested in noticing that Sal isn't there. Pete is just staring into space (evidently he let Trudy spend the entire moving day alone). Peggy's happily doing the Twist and tries to talk to Pete. Pete says, "I don't like you like this." (Meaning successful, confident, happy?) Peggy is hurt, but she doesn't let it spoil her fun. She goes back to her dancing. Pete leaves.
Elliot and Sal have been having a great time. Finally Elliot invites Sal up to his room, saying that it has a great view. Sal hesitates. Elliot takes Sal's brandy glass and takes a slow, deliberate sip with eye contact. Sal is taken aback by this harmless yet bold gesture. Elliot tries to reassure him. Sal feels that he has too much to lose, and he flees in terror.
At Midge's everybody's doing the bunny hop when they hear sirens. They speculate that the neighbor has been beating his wife; they'll need to stay put until the cops leave. Don takes a photo of Roy and Midge, and as the flash goes off...
we're back in the flashback. Dickie tells the hobo that the woman isn't his mom - he's a "whorechild." (There's a word I hope never to have to type again.) The hobo describes himself as a "gentleman of the rails." Dickie thinks it's sad that the hobo doesn't have a home. The hobo says he left his home, and his wife and kids, because he couldn't take the stress. "This place is full of death," he says of Archie's farm. He shows Don how to read some of the hobo symbols - the one that means pie, the one that means vicious dog, the one that recommends that you tell a sad story, and the one that means there's a dishonest man. He gives Dickie a piece of chalk.
As the picture develops, Don sees that Midge and Roy are in love. They deny it. Roy changes the subject to ten people killed in Biloxi. (He is referring to a poorly documented event that took place in April 1960, when some number of African-Americans that has been variously reported as anywhere between 40 to 100 people invited themselves to an all-white beach. All accounts agree that during the ensuing riot, eight blacks and two whites were shot; but some reports say they were all killed, while others say they were only wounded. Not that ten people getting wounded in a race riot is a good thing, but it's better than ten people being killed and I'm shocked that the accounts don't all agree.)
Roy seems to think that this sort of thing is the fault of people like Don who wear neckties, or that Don's kind of people don't contribute positively to society. Don says Roy and his friends do nothing either. Roy says "you invent Want." Don says the universe is indifferent.
Midge says no to Paris. He gives her the check anyway and takes his hat. They warn him that he can't leave while the cops are there. He finds this amusing. He has no reason be afraid of the cops.
Don goes home and wakes Bobby. He tells the boy to ask him anything. Bobby asks how lightning bugs work. Don doesn't know, he says, "but I will never lie to you."
Next day, Peggy shows up extra early for work. Pete doesn't. When he finally does come in, he doesn't look at her.
The hobo completes his work. He hesitates, waiting for the coin that Archie confiscated the day before. Archie doesn't offer it. The hobo leaves. Dickie checks the fencepost out front and sees the "dishonest man" symbol. He looks back at his father, who swindled both the hobo and his own family out of a desperately needed nickel.
Just to remind us it's 1960, the janitor - a black man - asks permission to share an elevator with Pete and Peggy because the service elevator is out of order.
It's 7 in the morning. No one else is in the office yet. Pete and Peggy go into Pete's office. He shuts the door and confesses that he's hot for her. They're on the sofa. He's tearing her blouse. The janitor sees their silhouettes getting frisky through the frosted glass walls.
Pete admits that he didn't read Peggy's copy for Belle Jolie. He's supposed to be at home today, supervising the packing and moving into the new apartment; clearly he has mixed feelings about this.
Lois, the new switchboard girl, has a crush on Sal the artist. She swoonily eavesdrops as he speaks Italian to his mother on the phone.
Cooper calls Don in for a private meeting and offers Don a $2500 bonus. He pretty much admits it's a blatant bribe to keep Don from joining another company. He also tells Don to read something by Ayn Rand. (Considering that Don is reading modern poetry in the second season, I'd say the Rand experience didn't "take.") Cooper trims a bonsai tree.
Lois goes to the art department, pretending to be "lost," so that she can giggle and flirt. The guys smirk knowingly; they know what she's up to, and they're jealous of Sal.
Trudy ambushes Pete at lunch to get him to go home and watch the movers do their thing. He doesn't want to do it, and he's angry with her for coming the office without calling ahead. He sits on the Sexy Sofa and hurriedly turns over one of the cushions to hide any evidence of the morning's festivities. Trudy is insulted by Pete's seemingly hostile attitude.
Peggy doesn't get to sit in on the Belle Jolie pitch. The client doesn't like the "Mark Your Man" concept. Don gets all indignant and says in that case, forget about it, get out. His imperious approach intrigues the client. Don says women want many choices, but they ultimately choose only one - one man, one lipstick - thus "mark your man." It's about ownership. NOW the client likes it!
After the client leaves, the madmen celebrate with drinks as usual. Don calls Peggy in, supposedly to ask for ice. He has her close the door. Then he offers her a big drink!
The switchboard girls all seem to be proud of Peggy. Joan is snotty. I could write a hundred pages on what Joan's problem is, but I'll just briefly say that if you choose a certain path in life and it doesn't work out the way you would like, then putting down someone who took a chance and got what she really wanted is not going to make your own life any better. (I'll try not to make the same exact speech about Peggy's sister Anita when I recap the most recent episode...)
Everyone's planning to go to a party to celebrate. Pete doesn't want to commit.
Lois rings Sal to connect him to an imaginary call. Then she says oops, silly me, I lost it. (In retrospect, this is one of the few times she had to fake making a mistake.) Then she invites him to the party.
After work, Don goes to see Midge. Roy and some other shaggy friends are there. Midge is angry that Don didn't call first. He wants to take her to Paris. Instead they all smoke pot and listen to Miles Davis.
A blond girl is interested in Don. Roy sarcastically praises Don's way with words, but I hear grudging admiration in his voice. The blond girl's boyfriend is just as disrespectful to her as Don is to people in his own world - so much for this crowd being more "enlightened."
Don has a flashback:
Don's a kid - I suppose I should call him Dickie now. A hobo comes to the house wanting food. Dick's stepmother says "food today, work tomorrow." She is a harsh but honest and stingily compassionate woman. She asks the hobo if he's a Communist and says "they are souls, but they can't be saved." She takes a nickel from a locked cabinet and gives it to the hobo. Archie (Dickie's father) takes it away.
Sal's having dinner the Belle Jolie guy, Elliot. He's shy about admitting that he likes showtunes.
Now we're at the party in a bar. Joan is bad-mouthing Peggy to Lois. Lois is more interested in noticing that Sal isn't there. Pete is just staring into space (evidently he let Trudy spend the entire moving day alone). Peggy's happily doing the Twist and tries to talk to Pete. Pete says, "I don't like you like this." (Meaning successful, confident, happy?) Peggy is hurt, but she doesn't let it spoil her fun. She goes back to her dancing. Pete leaves.
Elliot and Sal have been having a great time. Finally Elliot invites Sal up to his room, saying that it has a great view. Sal hesitates. Elliot takes Sal's brandy glass and takes a slow, deliberate sip with eye contact. Sal is taken aback by this harmless yet bold gesture. Elliot tries to reassure him. Sal feels that he has too much to lose, and he flees in terror.
At Midge's everybody's doing the bunny hop when they hear sirens. They speculate that the neighbor has been beating his wife; they'll need to stay put until the cops leave. Don takes a photo of Roy and Midge, and as the flash goes off...
we're back in the flashback. Dickie tells the hobo that the woman isn't his mom - he's a "whorechild." (There's a word I hope never to have to type again.) The hobo describes himself as a "gentleman of the rails." Dickie thinks it's sad that the hobo doesn't have a home. The hobo says he left his home, and his wife and kids, because he couldn't take the stress. "This place is full of death," he says of Archie's farm. He shows Don how to read some of the hobo symbols - the one that means pie, the one that means vicious dog, the one that recommends that you tell a sad story, and the one that means there's a dishonest man. He gives Dickie a piece of chalk.
As the picture develops, Don sees that Midge and Roy are in love. They deny it. Roy changes the subject to ten people killed in Biloxi. (He is referring to a poorly documented event that took place in April 1960, when some number of African-Americans that has been variously reported as anywhere between 40 to 100 people invited themselves to an all-white beach. All accounts agree that during the ensuing riot, eight blacks and two whites were shot; but some reports say they were all killed, while others say they were only wounded. Not that ten people getting wounded in a race riot is a good thing, but it's better than ten people being killed and I'm shocked that the accounts don't all agree.)
Roy seems to think that this sort of thing is the fault of people like Don who wear neckties, or that Don's kind of people don't contribute positively to society. Don says Roy and his friends do nothing either. Roy says "you invent Want." Don says the universe is indifferent.
Midge says no to Paris. He gives her the check anyway and takes his hat. They warn him that he can't leave while the cops are there. He finds this amusing. He has no reason be afraid of the cops.
Don goes home and wakes Bobby. He tells the boy to ask him anything. Bobby asks how lightning bugs work. Don doesn't know, he says, "but I will never lie to you."
Next day, Peggy shows up extra early for work. Pete doesn't. When he finally does come in, he doesn't look at her.
The hobo completes his work. He hesitates, waiting for the coin that Archie confiscated the day before. Archie doesn't offer it. The hobo leaves. Dickie checks the fencepost out front and sees the "dishonest man" symbol. He looks back at his father, who swindled both the hobo and his own family out of a desperately needed nickel.
2008-08-19
Ugly Betty Kicks ALMA
I don't have any Mad Men stuff for you yet (yeah, I suck) but here's some news that I almost forgot to post - Ugly Betty did pretty well at the ALMAs on Sunday. America Ferrera won Entertainer of the Year (wow!!) and the show also got an award for best Latino-led cast.
(ALMA = American Latino Media Arts. "Alma" is also Spanish for "soul.")
(ALMA = American Latino Media Arts. "Alma" is also Spanish for "soul.")
2008-08-18
Mad Men 1.7: Your generation may have been tough 20 years ago, but now yer just old
I'll put up something for the new episode Monday or Tuesday... for now, please enjoy episodes 6 and 7 from last season.
BTW, this was my favorite episode of the first season. It may be my favorite episode ever.
The psychiatrist tells Don about Betty's petty jealousies and childish emotions. He says chronic anxiety is in housewives, but she has deeper issues and it will take more time and more frequent sessions to explore them.
Roger is having milk in his scotch for breakfast - supposedly the milk will help his ulcer. Cooper says that Nixon's people are coming for a meeting soon. He says that when Neville Chamberlain met with Adolf Hitler, Chamberlain was put at a disadvantage by being forbidden to smoke.
Memorial Day weekend is coming up. Roger wants to spend the weekend with Joan, but she's made plans with roommate Carol. In front of Pete, Roger recruits Don for some no-goodery instead. Pete tries to get invited, but is snubbed.
Pete offers to review Peggy's writing for the Belle Jolie lipstick campaign.
Don invites Roger home for dinner. Only after Roger accepts does Don notify Betty, and blames Roger for the short notice.
There's not enough steak for everyone, so Betty doesn't have any. She claims she was fat as a child. Roger tries to charm Betty, and she plays along. They talk about where they went swimming as kids. Roger gets too nosy for Don's tastes.
After dinner, there's drinking and smoking and talking about the war. Roger was in World War II, Don went to Korea. Roger thinks his war was better than Don's war; he thinks his generation is tougher than Don's, too.
Don goes out in search of more booze. While Don is gone, Roger puts the moves on Betty, who is now not finding it so easy to be charming. When Don comes back, he's suspicious of what he sees. Roger is very drunk. He takes a drink in a glass to go. Don gives Betty hell, as if it's her fault that Don's boss is a horndog! She says she was just being friendly, because Roger is Don's boss. He says she's like a little girl. (A little girl whose husband needs to supervise his boss better.)
At the office the next day, the guys laugh at the extra chip 'n' dip tray that Pete got for a wedding present. His mission today is to return it to the store. The madmen are amused that he's running errands for Trudy, but Pete says he doesn't mind.
All sobered up now (relatively speaking), Roger tells Don that he was drunk last night. One time, he went home to the wrong place. Don says Betty wants her glass back.
Pete has trouble with the chip 'n' dip return; he doesn't have a receipt and he doesn't realize that they were registered in Trudy's name and not his. While fighting this battle, he runs into a rich friend from school, who flirts with the store employee behind the counter. She tells Pete she can only give him store credit for the tray. After the friend leaves, leaves Pete tells the girl at the counter that he has diseases. He uses the store credit to buy a rifle, takes it back to the office, and points it at the secretaries.
Nixon's people are coming to the office tomorrow. The madmen discuss Kennedy. Most of them seem to hate him venomously. Don is quiet. Someone compares Kennedy to Elvis. Pete says Elvis doesn't wear a hat either.
At home that night, Don gives Betty more shit about flirting with Roger; meanwhile, Trudy is upset with Pete about the rifle.
Next day, Peggy gives her lipstick copy to Pete for review. He talks about a fantasy he has where he hunts something and brings it to a cabin, where his woman cooks it for him and then watches him eat it. Peggy says, "that would be wonderful."
At lunch, Peggy is hungry and buys a big lunch from the sandwich cart. Her boobs look huge.
Betty goes to the supermarket, where she runs into Helen Bishop. At first Helen seems to try to ignore her, but when Betty approaches her, Helen admits she's very upset that Betty gave a lock of her hair to Glen. Helen says he's just a kid; what's wrong with Betty? Betty slaps Helen right in the produce department. Everybody sees them.
At lunch, Don encourages Roger to eat lots of oysters, drink lots of martinis, smoke lots of cigarettes, and have cheesecake for dessert. They make inane small talk about Lucy and Desi. Roger babbles that he love redheads. He mentions his ulcer. Don gets him to have one more drink.
Betty splits some wine with her pregnant neighbor Francine - they're tasting wines for a dinner party. Francine asks Betty about the slap at the supermarket. She's worried about Betty. Francine supposedly hates Helen, but from the way she's talking it seems more likely that she's terribly jealous. Betty says she hates JFK. She talks about her mother and her doctor. She's nervous that men will someday not find her desirable.
The elevator is out of order because Don bribed the operator before lunch. He and Roger will have to climb the stairs to get to the office on the 23rd floor. A drunk, sickly, exhausted Roger is already whining at the 8.5 floor landing. Don is amused, smoking a cigarette. Roger won't stop for a rest. He groggily gasps again that he loves redheads. He stumbles and says that he lost his tie clip. He sends Don ahead, who makes it to the 23rd floor in surprisingly good condition for a guy who never seems to exercise, unless you count banging his girlfriend.
Nixon's people arrive. Roger finally reaches the lobby. He throws up in front of everyone, woozy and breathless. "Oysters," he explains dizzily. Cooper replies, "I can see that."
The elevator dings behind them.
BTW, this was my favorite episode of the first season. It may be my favorite episode ever.
The psychiatrist tells Don about Betty's petty jealousies and childish emotions. He says chronic anxiety is in housewives, but she has deeper issues and it will take more time and more frequent sessions to explore them.
Roger is having milk in his scotch for breakfast - supposedly the milk will help his ulcer. Cooper says that Nixon's people are coming for a meeting soon. He says that when Neville Chamberlain met with Adolf Hitler, Chamberlain was put at a disadvantage by being forbidden to smoke.
Memorial Day weekend is coming up. Roger wants to spend the weekend with Joan, but she's made plans with roommate Carol. In front of Pete, Roger recruits Don for some no-goodery instead. Pete tries to get invited, but is snubbed.
Pete offers to review Peggy's writing for the Belle Jolie lipstick campaign.
Don invites Roger home for dinner. Only after Roger accepts does Don notify Betty, and blames Roger for the short notice.
There's not enough steak for everyone, so Betty doesn't have any. She claims she was fat as a child. Roger tries to charm Betty, and she plays along. They talk about where they went swimming as kids. Roger gets too nosy for Don's tastes.
After dinner, there's drinking and smoking and talking about the war. Roger was in World War II, Don went to Korea. Roger thinks his war was better than Don's war; he thinks his generation is tougher than Don's, too.
Don goes out in search of more booze. While Don is gone, Roger puts the moves on Betty, who is now not finding it so easy to be charming. When Don comes back, he's suspicious of what he sees. Roger is very drunk. He takes a drink in a glass to go. Don gives Betty hell, as if it's her fault that Don's boss is a horndog! She says she was just being friendly, because Roger is Don's boss. He says she's like a little girl. (A little girl whose husband needs to supervise his boss better.)
At the office the next day, the guys laugh at the extra chip 'n' dip tray that Pete got for a wedding present. His mission today is to return it to the store. The madmen are amused that he's running errands for Trudy, but Pete says he doesn't mind.
All sobered up now (relatively speaking), Roger tells Don that he was drunk last night. One time, he went home to the wrong place. Don says Betty wants her glass back.
Pete has trouble with the chip 'n' dip return; he doesn't have a receipt and he doesn't realize that they were registered in Trudy's name and not his. While fighting this battle, he runs into a rich friend from school, who flirts with the store employee behind the counter. She tells Pete she can only give him store credit for the tray. After the friend leaves, leaves Pete tells the girl at the counter that he has diseases. He uses the store credit to buy a rifle, takes it back to the office, and points it at the secretaries.
Nixon's people are coming to the office tomorrow. The madmen discuss Kennedy. Most of them seem to hate him venomously. Don is quiet. Someone compares Kennedy to Elvis. Pete says Elvis doesn't wear a hat either.
At home that night, Don gives Betty more shit about flirting with Roger; meanwhile, Trudy is upset with Pete about the rifle.
Next day, Peggy gives her lipstick copy to Pete for review. He talks about a fantasy he has where he hunts something and brings it to a cabin, where his woman cooks it for him and then watches him eat it. Peggy says, "that would be wonderful."
At lunch, Peggy is hungry and buys a big lunch from the sandwich cart. Her boobs look huge.
Betty goes to the supermarket, where she runs into Helen Bishop. At first Helen seems to try to ignore her, but when Betty approaches her, Helen admits she's very upset that Betty gave a lock of her hair to Glen. Helen says he's just a kid; what's wrong with Betty? Betty slaps Helen right in the produce department. Everybody sees them.
At lunch, Don encourages Roger to eat lots of oysters, drink lots of martinis, smoke lots of cigarettes, and have cheesecake for dessert. They make inane small talk about Lucy and Desi. Roger babbles that he love redheads. He mentions his ulcer. Don gets him to have one more drink.
Betty splits some wine with her pregnant neighbor Francine - they're tasting wines for a dinner party. Francine asks Betty about the slap at the supermarket. She's worried about Betty. Francine supposedly hates Helen, but from the way she's talking it seems more likely that she's terribly jealous. Betty says she hates JFK. She talks about her mother and her doctor. She's nervous that men will someday not find her desirable.
The elevator is out of order because Don bribed the operator before lunch. He and Roger will have to climb the stairs to get to the office on the 23rd floor. A drunk, sickly, exhausted Roger is already whining at the 8.5 floor landing. Don is amused, smoking a cigarette. Roger won't stop for a rest. He groggily gasps again that he loves redheads. He stumbles and says that he lost his tie clip. He sends Don ahead, who makes it to the 23rd floor in surprisingly good condition for a guy who never seems to exercise, unless you count banging his girlfriend.
Nixon's people arrive. Roger finally reaches the lobby. He throws up in front of everyone, woozy and breathless. "Oysters," he explains dizzily. Cooper replies, "I can see that."
The elevator dings behind them.
Mad Men 1.6: Like a dog playing the piano
It's Mother's Day. Don has prepared a breakfast for Betty. While bringing the tray up the stairs, he slips on a toy and falls. He flashes back to the day of Adam's birth. "He's not my brother," he declares jealously. Grownups explain that he and Adam have the same dad.
Betty is terrified of old age, but she thinks the therapy is helping. Don, who never knew his own mother, disapproves of mourning. Betty tells Don she thinks about sex with him at all day long.
The client wants to promote Israeli as a tourist destination. The madmen have difficulty brainstorming about a place that they associated with Jews, Arabs, and guns. I think one of them says that Bermuda is nearby -- zzt, wrong, Bermuda is in the Atlantic ocean, nowhere near Israel.
I have a note here that says "Roger's wife Mona and troubled daughter Margaret." I don't recall what this is in reference to. It might have been when they showed up at the office and there was some talk of getting Margaret a haircut; Joan charmingly told Mona she'd recommend a good stylist.
Roger and Joan meet somewhere for a tryst. They've been having an affair for a year. Roger wants to "keep" her, but even one week is too long Joan. She says she and her roommate Carol have bigger plans with boyfriends. Roger thinks Joan should get a bird to keep her company instead. Joan jokes that the '61 models are coming out soon, and they have bigger fins; her flippant tone hides a not-too-subtle sadness.
The madmen are still brainstorming Israel. There's a Paul Newman movie out called Exodus. One of them jokes about enjoying danger. Don reminds them to leave religion out of it. Paul thinks the place is "too communist." The movie makes them think of women with guns. Sal says to change it to women and diamonds.
Don calls Rachel to ask her to lunch. A male secretary answers.
At home, Betty tells Don her first kiss was with a Jewish boy. The other girls were jealous. It's incredibly hot; she asks Don to get an air conditioner.
A new client, Belle Jolie, sells lipstick. The men don't understand about lipstick, so they recruit "morons" from the secretarial pool to do a focus group. The madmen watch the women through one-way glass as they try on questions and answer apparently intimidating, complicated questions about lipstick, such as how many lipsticks do they buy in a year. Joan, who is wearing a bright red dress, gives the men a show by sticking her butt out them in the mirrored window.
At lunch, Rachel is amused by Don's mention of the "Exodus" movie. "Don't cross the Israelis," she advises Don. She is annoyed by his ignorance and presumption. Israel is more an idea than a place, she tells him. Utopia means both "a good place" and "a place that can never be."
After the brainstorming session, Peggy refers to the discarded facial tissues as "a basket of kisses." One of the men asks, "who told you that?" (Is that not the most insulting thing? When you say something and someone asks you how you knew that, or who taught you that? Gaaaah!! I'm glad I wasn't born any sooner than I was!) Peggy has other good ideas. Watching through the glass with some other men, Joan (who had no original or clever ideas of her own) is scornful and dismissive. She says it's like watching a dog play the piano. One of the men (I don't remember if it's the client or someone else) wants to give the writing assignment to Peggy.
Rachel calls her sister to talk about men. She hints around about Don.
A very pissy, envious Joan tells Peggy about the writing assignment. She'll get no pay or comp time for this work. It's obvious that Joan is very envious, even if she may not realize it herself. I think she simply sees Peggy as an uppity female who will never gain the prize that is required of all true women - to find a husband.
Don meets with Midge (I'm not sure if he called first). Roy is there. They have plans to listen to hippies, or beatniks, or whatever they were called in 1960, at a coffee house.
Roger and Joan meet for another tryst. He's bought her a bird. Joan is self-conscious about having sex in front of the bird.
Don, Midge, and Roy go to a coffee house full of would-be avant-garde artists mingling with pretentious wannabes and drips. Roy presents Don with questions about his profession which Roy probably thinks are evocative and challenging, but Don finds him self-important and pretentious.
Roy: How do you sleep at night?
Don: On a bed made out of money.
Roy's friend Ian shows up and sings a song about Zion. Don leaves.
Betty is terrified of old age, but she thinks the therapy is helping. Don, who never knew his own mother, disapproves of mourning. Betty tells Don she thinks about sex with him at all day long.
The client wants to promote Israeli as a tourist destination. The madmen have difficulty brainstorming about a place that they associated with Jews, Arabs, and guns. I think one of them says that Bermuda is nearby -- zzt, wrong, Bermuda is in the Atlantic ocean, nowhere near Israel.
I have a note here that says "Roger's wife Mona and troubled daughter Margaret." I don't recall what this is in reference to. It might have been when they showed up at the office and there was some talk of getting Margaret a haircut; Joan charmingly told Mona she'd recommend a good stylist.
Roger and Joan meet somewhere for a tryst. They've been having an affair for a year. Roger wants to "keep" her, but even one week is too long Joan. She says she and her roommate Carol have bigger plans with boyfriends. Roger thinks Joan should get a bird to keep her company instead. Joan jokes that the '61 models are coming out soon, and they have bigger fins; her flippant tone hides a not-too-subtle sadness.
The madmen are still brainstorming Israel. There's a Paul Newman movie out called Exodus. One of them jokes about enjoying danger. Don reminds them to leave religion out of it. Paul thinks the place is "too communist." The movie makes them think of women with guns. Sal says to change it to women and diamonds.
Don calls Rachel to ask her to lunch. A male secretary answers.
At home, Betty tells Don her first kiss was with a Jewish boy. The other girls were jealous. It's incredibly hot; she asks Don to get an air conditioner.
A new client, Belle Jolie, sells lipstick. The men don't understand about lipstick, so they recruit "morons" from the secretarial pool to do a focus group. The madmen watch the women through one-way glass as they try on questions and answer apparently intimidating, complicated questions about lipstick, such as how many lipsticks do they buy in a year. Joan, who is wearing a bright red dress, gives the men a show by sticking her butt out them in the mirrored window.
At lunch, Rachel is amused by Don's mention of the "Exodus" movie. "Don't cross the Israelis," she advises Don. She is annoyed by his ignorance and presumption. Israel is more an idea than a place, she tells him. Utopia means both "a good place" and "a place that can never be."
After the brainstorming session, Peggy refers to the discarded facial tissues as "a basket of kisses." One of the men asks, "who told you that?" (Is that not the most insulting thing? When you say something and someone asks you how you knew that, or who taught you that? Gaaaah!! I'm glad I wasn't born any sooner than I was!) Peggy has other good ideas. Watching through the glass with some other men, Joan (who had no original or clever ideas of her own) is scornful and dismissive. She says it's like watching a dog play the piano. One of the men (I don't remember if it's the client or someone else) wants to give the writing assignment to Peggy.
Rachel calls her sister to talk about men. She hints around about Don.
A very pissy, envious Joan tells Peggy about the writing assignment. She'll get no pay or comp time for this work. It's obvious that Joan is very envious, even if she may not realize it herself. I think she simply sees Peggy as an uppity female who will never gain the prize that is required of all true women - to find a husband.
Don meets with Midge (I'm not sure if he called first). Roy is there. They have plans to listen to hippies, or beatniks, or whatever they were called in 1960, at a coffee house.
Roger and Joan meet for another tryst. He's bought her a bird. Joan is self-conscious about having sex in front of the bird.
Don, Midge, and Roy go to a coffee house full of would-be avant-garde artists mingling with pretentious wannabes and drips. Roy presents Don with questions about his profession which Roy probably thinks are evocative and challenging, but Don finds him self-important and pretentious.
Roy: How do you sleep at night?
Don: On a bed made out of money.
Roy's friend Ian shows up and sings a song about Zion. Don leaves.
2008-08-11
Season 2 Mad Men recaps discontinued... sort of
I am both sad and happy to tell you that AMC is posting thorough, excellent recaps of their own shows in a much more timely manner than I possibly could hope to match.
I'm sad about this because I really enjoy doing the recaps. But I'm happy because neither my carpal tunnel syndrome nor my increasingly screwy sleep disorder could take much more abuse. (Even if I do the recap at a later date, I still have to do it at night, and it takes a while to get it the way I want it.)
Go to this page on AMC's website, which is full of good stuff, and click Episode Guide. I'd just give you that URL to link to, but Episode Guide links to a different page each week. It may link to the previous week's episode, but that's okay; use the navigation links in the sidebar on the right to find the episode you want, or a preview of the next week's episode.
If you still need more Mad Men, this blog posts a great analysis just as each episode is ending. You can't get any more prompt than that! I think this guy gets to watch the shows in advance; he also includes a couple of great stills from each episode. Highly recommended!
Guess I should have researched this before I started doing the recaps, huh?
I still intend to finish the season 1 recaps, just because I hate to leave that unfinished, but they'll be very condensed to just the main plot points. (That was the original plan anyway, but I tend to get carried away....)
For new episodes, I may still continue doing some kind of Mad Men feature, like maybe a "Great Moments in Mad Men Episodes" including memorable quotes and major plot points, or something like that. It might be irresistible not to! But they won't be very detailed.
I'm sad about this because I really enjoy doing the recaps. But I'm happy because neither my carpal tunnel syndrome nor my increasingly screwy sleep disorder could take much more abuse. (Even if I do the recap at a later date, I still have to do it at night, and it takes a while to get it the way I want it.)
Go to this page on AMC's website, which is full of good stuff, and click Episode Guide. I'd just give you that URL to link to, but Episode Guide links to a different page each week. It may link to the previous week's episode, but that's okay; use the navigation links in the sidebar on the right to find the episode you want, or a preview of the next week's episode.
If you still need more Mad Men, this blog posts a great analysis just as each episode is ending. You can't get any more prompt than that! I think this guy gets to watch the shows in advance; he also includes a couple of great stills from each episode. Highly recommended!
Guess I should have researched this before I started doing the recaps, huh?
I still intend to finish the season 1 recaps, just because I hate to leave that unfinished, but they'll be very condensed to just the main plot points. (That was the original plan anyway, but I tend to get carried away....)
For new episodes, I may still continue doing some kind of Mad Men feature, like maybe a "Great Moments in Mad Men Episodes" including memorable quotes and major plot points, or something like that. It might be irresistible not to! But they won't be very detailed.
Mad Men #16, 8/10/08 - 2.3: 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.
2008-08-09
Mad Men 1.5: Brought to you by Liberty for the Libertine
Don and Betty go to an awards dinner, where Don wins a crummy trophy that falls apart before sunup. They drink heavily, drunk-drive home which seems to be PERFECTLY SAFE in 1960, and wake up the next morning with hangovers.
Ken Cosgrove, a junior executive, has been writing short stories on the side - he just got published in Atlantic Monthly. He's very smug about it; Roger even congratulates him personally. The guys are all jealous of Ken - especially Paul, the aspiring writer, and Pete. Pete gripes about it to Trudy at home that night. Apparently he has written a story of his own; all we're told is that there's a hunter and a bear. Trudy tries to be supportive, but it's clear that she thinks it's crap. He asks her to shop his story to an agent she knows named Charlie Fiddich.
Trudy tries, but Charlie is her ex... in fact, he was her first lover. He's not impressed by the story either. He's seeing someone, but he wants Trudy. Trudy says refuses.
Trudy tells Pete that Charlie will publish the story in Boys' Life - for a $40 fee. (I think Ken received $500 for his story.) Trudy tries to be upbeat about it, but Pete is disgusted - both with Charlie and with Trudy. He says it was a year's work. He's frustrated that no one seems to understand how great his story is.
It seems pretty clear that Pete understands what Trudy would have had to do in order to get a better deal out of Charlie; and evidently he's angry with her for not prostituting herself to advance his ego and an undeserved literary career.
That's the end of this storyline - it doesn't leak over into another episode. It's only there to show us how arrogant, conceited, and insensitive Pete is - just in case you weren't sure before. He has lots of raw talent and occasionally comes up with great ideas, but his privileged childhood, pettiness, inexperience, and lack of humility prevent him from seeing just what an amateur he still is.
Another thought I've had about Pete, which isn't directly related to this or any other specific plot point, is that Pete seems to look up to Don as a father figure. Sad choice, since Don doesn't seem to like Pete any better than Pete's own father does.
Now, on to the fun stuff:
Don wonders why they bother attracting women to banks by giving away free toasters. After all, men make the money and they own the accounts. The men brainstorm for a while and realize that discreet, private accounts - "executive accounts," Don elaborates - could be a great idea.
Midge calls for Don. Peggy overhears some of the conversation by mistake and realizes that Don's got a girlfriend.
The Don gets a visitor named Adam Whitman. He insists on calling Don "Dick" (the name, not the insult). Don plays dumb, but it turns out Adam is the younger half-brother that Don abandoned. (I'm actually not sure how much of the backstory they covered in this episode, so maybe we don't know yet that they're only half-brothers. Not that there's anything wrong with that.) Adam is a janitor at the Empire State building, and in one of the wastebaskets he saw a magazine article with a photo of Don accepting that award.
Adam is visibly delighted to see his brother. He asks Don why he left him. Adam's mom died of stomach cancer. Don says, "Good." Uncle Mac is dead too. Don continues to be reticent. He finally manages to get rid of Adam by agreeing to meet him for lunch at a crummy diner.
A while later, during lunch hour, Betty shows up at the office with Sally and Robert for the family photo. Peggy panics, thinking Don is with Midge; she asks Joan for advice. She lets Joan know a little too much. Joan tells Peggy to keep to keep Betty busy and let Don make up his own excuse when he comes back. Then Peggy can just apologize for being so dumb.
At lunch, Adam is sad, confused, and curious. Don won't tell him anything and discourages him from contacting him again.
Peggy and Betty make small talk in Don's office. Don finally shows up with a great excuse - "I forgot." Peggy apologizes for stupidly forgetting to remind him.
At home later, Betty tells her neighbor Francine that she doesn't like the way the pictures turned out. (Fastest film lab ever!) She think Sally looks fat, and the color is off. She also feels that she wasn't treated like royalty at the office.
The Liberty Capital Bank client shows up for his meeting. Pete flatters Don effusively, but Paul does the pitch. The man will receive his statements at the office instead of at home. Woohoo! "Liberty for the Libertine!"
The client is thrilled. Now he can charge extra for a service that he's been providing anyway!
Speaking of mail that's discreetly sent to the office rather than the home, Adam has sent Don his contact information and some old photos.
Joan tells Peggy to keep Don's private life private and stop judging him.
Betty talks to Don about going to her family's place in Cape May in August. He doesn't like being there; she and the kids will go without him. She also tells him that she likes Peggy, though it's not quite clear that she does...
Don burns the photos that Adam sent. He goes to Adam's place, a dingy little hotel room, and gives him all of his savings - $5,000 - to "leave New York, leave me alone, and make a new life. Pretend I'm dead." Adam's heartbroken, but he doesn't put up a fight. They hug. Don's face is wet.
Later, Betty asks Don if they can get their own summer home, since they had such a good year. Don says they don't have that much money.
Ken Cosgrove, a junior executive, has been writing short stories on the side - he just got published in Atlantic Monthly. He's very smug about it; Roger even congratulates him personally. The guys are all jealous of Ken - especially Paul, the aspiring writer, and Pete. Pete gripes about it to Trudy at home that night. Apparently he has written a story of his own; all we're told is that there's a hunter and a bear. Trudy tries to be supportive, but it's clear that she thinks it's crap. He asks her to shop his story to an agent she knows named Charlie Fiddich.
Trudy tries, but Charlie is her ex... in fact, he was her first lover. He's not impressed by the story either. He's seeing someone, but he wants Trudy. Trudy says refuses.
Trudy tells Pete that Charlie will publish the story in Boys' Life - for a $40 fee. (I think Ken received $500 for his story.) Trudy tries to be upbeat about it, but Pete is disgusted - both with Charlie and with Trudy. He says it was a year's work. He's frustrated that no one seems to understand how great his story is.
It seems pretty clear that Pete understands what Trudy would have had to do in order to get a better deal out of Charlie; and evidently he's angry with her for not prostituting herself to advance his ego and an undeserved literary career.
That's the end of this storyline - it doesn't leak over into another episode. It's only there to show us how arrogant, conceited, and insensitive Pete is - just in case you weren't sure before. He has lots of raw talent and occasionally comes up with great ideas, but his privileged childhood, pettiness, inexperience, and lack of humility prevent him from seeing just what an amateur he still is.
Another thought I've had about Pete, which isn't directly related to this or any other specific plot point, is that Pete seems to look up to Don as a father figure. Sad choice, since Don doesn't seem to like Pete any better than Pete's own father does.
Now, on to the fun stuff:
Don wonders why they bother attracting women to banks by giving away free toasters. After all, men make the money and they own the accounts. The men brainstorm for a while and realize that discreet, private accounts - "executive accounts," Don elaborates - could be a great idea.
Midge calls for Don. Peggy overhears some of the conversation by mistake and realizes that Don's got a girlfriend.
The Don gets a visitor named Adam Whitman. He insists on calling Don "Dick" (the name, not the insult). Don plays dumb, but it turns out Adam is the younger half-brother that Don abandoned. (I'm actually not sure how much of the backstory they covered in this episode, so maybe we don't know yet that they're only half-brothers. Not that there's anything wrong with that.) Adam is a janitor at the Empire State building, and in one of the wastebaskets he saw a magazine article with a photo of Don accepting that award.
Adam is visibly delighted to see his brother. He asks Don why he left him. Adam's mom died of stomach cancer. Don says, "Good." Uncle Mac is dead too. Don continues to be reticent. He finally manages to get rid of Adam by agreeing to meet him for lunch at a crummy diner.
A while later, during lunch hour, Betty shows up at the office with Sally and Robert for the family photo. Peggy panics, thinking Don is with Midge; she asks Joan for advice. She lets Joan know a little too much. Joan tells Peggy to keep to keep Betty busy and let Don make up his own excuse when he comes back. Then Peggy can just apologize for being so dumb.
At lunch, Adam is sad, confused, and curious. Don won't tell him anything and discourages him from contacting him again.
Peggy and Betty make small talk in Don's office. Don finally shows up with a great excuse - "I forgot." Peggy apologizes for stupidly forgetting to remind him.
At home later, Betty tells her neighbor Francine that she doesn't like the way the pictures turned out. (Fastest film lab ever!) She think Sally looks fat, and the color is off. She also feels that she wasn't treated like royalty at the office.
The Liberty Capital Bank client shows up for his meeting. Pete flatters Don effusively, but Paul does the pitch. The man will receive his statements at the office instead of at home. Woohoo! "Liberty for the Libertine!"
The client is thrilled. Now he can charge extra for a service that he's been providing anyway!
Speaking of mail that's discreetly sent to the office rather than the home, Adam has sent Don his contact information and some old photos.
Joan tells Peggy to keep Don's private life private and stop judging him.
Betty talks to Don about going to her family's place in Cape May in August. He doesn't like being there; she and the kids will go without him. She also tells him that she likes Peggy, though it's not quite clear that she does...
Don burns the photos that Adam sent. He goes to Adam's place, a dingy little hotel room, and gives him all of his savings - $5,000 - to "leave New York, leave me alone, and make a new life. Pretend I'm dead." Adam's heartbroken, but he doesn't put up a fight. They hug. Don's face is wet.
Later, Betty asks Don if they can get their own summer home, since they had such a good year. Don says they don't have that much money.
2008-08-07
Mad Men 1.4: Brought to you by Bethlehem Steel
Pete's wife Trudy shows up unexpectedly for lunch. Pete is annoyed but agrees to go with her. However, he makes eyes at Peggy on his way out.
Pete and Trudy look at a large, gorgeous flat in the city. Pete makes $3500 a year - not nearly enough to get the flat, which they might be able to get for $30,000. Trudy thinks their parents will help with the cost.
Don runs into Rachel at the office. Paul is her new account executive. She turns down Don's lunch invitation.
Betty sees Helen's ex-husband banging on Helen's front door. He asks if he can use Betty's phone. Betty refuses. Helen comes over later to apologize. She says her ex-husband wasn't interested in the kids while they were married. He had many "friends" in the city, but none were men.
Don comes in and says hello. Helen goes home, where are kids are sleeping alone in the house.
Pete meets with his parents to ask for help with the flat. They come from old money; his father scoffs at Pete's silly little job and says the apartment is on the "wrong street." (It's just a few streets away from what Pete's father considers ideal.) He refuses to help Pete with the money, even though he helped Pete's brother cover up a crime. Pete goes home and tells Trudy that his dad was sick, so he didn't ask for the money.
Next day, Don makes his pitch to the Bethlehem Steel. The client thinks that Sal's artwork is too retro, and the ads look like they're for cities rather than steel. The artwork is exactly as Don had ordered it, but the client is obviously not a city guy. Pete tries to take over the meeting, which frustrates Don even more. Later, Pete confronts Don to ask for respect and a chance to do good work. He says he figured out direct marketing all by himself. Sure someone else came up with the idea first, but Pete thought of it independently. He feels that he's being set up to fail.
Helen asks Betty to babysit while Helen stuffs envelopes for the Kennedy campaign. Helen looks like she's dressed for a date, but she says most of the campaign workers are women. Betty's not sure who "we" are voting for.
Pete and Trudy meet with Trudy's parents. Her father Tom is willing to look at the apartment. Pete hesitates, but Tom has faith in Pete. Pete feels nervous and a little emasculated.
Betty uses the bathroom at Helen's house. She snoops through the drawers and finds Helen's diaphragm. (I thought it was birth control pills at first, but it's only 1960 in this episode. It turns out that the familiar round dispenser didn't come along until 1962, and it wasn't that good-looking.)
Glenn walks in on Betty while she's on the toilet. She scolds him. Later he's sorry. He hugs her and cries. He's smitten with Betty and asks for a lock of her princess hair. She resists at first, but he's so earnest and pathetic that she finally gives it to him.
Pete meets with the client from Bethlehem Steel at a bar and introduces him to some "cousins," i.e. bimbos. He pitches an idea, but the client is not in the mood to talk about business. He assumes that Don put him up to this and that the idea Pete pitched was Don's. Given the client's irritation, Pete doesn't let him know it was his own idea.
Helen comes home from her campaign work with some Kennedy pamphlets.
The next day at work, the Bethlehem Steel guy tells Don he loved the idea that Pete pitched. Now Pete is really angry with himself. Don is angry with Pete too. He tells Pete to pack his things. Then he tells Roger what happened too. They're both furious.
Betty goes to the psychiatrist. She tells the doctor that she feels sorry for Helen. She thinks that Helen is jealous of Betty. She's worried about the boy; she thinks he's not "getting what he needs" from the person who takes care of him.
Roger and Don meet with Cooper, the big boss. Cooper says they can't fire Pete, because his socially influential mom might bad-mouth them to her friends, which include potential clients.
They meet with Pete later. Roger tells Pete that he and Cooper both wanted him fired, but Don went to bat for him. This appeases Don and saves Pete's job.
Later, Don and Roger compare generations. Not surprisingly, it seems that there's some competition between the WW2 generation (Roger) and the Korea generation (Don).
Pete and Trudy go to the apartment with Trudy's parents. The Realtor introduces some neighbors. The neighbor is impressed by Pete's family connections, but Pete seems to be in the shadow of his ancestors.
Pete and Trudy look at a large, gorgeous flat in the city. Pete makes $3500 a year - not nearly enough to get the flat, which they might be able to get for $30,000. Trudy thinks their parents will help with the cost.
Don runs into Rachel at the office. Paul is her new account executive. She turns down Don's lunch invitation.
Betty sees Helen's ex-husband banging on Helen's front door. He asks if he can use Betty's phone. Betty refuses. Helen comes over later to apologize. She says her ex-husband wasn't interested in the kids while they were married. He had many "friends" in the city, but none were men.
Don comes in and says hello. Helen goes home, where are kids are sleeping alone in the house.
Pete meets with his parents to ask for help with the flat. They come from old money; his father scoffs at Pete's silly little job and says the apartment is on the "wrong street." (It's just a few streets away from what Pete's father considers ideal.) He refuses to help Pete with the money, even though he helped Pete's brother cover up a crime. Pete goes home and tells Trudy that his dad was sick, so he didn't ask for the money.
Next day, Don makes his pitch to the Bethlehem Steel. The client thinks that Sal's artwork is too retro, and the ads look like they're for cities rather than steel. The artwork is exactly as Don had ordered it, but the client is obviously not a city guy. Pete tries to take over the meeting, which frustrates Don even more. Later, Pete confronts Don to ask for respect and a chance to do good work. He says he figured out direct marketing all by himself. Sure someone else came up with the idea first, but Pete thought of it independently. He feels that he's being set up to fail.
Helen asks Betty to babysit while Helen stuffs envelopes for the Kennedy campaign. Helen looks like she's dressed for a date, but she says most of the campaign workers are women. Betty's not sure who "we" are voting for.
Pete and Trudy meet with Trudy's parents. Her father Tom is willing to look at the apartment. Pete hesitates, but Tom has faith in Pete. Pete feels nervous and a little emasculated.
Betty uses the bathroom at Helen's house. She snoops through the drawers and finds Helen's diaphragm. (I thought it was birth control pills at first, but it's only 1960 in this episode. It turns out that the familiar round dispenser didn't come along until 1962, and it wasn't that good-looking.)
Glenn walks in on Betty while she's on the toilet. She scolds him. Later he's sorry. He hugs her and cries. He's smitten with Betty and asks for a lock of her princess hair. She resists at first, but he's so earnest and pathetic that she finally gives it to him.
Pete meets with the client from Bethlehem Steel at a bar and introduces him to some "cousins," i.e. bimbos. He pitches an idea, but the client is not in the mood to talk about business. He assumes that Don put him up to this and that the idea Pete pitched was Don's. Given the client's irritation, Pete doesn't let him know it was his own idea.
Helen comes home from her campaign work with some Kennedy pamphlets.
The next day at work, the Bethlehem Steel guy tells Don he loved the idea that Pete pitched. Now Pete is really angry with himself. Don is angry with Pete too. He tells Pete to pack his things. Then he tells Roger what happened too. They're both furious.
Betty goes to the psychiatrist. She tells the doctor that she feels sorry for Helen. She thinks that Helen is jealous of Betty. She's worried about the boy; she thinks he's not "getting what he needs" from the person who takes care of him.
Roger and Don meet with Cooper, the big boss. Cooper says they can't fire Pete, because his socially influential mom might bad-mouth them to her friends, which include potential clients.
They meet with Pete later. Roger tells Pete that he and Cooper both wanted him fired, but Don went to bat for him. This appeases Don and saves Pete's job.
Later, Don and Roger compare generations. Not surprisingly, it seems that there's some competition between the WW2 generation (Roger) and the Korea generation (Don).
Pete and Trudy go to the apartment with Trudy's parents. The Realtor introduces some neighbors. The neighbor is impressed by Pete's family connections, but Pete seems to be in the shadow of his ancestors.
2008-08-06
In other Emmy news...
The Office has 8 nominations in 7 categories:
Mad Men has 16 nominations in 14 categories:
Good luck, everyone! Don't you dare come home without a trophy!!
The awards show is September 21.
Get more Emmy nomination info here.
- Comedy Series
- Lead actor/comedy (Steve Carell)
- Supporting actor/comedy (Rainn Wilson)
- Directing/comedy (2 nominations)
- Writing/comedy ("Dinner Party")
- Picture editing/comedy
- Sound mixing/half-hour comedy or drama
Mad Men has 16 nominations in 14 categories:
- Drama Series
- Lead actor/drama (Jon Hamm)
- Supporting actor/drama (John Slattery)
- Guest actor/drama (Robert Morse)
- Directing/drama
- Writing/drama (2 nominations - "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes," "The Wheel")
- Casting/drama
- Art direction/single-camera (2 nominations) WON ("Smoke Gets In Your Eyes")
- Cinematography/one-hour series WON
- Costumes/series
- Hairstyling/single-camera WON
- Makeup/single-camera (non-prosthetic)
- Prosthetic makeup
- Main title design WON
Good luck, everyone! Don't you dare come home without a trophy!!
The awards show is September 21.
Get more Emmy nomination info here.
2008-08-05
Ugly Betty starts 9/25; plus casting and Emmy news
And now for something completely different... Ugly Betty news.
Season 3 of Ugly Betty begins September 25.
TVGuide is reporting that Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa will be in the first episode, and Ripa's husband Mark Consuelos will be in the third episode.
No doubt there will be more casting news later. Last spring, they were talking about a story arc for Lindsey Lohan. She appeared in a flashback as one of Betty's childhood tormentors.
I realize that ABC gets a lot more ratings kick for special guests than for bragging about great writing; however, it still bothers me that ABC shoehorns so many celebrity appearances into the show without regard for how these often-irrelevant digressions affect the flow of the episode or the development of the story arc. This can't be easy on the writers.
Ugly Betty didn't get any Emmy nominations for writing this year. I got a distinct impression that the strike really screwed up their plans for season 2; they salvaged it well, but it was clear that there were things missing, like an explanation of what happened to Ignacio when he was in Mexico.
America Ferrara and Vanessa Williams did get Emmy nominations, and the show also got nominations for casting, costuming, hair, and art direction.
I agree about the actresses, casting, and art direction nominations.
The costuming one seems inevitable - actually, a little too easy, almost lazy - given the fashion tie-ins; on the other hand, it takes some real skill to dress Betty as badly as they do.
I had my doubts about the hair styling, but then I remembered a few months ago when all the women on General Hospital suddenly had straight-cut bangs across their foreheads. Then I thought, yeah, the hair in UB isn't so bad.
Season 3 of Ugly Betty begins September 25.
TVGuide is reporting that Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa will be in the first episode, and Ripa's husband Mark Consuelos will be in the third episode.
No doubt there will be more casting news later. Last spring, they were talking about a story arc for Lindsey Lohan. She appeared in a flashback as one of Betty's childhood tormentors.
I realize that ABC gets a lot more ratings kick for special guests than for bragging about great writing; however, it still bothers me that ABC shoehorns so many celebrity appearances into the show without regard for how these often-irrelevant digressions affect the flow of the episode or the development of the story arc. This can't be easy on the writers.
Ugly Betty didn't get any Emmy nominations for writing this year. I got a distinct impression that the strike really screwed up their plans for season 2; they salvaged it well, but it was clear that there were things missing, like an explanation of what happened to Ignacio when he was in Mexico.
America Ferrara and Vanessa Williams did get Emmy nominations, and the show also got nominations for casting, costuming, hair, and art direction.
I agree about the actresses, casting, and art direction nominations.
The costuming one seems inevitable - actually, a little too easy, almost lazy - given the fashion tie-ins; on the other hand, it takes some real skill to dress Betty as badly as they do.
I had my doubts about the hair styling, but then I remembered a few months ago when all the women on General Hospital suddenly had straight-cut bangs across their foreheads. Then I thought, yeah, the hair in UB isn't so bad.
2008-08-04
Mad Men #15, 8/3/08 - 2.2: 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.
Hey pals, if you thought you saw episode 1.4 here earlier and then it disappeared, it's because I made it disappear. I realized that it wasn't a good idea to post that immediately after posting the 2.1 recap... then people would have to scroll through an old recap to get to a new one.
I'm going to leave it out for now, and post it and a few other first-season recaps together later this week.
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.
Hey pals, if you thought you saw episode 1.4 here earlier and then it disappeared, it's because I made it disappear. I realized that it wasn't a good idea to post that immediately after posting the 2.1 recap... then people would have to scroll through an old recap to get to a new one.
I'm going to leave it out for now, and post it and a few other first-season recaps together later this week.
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.
2008-08-03
Mad Men 7/27/08 - 2.1: Fourteen Months Later
It's Valentine's Day, 1962. Fourteen months have passed since the last episode.
Betty is taking riding lessons. I think the woman she's with is Mona (Roger's wife). Whoever it is is saying that her daughter Becky has been saving her lunch money in her pencil case. She is concerned about the dishonesty, but she and Betty agree that it's good that the girl is losing weight. This friend has been flirting with one of the other riding students, a guy who's 25. The friend and the young guy think that the riding instructor, Gertie, has a crush on Betty.
Don has to take a physical exam for insurance. At the ripe old age of 36, he has a blood pressure reading of 160/100. (A top number of 130 is considered high.) He tells the doctor he has five drinks and two packs of cigarettes a day. The doctor warns him about fast living, prescribes reserpine for his blood pressure and phenobarbital to help him relax. (Reserpine is much less popular now due to side effects; phenobarbital is still widely used for certain things, but is no longer the first choice for treating anxiety.)
Don is late for a meeting with the madmen. There's a plate of sandwiches, which they debate eating. Despite having been a junior copywriter for more than a year, Peggy is still treated like a secretary/waitress. They send her into the office to find out where Don is. While she's gone, they make wry comments about her being Don's favorite. One of them (Dale? - still learning their names) thinks Don knocked her up and that's why she disappeared for a few months and came back 9.5 pounds lighter. Pet is sure she went to a fat farm.
Lois, the woman who started out on the switchboard with a crush on Sal, is now Don's secretary. She tells Peggy that Don "said" he went to see Pinocchio. Peggy disapproves of the Lois's dubious look and tone, and scolds her harshly for being indiscreet. Lois is bewildered and upset by Peggy's attitude.
Don is having a big meat 'n' potatoes lunch at a bar. The man sitting next to him is reading Meditations in an Emergency by Frank O'Hara, some of which was written in the very same bar. Don wonders if he would like the book. The man notices Don's type-A attitude ("It's all about getting things done") and thinks not. Don smiles to himself at the man's presumption.
Roger has a talk with Joan. He's clearly trying to move on with Mona, just as Joan has moved on - she's dating a doctor and expecting a marriage proposal soon.
Duck, the manager of Account Services that Don hired at the end of last season, tells Roger he's worried about the Martinson's coffee account. He says the youngsters don't like coffee; people under the age of 25 drink only cola. Freddie, the account manager, doesn't even drink coffee. (Roger points out that Freddie doesn't wear a bra either, but he did okay for Playtex.) Duck thinks their staff is too old. Clients want young writer/artist teams. He asks Roger to talk to Don about getting someone like that, just for the coffee account. Roger asks Duck why he can't talk to Don directly. Duck thinks he's supposed to do everything through Roger rather than deal with him directly. It seems that he needs Roger's advice on how best to approach Don.
Don finally shows up for the meeting. It takes the madmen a moment to get back into the business mood after waiting around for him and gossiping for over an hour. The account is Mohawk Airlines. The staff have clearly been having some trouble coming up with a concept. Don is negative and sarcastic about all of their ideas. He babbles something about Indians and adventure and pirates and conquistadors. "Blah, blah, blah, blah," he concludes eloquently. (Possible interaction of alcohol and phenobarbital?) They're all confused. He babbles some more about a skirt that's a little too short. That's the impression he leaves them all with. He wants to see more tomorrow.
Don pops a pill over deskside cocktails with Roger. Roger tells Don that they need someone younger on the coffee account. "Clients love young talent." Don suspects Duck's involvement. Paul has been tricked into providing a list of prospects. Don tells Roger to tell Duck that clients need to stand out, not fit in. Youth is a fad and young people don't know anything. Roger says fine, prove them wrong.
Don meets Betty at the Hotel Savoy. It seems that he has stopped fooling around in his spare time, perhaps as a result of Betty sneakily telling him via her psychiatrist (at the end of last season, recaps coming soon, I promise!) that she needs him to be faithful.
At the hotel, Betty runs into an old friend, Juanita, from her modeling days. Juanita is with an old guy named Curtis. She seems uncomfortable about giving Betty her phone number. She's wearing a two carat diamond, which she reluctantly tells Betty was a "gift." Later, Don tells Betty that Juanita is a "party girl" - a prostitute. Later, in the hotel room, Betty rationalizes about prostitution and wonders how much Juanita might get for a job.
Pete brings home some chocolate for Trudy. He scolds her for leaving a note in his lunch bag - Hildy, his secretary, saw the note. He demands a chocolate. Trudy's upset because her friend (wife of madman Harry, who kicked him out after he slept with a coworker on election night, but evidently took him back) is expecting a baby. Trudy is jealous of all the pregnant women she sees on the street, and feels left out. Pete doesn't seem to understand.
Back at the hotel, Don is having trouble in bed. (Known side-effect of Reserpine). Betty blames it on alcohol, but also thinks it's her fault and wants Don to tell her "what to do." They call for room service. Betty seems very choosy and indecisive about what she wants to eat.
They watch Jackie Kennedy giving a tour of the White House on TV.
Sal also watches, at home with a woman on his couch. (I can't tell whether that's Lois or not. If it is, her hair is different.) Sal wants to see JFK.
Joan is watching it on a date with her doctor boyfriend. He's horny, so she watches the show over his shoulder.
Pete is watching something else on TV, alone, eating Trudy's chocolates.
Next day, Betty's neighbor Francine is catty about Jackie Kennedy. She thinks that she and John F. looked phony as a couple. Betty says she and Don didn't have time to watch. Francine is jealous, but resigned to her fate as the wife of a philanderer who doesn't love her. Betty tells Francine about Juanita. In her version of the story, Betty's the one who figured out Juanita was a call girl, and Don agreed with her. Francine is titillated. Francine tells a story that when she was running low on money, she'd tell her dad she was going to Havana, and he'd send her money to place bets on his behalf. She didn't go to Havana, and kept the money.
The mad men are meeting at a big table in the main office instead of in the conference room. This was Paul's idea so that he can keep an eye on the activity in the office. Sure enough, two young men arrive for an interview. Paul is surprised to hear that Duck is trying to find younger people. (Some of the other mad men seem to know about it already). Ken feels sure that Don has something up his sleeve, that he'll eventually cause Duck to hang himself.
Don interviews the two guys. One of them is foreign, and his English is very poor, and he's wearing a bulky fisherman's sweater rather than a suit. They're not married, and they've spent their entire careers together (they're only 24 and 25). He asks if they've ever been fired. They both have the same last name (Smith... not a name you'd expect of a guy who doesn't speak English) and call themselves Kurt and Smitty. They're willing to share an office. Duck comes by to admire them. Smitty wants them to keep the meeting quiet (I don't know why). The youngsters leave. Don is sarcastic with Duck and insinuating that Duck can't really reel in the coffee client. Duck accuses Don of being narrow-minded.
Joan is trying to find a place for the new copy machine. It's in the hallway right now. She scolds Lois for crying in the break room. Joan tells her to be more respectful of Peggy. She and Lois look at the copy machine and agree that it can't stay in the hallway.
The madmen meeting has relocated to Pete's office. Peggy suggests marketing Clearasil to much younger girls even though they don't need pimple cream yet. Paul comes in, upset that two even younger guys have shown up for interviews. Peggy says she doesn't get it - she's only 22. "You don't count," Paul tells her. The meeting breaks up to celebrate Harry's (or is it Carey's - the captions aren't consistent) knocking up his wife.
Peggy is left alone with Pete. Pete grumps about kids and asks Peggy if she wants to have kids. "Eventually," she replies. Pete says, "Exactly!"
Peggy and Sal pitch their renovated Mohawk Airlines materials. Don is critical and detached. Today his mind is on sentiment and family. He goes off on Peggy for saying that sex sells, even though he's the one who mentioned short skirts yesterday. He lectures Peggy about how monkeys can't do their job. It's all about people feeling something. It's not about sex. (Sal loafs in the background; Don pretty much ignores him.) Finally Peggy comes up with an idea Don likes. A little boy at the airport asking, "What did you bring me, Daddy?"
Joan has found the ideal place for the copier: Peggy's office. People are Xeroxing their faces.
Two men are sharing graphic tales of seduction in the elevator in front of a very embarrassed woman. Don tells the mouthy man to take his hat off. Finally he takes it off for him.
Betty's car breaks down at night on her way to pick Sally up from ballet lessons. A passing woman agrees to send a tow truck.
Don comes home and pours himself a large drink. He offers Karla, the maid, a ride home. She looks at his full glass of scotch and says it's a nice night (actually, the street is wet) and she'll walk home.
The repair for the fan belt is $9. Betty has only $3. The mechanic offers to put the rest on account, but Betty doesn't want Don to know - he'll blame it on how she drives. The mechanic assures her it has nothing to do with that. She pours on the charm. He asks if she's bargaining. She pushes the point, somewhat playfully, and the mechanic agrees to do it for cost. She teasingly takes his hand as she offers the money. He pulls the money away from her and goes back to his truck.
That was weird. Was she hoping he'd ask for a special favor?
Don reads "Meditations in an Emergency" in his study. He writes a note on the cover: Made me think of you. He walks Polly, the dog, to the mailbox and ships the book off to some unknown person.
Advertising lesson: "There has to be advertising for people who don't have a sense of humor." (Don)
Betty is taking riding lessons. I think the woman she's with is Mona (Roger's wife). Whoever it is is saying that her daughter Becky has been saving her lunch money in her pencil case. She is concerned about the dishonesty, but she and Betty agree that it's good that the girl is losing weight. This friend has been flirting with one of the other riding students, a guy who's 25. The friend and the young guy think that the riding instructor, Gertie, has a crush on Betty.
Don has to take a physical exam for insurance. At the ripe old age of 36, he has a blood pressure reading of 160/100. (A top number of 130 is considered high.) He tells the doctor he has five drinks and two packs of cigarettes a day. The doctor warns him about fast living, prescribes reserpine for his blood pressure and phenobarbital to help him relax. (Reserpine is much less popular now due to side effects; phenobarbital is still widely used for certain things, but is no longer the first choice for treating anxiety.)
Don is late for a meeting with the madmen. There's a plate of sandwiches, which they debate eating. Despite having been a junior copywriter for more than a year, Peggy is still treated like a secretary/waitress. They send her into the office to find out where Don is. While she's gone, they make wry comments about her being Don's favorite. One of them (Dale? - still learning their names) thinks Don knocked her up and that's why she disappeared for a few months and came back 9.5 pounds lighter. Pet is sure she went to a fat farm.
Lois, the woman who started out on the switchboard with a crush on Sal, is now Don's secretary. She tells Peggy that Don "said" he went to see Pinocchio. Peggy disapproves of the Lois's dubious look and tone, and scolds her harshly for being indiscreet. Lois is bewildered and upset by Peggy's attitude.
Don is having a big meat 'n' potatoes lunch at a bar. The man sitting next to him is reading Meditations in an Emergency by Frank O'Hara, some of which was written in the very same bar. Don wonders if he would like the book. The man notices Don's type-A attitude ("It's all about getting things done") and thinks not. Don smiles to himself at the man's presumption.
Roger has a talk with Joan. He's clearly trying to move on with Mona, just as Joan has moved on - she's dating a doctor and expecting a marriage proposal soon.
Duck, the manager of Account Services that Don hired at the end of last season, tells Roger he's worried about the Martinson's coffee account. He says the youngsters don't like coffee; people under the age of 25 drink only cola. Freddie, the account manager, doesn't even drink coffee. (Roger points out that Freddie doesn't wear a bra either, but he did okay for Playtex.) Duck thinks their staff is too old. Clients want young writer/artist teams. He asks Roger to talk to Don about getting someone like that, just for the coffee account. Roger asks Duck why he can't talk to Don directly. Duck thinks he's supposed to do everything through Roger rather than deal with him directly. It seems that he needs Roger's advice on how best to approach Don.
Don finally shows up for the meeting. It takes the madmen a moment to get back into the business mood after waiting around for him and gossiping for over an hour. The account is Mohawk Airlines. The staff have clearly been having some trouble coming up with a concept. Don is negative and sarcastic about all of their ideas. He babbles something about Indians and adventure and pirates and conquistadors. "Blah, blah, blah, blah," he concludes eloquently. (Possible interaction of alcohol and phenobarbital?) They're all confused. He babbles some more about a skirt that's a little too short. That's the impression he leaves them all with. He wants to see more tomorrow.
Don pops a pill over deskside cocktails with Roger. Roger tells Don that they need someone younger on the coffee account. "Clients love young talent." Don suspects Duck's involvement. Paul has been tricked into providing a list of prospects. Don tells Roger to tell Duck that clients need to stand out, not fit in. Youth is a fad and young people don't know anything. Roger says fine, prove them wrong.
Don meets Betty at the Hotel Savoy. It seems that he has stopped fooling around in his spare time, perhaps as a result of Betty sneakily telling him via her psychiatrist (at the end of last season, recaps coming soon, I promise!) that she needs him to be faithful.
At the hotel, Betty runs into an old friend, Juanita, from her modeling days. Juanita is with an old guy named Curtis. She seems uncomfortable about giving Betty her phone number. She's wearing a two carat diamond, which she reluctantly tells Betty was a "gift." Later, Don tells Betty that Juanita is a "party girl" - a prostitute. Later, in the hotel room, Betty rationalizes about prostitution and wonders how much Juanita might get for a job.
Pete brings home some chocolate for Trudy. He scolds her for leaving a note in his lunch bag - Hildy, his secretary, saw the note. He demands a chocolate. Trudy's upset because her friend (wife of madman Harry, who kicked him out after he slept with a coworker on election night, but evidently took him back) is expecting a baby. Trudy is jealous of all the pregnant women she sees on the street, and feels left out. Pete doesn't seem to understand.
Back at the hotel, Don is having trouble in bed. (Known side-effect of Reserpine). Betty blames it on alcohol, but also thinks it's her fault and wants Don to tell her "what to do." They call for room service. Betty seems very choosy and indecisive about what she wants to eat.
They watch Jackie Kennedy giving a tour of the White House on TV.
Sal also watches, at home with a woman on his couch. (I can't tell whether that's Lois or not. If it is, her hair is different.) Sal wants to see JFK.
Joan is watching it on a date with her doctor boyfriend. He's horny, so she watches the show over his shoulder.
Pete is watching something else on TV, alone, eating Trudy's chocolates.
Next day, Betty's neighbor Francine is catty about Jackie Kennedy. She thinks that she and John F. looked phony as a couple. Betty says she and Don didn't have time to watch. Francine is jealous, but resigned to her fate as the wife of a philanderer who doesn't love her. Betty tells Francine about Juanita. In her version of the story, Betty's the one who figured out Juanita was a call girl, and Don agreed with her. Francine is titillated. Francine tells a story that when she was running low on money, she'd tell her dad she was going to Havana, and he'd send her money to place bets on his behalf. She didn't go to Havana, and kept the money.
The mad men are meeting at a big table in the main office instead of in the conference room. This was Paul's idea so that he can keep an eye on the activity in the office. Sure enough, two young men arrive for an interview. Paul is surprised to hear that Duck is trying to find younger people. (Some of the other mad men seem to know about it already). Ken feels sure that Don has something up his sleeve, that he'll eventually cause Duck to hang himself.
Don interviews the two guys. One of them is foreign, and his English is very poor, and he's wearing a bulky fisherman's sweater rather than a suit. They're not married, and they've spent their entire careers together (they're only 24 and 25). He asks if they've ever been fired. They both have the same last name (Smith... not a name you'd expect of a guy who doesn't speak English) and call themselves Kurt and Smitty. They're willing to share an office. Duck comes by to admire them. Smitty wants them to keep the meeting quiet (I don't know why). The youngsters leave. Don is sarcastic with Duck and insinuating that Duck can't really reel in the coffee client. Duck accuses Don of being narrow-minded.
Joan is trying to find a place for the new copy machine. It's in the hallway right now. She scolds Lois for crying in the break room. Joan tells her to be more respectful of Peggy. She and Lois look at the copy machine and agree that it can't stay in the hallway.
The madmen meeting has relocated to Pete's office. Peggy suggests marketing Clearasil to much younger girls even though they don't need pimple cream yet. Paul comes in, upset that two even younger guys have shown up for interviews. Peggy says she doesn't get it - she's only 22. "You don't count," Paul tells her. The meeting breaks up to celebrate Harry's (or is it Carey's - the captions aren't consistent) knocking up his wife.
Peggy is left alone with Pete. Pete grumps about kids and asks Peggy if she wants to have kids. "Eventually," she replies. Pete says, "Exactly!"
Peggy and Sal pitch their renovated Mohawk Airlines materials. Don is critical and detached. Today his mind is on sentiment and family. He goes off on Peggy for saying that sex sells, even though he's the one who mentioned short skirts yesterday. He lectures Peggy about how monkeys can't do their job. It's all about people feeling something. It's not about sex. (Sal loafs in the background; Don pretty much ignores him.) Finally Peggy comes up with an idea Don likes. A little boy at the airport asking, "What did you bring me, Daddy?"
Joan has found the ideal place for the copier: Peggy's office. People are Xeroxing their faces.
Two men are sharing graphic tales of seduction in the elevator in front of a very embarrassed woman. Don tells the mouthy man to take his hat off. Finally he takes it off for him.
Betty's car breaks down at night on her way to pick Sally up from ballet lessons. A passing woman agrees to send a tow truck.
Don comes home and pours himself a large drink. He offers Karla, the maid, a ride home. She looks at his full glass of scotch and says it's a nice night (actually, the street is wet) and she'll walk home.
The repair for the fan belt is $9. Betty has only $3. The mechanic offers to put the rest on account, but Betty doesn't want Don to know - he'll blame it on how she drives. The mechanic assures her it has nothing to do with that. She pours on the charm. He asks if she's bargaining. She pushes the point, somewhat playfully, and the mechanic agrees to do it for cost. She teasingly takes his hand as she offers the money. He pulls the money away from her and goes back to his truck.
That was weird. Was she hoping he'd ask for a special favor?
Don reads "Meditations in an Emergency" in his study. He writes a note on the cover: Made me think of you. He walks Polly, the dog, to the mailbox and ships the book off to some unknown person.
Advertising lesson: "There has to be advertising for people who don't have a sense of humor." (Don)
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