2008-09-26
2008-09-22
No more Ugly Betty recaps
I'm sufficiently peeved by ABC's censorship of an Emmy winner's comments that I'm discontinuing the Ugly Betty recaps. I don't see myself recapping or giving any support (insignificant though my support may be) to another ABC show as long as that network is owned by Disney.
I know I waffled about doing them anyway, but I still planned to go ahead and give the third season a chance. Now I feel as though this is the only kind of protest, however feeble, that I can make against ABC.
I know I waffled about doing them anyway, but I still planned to go ahead and give the third season a chance. Now I feel as though this is the only kind of protest, however feeble, that I can make against ABC.
2008-09-21
Mad Men Wins Best Drama Emmy!!!
They also won a writing award for the first episode, "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes." Congratulations!
(I don't believe Ugly Betty or The Office won anything tonight, unfortunately.)
(I don't believe Ugly Betty or The Office won anything tonight, unfortunately.)
All new recaps on a new site, effective immediately
Since I'm no longer doing Ugly Betty recaps, it seems silly to keep posting to this site.
It'd be easier just to move the whole site to a new URL, but that would screw up search engines and bookmarks.
I'll keep the existing recaps here, but all new stuff is going to a new site. I'll also be moving the Season 2 Mad Men recaps over there eventually so as not to break up the season.
Again, all recaps starting in the September 2008 season are at this new site.
It'd be easier just to move the whole site to a new URL, but that would screw up search engines and bookmarks.
I'll keep the existing recaps here, but all new stuff is going to a new site. I'll also be moving the Season 2 Mad Men recaps over there eventually so as not to break up the season.
Again, all recaps starting in the September 2008 season are at this new site.
2008-09-19
No Mad Men this Sunday... too busy winning awards!
Mad Men won four awards at the 2008 Creative Arts Emmy Awards last Saturday, for hairstyling, art direction, cinematography, and main titles.
They're up for a bunch more this Sunday night. If you'd rather watch a Mad Men rerun, they're showing "Three Sundays."
And there's a ton of behind-the-scenes videos for Mad Men at AMC's website.
They're up for a bunch more this Sunday night. If you'd rather watch a Mad Men rerun, they're showing "Three Sundays."
And there's a ton of behind-the-scenes videos for Mad Men at AMC's website.
2008-09-15
Mad Men #21 (2.8), 9/14/08: Agitation
Saturday morning.
Betty has an exhausting workout with her horse. Don is still lounging in bed when she gets home. She is feeling some stress about a party next week. An electrical outlet in the dining room needs to be replaced. He wants an electrician to do it; he joking suggests that Betty could do it (Betty is in no humor); finally he promises to do it.
Peggy arrives at Anita's with colored pencils for the boys and a Horatio Hornblower book for Gerry, who is in bed with a bad back again. (He had been hoping she'd find him a sequel to Moby Dick.) Anita says he cried at the chiropractor, so I guess he's hurtin' for real.
Father Gill drops in to see Gerry. He and Peggy make awkward small talk. He wants her to be more "involved" - he asks her to help with publicity for the CYO dance. The promotion for last year's event was a dud. The committee really wants kids to show up for this one.
Suddenly, it's Monday. Duck tells Harry that he now costs more than he makes. A Russian "agitator" scene in a TV movie led into a washing machine commercial spotlighting its special "agitator" - the client is mad and doesn't want to pay. Henry needs to read all the scripts to avoid this kinds of conflicts. The mad men aren't particularly supportive or sympathetic.
New client: Heineken. Duck warns Don that they want to compete in bars. Don thinks that a foreign beer will appeal to housewives and the home market. As a test, they should put it in some grocery stores in affluent areas and see what happens. Pete agrees. Duck's skeptical and warns that Heineken still needs to be convinced.
Duck says he's not sure he can make Don's party. Don says the party is more Roger's idea, because he wants them to meet with Crab Colson (the guy from the country club two weeks ago who was building a bomb shelter). Pete is curious, but they do not elaborate.
Meanwhile, back in the 'burbs, Betty gets annoyed with a wobbly formal dining room chair and smashes it up. The kids turn their attention from The Three Stooges to watch.
Harry asks Roger about expanding the TV department. There should be someone who reads the scripts full time. Roger turns him down. Harry thinks some accountant named Mitch is out to get him.
Fr. Gill calls Peggy. (Peggy answers her phone as Peggy's secretary, then waits and answers as herself.) There's a problem with the flyer for the dance. "A Night to Remember" is too sexy ("it sends the wrong message to the girls"). Peggy thinks she knows better, so he asks her to speak to "them" so they won't feel left out.
Roger has told Joan that Harry needs a "girl" to help with the work. This isn't what Harry had in mind, but Joan thinks it's interesting and takes the scripts home. Harry's officemate Warren is totally in love with her.
It's already the night of the party. Roger and Mona are there, and Crab Cowan and wife Petra are there. Sally is dancing for them.
Duck shows up, late and dateless, but with flowers. Don introduces the kids and sends them to bed. He asks for tomato juice instead of a cocktail. Roger gets a big kick out of introducing the Crab to the Duck. The Cowans and Sterlings commiserate about the high cost of boat ownership, and Crab tries to get Don to join the country club.
It's time to eat. Roger confides to Don that he likes Crab. Petra bounces drunkenly off the doorframe, so you know she'll fit right in with this gang too.
Betty introduces the dinner, which is a culinary trip around the world. The drink choices are burgundy from France, or beer from Holland. Duck thinks Don bought it. Don pleads innocent. Betty has no idea what they're talking about, and she's not amused by the explanation when everyone laughs at how brilliant Don was when he predicted that housewives would buy Heineken.
Petra begs to sit down. Mona asks for wine right away. Duck sips water.
Peggy explains "A Night to Remember" to the committee. It's about hand-holding that will someday lead to marriage. The ladies are very concerned about the drawing, too, because the kids are dancing too close together. (Honestly, I'm not sure why they even want this dance to take place.) Even though their last dance had very poor attendance, they aren't willing to consider new ideas. Peggy ends the meeting with "I'll see what I can do." She's annoyed with Fr. Gill for not making it clear that they should respect her expertise. (Imagine if Duck or Don went into a meeting with that attitude!)
Joan's Dr. Boyfriend comes home and complains that she didn't set the table yet. She asks him questions about comas based on what she's read in scripts for As the World Turns. He thinks she should be watching the shows with bonbons in her lap, not reading them. He sends her to the kitchen to fetch him some water.
Betty sends Carla home after the party. Carla congratulates her on a successful party. Betty snaps off the TV and confronts Don for embarrassing her about the beer. Yes, she's angry that he knows her so well. He knows everything about her. And then they all laughed, like they were all in on a joke about her. She was embarrassed. He says he didn't mean it. He assures her that no one will remember that, and that she's making too much of a big deal of this.
She tells him she knows about him and Bobbie. He is shocked.
"How could you? She's so old!"
She says Jimmy told her everything. He tries to find out how much she knows, but she won't tell him. He won't admit to anything, but he doesn't explicitly deny it either. Instead, he says things like "you think I would sleep with that woman?" She accuses him of lying. He goes to bed. Betty spends the night in Sally's bed. She's still wearing her party dress at the breakfast table the next morning.
Harry introduces Joan to two representatives from Maytag. They love Joan. Everything's been smoothed over.
Betty's still wearing the dress. She's drinking - it's very early in the day - and going through all of Don's things, looking for evidence. First the clothes in his closet, all of the pockets, then his desk, every note-on-a-napkin. There are old valentines from Sally, his "What do women want?" riddle for deodorant, but none of what Betty is looking for.
It's 11 AM and time for the Heineken meeting. Pete says people are drinking more at home. Heineken still isn't interested in this market. Don says their test in supermarkets did very well. He grimaces as Duck talks about the incident at the party. "It sounds like you do know your wife," the Heineken guy says. Duck describes her as the perfect wife. They could even use her menu in their ads in ladies' magazines. The Heineken guys are impressed by the potential, and agree to a regional campaign. ("Why would I lie?" Don asks ironically.)
Joan and Harry meet with some client to make recommendations based on the scripts Joan has read. She's excited about the upcoming coma storyline, which will be a blockbuster, and has done some additional homework to discover that there will be a big summer promotion too. She convinces the client to lock in before advertising premiums go up. The client specifically thanks Joan for her help.
Betty is on the bed, still in the party dress. Sally asks if she's okay and offers aspirin. Betty says she needs some rest and tells her to go play with Bobby. She tries to get out of bed and steps on her wineglass, breaking it and cutting her foot.
Roger tells Harry that all is well again. Better than well. He wants Joan's work to be converted to a full-time job, paying $150 a week. "He" will have to share an office. (Roger pauses in front of his door, waiting for Harry to open it for him.)
Don comes home to a dark, quiet house. The kids are in bed. (I'm trying to imagine the childhood that Sally and Bobby are going to remember growing up; drunk mom hanging around in a party dress all day, shooting the neighbor's pigeons, smashing chairs, putting them to bed whenever she's in a bad mood....) Betty is still in the dress, still drunk. She tells him she went through all his things and found nothing but advertising notes. She doesn't understand how he could do this to her. He denies that he did anything.
After the commercial break, Don is sleeping on the couch. Betty has finally washed up and changed. She wants to talk. He reaches for her. She doesn't let him smooth it away with sex. She observes that only now does he look her in the eye. And he never says he loves her. He says he says it all the time. (Not that I've noticed. I think he would love her more if she were an advertising mascot, like the Swiss Miss. Or maybe the Utz cartoon girl!) She asks if he hates her. He looks her in the eye and says he loves her and the children and he doesn't want to lose them. She walks away.
Another weekday morning. Peggy shows Fr. Gill around the office. Ken and Pete joke that this must be the "Miracle" Whip account. They wonder if Peggy's an undercover nun.
Harry thanks Joan for "filling in" and introduces her to Danny Lindstrom (he'd rather be called "Dan"), who will take over the job she's been putting her heart and soul into. Boy, do I feel for her. Finally she finds something that really means something to her, and she has to hand it off to some new guy. She's supposed to train him. Right now. So she explains the basic premise of the job in a few sentences. There's lots more that she could tell him, like the storylines of all the daytime soaps, and all the contact people she's spoken to in her spare time, but a hard swallow signals us (but not those clueless oafs) that she's getting choked up. Dan assumes she'll be around to help with the "details."
Fr. Gill is enchanted with the copy machine. Since they're alone, he asks her if she has something she needs to talk about, since he noticed she doesn't take Communion. "God already knows," he reminds her. In that case, she thinks there's no need to talk. And she doesn't think Fr. Gill would understand. He says she's pushing everyone away, there's no sin so big that she can't reconcile herself with God and have a new start. Does she feel that she doesn't deserve God's love? "Your copies are done," she replies. She boxes them up (I can see that they're different from the original flyer, but I can't make them out) and sends him on his way.
Betty checks the roast and sits down in front of the TV. Jimmy's Utz commercial comes on. Betty frowns.
Duck tells Don they've placed Heiney in lots of big markets. Betty calls and tells Don not to come home. That's it. She hangs up. She turns off (or down) the oven.
Joan's getting ready for bed.
Peggy's sitting in the bathtub.
Fr. Gill takes off his priest stuff and transforms into a regular man. He takes out a guitar and sings a song I should recognize, but don't, a little bit off-key.
Don has a Heineken in the break room.
Closing music: ??
Next week: Peggy accuses Pete of blabbing about something.
Betty has an exhausting workout with her horse. Don is still lounging in bed when she gets home. She is feeling some stress about a party next week. An electrical outlet in the dining room needs to be replaced. He wants an electrician to do it; he joking suggests that Betty could do it (Betty is in no humor); finally he promises to do it.
Peggy arrives at Anita's with colored pencils for the boys and a Horatio Hornblower book for Gerry, who is in bed with a bad back again. (He had been hoping she'd find him a sequel to Moby Dick.) Anita says he cried at the chiropractor, so I guess he's hurtin' for real.
Father Gill drops in to see Gerry. He and Peggy make awkward small talk. He wants her to be more "involved" - he asks her to help with publicity for the CYO dance. The promotion for last year's event was a dud. The committee really wants kids to show up for this one.
Suddenly, it's Monday. Duck tells Harry that he now costs more than he makes. A Russian "agitator" scene in a TV movie led into a washing machine commercial spotlighting its special "agitator" - the client is mad and doesn't want to pay. Henry needs to read all the scripts to avoid this kinds of conflicts. The mad men aren't particularly supportive or sympathetic.
New client: Heineken. Duck warns Don that they want to compete in bars. Don thinks that a foreign beer will appeal to housewives and the home market. As a test, they should put it in some grocery stores in affluent areas and see what happens. Pete agrees. Duck's skeptical and warns that Heineken still needs to be convinced.
Duck says he's not sure he can make Don's party. Don says the party is more Roger's idea, because he wants them to meet with Crab Colson (the guy from the country club two weeks ago who was building a bomb shelter). Pete is curious, but they do not elaborate.
Meanwhile, back in the 'burbs, Betty gets annoyed with a wobbly formal dining room chair and smashes it up. The kids turn their attention from The Three Stooges to watch.
Harry asks Roger about expanding the TV department. There should be someone who reads the scripts full time. Roger turns him down. Harry thinks some accountant named Mitch is out to get him.
Fr. Gill calls Peggy. (Peggy answers her phone as Peggy's secretary, then waits and answers as herself.) There's a problem with the flyer for the dance. "A Night to Remember" is too sexy ("it sends the wrong message to the girls"). Peggy thinks she knows better, so he asks her to speak to "them" so they won't feel left out.
Roger has told Joan that Harry needs a "girl" to help with the work. This isn't what Harry had in mind, but Joan thinks it's interesting and takes the scripts home. Harry's officemate Warren is totally in love with her.
It's already the night of the party. Roger and Mona are there, and Crab Cowan and wife Petra are there. Sally is dancing for them.
Duck shows up, late and dateless, but with flowers. Don introduces the kids and sends them to bed. He asks for tomato juice instead of a cocktail. Roger gets a big kick out of introducing the Crab to the Duck. The Cowans and Sterlings commiserate about the high cost of boat ownership, and Crab tries to get Don to join the country club.
It's time to eat. Roger confides to Don that he likes Crab. Petra bounces drunkenly off the doorframe, so you know she'll fit right in with this gang too.
Betty introduces the dinner, which is a culinary trip around the world. The drink choices are burgundy from France, or beer from Holland. Duck thinks Don bought it. Don pleads innocent. Betty has no idea what they're talking about, and she's not amused by the explanation when everyone laughs at how brilliant Don was when he predicted that housewives would buy Heineken.
Petra begs to sit down. Mona asks for wine right away. Duck sips water.
Peggy explains "A Night to Remember" to the committee. It's about hand-holding that will someday lead to marriage. The ladies are very concerned about the drawing, too, because the kids are dancing too close together. (Honestly, I'm not sure why they even want this dance to take place.) Even though their last dance had very poor attendance, they aren't willing to consider new ideas. Peggy ends the meeting with "I'll see what I can do." She's annoyed with Fr. Gill for not making it clear that they should respect her expertise. (Imagine if Duck or Don went into a meeting with that attitude!)
Joan's Dr. Boyfriend comes home and complains that she didn't set the table yet. She asks him questions about comas based on what she's read in scripts for As the World Turns. He thinks she should be watching the shows with bonbons in her lap, not reading them. He sends her to the kitchen to fetch him some water.
Betty sends Carla home after the party. Carla congratulates her on a successful party. Betty snaps off the TV and confronts Don for embarrassing her about the beer. Yes, she's angry that he knows her so well. He knows everything about her. And then they all laughed, like they were all in on a joke about her. She was embarrassed. He says he didn't mean it. He assures her that no one will remember that, and that she's making too much of a big deal of this.
She tells him she knows about him and Bobbie. He is shocked.
"How could you? She's so old!"
She says Jimmy told her everything. He tries to find out how much she knows, but she won't tell him. He won't admit to anything, but he doesn't explicitly deny it either. Instead, he says things like "you think I would sleep with that woman?" She accuses him of lying. He goes to bed. Betty spends the night in Sally's bed. She's still wearing her party dress at the breakfast table the next morning.
Harry introduces Joan to two representatives from Maytag. They love Joan. Everything's been smoothed over.
Betty's still wearing the dress. She's drinking - it's very early in the day - and going through all of Don's things, looking for evidence. First the clothes in his closet, all of the pockets, then his desk, every note-on-a-napkin. There are old valentines from Sally, his "What do women want?" riddle for deodorant, but none of what Betty is looking for.
It's 11 AM and time for the Heineken meeting. Pete says people are drinking more at home. Heineken still isn't interested in this market. Don says their test in supermarkets did very well. He grimaces as Duck talks about the incident at the party. "It sounds like you do know your wife," the Heineken guy says. Duck describes her as the perfect wife. They could even use her menu in their ads in ladies' magazines. The Heineken guys are impressed by the potential, and agree to a regional campaign. ("Why would I lie?" Don asks ironically.)
Joan and Harry meet with some client to make recommendations based on the scripts Joan has read. She's excited about the upcoming coma storyline, which will be a blockbuster, and has done some additional homework to discover that there will be a big summer promotion too. She convinces the client to lock in before advertising premiums go up. The client specifically thanks Joan for her help.
Betty is on the bed, still in the party dress. Sally asks if she's okay and offers aspirin. Betty says she needs some rest and tells her to go play with Bobby. She tries to get out of bed and steps on her wineglass, breaking it and cutting her foot.
Roger tells Harry that all is well again. Better than well. He wants Joan's work to be converted to a full-time job, paying $150 a week. "He" will have to share an office. (Roger pauses in front of his door, waiting for Harry to open it for him.)
Don comes home to a dark, quiet house. The kids are in bed. (I'm trying to imagine the childhood that Sally and Bobby are going to remember growing up; drunk mom hanging around in a party dress all day, shooting the neighbor's pigeons, smashing chairs, putting them to bed whenever she's in a bad mood....) Betty is still in the dress, still drunk. She tells him she went through all his things and found nothing but advertising notes. She doesn't understand how he could do this to her. He denies that he did anything.
After the commercial break, Don is sleeping on the couch. Betty has finally washed up and changed. She wants to talk. He reaches for her. She doesn't let him smooth it away with sex. She observes that only now does he look her in the eye. And he never says he loves her. He says he says it all the time. (Not that I've noticed. I think he would love her more if she were an advertising mascot, like the Swiss Miss. Or maybe the Utz cartoon girl!) She asks if he hates her. He looks her in the eye and says he loves her and the children and he doesn't want to lose them. She walks away.
Another weekday morning. Peggy shows Fr. Gill around the office. Ken and Pete joke that this must be the "Miracle" Whip account. They wonder if Peggy's an undercover nun.
Harry thanks Joan for "filling in" and introduces her to Danny Lindstrom (he'd rather be called "Dan"), who will take over the job she's been putting her heart and soul into. Boy, do I feel for her. Finally she finds something that really means something to her, and she has to hand it off to some new guy. She's supposed to train him. Right now. So she explains the basic premise of the job in a few sentences. There's lots more that she could tell him, like the storylines of all the daytime soaps, and all the contact people she's spoken to in her spare time, but a hard swallow signals us (but not those clueless oafs) that she's getting choked up. Dan assumes she'll be around to help with the "details."
Fr. Gill is enchanted with the copy machine. Since they're alone, he asks her if she has something she needs to talk about, since he noticed she doesn't take Communion. "God already knows," he reminds her. In that case, she thinks there's no need to talk. And she doesn't think Fr. Gill would understand. He says she's pushing everyone away, there's no sin so big that she can't reconcile herself with God and have a new start. Does she feel that she doesn't deserve God's love? "Your copies are done," she replies. She boxes them up (I can see that they're different from the original flyer, but I can't make them out) and sends him on his way.
Betty checks the roast and sits down in front of the TV. Jimmy's Utz commercial comes on. Betty frowns.
Duck tells Don they've placed Heiney in lots of big markets. Betty calls and tells Don not to come home. That's it. She hangs up. She turns off (or down) the oven.
Joan's getting ready for bed.
Peggy's sitting in the bathtub.
Fr. Gill takes off his priest stuff and transforms into a regular man. He takes out a guitar and sings a song I should recognize, but don't, a little bit off-key.
Don has a Heineken in the break room.
Closing music: ??
Next week: Peggy accuses Pete of blabbing about something.
2008-09-14
Mad Men #20 (2.7), 9/7/08: Modern Problems
Don admires a blue Cadillac. The dealer tries to snow Don into buying it. When he realizes that Don was sent by Roger, he goes for the keys.
Flashback: The new Don Draper is selling a used car to a kid named Charlie. The kid's not sure if he wants it. Don nudges, but doesn't push. A woman comes to see him, so he lets the boy talk to his father.
The woman is from the real Donald Draper's past, and she knows that's not him.
Shaken by the memory, Don turns down the salesman's offer of a test drive and leaves.
In the office, Roger flirts with Jane. She cuts him off. Don comes in. Jane says Mrs. Barrett called. Roger tells her to get Duck.
Roger thinks Don should be hot for Jane. He tries to cheer Don up about the incredibly high price tag ($6,500!!!) of the Cadillac.
Duck shows up. Their coffee client has some kind of problem and Duck had to spend Saturday birdwatching with one of their guys to keep him happy. Our long-lost young friends Kurt and Smitty show up (after attempting, unsuccessfully, to flirt with Jane) to give their youthful perspectives. Smitty quotes a poetic statement from a 60-page manifesto written by a friend in school - his "focus group." He's a member of SLS. Kurt makes a nonsensical comment. Don really doesn't see where this is going, but braces himself for their pitch.
Meanwhile, the rest of the madmen watch as Paul pours coffee into a disposable diaper next to a naked baby doll. (When you think about it, it's a good thing they used blue liquid for color broadcasts.) They want to send this setup to every maternity nurse. Don has already weighed in on this - the price is going to be a problem. Sal thinks that at 10 cents apiece, they should be reusable. Jane comes in with some other notes from Don. Ken beams at her. They ask Jane to clean up the diapers.
Harry boasts that he's going to meet with Cooper tomorrow. Sal says it's to ask his opinion of a painting. Ken jokes to Jane about how gullible Harry is. Harry is bummed because he was hoping Cooper would expand the TV department, which currently consists only of him. Jane tells him to go see the painting now - Cooper has left for the day. She thinks they should all sneak up for a look. In any case, she's going. Ken, Paul, Sal, and Harry eagerly follow.
Cooper's secretary is missing, and his door is open. The guys are scared, but Jane is fearless. They do, however, remove their shoes. Paul chickens out and leaves.
The rest of them gaze at a $10,000 blur in red. Sal recognizes the work of Mark Rothko. Jane shrugs at it and wanders aimlessly around the office. Harry nervously tries to anticipate the kind of reaction Cooper will want. He searches Cooper's office (!!) for an explanatory brochure. Sal doesn't think Cooper really understands it. He tries to figure out what the painting "means." Ken says it makes him feel something very deep. Ken's spontaneous reaction takes Sal by surprise.
They get their things and leave. Jane jokes that they could have stolen it. Ken considers writing a story about the experience. (He makes sure to tell Jane that he's been published.) Feigning confusion, Jane refers to him as an "accountant." Sal openly admires Ken's skill as an author.
Next day, Ken wants to tell Paul all about how exciting Jane is. Paul would rather hear about the painting. Joan overhears - Ken flees. She tells Paul she "heard" that he, Ken, and Jane were in Cooper's office. Although she's obviously bluffing, Paul confirms enough of her suspicions by saying that he had nothing to do with it. "Nothing happened," he adds hastily.
Kurt and Smitty are telling Sal that they don't need artwork for their pitch to Martinson's Coffee at 3. Don signed off on it.
Ken approaches Sal, remembering his kind words about his writing, and says "you're not like everyone else around here." Sal denies this. Ken asks him to beta-read his new story. Sal invites him over for dinner on Sunday.
Don begins the coffee meeting with a short preamble about the importance of using young people to reach a young audience. Smitty pitches his anti-authority, anti-establishment message. Martinson's coffee is delicious, hot, and brown. They play a song about sexy naked Mexican girls with coffee. The client asks Peggy's opinion. "It stays with you." Client asks about the visuals. "If you sign, we'll tell you," Don says.
Harry goes to Cooper's office for his meeting. It is, as he had hoped, about his TV gig, but Harry keeps looking at the painting. Cooper scolds him for not paying attention. Harry pretends to recognize it as a Rothko work, and asks Cooper's opinion. Surprised, Cooper replies "it's none of your business." Then he asks Harry what he thinks of it. Harry admits he knows nothing about art. Cooper tells him not to worry about it, and focus on the numbers instead.
But Cooper himself is stuck on the painting - because of the numbers. He expects it will double in value by Christmas.
Jimmy Barrett calls Betty at home. He tells her that "Grin & Barrett" got picked up. He tells Betty to book Don's "dance card" for the night of the party. He begs Betty to go to the party. He flirts with her, then tries a more sincere approach and makes it personal. Betty promises nothing, but says "we will try."
Martinson's really liked Kurt & Smitty's pitch. Don congratulates Duck. Duck is hoping to get a shot at Life Savers next.
Jane reports that Cooper asked for Don. Duck isn't invited.
Roger is there. Jim Van Dyke, of Martinson's Coffee, wants Don to be a board member of a museum that doesn't exist yet - the Museum of Early American Folk Art. Philanthropy is the gateway to power (says Cooper, the Ayn Rand fan), and Don will be wearing his tuxedo more often. (I don't know whether "tuxedo" was still considered gauche in 1962, but for a long time, "dinner jacket" was the preferred term.) He sends Roger out and tells Don he's made the big, big time.
Don goes back to the dealership and sits in the Cadillac. He still doesn't want a test drive. He wants to buy it.
Joan calls Jane on her unauthorized visit to Cooper's office. Jane blames it on "them." Joan doesn't buy it. Jane is cocky; she's a whole 20 years old and asks if Joan is the only person who gets to have fun. Joan tells Jane to pack up and leave.
Betty is delighted with the Cadillac. It has a headlight sensor that dims the lights when another car approaches. (What the hell? 46 years later, why doesn't my car - a Toyota with a darkness sensor that turns the headlights on automatically - have this?) Betty tells Don about Jimmy's party.
The car makes Betty horny. They have an hour before the kids come home. "Not in here," Don says.
Jane takes her boxful of things to Roger's office "to say goodbye." He is confused. She tells him Joan fired her. He offers her a drink and says Joan's "going through a tough time." Roger is kind to Jane, who finally reveals that she lives on Jane St. in Greenwich Village (he's asked her before where she lives), and tells her to come back on Monday.
It must be Sunday now, because Ken goes to Sal & Kitty's for wine and spaghetti. It turns out that Kitty grew up in Sal's old neighborhood in Baltimore.
Ken is awed by Sal's sauce. Ken begs for Sal's opinion of his story, "The Gold Violin." Kitty hasn't read it yet. Sal was awed by it. Ken is awed by Sal's acclaim.
The Cadillac has taken Don, Betty, and the kids on a picnic. Bobby has to pee. Don sends him behind a tree. Sally wants to too. Don thinks everyone should before they get back in the car. Now Sally doesn't have to.
Don says that when he was a kid, they had to feel their way to the outhouse on a rope on moonless night. Sally asks if they're rich. Betty thinks talking about money isn't polite. Bobby is proud of himself for having tinkled outdoors successfully. Don hurls his beer can, hopefully into a wastebasket, but who knows.
Sal and Ken finish the wine and talk about work. (They wonder what Harry's meeting with Cooper was about, and if Coop's going to meet with everyone.) Kitty keeps trying to get into the conversation, but Sal changes the subject back to Ken every time.
He asks Ken why he doesn't write for a living. Ken says it's just for fun. This amazes Sal. Ken volunteers to leave. Sal says "you can't" and offers him a cigarette and coffee. Ken begs off with a to-go dessert and kisses Kitty goodbye on the cheek.
Sal turns down Kitty's offer for pie and says he'll clean up. Kitty is upset that she feels awkward and left out around Sal's coworkers. He apologizes. She has been feeling like a social dud and thinks he ignores her. He apologizes again, profusely, and tells her to sit down and relax with some pie while he cleans up. He does seem sorry.
He picks up the cigarette lighter (is it Ken's?) and puts it in his pocket.
Jane shows up to work on Monday. Ken tries to lure her on a date to a Mets game. She blows him off. Ken tells Sal he'd like to call Kitty to thank her for her hospitality. He admits to Sal that a visit like that makes him regret being a bachelor.
Joan goes to Jane's desk to confront her. Jane asks if Roger spoke to her. She says Roger said that Joan loses her temper a lot, and it's not serious. Joan is angry with Jane for speaking to "Mr. Sterling." Jane says she simply "ran into him" on her way out. Joan is very cold, and her tone makes it clear that she thinks Jane is having a thing with Roger.
Don and Betty go to Jimmy's party. Bobbie greets Betty first, then Don. Don wants to get out of there to "get drinks." Unfortunately Betty volunteers, leaving Don with Bobbie. Her idea is basically a scheme to get Jimmy a Rolex. The guy from ABC is okay with this as long as they kill Candid Camera in the ratings.
Jimmy corners Betty, who is relieved to have someone to talk to. He offers her a drink; she says she's too drunk, but Jimmy jokes that a drink for her will make him funny. ABC's research proved it.
He pulls her aside for a chat. He praises Betty lavishly and flirts mercilessly. He notes how Don and Bobbie and the ABC guy are looking cozy. He cannot shut up about how hot Betty is and asks how much she thinks has happened between Don and Bobbie. Betty is offended. Jimmy doesn't back down. Betty says, "you people are ugly and crude." He asks, "what people? You mean comedians?"
Sal and Kitty sit in opposite corners of their living room in the dark, watching TV. She does embroidery, he lights a cigarette with that lighter that I guess must be Ken's because he gives it a special look. (Are we headed for a love triangle from hell? I hope so! Um, I mean I hope not! I don't know if I can take the angst!)
Jimmy approaches Don and thanks him for getting him the show and everything he wants. He says not too many people get that. As for Bobbie, he says, "lots of people have had that."
Whee! Video!
Of course Don denies everything with a straight face. Jimmy calls Don garbage for screwing Bobbie and recommends that he go to a whore instead. Betty shows up, and Jimmy bids them a cheery good-night.
Don and Betty drive home in his luscious Cadillac in dreadful silence... until Betty starts barfing. In the Cadillac.
Closing music: "Break It to Me Gently" (Brenda Lee)
Quote of the week: "Young people do not drink coffee, and that can become a lifetime habit." (Don Draper)
Flashback: The new Don Draper is selling a used car to a kid named Charlie. The kid's not sure if he wants it. Don nudges, but doesn't push. A woman comes to see him, so he lets the boy talk to his father.
The woman is from the real Donald Draper's past, and she knows that's not him.
Shaken by the memory, Don turns down the salesman's offer of a test drive and leaves.
In the office, Roger flirts with Jane. She cuts him off. Don comes in. Jane says Mrs. Barrett called. Roger tells her to get Duck.
Roger thinks Don should be hot for Jane. He tries to cheer Don up about the incredibly high price tag ($6,500!!!) of the Cadillac.
Duck shows up. Their coffee client has some kind of problem and Duck had to spend Saturday birdwatching with one of their guys to keep him happy. Our long-lost young friends Kurt and Smitty show up (after attempting, unsuccessfully, to flirt with Jane) to give their youthful perspectives. Smitty quotes a poetic statement from a 60-page manifesto written by a friend in school - his "focus group." He's a member of SLS. Kurt makes a nonsensical comment. Don really doesn't see where this is going, but braces himself for their pitch.
Meanwhile, the rest of the madmen watch as Paul pours coffee into a disposable diaper next to a naked baby doll. (When you think about it, it's a good thing they used blue liquid for color broadcasts.) They want to send this setup to every maternity nurse. Don has already weighed in on this - the price is going to be a problem. Sal thinks that at 10 cents apiece, they should be reusable. Jane comes in with some other notes from Don. Ken beams at her. They ask Jane to clean up the diapers.
Harry boasts that he's going to meet with Cooper tomorrow. Sal says it's to ask his opinion of a painting. Ken jokes to Jane about how gullible Harry is. Harry is bummed because he was hoping Cooper would expand the TV department, which currently consists only of him. Jane tells him to go see the painting now - Cooper has left for the day. She thinks they should all sneak up for a look. In any case, she's going. Ken, Paul, Sal, and Harry eagerly follow.
Cooper's secretary is missing, and his door is open. The guys are scared, but Jane is fearless. They do, however, remove their shoes. Paul chickens out and leaves.
The rest of them gaze at a $10,000 blur in red. Sal recognizes the work of Mark Rothko. Jane shrugs at it and wanders aimlessly around the office. Harry nervously tries to anticipate the kind of reaction Cooper will want. He searches Cooper's office (!!) for an explanatory brochure. Sal doesn't think Cooper really understands it. He tries to figure out what the painting "means." Ken says it makes him feel something very deep. Ken's spontaneous reaction takes Sal by surprise.
They get their things and leave. Jane jokes that they could have stolen it. Ken considers writing a story about the experience. (He makes sure to tell Jane that he's been published.) Feigning confusion, Jane refers to him as an "accountant." Sal openly admires Ken's skill as an author.
Next day, Ken wants to tell Paul all about how exciting Jane is. Paul would rather hear about the painting. Joan overhears - Ken flees. She tells Paul she "heard" that he, Ken, and Jane were in Cooper's office. Although she's obviously bluffing, Paul confirms enough of her suspicions by saying that he had nothing to do with it. "Nothing happened," he adds hastily.
Kurt and Smitty are telling Sal that they don't need artwork for their pitch to Martinson's Coffee at 3. Don signed off on it.
Ken approaches Sal, remembering his kind words about his writing, and says "you're not like everyone else around here." Sal denies this. Ken asks him to beta-read his new story. Sal invites him over for dinner on Sunday.
Don begins the coffee meeting with a short preamble about the importance of using young people to reach a young audience. Smitty pitches his anti-authority, anti-establishment message. Martinson's coffee is delicious, hot, and brown. They play a song about sexy naked Mexican girls with coffee. The client asks Peggy's opinion. "It stays with you." Client asks about the visuals. "If you sign, we'll tell you," Don says.
Harry goes to Cooper's office for his meeting. It is, as he had hoped, about his TV gig, but Harry keeps looking at the painting. Cooper scolds him for not paying attention. Harry pretends to recognize it as a Rothko work, and asks Cooper's opinion. Surprised, Cooper replies "it's none of your business." Then he asks Harry what he thinks of it. Harry admits he knows nothing about art. Cooper tells him not to worry about it, and focus on the numbers instead.
But Cooper himself is stuck on the painting - because of the numbers. He expects it will double in value by Christmas.
Jimmy Barrett calls Betty at home. He tells her that "Grin & Barrett" got picked up. He tells Betty to book Don's "dance card" for the night of the party. He begs Betty to go to the party. He flirts with her, then tries a more sincere approach and makes it personal. Betty promises nothing, but says "we will try."
Martinson's really liked Kurt & Smitty's pitch. Don congratulates Duck. Duck is hoping to get a shot at Life Savers next.
Jane reports that Cooper asked for Don. Duck isn't invited.
Roger is there. Jim Van Dyke, of Martinson's Coffee, wants Don to be a board member of a museum that doesn't exist yet - the Museum of Early American Folk Art. Philanthropy is the gateway to power (says Cooper, the Ayn Rand fan), and Don will be wearing his tuxedo more often. (I don't know whether "tuxedo" was still considered gauche in 1962, but for a long time, "dinner jacket" was the preferred term.) He sends Roger out and tells Don he's made the big, big time.
Don goes back to the dealership and sits in the Cadillac. He still doesn't want a test drive. He wants to buy it.
Joan calls Jane on her unauthorized visit to Cooper's office. Jane blames it on "them." Joan doesn't buy it. Jane is cocky; she's a whole 20 years old and asks if Joan is the only person who gets to have fun. Joan tells Jane to pack up and leave.
Betty is delighted with the Cadillac. It has a headlight sensor that dims the lights when another car approaches. (What the hell? 46 years later, why doesn't my car - a Toyota with a darkness sensor that turns the headlights on automatically - have this?) Betty tells Don about Jimmy's party.
The car makes Betty horny. They have an hour before the kids come home. "Not in here," Don says.
Jane takes her boxful of things to Roger's office "to say goodbye." He is confused. She tells him Joan fired her. He offers her a drink and says Joan's "going through a tough time." Roger is kind to Jane, who finally reveals that she lives on Jane St. in Greenwich Village (he's asked her before where she lives), and tells her to come back on Monday.
It must be Sunday now, because Ken goes to Sal & Kitty's for wine and spaghetti. It turns out that Kitty grew up in Sal's old neighborhood in Baltimore.
Ken is awed by Sal's sauce. Ken begs for Sal's opinion of his story, "The Gold Violin." Kitty hasn't read it yet. Sal was awed by it. Ken is awed by Sal's acclaim.
The Cadillac has taken Don, Betty, and the kids on a picnic. Bobby has to pee. Don sends him behind a tree. Sally wants to too. Don thinks everyone should before they get back in the car. Now Sally doesn't have to.
Don says that when he was a kid, they had to feel their way to the outhouse on a rope on moonless night. Sally asks if they're rich. Betty thinks talking about money isn't polite. Bobby is proud of himself for having tinkled outdoors successfully. Don hurls his beer can, hopefully into a wastebasket, but who knows.
Sal and Ken finish the wine and talk about work. (They wonder what Harry's meeting with Cooper was about, and if Coop's going to meet with everyone.) Kitty keeps trying to get into the conversation, but Sal changes the subject back to Ken every time.
He asks Ken why he doesn't write for a living. Ken says it's just for fun. This amazes Sal. Ken volunteers to leave. Sal says "you can't" and offers him a cigarette and coffee. Ken begs off with a to-go dessert and kisses Kitty goodbye on the cheek.
Sal turns down Kitty's offer for pie and says he'll clean up. Kitty is upset that she feels awkward and left out around Sal's coworkers. He apologizes. She has been feeling like a social dud and thinks he ignores her. He apologizes again, profusely, and tells her to sit down and relax with some pie while he cleans up. He does seem sorry.
He picks up the cigarette lighter (is it Ken's?) and puts it in his pocket.
Jane shows up to work on Monday. Ken tries to lure her on a date to a Mets game. She blows him off. Ken tells Sal he'd like to call Kitty to thank her for her hospitality. He admits to Sal that a visit like that makes him regret being a bachelor.
Joan goes to Jane's desk to confront her. Jane asks if Roger spoke to her. She says Roger said that Joan loses her temper a lot, and it's not serious. Joan is angry with Jane for speaking to "Mr. Sterling." Jane says she simply "ran into him" on her way out. Joan is very cold, and her tone makes it clear that she thinks Jane is having a thing with Roger.
Don and Betty go to Jimmy's party. Bobbie greets Betty first, then Don. Don wants to get out of there to "get drinks." Unfortunately Betty volunteers, leaving Don with Bobbie. Her idea is basically a scheme to get Jimmy a Rolex. The guy from ABC is okay with this as long as they kill Candid Camera in the ratings.
Jimmy corners Betty, who is relieved to have someone to talk to. He offers her a drink; she says she's too drunk, but Jimmy jokes that a drink for her will make him funny. ABC's research proved it.
He pulls her aside for a chat. He praises Betty lavishly and flirts mercilessly. He notes how Don and Bobbie and the ABC guy are looking cozy. He cannot shut up about how hot Betty is and asks how much she thinks has happened between Don and Bobbie. Betty is offended. Jimmy doesn't back down. Betty says, "you people are ugly and crude." He asks, "what people? You mean comedians?"
Sal and Kitty sit in opposite corners of their living room in the dark, watching TV. She does embroidery, he lights a cigarette with that lighter that I guess must be Ken's because he gives it a special look. (Are we headed for a love triangle from hell? I hope so! Um, I mean I hope not! I don't know if I can take the angst!)
Jimmy approaches Don and thanks him for getting him the show and everything he wants. He says not too many people get that. As for Bobbie, he says, "lots of people have had that."
Whee! Video!
Of course Don denies everything with a straight face. Jimmy calls Don garbage for screwing Bobbie and recommends that he go to a whore instead. Betty shows up, and Jimmy bids them a cheery good-night.
Don and Betty drive home in his luscious Cadillac in dreadful silence... until Betty starts barfing. In the Cadillac.
Closing music: "Break It to Me Gently" (Brenda Lee)
Quote of the week: "Young people do not drink coffee, and that can become a lifetime habit." (Don Draper)
2008-09-13
Mad Men 1.13: Nostalgia
More correctly known as "The Wheel," this and first episode ("Smoke Gets In Your Eyes") are both up for Emmy awards. "Smoke" was breathtaking, but "The Wheel" left me stunned for months. Cross your fingers!
Pete is visiting with Trudy's parents. Father-in-law Tom's company just bought Clearasil. He encourages Pete and Trudy to have children.
Don doesn't want to go to Thanksgiving with Betty's out-of-town relatives.
Harry has been living at the office. He tells his wife on the phone that he's been staying at Ken's place; she won't let him come home.
Then I have some confusing notes to the effect that Pete's father (or possibly his father-in-law) called Cooper and now Cooper is angry with someone. I assume this has something to do with Clearasil but I'm not sure.
Betty's friend Francine has been a basket case ever since giving birth. She found a $18 phone bill. It was full of calls to Manhattan. She found out her husband had been calling a woman and meeting her twice a week at the Waldorf. She wants to poison him and the whole family, including the kids. Betty doesn't know what to say, but when the mail comes, she takes the phone bill.
New head of accounts Duck is laying down the law. Also, client Kodak is unhappy with them.
Peggy, Ken, and some other guys are auditioning voice actresses for the Relax-a-cizer (the vibrating "weight-loss" belt, wink wink). The guys favor an older woman who isn't especially pretty, but has a good voice. However, Peggy favors the young pretty one.
Don comes home early with some work. Betty wants attention. She tells him about Francine and Carlton. Don claims that he never liked Carlton. Betty is outraged and tries to hint to something to Don about cheating husbands.
Don's mind is somewhere else. He contemplates Kodak's newest invention, a circular tray for a slide projector. Kodak wants to stress the research and development that went into their product.
Peggy is not happy with Annie, the pretty voice actor she chose. As Peggy becomes more critical, Anny begins to cry. Peggy fires her. She has Ken console her, make a date with her, etc., and then call Rita - the older woman with the better voice.
Don calls Adam's hotel. The clerk gives him the bad news that Adam hung himself. He left his money to the building - the city took it.
Betty opens the phone bill and sees night calls to a number in Manhattan. She calls and realizes it's the doctor. He doesn't recognize her voice, though, and thinks she's a different patient who keeps harassing him.
Don goes back to the office, where he catches Harry camping out. He doesn't take much notice. He wants to talk about the Kodak wheel.
Betty goes to the market. She sees young Glen waiting in Helen's car. He says he's not supposed to talk to her. Betty doesn't care. She says she can't talk to anybody. She's sad. Glen offers his mittened hand to hold. She wants assurance from him, but he's nervous and isn't sure when his mother is coming back. Betty leaves.
Pete brings in the Clearasil account. Cooper gives him a bonus and a copy of that stupid Ayn Rand book (I should have been more specific but I didn't write it down).
Betty goes to the psychiatrist and talks about Thanksgiving, her father's girlfriend Gloria, and her mom. She feeds him some info knowing that he will pass it on to Don: she would be happy if she didn't think that Don was being unfaithful. She shares other thoughts she wants Don to know about the family, sex, and her insecurities.
Don does the pitch to end all pitches for Kodak. I cannot do justice to it; I'd be embarrassed to try, so I'll just get it over with:
The Kodak guys are excited about their high-tech gizmo; Don has taken it in a completely different direction. He tells them that "nostalgia" means "pain from an old wound." He has loaded the wheel with family pictures. He shows them that their invention is not the spaceship they think it is; it's a time machine. It's not a wheel, but a carousel - bringing us backwards and forwards through time.
His eyes glisten as he looks at baby pictures of his kids and photos of his wedding. Harry runs out in tears. Kodak is blown away. It's a deal.
Afterwards, he asks Peggy to write the Clearasil ad. Pete is offended. Don promotes her to Junior Copywriter.
Joan is very snotty as she shows Peggy to her new office, which she will split with some guy named Victor.
Suddenly Peggy doesn't feel good. She goes to the ER, complaining of a "stomach ache" from a bad sandwich. The doctor examines her briefly and says "you didn't mention you were expecting." Peggy is in total denial and gets up to leave. She doubles over in pain. The doctor calls for a psychiatrist.
Pete comes home and isn't thrilled to see Trudy's parents again. He says he has a headache and needs to lie down.
Peggy won't hold her baby or even look at it.
Don's family is still at home when he gets there. He decides to go for Thanksgiving with them after all.
Don snaps out of his daydream and comes home to a dark house. They've already left.
Pete is visiting with Trudy's parents. Father-in-law Tom's company just bought Clearasil. He encourages Pete and Trudy to have children.
Don doesn't want to go to Thanksgiving with Betty's out-of-town relatives.
Harry has been living at the office. He tells his wife on the phone that he's been staying at Ken's place; she won't let him come home.
Then I have some confusing notes to the effect that Pete's father (or possibly his father-in-law) called Cooper and now Cooper is angry with someone. I assume this has something to do with Clearasil but I'm not sure.
Betty's friend Francine has been a basket case ever since giving birth. She found a $18 phone bill. It was full of calls to Manhattan. She found out her husband had been calling a woman and meeting her twice a week at the Waldorf. She wants to poison him and the whole family, including the kids. Betty doesn't know what to say, but when the mail comes, she takes the phone bill.
New head of accounts Duck is laying down the law. Also, client Kodak is unhappy with them.
Peggy, Ken, and some other guys are auditioning voice actresses for the Relax-a-cizer (the vibrating "weight-loss" belt, wink wink). The guys favor an older woman who isn't especially pretty, but has a good voice. However, Peggy favors the young pretty one.
Don comes home early with some work. Betty wants attention. She tells him about Francine and Carlton. Don claims that he never liked Carlton. Betty is outraged and tries to hint to something to Don about cheating husbands.
Don's mind is somewhere else. He contemplates Kodak's newest invention, a circular tray for a slide projector. Kodak wants to stress the research and development that went into their product.
Peggy is not happy with Annie, the pretty voice actor she chose. As Peggy becomes more critical, Anny begins to cry. Peggy fires her. She has Ken console her, make a date with her, etc., and then call Rita - the older woman with the better voice.
Don calls Adam's hotel. The clerk gives him the bad news that Adam hung himself. He left his money to the building - the city took it.
Betty opens the phone bill and sees night calls to a number in Manhattan. She calls and realizes it's the doctor. He doesn't recognize her voice, though, and thinks she's a different patient who keeps harassing him.
Don goes back to the office, where he catches Harry camping out. He doesn't take much notice. He wants to talk about the Kodak wheel.
Betty goes to the market. She sees young Glen waiting in Helen's car. He says he's not supposed to talk to her. Betty doesn't care. She says she can't talk to anybody. She's sad. Glen offers his mittened hand to hold. She wants assurance from him, but he's nervous and isn't sure when his mother is coming back. Betty leaves.
Pete brings in the Clearasil account. Cooper gives him a bonus and a copy of that stupid Ayn Rand book (I should have been more specific but I didn't write it down).
Betty goes to the psychiatrist and talks about Thanksgiving, her father's girlfriend Gloria, and her mom. She feeds him some info knowing that he will pass it on to Don: she would be happy if she didn't think that Don was being unfaithful. She shares other thoughts she wants Don to know about the family, sex, and her insecurities.
Don does the pitch to end all pitches for Kodak. I cannot do justice to it; I'd be embarrassed to try, so I'll just get it over with:
The Kodak guys are excited about their high-tech gizmo; Don has taken it in a completely different direction. He tells them that "nostalgia" means "pain from an old wound." He has loaded the wheel with family pictures. He shows them that their invention is not the spaceship they think it is; it's a time machine. It's not a wheel, but a carousel - bringing us backwards and forwards through time.
His eyes glisten as he looks at baby pictures of his kids and photos of his wedding. Harry runs out in tears. Kodak is blown away. It's a deal.
Afterwards, he asks Peggy to write the Clearasil ad. Pete is offended. Don promotes her to Junior Copywriter.
Joan is very snotty as she shows Peggy to her new office, which she will split with some guy named Victor.
Suddenly Peggy doesn't feel good. She goes to the ER, complaining of a "stomach ache" from a bad sandwich. The doctor examines her briefly and says "you didn't mention you were expecting." Peggy is in total denial and gets up to leave. She doubles over in pain. The doctor calls for a psychiatrist.
Pete comes home and isn't thrilled to see Trudy's parents again. He says he has a headache and needs to lie down.
Peggy won't hold her baby or even look at it.
Don's family is still at home when he gets there. He decides to go for Thanksgiving with them after all.
Don snaps out of his daydream and comes home to a dark house. They've already left.
Mad Men 1.12: Fraud
Don interviews Henry "Duck" Phillips to be the new head of Accounts. Meanwhile, the guys plan an election party and gossip about Duck. He had some scandal at his old place - they think they must be getting him cheap.
Pete tries again to get Don to consider him for the job. Don cuts him down in a hostile tone and leaves. The office party begins with rum and creme de menthe. Peggy leaves early.
Pete also goes home early. He looks through the package of things that Adam Whitman had sent to Don before hanging himself. Trudy is upset, knowing that he's snooping through something that's not his.
At the party, Ken finds Paul's play in his desk drawer. The coworkers act it out, with Joan and Sal as the stars.
Nixon takes Ohio.
Harry and one of the secretaries (Hildy? let's just say it's Hildy) kiss. At first they seem mortified. But apparently not mortified enough not to stop fooling around.
Joan and Paul talk about old times. Evidently, when they dated, Joan was unhappy that Paul blabbed something about her. She tells him she didn't like his play. They dance. Other people are passed out on the floor.
Harry and Hildy wake up. His glasses are broken. Hildy assures him that what they did didn't mean anything.
Next morning, the office is a wreck and the TV is broken. Peggy is angry because her blouse and three dollars are missing from her locker. She reports the theft.
The outcome of the election is still unclear and there are many allegations of fraud. Cooper somehow blames it on Sinatra. The recount is taking too long.
Pete shows up all full of himself with the Adam Whitman Memorial Package and a half-baked blackmail plan. He confronts Don and tells him he knows that the Army records show that Dick Whitman died in Korea, and Don Draper, then age 43, disappeared. Don looks at the package and has a flashback.
Dick is in Korea. He volunteered to serve. There were supposed to be a bunch of people at this location he's been sent to, but it's just him and a guy named Don Draper. He's supposed to dig something (he got plenty of practice as a kid, he's always digging things in the childhood flashbacks). The real Draper says he's near the end of his tour.
Don goes to Rachel's. He wants her to go away with him. She is disgusted and calls him a coward. He goes back to the office.
Peggy is crying - the janitor and the elevator guys were fired because of the stuff that was stolen from her locker, even though they weren't around during the party. She's upset because people hate her, and innocent people get fired, while rotten people can do whatever they want to and it's not fair. She follows the rules! don gives her a drink and tells her to finish it. Then he sends her out.
Don tells Pete that he has no character; that he's still going to hire Duck; that Pete has no plan; that Cooper won't be impressed with Pete's information. Pete disagrees, so Don goes straight to Cooper's office. Pete follows him in confused panic.
"I'm hiring Duck," Don tells Cooper after removing his shoes. Pete blurts out the "shocking" truth of Don's secret identity. His words fall flat. Cooper cries, "Who cares? The country was built by men who did worse." He says there's more profit in forgetting, and Pete should put his energy into getting accounts
Privately, Cooper gives Don permission to either fire Pete, or keep him around and watch him.
Dick is still digging. There's shooting and an explosion. Don Draper is killed. Dick swaps their tags. In the hospital, he's told that he needs to take Dick Whitman home. For getting a concussion, the new Don Draper gets a Purple Heart and a release into the Reserves.
He stays on the train and watches his old family receive the coffin. Little Adam sees him through the window of the train. Don turns away quickly. A lady on the train buys him a drink and tells him to forget about the boy in the box.
When Don gets home, Nixon is conceding on TV.
Pete tries again to get Don to consider him for the job. Don cuts him down in a hostile tone and leaves. The office party begins with rum and creme de menthe. Peggy leaves early.
Pete also goes home early. He looks through the package of things that Adam Whitman had sent to Don before hanging himself. Trudy is upset, knowing that he's snooping through something that's not his.
At the party, Ken finds Paul's play in his desk drawer. The coworkers act it out, with Joan and Sal as the stars.
Nixon takes Ohio.
Harry and one of the secretaries (Hildy? let's just say it's Hildy) kiss. At first they seem mortified. But apparently not mortified enough not to stop fooling around.
Joan and Paul talk about old times. Evidently, when they dated, Joan was unhappy that Paul blabbed something about her. She tells him she didn't like his play. They dance. Other people are passed out on the floor.
Harry and Hildy wake up. His glasses are broken. Hildy assures him that what they did didn't mean anything.
Next morning, the office is a wreck and the TV is broken. Peggy is angry because her blouse and three dollars are missing from her locker. She reports the theft.
The outcome of the election is still unclear and there are many allegations of fraud. Cooper somehow blames it on Sinatra. The recount is taking too long.
Pete shows up all full of himself with the Adam Whitman Memorial Package and a half-baked blackmail plan. He confronts Don and tells him he knows that the Army records show that Dick Whitman died in Korea, and Don Draper, then age 43, disappeared. Don looks at the package and has a flashback.
Dick is in Korea. He volunteered to serve. There were supposed to be a bunch of people at this location he's been sent to, but it's just him and a guy named Don Draper. He's supposed to dig something (he got plenty of practice as a kid, he's always digging things in the childhood flashbacks). The real Draper says he's near the end of his tour.
Don goes to Rachel's. He wants her to go away with him. She is disgusted and calls him a coward. He goes back to the office.
Peggy is crying - the janitor and the elevator guys were fired because of the stuff that was stolen from her locker, even though they weren't around during the party. She's upset because people hate her, and innocent people get fired, while rotten people can do whatever they want to and it's not fair. She follows the rules! don gives her a drink and tells her to finish it. Then he sends her out.
Don tells Pete that he has no character; that he's still going to hire Duck; that Pete has no plan; that Cooper won't be impressed with Pete's information. Pete disagrees, so Don goes straight to Cooper's office. Pete follows him in confused panic.
"I'm hiring Duck," Don tells Cooper after removing his shoes. Pete blurts out the "shocking" truth of Don's secret identity. His words fall flat. Cooper cries, "Who cares? The country was built by men who did worse." He says there's more profit in forgetting, and Pete should put his energy into getting accounts
Privately, Cooper gives Don permission to either fire Pete, or keep him around and watch him.
Dick is still digging. There's shooting and an explosion. Don Draper is killed. Dick swaps their tags. In the hospital, he's told that he needs to take Dick Whitman home. For getting a concussion, the new Don Draper gets a Purple Heart and a release into the Reserves.
He stays on the train and watches his old family receive the coffin. Little Adam sees him through the window of the train. Don turns away quickly. A lady on the train buys him a drink and tells him to forget about the boy in the box.
When Don gets home, Nixon is conceding on TV.
2008-09-08
Some apologies to Mad Men readers, and bonus photo
Click photo to enlarge. Explanation below.
Hey! I feel awful, saying I'll post a recap, or I won't post one, and then the opposite happens. Or I do post something, but it's got big dumb mistakes, or a huge chunk missing because I spilled wine on the rug and then other stuff comes up and I don't have time to rewatch the episode that night to polish off the recap. And then I say I'll post an update "soon" and it takes a week to get around to it.
(I think the Ugly Betty readers are used to it.)
I can't promise it will get much better, but I am devoted to this show and have no intention of skipping an episode unless there's some dire family emergency or something.
I wouldn't be able to recap this show at all if they hadn't moved it out of the Thursday lineup. But Sunday's not a lot better. On the other hand, I'm not sure any other night would be great either, since I need to get to bed earlier these days (health stuff) and go easier on my hands (carpal tunnel).
Plus, I've still got that recapping gig on ¡Caray, Caray!. I love it, but since telenovelas are daily, I have to post on my actual night, whether I'm up to it or not. (Telenovelas are more lightweight, so aside from the language difficulty, recapping them is usually pretty easy. Just time-consuming.) Staying up late just that one night can mess me up for a couple of days.
Anyway. I'm just acknowledging that I'm aware of my unreliability. Job, life, health, family, etc. all get higher priority, but I know people are reading these things (far more people than I would have expected), and I feel badly when I know I'm letting you down.
As for the photo: a few weeks ago, someone from AMC sent me some photos from the Mad Men season 2 wrap party. I picked this one because it gives the best view of John Hamm's personal smile. I don't know if I've ever seen Draper smile like that - it's always a tight smile, a smug smile, or a sardonic smile, but never a genuinely happy one.
2008-09-07
Mad Men #19 (2.6), 8/31/08: Dog, Duck, Dick
This updated recap is more detailed and also corrects some whopping errors I made last week, such as getting Maidenform and Playtex mixed up!
When you have a hangup about something and then there's a story that hits that hangup, it really doesn't matter what else is in that story, because all you're going to see is that sad, abandoned dog and hate the guy who ran him off.
May, 1962.
Opening song: "The Infanta," by the Decemberists.
Client Playtex is jealous of Maidenform's sexy, fantasy-based advertising and wants their own ads to have more sex appeal. Don and the madmen question the need to change their strategy, since sales are strong. As a bra-wearer and de facto spokeswoman for women, Peggy is asked whether she wears Playtex, and why. She does, and she agrees with the survey: Playtex has legitimate selling points that attract customers. (I could be more specific, but I don't feel like doing a Playtex ad.) Duck makes a really lame suggestion that's essentially a paraphrase of the current Maidenform ad.
Duck's ex-wife Pauline (the credits say this is Alexandra Paul - I did not recognize her!) shows up to drop off their two teenage kids, Mark and Patricia, and dog Chauncey, for the holiday. Pauline hints at a severe alcohol problem that Duck claims not to have any more.
Pete, Peggy, and Sal brainstorm on a Clearasil campaign. (Pete's father in law has some connection to Clearasil, I forget what.) Peggy has an idea, a story about a date, which would work both for print and TV. She says there's "some kind of line" at the end. Pete keeps suggesting "Thanks, Clearasil!," but Peggy stubbornly resists this idea. Sal likes it. Finally Peggy says she'll "think about it."
It's Memorial Day. Betty and Don go to some country club function as guests of the Pattersons. \Marcy Patterson speaks nostalgically of the Rosenberg execution and wonders if a power failure could cause the Sing Sing Correctional Facility's electronic gates to unlock. (The Sing Sing prison is located in Ossining, NY - where the Drapers live.) Betty asks to change the subject and later seems to dodge some kind of invitation from them.
Meanwhile, Don's friend Crab says that he was scapegoated and fired from a PR firm which had been contracted by the CIA to inspire rebellion and sabotage in Cuba. Don is surprised to hear that his friend has no confidence in Kennedy, is nervous about Cuba, and is building a bomb shelter that his wife doesn't want people to know about.
Betty runs into that young twit Arthur from the horse place who made a pass at her. He guesses that she changed her riding schedule to avoid him. He promises to stay out of her way. She says that it isn't necessary, and she wants to be friends. He tells her of some of his recent mishaps with the horses. Betty seems willing to hear more, but Bobby and Sally show up and scare him off.
It's time to listen to speeches. All the servicemen in the audience are asked to stand for applause. Don is among them. He doesn't get up right away and is uncomfortable with the applause.
Pete and Trudy have Pete's brother and his wife over for a cookout. Pete's brother jokes that Mom talks about Pete all the time. They laugh at this. Trudy is not amused. Pete and Trudy are supposed to visit with Mom. Pete says he's too important to the agency to take that much time off.
There's a fashion show and auction at the country club - women modeling swimsuits. Betty is very surprised when Don gets up in the middle of it, saying he has to go to work. He phones Bobbie at her hotel, but she's made other plans to take her college-age son to the beach. (Don is surprised she has a son.) But Jimmy will be out of town for 10 days, during which they can screw around all they want to. She wants Don to come to that place she has at the beach, but he doesn't want to be reminded of their accident. (Bobbie thinks about it all the time and seems to need to talk about it.)
Pete tells Peggy that his father-in-law loved "Thanks, Clearasil!" He also cluelessly gives away the ending of a movie she hasn't seen yet. He acknowleges that Peggy didn't like "Thanks, Clearasil!" She says it's all about keeping his FIL happy, and adds "I'll do my job, and you do yours." This strikes Pete as snarky, but she plays innocent.
He then tries to find out where she lives and whether she's seeing anyone. She tells him the neighborhood and that she spent the holiday with her family. Then she gets rid of him.
Roger shows some interest in Don's new secretary Jane and bums a cigarette from Don. He tells Don to make nice with Duck.
Duck brings the dog and kids to work. He finds out from them that Pauline is remarrying - "Franklin Reeve" has bribed the kids with large cash gifts. Duck tries to be big about it reminds them that he and their mother need to start new lives. However, he is more upset when the kids say that Pauline wants him to take the dog back - after originally having taken the dog away from him - because Frank's allergic. Duck slumps out of his own office, defeated.
The madmen have had an offsite "meeting," i.e. drinks at a bar, to which Peggy was not invited. In reference to the Playtex campaign, they decided that all women want to be either Jackie Kennedy or Marilyn Monroe. They pitch the idea to Don. Sal says "a line and a curve - nothing goes better together." Ha ha. Peggy disagrees with the Jackie vs. Marilyn theory; Ken says she's more of a Gertrude Stein. Some of the madmen laugh; Sal solemnly says she's more "classical" - Hellenic (Greek). Don says she's like Irene Dunne.
Chauncey follows Duck into Don's office; Duck seems annoyed, but the madmen flock around the dog to pet and admire it. Don shoos them away and Duck kicks out the dog. Don and Duck have "lunch," which consists of the two men discussing the tension between them. After eighteen months, Don thinks Duck's still not integrating well with the company. He's been selling clients' ideas to Don more than he's been selling Don's ideas to the clients. Duck says he's grateful to Don for hiring him and wants Don to stop holding the American Airlines debacle over his head. He looks bad, but his mistakes haven't hurt the company. Don agrees... but I think they both know that the only thing they accomplished on this foodless lunch in Duck's office was to hold Roger off for a little while.
Peggy confronts Freddie about the "meeting" she wasn't invited to. He blows her off and tells her to write some "titillating" copy.
Don takes the afternoon off to see Bobbie. Afterwards, she needs to take off - to see her college-age daughter in a play. Don asks if that's "everyone"; Bobbie doesn't really answer. She seems surprised when he doesn't want to hang around.
The madmen "bra-dition" models for the Playtex campaign. Again, no one tells Peggy, and she's pissed when she finds out. Ken assures her that he won't let Paul do any writing without her.
Pete meets Duck's dog, Chauncey. Duck claims he made his wife give the dog back because he missed him. He says dogs communicate better than wives. Pete jokes (I think he's joking) that he should get a dog of his own to be the office dog, to improve the atmosphere there. Duck humorlessly says it's a bad idea.
Pete meets one of the rejected would-be Playtex models and goes back to her place, where they have sex on her couch while her elderly mom waits in the kitchen. A phallic-looking military plane soars on the TV screen while a voiceover recites the breathtaking poem "High Flight" by John Magee. He goes home to a darkened apartment afterwards; Trudy didn't wait up for him.
Next morning, Betty is serving breakfast in a two-piece yellow swimsuit that she plans to wear to the pool at the country club. Don sharply disapproves and says she looks "desperate" and will be ogled by all the men.
Peggy tries to get Joan to make sure she's included in all Playtex-related communications. She complains that she's been left out of the activities. "I'm a good drinker," Peggy says. Joan says she has no involvement in these things, and Peggy needs to learn "their" language. She says Peggy's never taken her advice before anyway. (Not true, Peggy took her advice to go on the Pill and look how well that turned out.) Joan does give Peggy one more piece of advice: Stop dressing like a little girl.
The madmen have taken two photos of a model - in one photo she's Marilyn in white, and in the other photo she's Jackie in black. The Playtex guys love it and ask the madmen to stash it away - because they've decided for now to stick with their current campaign.
Duck is embarrassed. Don is gracious about it.
The Playtex guys offer to take the gang out to celebrate at a gentlemen's club. Peggy isn't invited, but she overhears the address and makes a mental note.
Having had a truly crappy day, Duck tries to sneak a drink after hours. Chauncey stares at him with pleading eyes. Duck leads the dog to the front door, removes his leash, and lets him out into the wilds of Manhattan. The dog barks for Duck's attention, but Duck doesn't look back. The dog runs away.
Don goes to Bobbie for another tryst. He asks her not to talk, but she won't shut up. She babbles that his reputation as a lover is well known - women, including some chick named Sarah Tierney from Random House, have been talking about him. He denies knowing this woman, but only after a hesitation that's long enough to suggest that he knows exactly who she is. Don is really angry to hear that Bobbie thinks he's like her. He ties her to the bed, which excites her even more, but then he gets dressed and leaves. "I told you to stop talking." Bobbie is aghast.
The guys are enjoying a girlie show at the Tom-Tom club. Peggy shows up - and she has chosen this evening to dress like a grown-up. Paul and Freddie welcome her, and Playtex guy pulls her onto his lap.
Not all of the guys are interested to see Peggy at all, but only one of them looks upset to see Peggy this way: Pete. She gives him a hard look for a moment, then falters and looks away.
Next morning. Don wakes up coughing. Sally comes into the bathroom to watch him shave. "I'm not going to talk - I don't want you to cut yourself." Don tries to shave, but can't do it. (I think he suddenly can't stop thinking about cutting himself. Not to mention the painful contrast between sweet little QUIET Sally and big awful BLABBERMOUTH Bobbie.)
Sally notices the freaked out look on his face and asks if he's okay. He sends her out and washes his face and sits down and stares into space.
When you have a hangup about something and then there's a story that hits that hangup, it really doesn't matter what else is in that story, because all you're going to see is that sad, abandoned dog and hate the guy who ran him off.
May, 1962.
Opening song: "The Infanta," by the Decemberists.
Client Playtex is jealous of Maidenform's sexy, fantasy-based advertising and wants their own ads to have more sex appeal. Don and the madmen question the need to change their strategy, since sales are strong. As a bra-wearer and de facto spokeswoman for women, Peggy is asked whether she wears Playtex, and why. She does, and she agrees with the survey: Playtex has legitimate selling points that attract customers. (I could be more specific, but I don't feel like doing a Playtex ad.) Duck makes a really lame suggestion that's essentially a paraphrase of the current Maidenform ad.
Duck's ex-wife Pauline (the credits say this is Alexandra Paul - I did not recognize her!) shows up to drop off their two teenage kids, Mark and Patricia, and dog Chauncey, for the holiday. Pauline hints at a severe alcohol problem that Duck claims not to have any more.
Pete, Peggy, and Sal brainstorm on a Clearasil campaign. (Pete's father in law has some connection to Clearasil, I forget what.) Peggy has an idea, a story about a date, which would work both for print and TV. She says there's "some kind of line" at the end. Pete keeps suggesting "Thanks, Clearasil!," but Peggy stubbornly resists this idea. Sal likes it. Finally Peggy says she'll "think about it."
It's Memorial Day. Betty and Don go to some country club function as guests of the Pattersons. \Marcy Patterson speaks nostalgically of the Rosenberg execution and wonders if a power failure could cause the Sing Sing Correctional Facility's electronic gates to unlock. (The Sing Sing prison is located in Ossining, NY - where the Drapers live.) Betty asks to change the subject and later seems to dodge some kind of invitation from them.
Meanwhile, Don's friend Crab says that he was scapegoated and fired from a PR firm which had been contracted by the CIA to inspire rebellion and sabotage in Cuba. Don is surprised to hear that his friend has no confidence in Kennedy, is nervous about Cuba, and is building a bomb shelter that his wife doesn't want people to know about.
Betty runs into that young twit Arthur from the horse place who made a pass at her. He guesses that she changed her riding schedule to avoid him. He promises to stay out of her way. She says that it isn't necessary, and she wants to be friends. He tells her of some of his recent mishaps with the horses. Betty seems willing to hear more, but Bobby and Sally show up and scare him off.
It's time to listen to speeches. All the servicemen in the audience are asked to stand for applause. Don is among them. He doesn't get up right away and is uncomfortable with the applause.
Pete and Trudy have Pete's brother and his wife over for a cookout. Pete's brother jokes that Mom talks about Pete all the time. They laugh at this. Trudy is not amused. Pete and Trudy are supposed to visit with Mom. Pete says he's too important to the agency to take that much time off.
There's a fashion show and auction at the country club - women modeling swimsuits. Betty is very surprised when Don gets up in the middle of it, saying he has to go to work. He phones Bobbie at her hotel, but she's made other plans to take her college-age son to the beach. (Don is surprised she has a son.) But Jimmy will be out of town for 10 days, during which they can screw around all they want to. She wants Don to come to that place she has at the beach, but he doesn't want to be reminded of their accident. (Bobbie thinks about it all the time and seems to need to talk about it.)
Pete tells Peggy that his father-in-law loved "Thanks, Clearasil!" He also cluelessly gives away the ending of a movie she hasn't seen yet. He acknowleges that Peggy didn't like "Thanks, Clearasil!" She says it's all about keeping his FIL happy, and adds "I'll do my job, and you do yours." This strikes Pete as snarky, but she plays innocent.
He then tries to find out where she lives and whether she's seeing anyone. She tells him the neighborhood and that she spent the holiday with her family. Then she gets rid of him.
Roger shows some interest in Don's new secretary Jane and bums a cigarette from Don. He tells Don to make nice with Duck.
Duck brings the dog and kids to work. He finds out from them that Pauline is remarrying - "Franklin Reeve" has bribed the kids with large cash gifts. Duck tries to be big about it reminds them that he and their mother need to start new lives. However, he is more upset when the kids say that Pauline wants him to take the dog back - after originally having taken the dog away from him - because Frank's allergic. Duck slumps out of his own office, defeated.
The madmen have had an offsite "meeting," i.e. drinks at a bar, to which Peggy was not invited. In reference to the Playtex campaign, they decided that all women want to be either Jackie Kennedy or Marilyn Monroe. They pitch the idea to Don. Sal says "a line and a curve - nothing goes better together." Ha ha. Peggy disagrees with the Jackie vs. Marilyn theory; Ken says she's more of a Gertrude Stein. Some of the madmen laugh; Sal solemnly says she's more "classical" - Hellenic (Greek). Don says she's like Irene Dunne.
Chauncey follows Duck into Don's office; Duck seems annoyed, but the madmen flock around the dog to pet and admire it. Don shoos them away and Duck kicks out the dog. Don and Duck have "lunch," which consists of the two men discussing the tension between them. After eighteen months, Don thinks Duck's still not integrating well with the company. He's been selling clients' ideas to Don more than he's been selling Don's ideas to the clients. Duck says he's grateful to Don for hiring him and wants Don to stop holding the American Airlines debacle over his head. He looks bad, but his mistakes haven't hurt the company. Don agrees... but I think they both know that the only thing they accomplished on this foodless lunch in Duck's office was to hold Roger off for a little while.
Peggy confronts Freddie about the "meeting" she wasn't invited to. He blows her off and tells her to write some "titillating" copy.
Don takes the afternoon off to see Bobbie. Afterwards, she needs to take off - to see her college-age daughter in a play. Don asks if that's "everyone"; Bobbie doesn't really answer. She seems surprised when he doesn't want to hang around.
The madmen "bra-dition" models for the Playtex campaign. Again, no one tells Peggy, and she's pissed when she finds out. Ken assures her that he won't let Paul do any writing without her.
Pete meets Duck's dog, Chauncey. Duck claims he made his wife give the dog back because he missed him. He says dogs communicate better than wives. Pete jokes (I think he's joking) that he should get a dog of his own to be the office dog, to improve the atmosphere there. Duck humorlessly says it's a bad idea.
Pete meets one of the rejected would-be Playtex models and goes back to her place, where they have sex on her couch while her elderly mom waits in the kitchen. A phallic-looking military plane soars on the TV screen while a voiceover recites the breathtaking poem "High Flight" by John Magee. He goes home to a darkened apartment afterwards; Trudy didn't wait up for him.
Next morning, Betty is serving breakfast in a two-piece yellow swimsuit that she plans to wear to the pool at the country club. Don sharply disapproves and says she looks "desperate" and will be ogled by all the men.
Peggy tries to get Joan to make sure she's included in all Playtex-related communications. She complains that she's been left out of the activities. "I'm a good drinker," Peggy says. Joan says she has no involvement in these things, and Peggy needs to learn "their" language. She says Peggy's never taken her advice before anyway. (Not true, Peggy took her advice to go on the Pill and look how well that turned out.) Joan does give Peggy one more piece of advice: Stop dressing like a little girl.
The madmen have taken two photos of a model - in one photo she's Marilyn in white, and in the other photo she's Jackie in black. The Playtex guys love it and ask the madmen to stash it away - because they've decided for now to stick with their current campaign.
Duck is embarrassed. Don is gracious about it.
The Playtex guys offer to take the gang out to celebrate at a gentlemen's club. Peggy isn't invited, but she overhears the address and makes a mental note.
Having had a truly crappy day, Duck tries to sneak a drink after hours. Chauncey stares at him with pleading eyes. Duck leads the dog to the front door, removes his leash, and lets him out into the wilds of Manhattan. The dog barks for Duck's attention, but Duck doesn't look back. The dog runs away.
Don goes to Bobbie for another tryst. He asks her not to talk, but she won't shut up. She babbles that his reputation as a lover is well known - women, including some chick named Sarah Tierney from Random House, have been talking about him. He denies knowing this woman, but only after a hesitation that's long enough to suggest that he knows exactly who she is. Don is really angry to hear that Bobbie thinks he's like her. He ties her to the bed, which excites her even more, but then he gets dressed and leaves. "I told you to stop talking." Bobbie is aghast.
The guys are enjoying a girlie show at the Tom-Tom club. Peggy shows up - and she has chosen this evening to dress like a grown-up. Paul and Freddie welcome her, and Playtex guy pulls her onto his lap.
Not all of the guys are interested to see Peggy at all, but only one of them looks upset to see Peggy this way: Pete. She gives him a hard look for a moment, then falters and looks away.
Next morning. Don wakes up coughing. Sally comes into the bathroom to watch him shave. "I'm not going to talk - I don't want you to cut yourself." Don tries to shave, but can't do it. (I think he suddenly can't stop thinking about cutting himself. Not to mention the painful contrast between sweet little QUIET Sally and big awful BLABBERMOUTH Bobbie.)
Sally notices the freaked out look on his face and asks if he's okay. He sends her out and washes his face and sits down and stares into space.
2008-09-03
And in Ugly Betty news...
I've done a crummy job of keeping up with this stuff... there's now a Filipino version of Yo Soy Betty La Fea. Here's a fan blog with a teaser video (you'll have to scroll a bit to get to it).
Mad Men 1.11: Indian Summer
October, 1962.
Adam Whitman puts on his best suit and hangs himself.
Peggy's mom fixes her up with a blind date.
The madmen notice that Joan has been a real bitch lately.
A client wants to sell a weight-loss belt. It's a "passive exercise regimen." Research shows that wives like it, but it doesn't seem to work. Peggy's gained some weight, so they decide to let her try. She's happy to do it.
She takes the belt home. It fits like underpants, plugs into the wall, and vibrates. It's very efficient.
It's a hot night. Betty is alone. Don is with Rachel.
The next day, Peggy has difficulty explaining the belt's effect to Don. Finally he gets it (he barely even blinks) and encourages her to write something up. He tells her to think deeply about the problem, then forget about it and let the idea come to her.
An air conditioning salesman comes to the house. Betty is in a somewhat sheer housecoat. The guy asks for a glass of water, but once he's in the house he begins his sales pitch. She lets him look around upstairs and give a professional opinion. Finally Betty tells the salesman that her husband would prefer to use Sears. She sends him away.
Rachel's sister disapproves of Rachel's married boyfriend.
Betty tells Don about the salesman. He's upset that she let a strange man into the house.
Roger comes back to work. The guys note his poor coloring and ask Joan to fix it since he has an important meeting with Lucky Strike. They joke about Nixon's arrogance, and not accepting help.
Betty's friend Francine has had her baby. She seems to be suffering from a heavy case of the baby blues. Betty tells Francine the salesman was "very pushy." (He asked for a glass of water!) The friend is surprised that Betty told Don about him.
Roger has a thick deli sandwich and and a cigarette at the Lucky Strike meeting. They don't get very far before he has another heart attack right at the table. Mona blames Cooper. Cooper tells the Lucky Strike guy not to worry; that Don is handling everything.
The madmen are worried about what this could mean for the company, but they also realize that it might open some spots in the organization for them to move up.
Peggy is making as bad an impression on her blind date as possible, smoking and bragging about her Manhattan job. Her date is a truck driver. He has his own truck and route. They're bragging back and forth having an ego contest. The guy tries to apologize and make nice, but Peggy self-righteously flaunts her ambition at him.
Don calls the psychiatrist for a report. The doctor says Betty seems to be getting worse. He thinks she needs more sessions. Don is annoyed; this therapy is costing money and accomplishing nothing, just as he had expected.
Peggy pitches the belt at an internal meeting (no client). She has renamed it "The Rejuvenator." She talks about it causing "feelings." These "feelings" provoke some mildly crude conversation, mostly about someone's wife (I forget whose), though the madmen are respectful to Peggy personally. Based on the conversation in the meeting, they decide to go with the word "stimulation."
Betty notices that the washing machine is jumping with an unbalanced load. She snuggles up against it and thinks about the "pushy" salesman. It's hot! She needs to fan her face when she's done.
The Rejuvenator client meeting goes well. Peggy asks Don for a raise. Don tells her to be less timid.
Cooper makes Don partner. Roger is getting better. Cooper thinks Ayn Rand would like him. (Sure, but she'd also love a scarecrow if it was stuffed with money.)
Pete walks in and asks if Roger's dead. He sucks up to Don.
Peggy gets a raise and coverage for her desk. She asks Don if she can tell Joan. (Like Don would care!)
After work, Pete tries on Don's office for size. While he lounges at the desk, the mailboy leaves a package for Don. Pete takes it home.
Don tells Betty about becoming partner.
Peggy hits the belt again.
Adam Whitman puts on his best suit and hangs himself.
Peggy's mom fixes her up with a blind date.
The madmen notice that Joan has been a real bitch lately.
A client wants to sell a weight-loss belt. It's a "passive exercise regimen." Research shows that wives like it, but it doesn't seem to work. Peggy's gained some weight, so they decide to let her try. She's happy to do it.
She takes the belt home. It fits like underpants, plugs into the wall, and vibrates. It's very efficient.
It's a hot night. Betty is alone. Don is with Rachel.
The next day, Peggy has difficulty explaining the belt's effect to Don. Finally he gets it (he barely even blinks) and encourages her to write something up. He tells her to think deeply about the problem, then forget about it and let the idea come to her.
An air conditioning salesman comes to the house. Betty is in a somewhat sheer housecoat. The guy asks for a glass of water, but once he's in the house he begins his sales pitch. She lets him look around upstairs and give a professional opinion. Finally Betty tells the salesman that her husband would prefer to use Sears. She sends him away.
Rachel's sister disapproves of Rachel's married boyfriend.
Betty tells Don about the salesman. He's upset that she let a strange man into the house.
Roger comes back to work. The guys note his poor coloring and ask Joan to fix it since he has an important meeting with Lucky Strike. They joke about Nixon's arrogance, and not accepting help.
Betty's friend Francine has had her baby. She seems to be suffering from a heavy case of the baby blues. Betty tells Francine the salesman was "very pushy." (He asked for a glass of water!) The friend is surprised that Betty told Don about him.
Roger has a thick deli sandwich and and a cigarette at the Lucky Strike meeting. They don't get very far before he has another heart attack right at the table. Mona blames Cooper. Cooper tells the Lucky Strike guy not to worry; that Don is handling everything.
The madmen are worried about what this could mean for the company, but they also realize that it might open some spots in the organization for them to move up.
Peggy is making as bad an impression on her blind date as possible, smoking and bragging about her Manhattan job. Her date is a truck driver. He has his own truck and route. They're bragging back and forth having an ego contest. The guy tries to apologize and make nice, but Peggy self-righteously flaunts her ambition at him.
Don calls the psychiatrist for a report. The doctor says Betty seems to be getting worse. He thinks she needs more sessions. Don is annoyed; this therapy is costing money and accomplishing nothing, just as he had expected.
Peggy pitches the belt at an internal meeting (no client). She has renamed it "The Rejuvenator." She talks about it causing "feelings." These "feelings" provoke some mildly crude conversation, mostly about someone's wife (I forget whose), though the madmen are respectful to Peggy personally. Based on the conversation in the meeting, they decide to go with the word "stimulation."
Betty notices that the washing machine is jumping with an unbalanced load. She snuggles up against it and thinks about the "pushy" salesman. It's hot! She needs to fan her face when she's done.
The Rejuvenator client meeting goes well. Peggy asks Don for a raise. Don tells her to be less timid.
Cooper makes Don partner. Roger is getting better. Cooper thinks Ayn Rand would like him. (Sure, but she'd also love a scarecrow if it was stuffed with money.)
Pete walks in and asks if Roger's dead. He sucks up to Don.
Peggy gets a raise and coverage for her desk. She asks Don if she can tell Joan. (Like Don would care!)
After work, Pete tries on Don's office for size. While he lounges at the desk, the mailboy leaves a package for Don. Pete takes it home.
Don tells Betty about becoming partner.
Peggy hits the belt again.
Mad Men 1.10: Pain
Betty's dad and his "friend" Gloria are visiting. Betty hates Gloria.
The madmen look at Kennedy ads. His ads are cheerful and upbeat. Nixon's ads are money-oriented, dull, and gloomy. They want to find dirt on Kennedy. They know he's a womanizer, but they figure women would like that about him. Don admiringly says that Nixon is a self-made man, while Kennedy was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
Labor Day weekend is coming. Joan doesn't want to spend it with Roger. She's upset about the movie The Apartment with Shirley MacLaine, in which a female elevator operator leads a life that probably seemed glamorous within this 1962 "comedy," but in retrospect would probably have been miserable.
Don and Paul meet with Rachel Menken at a restaurant. They want to close her store for three months for remodeling. Rachel's father gripes, but he accepts.
Joan's roommate Carol shows up at the office upset. She's been scapegoated and fired for some mishap at her job. Joan suggests that they go out and date men and spend all their money.
Sterling & Cooper have been dumped by Dr. Scholl's. Don has a private tantrum. Roger is pissed. They go to casting to pick up some chicks.
Pete is a jerk with Peggy. Peggy says she's confused by his behavior. Sometimes she thinks he likes her, and sometimes she thinks he doesn't like her. He puts her down for being a writer.
Roger and Don try to make time with all the twins who are trying out for a Double-Sided Aluminum ad. Roger picks out his favorite pair of twins (redheads, of course).
Betty has gone to the family place at the shore. Don will go tomorrow. Roger's date's name is Mirabelle. Don's date is Eleanor. Roger wants the twins to make out. Don wants to leave. Eleanor wants to dance.
As Joan and Carol prepare for their hot night on the town, Carol tells Joan that she's in love with her. She followed her to Manhattan after college to be with her. "Just think of me as a boy," she says. Joan doesn't respond to any of this.
Mirabelle is crawling around the office on all fours with Roger riding on her back. Don and Eleanor wait outside. Don wants to leave, but Eleanor wants Don to stay with her while she waits.
Roger babbles to Mirabelle about his daughter. Soon he's ready for round two.
Carol and Joan have picked up a couple of drips. Joan and her date go into his bedroom. Carol seems resigned to her fate as her date begins pawing her on the sofa.
Don and Eleanor talk. Eleanor is trying to be amiable, but Don's not into it.
Roger's having a heart attack. He's surprised, because he's been eating cream and butter as he was instructed to. He faces the prospect of death philosophically. His daughter (finally got that haircut) and his wife show up at the hospital. (At some point, Don had to remind Roger that his wife's name was Mona, not Mirabelle.)
Joan meets Cooper at the office and ditches her date. Cooper has her send telegrams to all their clients.
Betty calls Don to complain about her father and Gloria.
Don goes to Rachel's place and makes a move. She rejects him. He tells her that his first time as a pallbearer was for his aunt, when he was five. It was like he moved up a notch in the family. He and Rachel argue, but finally they have sex.
Cooper tells Joan to go for a younger guy. He has her operate the elevator, just like in the Shirley MacLaine movie that upset her so much.
Don begins to tell his life's story to Rachel. His mother was a prostitute. She died giving birth to him. He moved in with his father and his father's wife. His father was a drunk. He died of a horse-kick to the face when Don was 10. Then his father's wife found a new man.
The madmen look at Kennedy ads. His ads are cheerful and upbeat. Nixon's ads are money-oriented, dull, and gloomy. They want to find dirt on Kennedy. They know he's a womanizer, but they figure women would like that about him. Don admiringly says that Nixon is a self-made man, while Kennedy was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
Labor Day weekend is coming. Joan doesn't want to spend it with Roger. She's upset about the movie The Apartment with Shirley MacLaine, in which a female elevator operator leads a life that probably seemed glamorous within this 1962 "comedy," but in retrospect would probably have been miserable.
Don and Paul meet with Rachel Menken at a restaurant. They want to close her store for three months for remodeling. Rachel's father gripes, but he accepts.
Joan's roommate Carol shows up at the office upset. She's been scapegoated and fired for some mishap at her job. Joan suggests that they go out and date men and spend all their money.
Sterling & Cooper have been dumped by Dr. Scholl's. Don has a private tantrum. Roger is pissed. They go to casting to pick up some chicks.
Pete is a jerk with Peggy. Peggy says she's confused by his behavior. Sometimes she thinks he likes her, and sometimes she thinks he doesn't like her. He puts her down for being a writer.
Roger and Don try to make time with all the twins who are trying out for a Double-Sided Aluminum ad. Roger picks out his favorite pair of twins (redheads, of course).
Betty has gone to the family place at the shore. Don will go tomorrow. Roger's date's name is Mirabelle. Don's date is Eleanor. Roger wants the twins to make out. Don wants to leave. Eleanor wants to dance.
As Joan and Carol prepare for their hot night on the town, Carol tells Joan that she's in love with her. She followed her to Manhattan after college to be with her. "Just think of me as a boy," she says. Joan doesn't respond to any of this.
Mirabelle is crawling around the office on all fours with Roger riding on her back. Don and Eleanor wait outside. Don wants to leave, but Eleanor wants Don to stay with her while she waits.
Roger babbles to Mirabelle about his daughter. Soon he's ready for round two.
Carol and Joan have picked up a couple of drips. Joan and her date go into his bedroom. Carol seems resigned to her fate as her date begins pawing her on the sofa.
Don and Eleanor talk. Eleanor is trying to be amiable, but Don's not into it.
Roger's having a heart attack. He's surprised, because he's been eating cream and butter as he was instructed to. He faces the prospect of death philosophically. His daughter (finally got that haircut) and his wife show up at the hospital. (At some point, Don had to remind Roger that his wife's name was Mona, not Mirabelle.)
Joan meets Cooper at the office and ditches her date. Cooper has her send telegrams to all their clients.
Betty calls Don to complain about her father and Gloria.
Don goes to Rachel's place and makes a move. She rejects him. He tells her that his first time as a pallbearer was for his aunt, when he was five. It was like he moved up a notch in the family. He and Rachel argue, but finally they have sex.
Cooper tells Joan to go for a younger guy. He has her operate the elevator, just like in the Shirley MacLaine movie that upset her so much.
Don begins to tell his life's story to Rachel. His mother was a prostitute. She died giving birth to him. He moved in with his father and his father's wife. His father was a drunk. He died of a horse-kick to the face when Don was 10. Then his father's wife found a new man.
Mad Men 1.9: "I was a model, you know"
Don and Betty meet Jim Hobarth at a party. (Someone mentions that the Israeli tourism campaign was a success.) Hobarth is from advertising giant McCann-Erickson. He wants Don to come work at his place.
Jim Hobarth complements Betty on her appearance and mentions that he needs a model for a Coca-Cola campaign. Betty tells him she's modeled before.
Later, Betty tells neighbor Francine about her modeling career, during which she had a platonic relationship with a designer.
Don gets a gift of golf clubs from Hobarth and a note, "Join the big time."
Betty tells her psychiatrist about her modeling. It's how she met Don. She was upset she couldn't keep the fur coat from a gig, so he bought it for her. They moved out to the suburbs and had kids, and now she feels old. Her mother always fretted about Betty's weight and appearance, but she also disapproved of modeling and likened it to prostitution.
The doctor observes that Betty is angry at her mother. Betty is annoyed that after being silent all the time and not listening to her, he's now provoking her. Anyway, she found a man like her mother told her to - now what?
Jackie Kennedy does a campaign ad in Spanish. Nixon still hasn't officially asked Sterling-Cooper to represent him. They're doing this work pro-bono. The madmen hate Kennedy.
Betty wants to try out for the Coke campaign. Don reluctantly agrees.
Roger knows about Hobarth sending the golf clubs. He warns Don that he'd hate working there - he has so much at Sterling-Cooper; why start over? He's taking it personally.
Peggy's skirt tears when she leans over. She tries to hide the split seam by tying a sweater around her waist. Joan notices. She also asks Peggy nosy questions about Don. Peggy is not responsive. Joan makes a snotty remark about Peggy's copywriting aspirations and says Peggy shouldn't eat so much. Peggy suddenly realizes that Joan thinks she's being helpful.
The guys are talking. They think Don might be making $30,000 a year. Paul notices that Peggy is getting fat.
Betty tries out for the Coke ad. She's wearing one of her designer's dresses. No surprise, she gets the job.
The madmen are talking about their laxative client. Pete suggests that they should buy all the ad time for their laxative in a key market so that Kennedy's people can't get any air time there.
Polly (the Drapers' dog) attacks the neighbor's pigeons. The neighbor threatens to shoot the dog if she does it again. Sally has a bad dream about it.
The guys are obsequious with Don. Cooper is thrilled about the laxative ads strategy. Pete becomes very cocky; Don shoots him down. In turn, Pete is mean to his secretary Hilda.
Don looks at Betty's test photos.
Roger is eating Jell-O. He offers Don a 50% raise with no contract. Don likes the way they do business, so if he leaves them, it won't be for advertising.
Don is also angry about the way Hobarth is using Betty. He turns down the job offer.
Betty is fired from the Coke job. They'll let her keep the dress and the pictures, but not the jewelry.
For some reason I don't remember, Pete and Ken brawl. (I think Ken suggested that Peggy was having sex with Don to get the writing job, but I don't remember for sure.) Nobody knows that Pete's defending his secret girlfriend's honor (though clearly he reserves the right to diss her on his own time).
Betty tells Don they wanted her to do more modeling, but she doesn't want to work. She'd rather take care of her family. Don says he wishes he'd had a mother like her.
The next day, Betty's bored. The neighbor's pigeons annoy her, so she goes outside and shoots at them.
Jim Hobarth complements Betty on her appearance and mentions that he needs a model for a Coca-Cola campaign. Betty tells him she's modeled before.
Later, Betty tells neighbor Francine about her modeling career, during which she had a platonic relationship with a designer.
Don gets a gift of golf clubs from Hobarth and a note, "Join the big time."
Betty tells her psychiatrist about her modeling. It's how she met Don. She was upset she couldn't keep the fur coat from a gig, so he bought it for her. They moved out to the suburbs and had kids, and now she feels old. Her mother always fretted about Betty's weight and appearance, but she also disapproved of modeling and likened it to prostitution.
The doctor observes that Betty is angry at her mother. Betty is annoyed that after being silent all the time and not listening to her, he's now provoking her. Anyway, she found a man like her mother told her to - now what?
Jackie Kennedy does a campaign ad in Spanish. Nixon still hasn't officially asked Sterling-Cooper to represent him. They're doing this work pro-bono. The madmen hate Kennedy.
Betty wants to try out for the Coke campaign. Don reluctantly agrees.
Roger knows about Hobarth sending the golf clubs. He warns Don that he'd hate working there - he has so much at Sterling-Cooper; why start over? He's taking it personally.
Peggy's skirt tears when she leans over. She tries to hide the split seam by tying a sweater around her waist. Joan notices. She also asks Peggy nosy questions about Don. Peggy is not responsive. Joan makes a snotty remark about Peggy's copywriting aspirations and says Peggy shouldn't eat so much. Peggy suddenly realizes that Joan thinks she's being helpful.
The guys are talking. They think Don might be making $30,000 a year. Paul notices that Peggy is getting fat.
Betty tries out for the Coke ad. She's wearing one of her designer's dresses. No surprise, she gets the job.
The madmen are talking about their laxative client. Pete suggests that they should buy all the ad time for their laxative in a key market so that Kennedy's people can't get any air time there.
Polly (the Drapers' dog) attacks the neighbor's pigeons. The neighbor threatens to shoot the dog if she does it again. Sally has a bad dream about it.
The guys are obsequious with Don. Cooper is thrilled about the laxative ads strategy. Pete becomes very cocky; Don shoots him down. In turn, Pete is mean to his secretary Hilda.
Don looks at Betty's test photos.
Roger is eating Jell-O. He offers Don a 50% raise with no contract. Don likes the way they do business, so if he leaves them, it won't be for advertising.
Don is also angry about the way Hobarth is using Betty. He turns down the job offer.
Betty is fired from the Coke job. They'll let her keep the dress and the pictures, but not the jewelry.
For some reason I don't remember, Pete and Ken brawl. (I think Ken suggested that Peggy was having sex with Don to get the writing job, but I don't remember for sure.) Nobody knows that Pete's defending his secret girlfriend's honor (though clearly he reserves the right to diss her on his own time).
Betty tells Don they wanted her to do more modeling, but she doesn't want to work. She'd rather take care of her family. Don says he wishes he'd had a mother like her.
The next day, Betty's bored. The neighbor's pigeons annoy her, so she goes outside and shoots at them.
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