Shut Up It's On

[Just as a warning, this and all future rewinds, Mad Men or not, will contain spoilers throughout for not only this episode, but others as well.
Any italics seen for the remainder of this post are comments added by Roger.]

This is a super heavy episode filled with a ton of character development. So bear with me, this is going to be a long one. We barely have any Don, and when we do it all relates back to Betty. But we have a long ways to go, so moving along…

Don and Betty are taking in the show Fiorello! when during the intermission Don runs into a man, Jim Hobart. Jim is an exec over at another ad agency, McCann Erickson. McCann would of course later buy Sterling Cooper. When Don first heard that news he had rather dismissive things to say about them. He knows talent when he sees it and tries to push Don into entertaining an offer for working for the other side. Jim’s wife shows up, and then soon after Betty does she steals Don away to get some champagne. Jim starts talking to Betty about possibly doing some modeling with that Grace Kelly face and you can tell it got Betty’s wheels turning. She mentions it on the car ride home and Don brushes it off as Jim’s attempt to get under her skirt. Betty though, is not so sure.

The next day Betty is talking about the night with Francine and she had no idea Betty used to be a model. She tries on some clothes that were made for her in Italy while she was starting out, and it’s obvious where this is going. Betty even drops by the psychiatrists office to talk this out and explains how her and Don first met. She also goes into detail of how critical her mother was on appearances but at the same time, hated the idea of her daughter modeling. She knows that her mom just meant well so she could find a good man, but knows that now she can’t just “sit in a box”. When Don gets home for work that evening Betty tells her she really wants to try out for the Coca Cola spot Jim offered and Don supports her like a good husband.

What Betty is unaware of and will ultimately lead to her failure, is that Don is getting gifts at the office from Jim. So Don’s hesitation about the job isn’t because he doesn’t want her to work, its because he knows how this will end. Jim sends him a membership to the New York Athletic Club and then golf clubs a day or two later. The clubs are intercepted by Roger and they talk it over. Roger brings up some valid points but Don doesn’t want to show his cards just yet.

Word of Don leaving has spread to the brain trust and they’re discussing it openly. Pete of course cannot wait to see him leave but this is all just rumors, so let’s degrade women! Peggy had ripped her skirt earlier and Joan was kind enough to lend her a spare dress she had squirreled away. It fits her weirdly and the boys take notice as she walks by. Ken is oddly the most vocal about what a shame it was that nobody got to “eat that fruit before it went bad”. Pete interestingly doesn’t even smirk and gloat. A manboy like Campbell would broadcast his little victories to his friends no? Being a woman sometimes, it’s so awesome.

In another part of town, Betty is at her audition insanely over dressed. Regardless, they loved her and she got the shoot. Well, that’s how they explained it to her anyway. Don is proud of her and even tells Betty that he won’t ruin her moment. Oh, we’ll see about that. The following day Betty has a great time and is excited to tell Don all about it and have him help fill out her paperwork. She’s as excited as a little girl…

At work the boys and Don are discussing things like Lucky Strike in Don’s office when Burt and Roger bust on in. They are very forthright in what they want. An answer. Who bought up all that air time for Secor Laxatives? Well it was Pete and Harry in a stroke of genius on Pete’s part to help deter Kennedy’s advertising in swing states. Both Cooper and Sterling are astonished it came from them and thoroughly impressed at the same time. This pat on the back gives Pete a little too much confidence as he tries to leave the meeting early and then later on has some awkward moment with Hilde. Oh, little Pete Campbell. Just grow up already, would ya?

I’ll answer that quickly for Pete, no. While hanging out at the office after hours, Ken once again comments on Peggy’s appearance calling her a lobster, all the meat is in the tail. Pete goes apeshit on him and sucker punches him. Back then I guess you didn’t really have to explain yourself in fights. Men being men. In Pete’s defense, he was quite sauced. Did I just defend Season 1 Pete? Am I hammered? I also love how Don and Roger couldn’t care less about the fight.

Before Peggy left though, she did have quite the run-in with Joan. Upon a second viewing I realized how nasty of a conversation this actually was. And it is also unbelievable the gall Peggy has, standing up and knocking down Joan a peg or two while she has only been on the job a few months. No one is really a winner after these words though, they’re both right.

In a moment of bad business practice with a touch of blackmail, Jim Hobart sends Don prints of Betty from the Coca Cola shoot. This pushes Don over the edge and he practically runs to Roger, demands a raise without a contract and Roger agrees. Don calls up Jim, knowing what this means for Betty and tells him to stop trying and that this move was pretty much a low blow and its business he doesn’t want a part of.

At home, Betty tells Don about her day at the photo shoot sans the rejection afterwards. She lies about it and claims she just doesn’t want to do it anymore. Don let’s her go along with this and reassures her that even if she doesn’t model she’s the best mother in the world. Awwww moment!

What I loved about this episode was the final scenes. The moment where we get to really see who Betty Draper is. She is going about her normal morning routine and then she goes outside and shoots a BB gun at carrier pigeons. While the neighbor did deserve something since he yelled at Sally about the dog, I’m not so sure shooting at his birds is the way to go. Stay tuned for next episode’s installment of Let’s See What Crazy Betty Does Now!

A few notes and quotes:

• The musical they went to see, Fiorello! sounds like the absolute worst. It was La Guardia’s taking of Tammany Hall, with accompanying music. No wonder it only ran for a year.
• I tried searching high and low with no luck on Betty’s mystery designer. The frock she puts on reeks of Versace, to me at least, but he was only a teenager in the 50s, surely not old enough to have a muse like Betty.
• McCann Erickson is an actual ad agency
• “I’ve always eaten a lot. And I like hot dogs”. I laughed at this. As if hot dogs are the reason for fat kids. That’s some real Betty insight.
• Who are you Don Draper?: Betty: “Oh he’s very interesting.” Betty told us how her and Don met: “Don was just a copywriter at a fur company.” “He wasn’t shy.” Roger: “I think you’re one in a million.” Roger: “Do you want to start over?” Don: “I haven’t made up my mind.” Pete: “His moods, and the way he talks? I don’t know what he’s saying half the time.” Kinsey: “Everybody loves him.” Don lies on the couch with his tie on. He also likes sex on the couch. Don: “If I leave this place, one day, it won’t be for more advertising.” Roger: “What else is there?” Don: “A life worth lived…I want to do something else.” Don, to Betty: “I wish I had a mother like you.”
• Haha it’s the sixties: “I like the show. Very gay songs.” Pan Am is a great client to have. “Nixon has an eight point lead.” “Should we move this down to MacDougal Street?”
• This was the first and currently only episode directed by Paul Feig, perhaps best known as the co-creator of Freaks and Geeks. Feig is more of a “comedy guy”, directing thirteen episodes of The Office
• When talking about Don leaving Pete says, “He’s not ten times better than me”. The quick scan of the table basically tells me the other boys are a little shocked at the salary difference. Later on we find out, those looks are for good reason.
• “Writing? Is that what this is all about? I thought you were doing that to get close to Paul.” “This isn’t China. There’s no money in virginity.” Dang, Joan! I love this woman!