Why am I combining these two episodes you ask? Oh what was that? You didn’t say anything? I’ll tell you anyway. Love Among the Ruins had a few points that had to be made known to set up the rest of the season, but no event really stands out as important to the overall plot. A brief run through of Love Among the Ruins and then a full recap of an unbelievable, foreshadowy episode that is My Old Kentucky Home.

Love Among the Ruins can be summed up like as so: Betty is not a happy pregnant lady; Grandpa Gene is getting worse and now moving in with the Drapers; Peggy is taking control of her life, one one night stand at a time; and lastly everyone hates Jane and Roger by proxy, including his daughter who is getting married November 23rd, 1963. Something really important happens the 22nd guys! Oh and a commercial for Patio (now Diet Pepsi) is in the works and it is based on the opening scene from Bye Bye Birdie.

While doing auditions for their Patio commercial, Ken and Pete drop in on the rest to drop a bomb. For their Bacardi campaign they have to come up with some new stuff by Monday. But they have plans! Too bad. If they aren’t tied down to Roger and Jane’s derby party, they have to stay in and put those thinking hats on. So Kinsey, Pegs and Smitty are stuck at the office over the weekend.

Don comes home to find that his father-in-law thinks he’s still in the army, peeling potatoes for the masses. Nothing you can really do to off set dementia, so he says goodnight and makes Sally go to bed, no more reading The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire tonight.

It is quite the busy Saturday for us! We are not only following many Sterling Cooper men to a party, but watching them at the office, Joanie at home and Sally stole $5 from Grandpa! He totally knows it was her too.

Peggy, Kinsey and Smitty are half-assing their work in the office. Drinking and talking of things that are not office chatter. Weed, mostly. Peggy leaves to find a blender, (and finds that her secretary, Olive, is there for no real reason) and the boys talk about scoring some dope. Kinsey calls up his connect and he comes through offering an array of drugs, but they’ll just settle for the small time stuff. While they were enjoying themselves, Peggy took a nap on her couch and when she asked Olive if they’re still there, shes warned to not join that kind of behavior.

“I’m Peggy Olson and I want to smoke some marijuana.” Fantastic. She joins the boys and Kinsey’s friend rags on how he used to talk like he was from Jersey and how he got kicked out of their college a capella group. Kinsey gets mad but then proves his friend wrong, singing and then eventually reconciling over song. Peggy cannot believe how high she is.

While Smitty tries to make a move on Peggy, asking her up to the roof, Peggy is struck with genius and comes up with her idea for the Bacardi ads. She tells the boys they can go home, she has it from here. When she goes back to her office she finds a judging Olive but consoles her. Peggy is going to get everything she wants, so you don’t have to be looking out for her all the time, Olive. She will be okay.

Out, in what I believe is the Hamptons, Don and Betty are joining the party to open arms and ass kissing. Trudy and Betty wander off, exclaiming about how this reminds them of their childhood and the boys wander as well. Pete talks to Don about who is there and Don tells him, just don’t hand out a business card.

The next time we see this bunch is quite the sight. Roger is donning shoe polish singing to Jane in a very racist way. No one but Don and perhaps Pete seem to see a problem with this and Don even walks away. He finds a bar and naturally assumes the man behind it in the tender. Nope, just looking for some bourbon. Don hops on back and makes Old Fashions while they talk of how they came from meager beginnings and still feel like the don’t belong. Well, nice to meet you, Connie. May our paths cross again? Hmm?

While Betty is waiting by the bathroom a man comes up and begins talking to her. He asks about her baby, and how it feels to be pregnant. He blames the liquor but even asks to touch her belly. She obliges but does quickly walk away once reunited with Trudy.

Later during the party, Roger and Burt bring over the belly touching man, introducing him as Henry Francis. He works for Rockefeller and was just in attendance to his wedding to some broad named Happy. Betty and his eyes meet in a way that you know he isn’t going away soon.

Joan and Dr. Raper are readying the house for a dinner party. He is apparently up for a big promotion and the chief of something important must sit at the head of the table. They have a little tiff about what is the proper etiquette for seating and Joan solves the problem in a calm manner.

She keeps on her happy face while with their guests and even when the women make personal suggestions like not having children yet and how no matter what happens to Greg, he is in good hands with Joan. Sounds like the wives know a little more than Greg does at this point.

After their meal, the chatter continues and the conversation takes a little turn for the worst. Apparently Greg had botched a surgery and didn’t even tell Joan. This mistake could have possibly cost him his promotion, but we will over look that since Joan is now going to entertain us. Greg practically forces her to play the accordion and you can just tell she is not happy about him keeping these secrets. But Joan is Joan, and puts on a great performance for her guests.

Before leaving, Betty wants to take one more round at the buffet and a drunk Jane tumbles on in. She tries to get her own food and fails miserably so they help. Jane remarks on how she knew they would work out their problems and grabs at Don asking why he never liked her. Roger comes in just to see the more scandalous parts and doesn’t care so much that Jane is wasted, but that Don has had a sourpuss on all day. Roger thinks that it’s because he is conspicuously happy and no one is ever glad to see that. Don corrects him, no one thinks he is happy. Everyone thinks he is foolish. Roger offers some parting words that are a more eloquent way of saying get out of my party.

As Don is leaving, he gets Betty’s things and finds her a fair distance away, staring off. He embraces her and they kiss. It’s amazing how their relationship evolves later, you would never know from this last scene.

A few notes and quotes:

• Grandpa Gene might be losing his mind but he sure knows how to read his grandchildren. I always felt that way about mine too. Best part about them? They never punish you and then let you read inappropriate material to them before bed. Awesome!
• I wanted to do a grab of the black face…but it’s black face! I gasped the first time I saw it and cringed every time after. I could barely stand to watch that scene so, much like Don I walked off to find a bar and talk with a hotel mogul about life.
• Pete and Trudy’s dance was great, but sad at the same time. Since they don’t do things like procreate, they have to fill up their time somehow. The worst part was how Pete was watching the crowd intently. “Look at how I dance! Impressive! Much like the way I do business!”
• Anyone else surprised that Greg didn’t hit Joan when she told him to stop talking? I was. He totally has a horrible temper and maybe we will see this rear its ugly head on season four.

This season is so bonkers crazy. Nuts. Every episode has a whaat?! moment that just kills me or makes me squeal or recoil in my seat. I nearly died during this one…

A look into the past! Don is heating up some milk, stove-style and a flashback begins. There’s a lot of components in this but basically it boils down to how Dick Whitman came into the qorld. His father’s wife had a stillborn, second time. Dick’s father Archibald is pissed that he has no children and sees a prostitute. He convinces her to have sex without condoms, since those things cost money! She warns him that if anything bad comes from this, she’s going to cut off his dick and boil it in pig fat. Well, she’s pregnant and has her unnamed little boy and gets very sick after. She dies and the baby is brought to Archibald’s wife in the middle of the night. He is to be named Dick, after a wish that his mother never got to see filled.

He heads upstairs with his milk to give to an uncomfortable Betty. They chit chat about stuff, mainly his business trip to Baltimore. Seems like everything is back to normal in the Draper household. ::content sigh::

Next morning, Peggy is paging her secretary, Lola for something that secretaries do and Lola is not responding. Peggy walks out to see why, and a British man is wooing her.Lola seems to be unimpressed by him, but when Peggy shooes him away, Lola then seems enamored. What?

Burt got a new painting (that I will discuss later) and him with him is some British man we will all learn to love in a peculiar way, Lane Pryce. He’s the liaison that Duck was supposed to be so it is safe to assume he did not make the cut. Don shows up, Roger is late so their guest of honor, Burt Peterson shows up before him. Apparently they made some big cuts earlier and they held back on Burt because his wife was sick. They’re all sorry this had to happen, and Burt seems okay. Til he gets back into the office. He yells and tantrums his way around, making the boys nervous of more cuts. Pete gets a call to meet Lane, he is practically shitting his pants at this point.

The unlucky fellow that has to see Burt out is Hooker, the man that was trying to woo Lola. Joan passive-aggressively tells Hooker he could’ve totally avoided this if he had warned Burt’s girl beforehand. Hooker gets mad that the switchboard girls call him by his first name, he is not one of them, he is Mr. Pryce’s right arm! Joan agrees just to appease him, but you can tell she doesn’t care what he thinks he is, he is a secretary–just with a funny accent.

Pete goes to Lane’s office and enters carefully. He apologizes for not being more welcoming and Lane is all “who cares” and asks him to sit. Pete refuses, he doesn’t want to have to sit to be fired. Lane realizes what this looks like and apologizes, only good news right now, Mr. Campbell. He is being made the head of accounts! But keep this to yourself, buddy.

Pete goes back to his office, does a spazzy, white man from the 60s dance and calls Trudy to tell her the good news. All is right in this world with everyone!

Little does Pete know, Lane has the same exact meeting with Ken. When they run into each other at the elevator at the end of the day, they try and compliment each other and in a round about way tell each other that things shouldn’t change between them based on work.

So Don and Sal are off to glamorous Baltimore. On the plane the stewardess is hitting on Don and sees his brother-in-law’s name on his suitcase. Don plays along, gives Sal a fake name and they head out to dinner with two attendants and the pilot at a fancy schmancey restaurant. The pilot is wearing a lobster bib! Classing it up!

They leave the restaurant and are in the elevator a while, drunk. A bellhop comes on, eyes Sal and he remarks how he feels out of place not in a uniform. Sal bids Don and one of the girls, Shelly, goodnight and they head up to Don’s room. They make out in the hall a bit and Shelly admits she’s engaged. Don basically tells her that that doesn’t stop him and that it is his birthday. So she has got to stay for the night.

Sal flops on to his bed, wastey-faced and realizes its hot. He tries to move the thermostat and breaks it so he calls down. The guy that comes to his room happens to be the guy from the elevator. As Sal fumbles for a tip the guy gets real close and makes a move. Sal doesn’t protest, (his pen even exploded) and it seems like he has been waiting all too long for this. Just as things get hot and heavy, a fire alarm goes off.

Don and Shelly scurry out of their room by way of the fire escape and while waiting for Shelly behind him, Don takes a peek in a window a few floors down. Turns out it is Sal’s room and he knocks to get Sal to get moving. Sal looks shocked and then, whammy, the bellhops appears to get his shirt. Don is surprised and keeps moving. Once they’re outside, Sal doesn’t his best to keep his distance and then avoid eye contact with a confused Don.

Back in Sterling Cooper the next day, Peggy greets Joan as they wait for the elevator. Peggy starting gossiping about Lola and Hooker and Joan doesn’t want to really hear it, she isn’t at work yet. Peggy is practically asking her to remove Lola from her desk and Joan is just glad she is leaving soon to become a housewife.

Pete comes in to work and Hilde immediately gives him a message that the Heads of Accounts are to meet in the conference room. Pete is confused by the plural and is steaming in the meeting. The accounts are divided between Ken and Pete and that’s that. Ken is basically happy to be alive while Pete doesn’t understand why he isn’t as mad as he is. Ken explains that they want them to hate each other so one can outshine the other and become the sole Head. Pete doesn’t want to just roll over and play nice. It is not his style.

Don is at London Fog, Sal is running late since he forgot his plane ticket back at the hotel. London Fog is looking to expand their business since, if everyone already has a rain coat, who is going to buy another? Don reassures them that it will always rain, they have nothing to worry about.

On the plane ride back, it is painfully silent between the two. Don turns to Sal and ask him to be honest about something. Sal summons up the courage to say okay, even if it is about the night before. Thankfully, Don pitches an advertising idea, that could possibly be a hidden tid bit of advice to Sal: limit your exposure. He agrees it is a good idea and relief is all over his face.

Hooker is chatting up some office bunnies when Joan fetches him to show him a surprise. She had Burt Peterson’s office turns into a visiting client office and thinks that since he is more than a secretary, he should be able to occupy it when no one else is. She even offered up his choice of a girl to cover his desk.

Trudy comes in to visit Pete and finds a very upset husband. He shoves away her advice but she is persistent, and right. When Pete goes to Don to discuss this, he finds Roger there as well so doesn’t go ahead with his angry speech but rather thanks them both for the opportunity. Roger tells him to grab a drink and then an exasperated Burt Cooper waltzes in. He came in to drop news of some new Penn Station campaign that could be of interest and even asks for a drink. Maybe life under British rule is a bit more stressful than they had originally thought.

Speaking of, Lane is in Hooker’s office having tea, discussing things British people discuss and Lane inquires as to why he has this office. He understands the use for it but doesn’t think he should be using it since they did just fire the man that used to work in it. Hooker is to use the desk outside this office. Like a secretary. I bet Joan laughed so much at this.

Don comes home that night and Betty has Sally apologize for breaking the lock on his suitcase before he left. She explains that she did it because she didn’t want him to leave again and not come back. He reassures him that he will always come back. Sally asks for Don to tell the story of the day she was born (after finding Shelly’s wings in his suitcase) and he begins but trails off. Betty finishes off the story as Don’s mind drifts off into his own mysterious land.

A few notes and quotes:

• “She’s taken to your tools like a little lesbian.” Let the racist/sexist/derogatory quotes begin!
• Burt Coop’s new painting? Quite famous actually. Theres nothing I can say about it that Wikipedia can’t.
• “Shelly, it’s been swelly!” Roger isn’t the only one that can bring the laffs to Mad Men.
• Peggy refers to Hooker as Moneypenny while waiting with Joan. Who is Moneypenny? James Bond’s British boss’s secretary that there was always some sexual tension with.
• The ant farm isn’t terribly important but worth noting since it is mentioned later on.
]]> http://www.shutupitson.com/2010/07/10/rewind-mad-men-season-3-episode-1-out-of-town/feed/ 0 http://www.shutupitson.com/2010/06/30/rewind-mad-men-season-2-episode-13-meditations-in-an-emergency/ http://www.shutupitson.com/2010/06/30/rewind-mad-men-season-2-episode-13-meditations-in-an-emergency/#comments Thu, 01 Jul 2010 04:29:42 +0000 Liz http://www.shutupitson.com/?p=2302
[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.]

Lucky for this show the Cold War arose just in time for the season finale. It’s almost like…almost like it was planned. When facing times of peril one might want to rid their life of secrets to have peace of mind when nearing their death. Or something like that. That’s totally what’s going on. Father Gill says so.

Betty goes to the doctor and she’s pregnant. She doesn’t want this baby and is basically telling the doctor she wants an a-word. I can’t think of anything clever that fits in there so I’m just going to say abortion, abortion, abortion. The doctor tells her to tell her friends and family and her attitude might change. Weirdly enough, Francine tells her the same thing later on while she’s puffing a cigarette and probably drunk at the beauty parlor.

Even though doc says no horseback riding, Betty goes horseback riding. Because if Betty is anything, it’s a listener. She ends her ride by finding Don standing by her car. He apologizes and says Don-like things. He’s an idiot for doing it, but he had his reasons. None of which he explains. Betty has really felt no change in her life without him and decides she doesn’t want to deal with him. He wants to see the kids and they will work something out, but not right now.

Even though Don is back, he isn’t in the office. A few of the guys and Peggy are in Harry’s office wondering why Cooper is asking for projected profits and they’re minds start to wander. They decide to stick to talking of Don and how Coop’s urgent info and Don are somehow related. Paranoia!

When Ken hands Harry the projections, he sees that Clearasil is missing and there’s no mention of Clearasil being dropped. Peggy stops by Pete’s office to tell him that he has to tell the higher ups at some point and that the truth, although embarrassing for Pete, might be the best way to go about it.

Pete sheepishly goes to Duck to tell him the news. Duck is pouring a drink of what looks to be Tanqueray, Pete looks confused by this but goes on. He tells Duck and Duck could careless, Clearasil was a conflict account with PPL. He lets Pete in on the merger secret and the plans for PPL to make Duck president of Sterling Cooper. Pete is amazed at this, and shocked to hear Duck is making him head of accounts. Pete asks what Don will think of this and Duck shoots back at him, Don doesn’t matter. Pete gladly accepts and leaves before he can put his foot in his mouth.

The next day, Don walks back in to Sterling Cooper and all the girls are all “WHAT IS GOING ON HE’S BACK” but no one says anything but Hilde who suddenly has balls? Whatever, would’ve worked better with dumb Lois I think.Joan greets him and Peggy steps out of her office to see that he’s really there. Don is surprised at her overtaking of Freddy’s digs but happy for her too. Just like the perfect ladies’ man he is, he notices her haircut before walking into his office.

Joan briefs him on some of the things he has missed and Pete bursts into his office. He’s rich-white-people-yelling (it’s a total art to actually see irl) at Don about leaving him and Don quickly flips this conversation to his favor. He tells Pete he did it because he believed that Pete could handle it himself and since he did he’s proud; and thinks he has proven to be a tremendous asset to this company. Nice save Draper. Pete’s head must be so big right now.

Don goes to Roger’s office and is scolded for leaving like that but whatever, it’s Roger your buddy. Roger tells him about the merger and that he is now a half million dollars richer than before. He also tells Don of his engagement and all is well in the land of rich men.

Father Gill is giving a sermon on the importance of being truthful with yourself and others since salvation is near. You think he had this saved up somewhere, filed under “when the world seems like it’s going to end”? Everyone is freaking out over the Cuban Missile Crisis and understandably so. I can never read Peggy’s blank stares but I’m going to assume this sermon spoke to her.

No one is immune to group think so of course the boys panicked at the office when the TV went out. Harry gets mad at them for breaking something important to his job and finds another memo asking for a list of all department employees. Now that they’re getting everyone in line, they really want to find out what’s happening. They run to Lois asking her to divulge any information she knows from the switchboard. She squirms a little under the pressure and eventually breaks. She tells them of the merger and they all think they’re going to get fired. For the information she makes them promise to take her off the boards if they’re still here after. This will lead to many, many laughs in the future.

So Don and Bets did work something out and she drops the kids off at his hotel room. He asks if she wants to stay but she says she has plans. And what plans are those? Go shopping, get drunk and then have sex with a stranger at a bar, that’s what! And this goes on while Don has a nice night with the kids. He even wrote Betty a note!

After he dropped them off at home and Betty is done with her riding (is she trying to have a special child? Holy cow, lady.), Carla points it out to her Betty reads said note. Don apologizes again and understands if she doesn’t see him fit to be around anymore. But he loves her and that won’t ever change. What a guy.

That same night of Betty’s tryst, Peggy drops off some food at her church, you know, because when the Cubans bomb the shit out of New York, her church is where they will all run to for food. Father Gill tells Peggy that sometimes he feels like he was called to that parish to help Peggy get through her problems. He then gets all holier than thou (get it? Is it irony since he literally is holier than her?) that hell is not a nice place and that’s where he is going if she keeps these secrets hidden. Peggy gets upset and leaves, unable to believe in a god that would send her to hell for a few misguided mistakes in her life.

The following day, Trudy is packing up to go to her parents’ house somewhere between New York and DC. She is upset about Pete staying back to work and he could careless. He doesn’t think running out of the city would save his life anyway so why bother. They spat a little about her parents and he eventually concedes, he still loves her blah blah. A little robotic at this point, but when does Pete ever sound heartfelt?

When Pete arrives at the office he finds his buddies all aflutter about the meeting happening today. Pete doesn’t really care since he knows his job is safe and leaves them to chatter. He goes to Don’s office and tells him he knows of the merger and that Duck is going to become President of SC. Don did not know about this and thanks Pete for the news but why would he tell him? Pete just tells him that if he were in his shoes, he would want to know. Don’s “you can handle it” speech must have left a mark on Pete for him to offer up such valuable information to an almost sworn enemy.

Cut to the middle of their big meeting, we can naturally assume more important things have been discussed before we get there. Burt asks basically when they leave who will be the liaison between the offices and St. John tells him that naturally, since Duck brought this deal together, it would be him. Duck pretends to have not known and Don does the same thing everyone does in that situation: cocks their head a bit to the side and goes “huh”.

Duck begins talking business right away, what kind of company he wants Sterling Coop to turn into, one that is a big money maker. Coop seems surprised at his words and looks to Don for some reassurance. Don says that this company he wants to run sounds great, but he doesn’t want to be a part of an advertising agency that sells advertising, he sells products. Duck gets angry at Don, pent up frustrations me thinks, and tells him he has no choice since he’s under contract. No he’s not.

Don gets up and basically says it’s been nice working for you but bye bye. Duck loses his shit about how Don and his creative temperament always win arguments and he worked so hard for this deal! St. John excuses Duck from the room so the big boys can talk over what just happened. St.John explains to Coop and Roger, Duck could never hold his liquor.

When Don left the conference room and heads to his office, Joan stops him and says that Betty called, he should go home. When Joan grabs his things for him, he doesn’t take his overnight bag.

Slowly everyone is leaving the office at the end of the day, Peggy holding out because she doesn’t want to ride a crowded train. Pete sees her and invites her in his office for a drink and a little chit chat. She agrees.

Peggy tries to just be cordial but Pete just wants someone to talk to. He opens up about how he can’t be himself around anyone else because they both know each other so well. He tells Peggy he loves her and wishes that he chose her. Peggy lets Pete know that she could have had him, could have shamed him into being with her. She lets him know she had his baby and gave it up, since it wasn’t want she wanted at that time. Pete is blown into silence, only asking her, “Why did you tell me that?” Peggy sets down her drink, squeezes his shoulder and leaves.

We see Pete later, in a dark office holding his shotgun. Probably contemplating the kind of person he was then, what the gun represents in his life and why it has to stay at the office. To him, to Trudy, his marriage and Peggy.

The last scene we see of the season Betty tells Don she’s pregnant and they sit at the kitchen table, hand in hand. What do they do?

A few notes and quotes:

• Let’s all take a moment now right to realize that these babies that are being born with all this smoking and boozing going on during pregnancy, these are our parents. Well, they’re mine. And I know my grandparents were boozy smokers too. This could actually be solving some unanswered questions…
• “The world continues without us. there is no reason to take it personally.” I do believe that everything stands still once I leave a room. Donald Draper, you cannot change that.
• Betty got drunk off of one gimlet?! You would think the amount people drank back then her tolerance would be sky high.
]]> http://www.shutupitson.com/2010/06/30/rewind-mad-men-season-2-episode-13-meditations-in-an-emergency/feed/ 0 http://www.shutupitson.com/2010/06/10/rewind-mad-men-season-2-episode-11-the-jet-set/ http://www.shutupitson.com/2010/06/10/rewind-mad-men-season-2-episode-11-the-jet-set/#comments Thu, 10 Jun 2010 19:29:14 +0000 Liz http://www.shutupitson.com/?p=2227
[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.]

Just in case you’ve forgotten, Don and Pete are in Cali and no one else matters for this episode. We didn’t get a lot of Don in the last episode so clearly it’s mostly about him. With a little home office storyline thrown in to keep everyone happy.

Jane is lying in bed reciting poetry she wrote about her man, Roger. He comes in and they talk of their relationship, how she thinks one day he’ll out grow her and he thinks he’s a bit too old for her. These fears are unwarranted though, they love each other and Roger wants to get married. Of course, Jane says yes.

The boys and Peggy are in the conference room discussing Right Guard and without Don there to keep them on task they talk about anything but. Not even Peggy is really down for working, much to Ken’s chagrin. They all agree they should go out for lunch and pretend it’s on Right Guard’s tab. They all rush out to avoid the eyes of any superiors, but before Kurt and Peggy leave they continue to talk of Bob Dylan. He says he’ll take her to a concert and she willingly accepts.

When a new clients drops off doughnuts at the office the following morning, the boys congregate in the break room to devour them. Kurt confirms the date with Peggy and the boys immediately start teasing them. Kurt doesn’t seem to understand, everyone thinks its a language barrier but no, Kurt is gay. The boys are floored and throw out a few unnecessary but 60’s acceptable remarks once Kurt leaves that seem to offend maybe someone else in the room. Sal, I’m looking right at you.

Elsewhere in the office, Roger is meeting with a divorce lawyer. Women are exceptionally irrational when angry (sigh) so Roger should probably take another route, says this guy. Roger is finally happy with his life and he wants Jane to officially be a part of it, so prepare for battle. As he is leaving, Duck shows up to meet with Roger and funny, he knows the lawyer. Duck came in to discuss the possibility of moving around in the company, partnership more specifically. Roger thinks he hasn’t done enough and it’ll be a hard sell so make yourself worthy. Duck leaves grateful for his frankness on the matter and is taking the advice.

Over on the west coast, Don and Pete are poolside but only for a moment. TWA has lost Don’s luggage and he’s not happy. Pete wants to relax the day before the seminars and things but Don is all about working. He has Pete go and do something while he walks through the hotel bar. He is approached by a man named Willie and he says that a young lady has been speaking about him incessantly since he arrived. He calls her over, Joy, and introduces her. They ask him to dinner but he politely refuses as Pete shows up, being Pete, and scares them away.

Pete and Don are at a presentation of a new type of bomb that can pinpoint 14 separate locations and total annihilation of whatever they want. Kind of like that bomb that destroyed Dick Whitman and turned Don into Don.

They come back to the hotel and in preparation for their next meeting, Don has Pete put their books at the front desk. While away, Don sees Joy and they share a moment, she invites him to Palm Springs. He says he can’t but at the last possible moment gets in her car and off they go.

They show up at a random house, a loaner from a friend and Don is introduced to this motley crew of drifters. Joy suggests a swim but the heat gets the best of him and he passes out. Luckily for Don, a man there is a doctor. He refuses any meds but just some aspirin and rest will do. When he emerges for dinner they are all happy to see him and he immediately fits in with his charm and intelligence. Him and Joy go to their room and even though there is a large age difference, 36 to her 21, she doesn’t care.

Don walks up to find Joy reading and they talk a bit about how much Don must love sex. Willie walks in and remarks on how beautiful Don is and he finds out he’s Joy’s father. This is so awkward.

Later in the evening, they’re in the pool discussing what’s next. They’re all leaving to go to the Caribbean and Joy wants Don to come. He’s standoffish and she tells him to not worry about the money, Willie likes him. Before Don can really make up an excuse as to why he isn’t going, a man walks in with two tired children. He talks of divorce and the strain it’s having on the kids. Don offers them his room and they walk away and Don thinks of his own children he is probably going to have to fight over as well.

Back in New York, Duck is meeting with some fellow we will get to know better later, St. John Powell, his former boss. He offers Duck a drink and he declines without making it obvious he’s a teetotaler. He basically asks for his job back, and Powell tells him there is just no room for him. Powell points out he moved back here for his family and he’s doing well, they toast to this and thus Duck is forced to drink his martini down. With that liquid courage inside of him, Duck discusses with him the possibility of buying up Sterling Cooper to open up their American market. Duck points out that Roger is about to lose a boatload of money to his wife so he would be willing to sell the namesake for the cash to live his life. What an evil man.

That same night is Kurt and Peggy’s…well it’s not a date anymore, is it?Peggy invites him in and almost instantly he becomes her gay best friend. He says frankly that her look is old fashioned, she needs to update herself to get better men. He offers to cut her hair and she agrees to a trim. And then he cuts off her whole ponytail.

The next day at the office, Pete comes back to no one really caring about him, since Kinsey is down south while there is a lot of trouble brewing. He notices Peggy’s haircut and learns “Kurt’s a homo”. Way to be frank, Cosgrove.

Duck receives a whole box of Tanqueray from an unnamed source, but we all know it’s from Powell for the tip off. He gives a whole bottle to Joan, almost making you believe he doesn’t even want it. But when he’s walking to Cooper’s office, he had to pop a few lifesavers to maybe cover up the lie that is his life. Duck proposes the offer to Coop and Roger as if he wasn’t the one to initiate it and they go for it. They are now just waiting for Putnam Powell and Lowe to make their offer.

We see Don waking on the couch and he immediately makes a phone call. He wants to meet someone, most likely in the area. The head scratching part? He refers to himself as Dick Whitman.

Also Don’s luggage gets returned to his house and just as he would be, it’s left outside.

A few notes and quotes:

• Loretta Young was mentioned by Sal and of course he would love this broad. The upholstery wasn’t the only thing bad about this show though, The New Loretta Young Show was cancelled after only one season.
• Don has never had Mexican food! No wonder people back then only ate casseroles and meatloaf, there was zero cultural influences on food back then. No wonder my grandparents eat the weirdest, most plain foods on Earth.
• The way Kurt talks to Peggy in her apartment, only a gay man can get away with being so insulting and then turning it around into something wonderful and beneficial to her life.
]]> http://www.shutupitson.com/2010/06/10/rewind-mad-men-season-2-episode-11-the-jet-set/feed/ 0 http://www.shutupitson.com/2010/05/18/rewind-mad-men-season-2-episode-10-the-inheritance/ http://www.shutupitson.com/2010/05/18/rewind-mad-men-season-2-episode-10-the-inheritance/#comments Wed, 19 May 2010 04:29:59 +0000 Liz http://www.shutupitson.com/?p=2000
[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.]

Family values, folks. These families have them. Face values, not morals, lets not get them confused with good people. While Betty’s is a treasure chest of ugly planters, Pete’s is a empty hole. I guess I just gave a little spoiler to whose inheritance is what.

The boys are in Don’s office discussing a trip Pete and Kinsey are going on. Los Angeles to some space convention to rally up some possible new clients and get their name out to important people. Apparently, with her new promotion, Peggy didn’t gain any respect. The boys didn’t read anything she wrote up for them.

For am instant at home, Pete and Trudy talk about her going on a business trip with him one day. The conversation turns sour when talk of children come up. Its been a long time since they found out Trudy’s baby oven is broken and apparently her parents have suggested adoption. Pete doesn’t seem all too turned off by the idea, but he wants a kid of his own. Little does he know…

That same night, over at The Roosevelt, Don gets a call late in the night from Betty. Her brother has called and her father had a stroke. Days ago. Betty is distraught she’s only finding out now and Don suggests he comes home and they go now, but they wait til morning. Have to be prepared when you’re faking a perfect life, eh?

Betty and Don arrive at her father’s to the not so warm welcome of Gloria. Gene comes in and not soon after calls Betty, Ruth, her mother’s name. We also find out this isn’t the first time he has had a stroke, Betty is livid. Cut to Don, William’s wife Judy and Gene doing a puzzle. Weird set up, how’d this even happen? Leave the senile old man with his in-laws? What?

Betty is in what looks like a study looking at a painting of her mother. William comes in through a window, just hanging out in his old tree house like normal. Betty is upset that she had not been informed of her father’s dwindling health and takes it out on family heirlooms. Where’s everything she wanted? Apparently you have to put your name on things of you want them once dad kicks the bucket. Gloria comes in to gather the crowd for supper and while passing through the living room, Don can tell Betty is upset. She pushes him away and doesn’t even want to sit at a table with these people.

That night Betty and Don sleep in her old bedroom, but Don on the floor. Later in the night Betty joins him. Family issues are such an aphrodisiac, am I right?

Don wakes up to find he’s a lone, gets dressed and heads downstairs. He finds Betty at breakfast with Gene and Gloria. William comes in with Judy who is apologetic to Betty about taking something of her mother’s that she wanted. Betty is a little embarrassed that this was brought up but moves on. she starts cleaning up and her father confuses her again for her mother, making inappropriate conversation and feeling her up. Betty comes back from the kitchen pulled together, everyone just ignores this like every good rich, white family does.

Betty and Don are in her bedroom, him writing notes, her making the bed. Viola, her old maid(I guess?) comes in and gets a warm welcome. Don leaves so they can talk and Viola tells Betty just what she needs to hear, the truth. Gloria and William have both been very light on the details of her father’s health and Viola informs her that she heard the doctor say it is just going to get worse.

Don and Betty are back home that night, Don thinks he should stay, Betty thinks otherwise. So of course, he leaves.

While all of this is going on, Pete is having issues with his family as well. Bud stops by SC to get him to sign off on the liquidation of basically every fund their parents ever had so their mother can stay afloat. Bud and Pete talk of children and Pete brings up that Trudy is thinking of adopting. Bud seems to like the idea, nonjudgmental. Later when Pete is over his mother’s to sign papers, turns out Bud let it slip about the adoption. His mother is not happy with the idea and Pete is angry that she thinks she even has a say. And just to throw it in her face that he doesn’t even have to be nice to her, there’s no money he would be getting anyway when she dies, he says. Covering his own problems with someone else’s: the Peter Campbell way.

Kinsey is having issues as well, but not so much family. His girlfriend, you all remember Sheila, has come to the office for a lunch date and the boys talk up LA in front of her. Turns out she didn’t know and this disrupts the plans they had to go down to Mississippi to help register voters. Sheila is put out by the fact that he remarks he can’t lose his job quite like she can, there’s always another supermarket to work at. After a remark like that, she doesn’t care that he won’t be going. Not going to stop her.

When Don returns to the office he finds it nearly empty. Everyone is in the conference room for Harry’s baby shower, or as Burt thinks, his birthday. Don stays for a little, grabs a piece of cake and pulls Joan aside for a little talk. She updates him on his day/week and he tells her to scratch it all, he’s going to California. Roger comes in and asks about his visit and Don is quite short with him. Joan is clearly unhappy to be around Roger as well. The air is thick. Why not just throw Jane in there as well just to add a whole new level of awkward.

Back in the conference room we see that most of the people are drunk, Harry can’t speak correctly, Hilde is a little too happy for him. Joan comes in and spoils the fun for Kinsey, he won’t be going to LA after all. Well, this actually works out for him, he gets to call Sheila and pretend as though he made this change just for her, back in her good graces and heading to Mississippi.

At home, Betty is alone in the middle of the day. Polly is barking outside and scratching at the play house, Betty goes to investigate. Turns out Glenn has been living in there for a few days. Betty brings him inside, feeds him, washes his clothes. Turns out Glenn was not only running away from a mother he thinks doesn’t love him, but to help save a sad Betty. Once Carla returns with Bobby and Sally and they are all shooed upstairs, Betty calls Helen to come pick him up. He tells her he hates her, but come on Glenn. Betty will always hold a special place in you’re little heart.

Helen stops over later on that day and tells Betty that this needs to stop. Betty tells Helen how bad of a mother she has been and Helen agrees. In a moment where Helen is so vulnerable with a woman she doesn’t like to much, Betty reveals her secret about Don to her. They seem to bond over their common lives and problems.

While Kinsey and Sheila are on a bus to the South, Pete and Don are flying first class to California. The sun washes over Don’s face, as if he will see things differently while on this trip. And oh boy, he will.

A few notes and quotes:

• Sheila and Kinsey’s bus ride is sponsored by one Billy Kaplan. Billy Kaplan doesn’t seem to be a real person, be he could have been based on Kivie Kaplan, a famous leader of the civil rights movement. He was a Jewish African American philanthropist that in 1966 became the president of the NAACP.
• “Nobody has what you have. You act like it’s nothing.” Because Gene, to Don, his life is a facade, he can leave it and it would mean nothing. “He has no people. You can’t trust a person like that.” The crazies are sometimes right, you know. We’ll see just how untrustworthy Don is and how many “people” he does have soon.
• “Pulling from the discards” is what Pete’s mother so kindly refers to adopting. Maybe she is fond of the work of Margaret Sanger?
• The few scenes that Peggy and Pete interact really show where Pete would rather be in his life. It’s almost as if when something goes wrong in his life he turns to her but she is so not going for it. No such thing as men and women being friends back then right?
]]> http://www.shutupitson.com/2010/05/18/rewind-mad-men-season-2-episode-10-the-inheritance/feed/ 0 http://www.shutupitson.com/2010/05/10/rewind-mad-men-season-2-episode-9-six-month-leave/ http://www.shutupitson.com/2010/05/10/rewind-mad-men-season-2-episode-9-six-month-leave/#comments Mon, 10 May 2010 20:19:34 +0000 Liz http://www.shutupitson.com/?p=1918
[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.]
Before I started watching Mad Men, Elisabeth Moss was on Chelsea Lately promoting, I think, the third season. They showed a clip from this episode, a very memorable clip. Months and months later when I finally got around to catching up before the third season began, I came to this episode and I was giddy with anticipation when I realized this was strangely familiar. It isn’t something you see all the time on television, or really ever! And that’s what makes Freddy Rumsen peeing his pants one of the greatest, funniest moments in Mad Men history.

It isn’t all fun and games this episode though, Don and Betty are still apart and Marilyn Monroe just kicked that bucket. When Don gets into work he has some conversation with Peggy and Hollis about Marilyn and walks into an office filled with crying girls. Jane is of course one of them, but Don’s crude “do you need to go home” remark stops her dead and she offers up some coffee and his morning meeting is waiting.

Don gets to the conference room to discuss their upcoming blood drive with the boys. Ken can’t wrap his head around the competition aspect, what’s to win? Don wants all the participation they can get, if they get almost full participation, they get a picture in the Times! Before leaving the meeting, Harry asks Don if he can show him and the missus off at some NBC shindig. Don declines, saying his kid is sick. This is a good excuse, if the show was that day but it’s like, days later. Get it together Draper.

Don returns to his office and Jane briefs him on his day. Before leaving Jane tells Don that she made a mistake. Sally called the night before asking when he would be back from his trip and she panicked and said Wednesday. She should’ve said never. Don excuses it and tells her what’s personal is personal and is actually pretty mean about it. He doesn’t want sympathy for his situation and maybe the best way is to be a complete dick to everyone around you.

Meanwhile, Betty enjoys a day at home in her housecoat. Not getting dressed in the 60s is the equivalent of killing yourself now. How could she?! She defrosts the freezer, lines the drawers and takes in a book with a glass of wine. Her (probably) impromptu nap is interrupted when someone rings the doorbell and Carla is nowhere to be found. Betty totally forgot Sara Beth was coming over to borrow a dress for some event that night. Betty informs her she isn’t going and while Sara Beth talks of her wonderful marriage, Betty suggests a few options. Betty shoos her from the house and promises she’ll be better by the time their lunch date rolls around on Thursday.

Back in the office, Pete, Sal and Peggy comes to Freddy’s office to run a dress rehearsal for their Samsonite meeting in a few minutes. Freddy seems drunk to me and offers Sal a huge drink. After a little spiel Freddy’s mind wanders and he pees his pants without even realizing it! He tries to hurry and think of a way to fix this and sits at his desk. And quickly passes out. Right as they get notice that the Samsonite people are there. Sal thinks this is the funniest thing to ever hit SC, Pete is completely disgusted by Freddy and Peggy is trying to rectify the situation in a way that keeps Freddy’s reputation intact. They decide to still do the meeting without him and tell Freddy’s girl that it was cancelled so there’s no wandering drunk guy situation on their hands.

Later on, Freddy wakes up on his couch confused. He sees his pants are wet and decides to call it a day. He covers himself with his jacket and briefcase but there’s no way to hide that squeaky, wet shoe. Everyone is the office looks on, confused. They’ll probably know the whole story by the end of the day.

Roger walks into his office to find Joan laying on his couch. She thought he was gone for the day, boozing it up with some clients across town. They discuss Marilyn’s death and what she meant to all the girl’s in the office and Roger doesn’t get it. He understood the grief when Roosevelt died even though he didn’t like him, but this girl? She had everything and pushed it away from herself. Joan tells Roger that one day he’ll lose someone close to him and know how painful this is.

Don comes home with the kids in the evening to Betty. This wasn’t entirely planned though, because of Jane’s mistake Don had to think quick and go home for a day before going on another “business trip”. Don and Betty discuss how this should work out for the kids but they don’t really reach any conclusions.

When Don comes in to work the next day, he finds that Jane bought him shirts to keep in his drawer, she saw his stock was running low. He’s appreciative of this and agrees to go to the blood drive with her.

Freddy stops in Peggy’s office to see how things went the day before and apologizes for his behavior. Peggy just smiles and says it wasn’t a big deal but it doesn’t seem like she can forgive much else in the workplace.Too bad for Freddy, not everyone can be so forgiving. Pete ratted him out to Duck and they meet in Roger’s office with Don. Roger says they have to let him go based on principle, Don isn’t exactly all for this but it doesn’t matter. Freddy is out of a job.

Meanwhile, back at home, Betty is trying to break into Don’s locked desk drawer. Carla bursts in thinking it was Bobby messing around but instead finds Betty, disheveled and hopelessly sitting there . She offers up some advice, go outside and see the world hasn’t changed at all. Betty take it and goes riding. While leaving, she sees Arthur and invites him out to her and Sara Beth’s lunch on Thursday. She also definitely plants a seed in him that maybe Sara Beth is a little too fond of him to just be friends.

Back at the office the boys are giving blood and making jokes about Freddy. Don walks up and calls them little girls and tells them to not capitalize off of someone else’s misfortune. Unfortunately the person he should be saying this to, Pete, isn’t there.

To give Freddy the proper send off, Don and Roger take him out. They discuss his options, six months leave, clean yourself up, go to another city, etc. and Freddy seems pretty okay with all of this. They decide to live it up and go to an underground casino, a little place Roger knows. Too bad he can’t remember the password, or else he wouldn’t be out an extra twenty. Once they get down there, they pay what I believe is craps. Turns out Freddy is having a good night, Roger as well.

Don and Roger are at the bar, and discussing business, totally disregard the woman looking to give them a good time. They look over at Freddy winning and who is that? Jimmy Barrett. Don casually walks over and socks him right in the jaw. The man in the gray flannel suit is escorted out, with Freddy and Roger and they decide to call it a night. Roger and Don give Freddy their heartfelt goodbyes and send him on his way.

Roger and Don sit at a bar, discussing the night. Roger points out that Don didn’t hesitate to come out, something must be up with the missus, he’s been there before. Don takes a while to warm up but he finally admits he’s staying at the Roosevelt. They talk of finding love and how you should just do what makes you happy. It all goes over Don’s head a bit, he didn’t find anything in cheating but he does feel oddly relieved. And no matter what you do with your life, there’s always a bad ending.

At the office the next day, while downing some Alka-Seltzer, Don informs Peggy that she’ll be taking over Freddy’s accounts. She is surprised by this but thankful for the promotion. She walks out of Don’s office and makes a beeline for Pete’s. She is furious he would take this opportunity to make himself look better and he points out that he made her look better too. Can’t argue with that. He congratulates her on her promotion and then makes her congratulate him as well.

I’m sure Peggy likes attaining her goals through hard work and her own effort so this seems like cheating, but when Duck asks her for her opinion in a meeting she didn’t really seem to mind.

It must be Thursday because Arthur just showed up and greeted a surprised and very happy Sara Beth at lunch. We see Betty at home, baking with the kids, phone unhooked. What a dirty little plan.

The day isn’t over at Sterling Cooper, Mona barges into Don’s office angry at him. He has no idea what’s going on and when she spits back some words he said last night at him he’s confused. Turns out Roger is leaving Mona for a secretary. And not just any girl in the office, Jane. Don is furious and this my friends, is the beginning of the end of this friendship.

A few notes and quotes:

• “Some people just hide in plain sight.” You think when Hollis said this, Don got really uncomfortable in the elevator? As if Hollis is really great at reading people and knew this would mean something to Don? I do.
• “I have to give a Chinaman a music lesson.” I have never heard this phrase before in my life so naturally, I looked it up. It has to do with peeing on china/porcelain. I…okay. Racism! Ha!
• When Roger and Don are sitting in the bar they discuss Roger’s coronaries. Finally. I think that once Weiner saw how popular Roger was he couldn’t really kill him off and made him a regular. But he had this looming health problem that in those days would probably not go away so it was just ignored. It becomes completely nonexistent later so maybe I should just let this one go.
• “Pete Campbell, huh? I would’ve never thought I was in his way.” Well Freddy, it doesn’t seem like there’s many people who aren’t in his way.
• Don says his punch was a “real Archibald Whitman maneuver–some drunk I used to know.” This totally went over my head before, but duh! His father!
• Betty is such a sneaky bitch! Carla tells her to go out and see everything is exactly where she left it and what does she do? Ruin Sara Beth’s life. She knew what she was doing and just wanted someone to be more miserable than her. This is probably what made her feel better more than anything else.
]]> http://www.shutupitson.com/2010/05/10/rewind-mad-men-season-2-episode-9-six-month-leave/feed/ 0 http://www.shutupitson.com/2010/05/04/rewind-mad-men-season-2-episode-8-a-night-to-remember/ http://www.shutupitson.com/2010/05/04/rewind-mad-men-season-2-episode-8-a-night-to-remember/#comments Wed, 05 May 2010 04:38:58 +0000 Liz http://www.shutupitson.com/?p=1805
[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.]
Whoops, it’s been a while! Where we at? Oh yes. Betty knows about Bobbi. Duck is a terrible human being. Everyone else continues on being who they are without any discernible consequences. Well, except for things like pregnancy.

Going riding must be like going to the gym for Betty. Get that stress out before Don is even awake. She comes home to a quiet house and lets Don know he has some things to fix before their dinner party. He says not to worry about anything, it’ll be fine. She seems really cold toward him.

Peggy stops in at her sister’s to drop off a book and probably just shoot the shit about the neighborhood. Father Gill crashes this party and asks Peggy for some advice for their CYO dance flyers. Peggy agrees begrudgingly. I do think he senses that he’s putting her out, but really doesn’t care because she’s a whore. Not to say a man of the church is blackmailing her, but he seems to always be able to talk back to her.

At Sterling Cooper, Harry is getting an earful from that evilest man in the land, Duck. Harry had way too much on his plate and there was a clash of commercial and programming. Harry laments to the boys and they tell him to get a junior to place blame on. Later when Roger comes to Harry to see what his fussing is about Roger seems to agree with him. But sees things differently. He actually just sends Joan to figure out what girl can do what Harry needs. Ends up Joan does what Harry needs done.

Elsewhere, Don, Duck and Pete are discussing way to get Heineken to break in to the American market. Their people are convinced they need to get on tap in bars while Don is convinced they need to cater to a specific clientèle. Rich, housewives that want something new and exotic instead of plain old Bud. They agree on some stuff and as Duck is leaving he informs Don he might not be able to make it to his dinner. No worries, Betty would rather not even have it.

Speaking of, Betty is readying the house and cleaning the dining room. She encounters one creaky chair and just breaks it to bits. Seems as though riding isn’t getting all that stress out.

Back at SC, Peggy receives a call from Father Gill. He appreciates the effort for the flyer but the CYO committee doesn’t. They would like to meet with her to discuss possible changes. Peggy is pissed but agrees, and goes to the church. The women of the committee have no bones about pointing out all the flaws in Peggy’s “A Night to Remember” design and Father Gill doesn’t do anything to help Peggy win this argument. She explains to him after that she is right and he really just needs to back her up. He apologizes and she’ll make the changes needed.

At the Draper residence, Sally is entertaining the guests with her ballet while Betty puts the finishing touches on the dinner. Duck does show up and greets everyone, almost right after they are shuffled into the dining room for their meal. Betty has designed a meal around the world and this includes Heineken. Duck and Roger get a kick out of it and Betty is confused as to what’s funny about this. Don doesn’t really explain but she plays it cool and laughs along.

Later on while cleaning up, Betty decides to just leave the mess til morning, it’s been a long day. She sends Carla on her way and confronts Don. He embarrassed her in front of all their guests and asks why he insists on treated her with such disregard. He tells her she’s blowing this out of proportion and she tells him she knows about Bobbi. Don tells her she knows nothing, since there’s nothing to know and after they exchange some words about what kind of man Jimmy Barrett is, Don goes to bed. Betty still fuming, sleeps in Sally’s bed and doesn’t even change by morning.

The next day, while Betty goes through all of Don’s things looking for any sign of an affair, Don meets with the Heineken people and Duck explains their dinner the night before. They make some remarks about how well Don knows his wife, echoing the things Betty spit at him during their fight the night before. They agree to Don ideas of product placement and hooray! a new, happy client.

Harry is also meeting with clients, with Joanie in tow. They’re all over the moon that this lovely woman is helping them and express this feeling to Roger. Harry stops in his office to see him and is greeted with the news that he gets to have a junior, Joan can go back to her regular duties. This is sad news for Joan, she was loving being a part of the process and even excitedly told her fiancé about it over dinner the night before. When Harry calls her into his office you can tell she is eager to work but really, Harry is just introducing her to her replacement and wants her to explain what it is the job entails. Sad Joan.

Don goes home to a dark house and finds Betty sitting on the bed, disheveled with his clothes in a pile. She couldn’t find anything. Nothing but stupid advertising on bar napkins. She just wants him to admit what he did, even though there’s no proof she won’t let go. Don goes to sleep on the couch. Betty must’ve finally came to and showered, she wakes Don up and asks why he’s doing this and why things are like this. Don tells her what she wants to hear, but she doesn’t seem satisfied.

The next day at the office, Peggy brings in Father Gill to pick up the new flyers she is printing. While waiting he pries and asks why she doesn’t participate in mass or take communion. Peggy skirts around the issue and he asks her if she thinks she is not worthy of the love from God. She stumbles over some words and just in time, the copies are done. I don’t think Peggy is struggling with her faith, I think she’s struggling over the fact that she lost it and all these people around her, her family want her to be a part of something she just can’t be anymore. This would be very hard for her to admit to her devout mother and of course they would just push her farther to get back on the wagon, most likely pushing her farther away.

As Don is getting ready to leave the office that day, Betty calls him and tells him not to come home. She had seen Jimmy on an Utz commercial and something must’ve clicked in her brain. She tried to forget and move on, but it’s just too much. Ironically, Don stays at the office and cracks open a Heineken, the reason he’s there in the first place.

A few notes and quotes:

• “She’s so much woman.”
• “Does everything you need him to do, you know.” Duck likes to think he’s important to the process but what he doesn’t realize, and what everyone else does, is that he is on Don’s strings. Ken pointed this out earlier and he is one keen guy. You should listen to him.
• Betty tells Don he knows her so well and he does. He should still be getting calls from her therapist about her sessions, no? Remember when Betty told the therapist she knew Don was having affairs? I think he didn’t tell Don. Or else this argument would carry a lot more weight and Don would probably be a lot more forgiving and less defensive.
• What is with television reception back then? If it was always like that I don’t think I would watch it. But if it’s all you have, it’s all you have. I can’t even watch a video online if it starts buffering too often.
]]> http://www.shutupitson.com/2010/05/04/rewind-mad-men-season-2-episode-8-a-night-to-remember/feed/ 0 http://www.shutupitson.com/2010/04/19/rewind-mad-men-season-2-episode-7-the-gold-violin/ http://www.shutupitson.com/2010/04/19/rewind-mad-men-season-2-episode-7-the-gold-violin/#comments Tue, 20 Apr 2010 01:49:33 +0000 Liz http://www.shutupitson.com/?p=1729
[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.]
Ah Cadillacs. The American Dream! You get in one of those and you run this place. Those are some serious cars. They’re like boats. And every rich man should have a boat. Even if he doesn’t live near the open sea.

Don is looking over a Coupe De Ville and a big eared British man approaches him. He sells the car like a real salesmen and offers up a test drive once he sees that it was Roger that sent Don. He stares off into space and flashes on back to his younger years.

An eager faced Don sits at a desk, selling a car hard to a young man and his father. A woman walks in who he assumes is a part of this family, and she is not. Don goes over to her, says if she came from the ad, he can find her something nice but she isn’t looking for a car. She knows he isn’t Don Draper. As the color washes out of his face…

Don comes to. The salesman comes over with the keys and Don says no thanks and hightails it out of there.

At the office Don is on his way to, Roger is talking to Jane. Trying desperately to find things out about her but she won’t give it up. She says to just look up her file but Roger is all about that chase, honey. Luckily for Jane, Don walks in and Roger leaves her be. But not really, since he continues to talk about her in Don’s office and how she is just desperately waiting for Don to pick her up. Too bad for Jane, Don doesn’t dip his pen in the company ink. Roger goes off on a diatribe about how good it feels to spend money when you have a lot of it and Don seems to just be entertaining Roger by agreeing.

Duck comes in and let’s them know Martinson coffee is what they need to be working on. Get those new, hip young Smiths on this one! They come on it and explain to Don that their generation doesn’t drink coffee because they don’t like being told what to do. Huh? They just want to be. Basically what Smitty is saying, bombard young people with advertising that they don’t realize is advertising so they can’t rebel against it. What a hard to please group. Geez.

Elsewhere is Sterling Cooper, Kinsey demonstrates the abilities of this life changing innovation. Disposable diapers. They discuss some strategy and blah blah blah none of this matters until Jane comes in. She hands off some information about Pampers and is asked to clean up the mess. While she does this, Harry pops in to ask if they’re going to drinks and that he has a meeting with Cooper the next day. The boys surmise that he is going to be asked about the painting and they all stand around wondering what it is. Jane asked why they just don’t go up and take a look. They all laugh since that isn’t how this works but she doesn’t care, she’s going to.

The boys follow her up to the office and after a little hesitation, and they take their shoes off, they go in and look. Sal immediately recognizes it, Jane sees it and walks off. Harry freaks out since its abstract and he doesn’t know if he is going to have to like it or hate it. Ken though, Ken feels the painting. He thinks that maybe, it doesn’t have a meaning, you’re just supposed to experience it. Sal is impressed by his words and is even more impressed when he realizes that came from Ken’s own brain. They leave the office and Jane says they could’ve stolen it. They talk of Ken’s short stories in the elevator and what’s this? Is Sal developing a crush?

The next day, Kinsey asks Ken about the painting but Joan overhears. Ken scurries away and Kinsey denies his part in anything. Later on Joan goes up to Jane and asks what she was doing going in to Cooper’s office. She tries to push off the blame but Joan doesn’t buy it. Jane gets real smart with Joan, something she is surely not used to and fires Jane right there. Whammy.

The young duo is discussing art, or the lack thereof for the Martinson campaign when Ken walks on down to the art department. He comments on how Sal is not like everyone else here and he wants him to read his newest story. Sal is flattered and invites Ken over to dinner on Sunday, Kitty would be thrilled for the company.

At the Martinson pitch meeting, Smitty takes the floor and plays their newest approach to getting their business. They don’t get it. But of course they don’t, they’re old and this is to reel in younger people to drink coffee. Duck informs Don later that they won them over, and a check is on the way. Don tells Duck this wouldn’t have even happened if it wasn’t for him, what a change from last episode eh?

While all others are occupied with coffee, Harry has his meeting with Coop. He walks in and sits, staring at the painting while Burt gets right to work going over numbers. Burt notices his lack of focus and Harry comments on the painting. They discuss it a little and we find out Burt could actually care less about the “meaning” of it, it was really just a worthy investment. Harry is relieved and they get to work.

While celebrating in his office about the acquisition, Coop asks to see Don and only Don. When he enters the office, Roger and Burt are waiting to invite Don into their…club. Unfortunately it is not a fight club but rather this is an opening into the world that few get to see. Donating some money here, pick up a few odd painting there and boom! you’re someone in this world.

Naturally after this meeting, Don goes and buys his Cadillac, sight on scene.

When he brings it home Betty loves it and mentions how they get to pull out at fancy places in it now. Jimmy Barrett had called her before, since Don is ignoring Bobbi’s calls, and invited them to his premiere party for his new show. She mentions this to Don and he doesn’t say yes, but he’s still in a good mood, so they must be going.

After gathering her things, Jane stops in to Roger’s office to say goodbye and thanks for everything. We all know she knows what she’s doing, those crocodile tears aren’t fooling anyone. Roger puts her at ease and tells her that he’ll have this all worked out by Monday, he’ll talk to Joan.

We fast forward to Sunday and Sal and kitty are preparing their dinner, waiting for Ken to arrive. Haha bachelors! Always late! So Ken shows up and remarks about their place, the food, Kitty, he’s a gracious guest. Ken is antsy to find out what Sal has to say about his story, The Gold Violin. Sal loved it. They cheers to it and eat. Sal and Ken are talking of work and Kitty is trying to keep up with the conversation but Sal keeps butting her out. Once Ken leaves Kitty throws a fit that she doesn’t know these people and Sal isn’t making matters any better by just pushing her aside. He apologizes and offers to clean up. When he’s clearing the table he finds Ken’s lighter. His now.

At the same time in a park near their home, Sally asks of they’re rich. Betty tells her that’s rude to ask. What the hell Betty? A child asking her parents a question is not rude. Only rich people think that. They leave and leave all their trash behind?! Only rich people would do that! If Sally could only read the signs…

Monday at Sterling Cooper, Ken and Jane walk in at the same time and he asks her out. She says no and to leave her alone, she’s being watched. Jane sits at her desk, nervous just waiting for Joan to come over. When she does and asks why Jane is still there, she inquires if she had spoken to Roger at all. Joan doesn’t understand why that matters but then suddenly Jane grows a pair. She embellishes what Roger had told her a bit, just to fan the fire I guess and that she has a job here, like it or not Joanie.

Don and Betty enter Jimmy’s party and are greeted by some exec talking business. Bobbi comes on over and Betty excuses herself to get drinks for her and Don. Maybe she didn’t go back, or it’s just later in the night, Betty is off drinking by herself, staring at a statue of a horse when Jimmy come up to her. He is of course filling her up with compliments (and booze) as they sit and watch their significant others from afar. Jimmy makes a comment, what happened between the two of them, motioning at Don and Bobbi. Betty doesn’t follow and is shocked by Jimmy’s remarks. But he makes her stay and face the reality of her cheating husband. She walks away but that doesn’t change what she heard.

Don is waiting for his coat when Jimmy comes up, why leaving so soon? Apparently Betty doesn’t feel well so they must be going. Jimmy gets the coats for him, the least he can do after all Don has done for him right? He then goes on being cruelly honest but I’m sure Don appreciated the candor. Well, to a point. Jimmy tells Don he doesn’t like him. But that’s okay because he got everything he wanted and what did Don get in return? Bobbi? Oh please, a lot of people have had that. Jimmy understands that Don wants to “step out” but get away from another man’s wife. And then Jimmy calls Don garbage. Betty walks up and even after ruining both of their night’s with the ugly truth, Jimmy puts on a smile and says it’s been fun.

On the ride home, they sit in silence. Probably in their own heads thinking about what Jimmy had said. Betty looks like she’s angry but, oh. No she was just concentrating on not throwing up. Lost that battle. And that new car smell is gone in just a matter of days.

A few notes and quotes:

• “Enjoy yourself, it’s later than you think.” Roger Sterling wisdom never goes unnoticed by me.
• “We could’ve stolen it.” “Who are you?” If this was years later, Sal and Jane would be best friends. Gay guys love fierce girls.
• That Mark Rothko painting? Bane of my existence all day! I cannot find a single one of his paintings that resembles this. I had it narrowed down but of course the one that’s closest was painted in 1968. If anyone can locate this, feel free. I’m done!
• Ken remarks that the gold violin at the Met was “perfect in every way except it couldn’t play music”. Relates to many of these people hm? Don has the perfect life, except his infidelity. Betty has the perfect life, except for Don’s infidelity. Joan does too, except for that jealously stewing from Jane. Sal does, except you know, he’s gay. The list goes on and on…
• Ken asked Jane out to a Mets game. That it’ll be terrible but a good time. Some things just never change!
• Sometimes the most forceful, story changing characters in this show are the guests. Jimmy Barrett is not sticking around for long, Rachel, and later we get Connie. If it wasn’t for these forces these people wouldn’t be worth watching.
]]> http://www.shutupitson.com/2010/04/19/rewind-mad-men-season-2-episode-7-the-gold-violin/feed/ 0 http://www.shutupitson.com/2010/04/14/rewind-mad-men-season-2-episode-6-maidenform/ http://www.shutupitson.com/2010/04/14/rewind-mad-men-season-2-episode-6-maidenform/#comments Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:37:30 +0000 Liz http://www.shutupitson.com/?p=1681
[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.]
I always enjoy holiday centered episodes because you know where they are in their lives. You can also tell by how much time has elapsed, who holds grudges and who is just as forgetful as Don is. Or better yet, as we learn in this episode, delusional.

Rawr. We get a montage of the ladies of Mad Men getting ready in the morning. This would be a lot racier if it wasn’t 1961.

Everyone is in Don’s office, staring at bra ads. What men. Oh, hey Peggy. Their client, Playtex wants to go in a new direction in their ads, much like Maidenform’s ads. Trainstopping braziers! They send Peggy on the job since she uses these products and Duck tries to be creative and ha nice try, says Don.

Duck leaves the office and his family is waiting by reception. His ex-wife is dropping the kids off for the long weekend so she can visit her dying mother. And there’s a dog! Adorable Chauncey! His kids seem like normal, disgruntled teenagers, nothing new here. Worth noting here is Duck’s drinking problem is brought up. He has not accepted glasses before but it was never really explained. His ex-wife brought the kids early since he’s “not good in the afternoons” and he says she knows he’s changed. So he isn’t just one of those weirdos that doesn’t drink, he’s recovering from a problem.

Peggy, Sal and Pete are discussing another account in Pete’s office. The kids they got for the Clearasil ads look like they went to Dower University (Pete’s words, not mine) and they need a new angle. Peggy suggests a story for the ad and Pete and Sal go for it. When Pete tries to create the tag line “Thanks, Clearasil” Peggy is not in love with it and passively makes that known. Either way, Pete’s father-in-law will hear of it this weekend.

Fast forward to Memorial Day, Betty and Don are at a country club chatting it up with different people. They’re guests of a couple that are members, like Don would ever attach himself to anything. Don and some man are talking of PR, the Bay of Pigs and Kennedy while the couple Betty was talking to so rudely walks away from her. While pausing a moment ot light a cigarette, Arthur appears. He comes over and apologizes to Betty for his behavior and Betty says everything is okay and they can just be friends. Bobby and Sally run up and it’s like Arthur just saw a ghost and gets away from Betty as quickly as possible.

Just before the dinner (lunch?) is underway the announcer makes an… announcement (editor’s note: find thesaurus) for all servicemen to stand so they can be honored. Don stands, a bit reluctantly and Sally looks so proud. Don has this look of “oh god, my life is a big lie and no one knows but me” mixed with guilt while looking back at her. Later, during the fashion show part of their meal, Don excuses himself, claiming he has to check on people at the office working. Really he goes and calls Bobbi for a little rendezvous Memorial Day style. She sadly informs Don her son is in town and they’re going to the beach. Don is all “Son? What?” and Bobbi suddenly looks like she’s 50 years old. Since Don can’t go back in after his exit, he goes home to an empty house. Drinks some milk and stares solemnly out the window. See above.

Pete is enjoying a cookout at his apartment with his brother, Bud and his wife. They joke about how little their mother thinks of Pete and where they plan on vacationing. Pete says he would love to be he has to work, he is a necessary part of Sterling Cooper, Bud. Don’t tell him otherwise.

Pete comes in to work and goes directly to Peggy’s office. He makes some small talk about their weekends and tells Peggy that the Clearasil idea was happily accepted by his father-in-law. He also says he knows that she doesn’t like his “Thanks, Clearasil” line, but she’s okay with it. We all have jobs to do, right? Pete is confused by what Peggy means, I guess passive-aggressive hasn’t been invented yet? Pete continues the small talk but Peggy isn’t having any of it, she has work to do.

Jane brings Don his coffee and asks of the weekend. Jane is LOL burnt from the beach but even then Roger finds her to be a hot piece while leaving the office. Roger didn’t come to Don’s office just to discuss how much Betty would not like Jane on his desk, but to rebuild that bridge with Duck. After the American Airlines fiasco things just haven’t been the same. Don agrees to a lunch, albeit reluctantly.

Duck’s kids are still with him, they’re getting picked up by their mother in a little while. He leaves money for the cart when it comes around and his son tells him he doesn’t need money. His mother’s beau had given him a whopping $150. Apparently this man, Frank is trying to buy his love because he is going to marry their mother. Then Duck’s daughter drops the bomb, they’re leaving Chauncey with Duck. Apparently this guy, Frank is allergic to him and this weekend was for the kids to say goodbye to him. Ouch. What a life you lead, Duck.

The brain trust unites and we even have a tag along, Kinsey, who wasn’t on the account to begin with. They went out a few nights back and he had this great idea for a Marilyn/Jackie campaign for Playtex. Peggy is obviously miffed she wasn’t included in this and then to add insult to injury Ken calls her Gertrude Stein when asking which of the two she is. Yikes. Don eases the blow by saying she’s an Irene Dunn. But still, yikes.

Duck stops in to set up that lunch and Don agrees. But really Don just stops by Duck’s office before lunch because he has no plans to come back after lunch. They basically spell out to each other who is what to whom and when in agreement, Don leaves. To go get some at Bobbi’s.

Don learns that Bobbi has yet another child, a daughter that goes to Sarah Lawrence. She has to go to a play but tells Don to stay at her place, go through her things and wait for her to come back. Well he did take the day off, might as well.

Peggy is walking through the office when she stumbles upon a casting call for Playtex. She is getting more and more frustrated with her position in this campaign, or better yet lack of. Ken pokes his head out and tells Peggy she can come in if she wants, but she doesn’t. She just wants to not be overrun by Kinsey. Ken tells her not to worry, he isn’t going to steal them from her, Kinsey can’t do anything by himself.

As Pete is leaving the office he stops to have a conversation with Chauncey, and Duck comes over to excuse his presence. Pete says he likes having a dog in the office and Duck is all, you’re five years old, we’re not having a dog in the office. After being mentally bitch slapped by Duck, Pete goes to get the elevator and a girl from the casting call is waiting too. They start talking and one thing leads to another, he goes back to her apartment and while the TV drowns them out from her mother, they get busy on that couch.

Pete comes home and stares at himself in the mirror. Thoughtfully.

The next day, Betty is feeding the kiddies in a bathing suit that Don does not approve of. Even though she’s taking them to the pool, he calls that outfit desperate and think of all the men that are going to be oogling her later. She apologizes and if this was season three, she would’ve worn it anyway. But it’s not.

At Sterling Coop, Peggy finds Joan to tell her to make sure she is on all Playtex memos, since that’s her account too. Joan sweetly agrees and Peggy totally dumps on her. She doesn’t understand why these guys just aren’t letting her in even though she has proved herself worthy. Joan doesn’t offer anything up since Peggy never listens to her but does tell her to stop dressing like a little girl.

In the meeting for Playtex, Don pitches the new campaign and they love it! But, uh oh. On the way over they realized what they have been doing is working so why fix it? They’re apologetic and leave. Duck is fuming that they wasted time, but in a table turning move, Don says to chalk it up to experience. As an apology, the Playtex guys offer to take the boys out, on their dime. Freddy suggests a place and they agree, Peggy listens from afar.

After a day’s work, Duck comes in to some minions office demanding that things should be on his desk before he leaves for the day. The guy leaves to hurry and get whatever Duck wanted and Duck goes to his alcohol. He thinks it over and decides it isn’t a good idea. But letting Chauncey go loose on the mean streets of Manhattan is?! Come on, everybody! Let’s all hate Duck together!

Don doesn’t go home after work, he’s right back at Bobbi’s. He tells her to shut up and just wants to get to business but she doesn’t stop talking. Apparently neither do any of Don’s mistresses. He had overheard some girl talking about him, a girl Don doesn’t even remember. Don is suddenly hit with a wave of reality. He is angry that Bobbi told him this and leaves her abruptly, tied to a bed.

So the boys go out to a club and are getting an nice show from a dancer when a grown up looking Peggy waltzes in. And Joan says she never takes her advice? What’s great about this scene is that the guys don’t care! I’m sure they love the way she looks but no one is looking at her like a buzzkill, except for Pete. But it’s always “except for Pete”.

We have Don the next morning, getting up he wants grapefruit for breakfast. He’s in the bathroom shaving and Sally comes in, watching him. She tells him she isn’t going to talk because she doesn’t want him to hurt himself. He stops what he’s doing, shoos Sally from the bathroom to sit and think about what she just said. If only Bobbi had kept her mouth shut, he wouldn’t have gotten hurt, eh?

A few notes and quotes:

• This episode has the obvious theme of duality. Don lives this seemingly pious life, but then is shown how there are a lot of people out there, giving him a reputation other than that. Pete is a playboy but then comes home to be a husband. Peggy has to distance herself from who she is and become who she needs to be to get closer to want she wants to be in SC.
• “Those kids are drunk.” “Really?” “I don’t know.” If it didn’t come from Roger Sterling it had to come from Sal.
• At the country club, the couple Betty was talking to mentioned an execution. It was a big deal than and no doubt would be a big deal now, two communist being executed on the grounds of espionage. It was at Sing Sing so that could be why it comes to mind, but really lady? You can’t think of a hot summer between 1953 and now?
• “The libraries were closed yesterday, what did you do?” I wonder if Pete is trying to be funny or if he really is socially dumb enough to seriously say that to someone.
• When Ken comes to the door and comforts Peggy that Kinsey can’t do anything without her, it seems like he has a place for her in his mind. He has commented before on her, in season one when they were working on the Belle Jolie radio ads. I think Ken is rooting for Peggy to win and will help her out, but probably not going out of his way.
• How insane is it that Don never had the thought of women talking to each other? He obviously doesn’t have a divide between work and pleasure and women aren’t women if they don’t gossip. Maybe he realized how daft he was being to his situation and that’s why he left. Let’s just hope he went home to his wife and kids and enjoyed a salt-free meal.
]]> http://www.shutupitson.com/2010/04/14/rewind-mad-men-season-2-episode-6-maidenform/feed/ 0 http://www.shutupitson.com/2010/04/06/rewind-mad-men-season-2-episode-5-the-new-girl/ http://www.shutupitson.com/2010/04/06/rewind-mad-men-season-2-episode-5-the-new-girl/#comments Tue, 06 Apr 2010 22:02:10 +0000 Liz http://www.shutupitson.com/?p=1618
[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.]
If you didn’t know the title of this episode, you would almost think the new girl would add up to nothing. But boy, does she cause something. When I first watched this episode, I doubt I even recognized titles but it seems obvious now that the writers are pointing out to us what we should be paying attention to…

We begin at the doctor’s with Pete and Trudy. After a year of trying, they’re finally seeing a fertility specialist to figure out what is wrong with them. He asks to speak to them seperately and we get to see Pete with the doctor alone. He asks a bunch of questions that Pete feels as if are questioning his masculinity but the doc assures him it is just protocol. They get into a little psychological stuff and Pete says he feels apprehensive about bringing a child into this world, with wars and stuff. I think he’s just scared of having the well being of another rest on his shoulders. His little selfish world would just fall apart.

At the office, Joan is showing off her engagement ring, the doctor finally proposed. They’re planning a Christmas wedding since her colors are red and green. I really hope that means around Christmas and not on the actual day. That would be pretty rude to ask people to spend their holiday doting over you.

While everyone fawns over Joan, Don gets a call from Bobbi, she’s drunk but celebrating. Her show idea was sold and she wants Don to come out and celebrate. Don says no, she’s obviously drunk and if Jimmy is there…things could get weird. But apparently Bobbi has power over Don that I can’t even comprehend and he shows up. She tries to pull information out of Don to get to know him, what he likes. Bridges. They both like bridges. Rachel Menken walks on by with her husband and it gets awkward, mostly because Rachel immediately knows who Bobbi is to Don, regardless of the introductions. She leaves and Bobbi talks of her place out in Stony Brook, and off they go.

While in the car, boozing right from the bottle, Bobbi continues asking what Don likes. They talk of foreign films and when Bobbi goes in for a quick little makeout session, Don skids off the road and crashes the car.

We next see Don sitting in a police station, being offered a cup of coffee to sober up. He was above the legal limit and has to pay a fine in order to not spend the night in jail. Unfortunately his and Bobbi’s wallets don’t cover it so he has to call someone. Oddly, he decides on Peggy. Well maybe it isn’t so odd, she was his best receptionist and as his little protege she would be willing to help him out after all he has done for her. She gives him a wad of money to get out and even drives them home. Bobbi can’t go back to Jimmy with a shiner so Peggy offers her place as somewhere to stay in the meantime. Don states the obvious, that he doesn’t want this situation to be brought into the office and Peggy offers up what you would expect from her, “You’ll just have to believe I’ll forget this”. She tells him that she doesn’t want to be treated badly by him because she reminds him of this. Those two are so on the same page all the time, it’s nuts.

Don gets home in the early morning hours to an angry Betty, wondering where he was all night. Apparently they had some big talk about how he wouldn’t do that, staying out all night without calling, anymore. Don explains the accident and Betty is confused and hurt as to why he didn’t call her. He soothes her and admits his high blood pressure problem to explain the accident. Saying you were on a joyride with your mistress, whom Betty has met, isn’t exactly something a trustworthy husband does, hm? Don can’t stay long though, he needs to get to the doctor before work, an accident is no reason to miss work when you can’t stand being around your family.

Bobbi is at Peggy’s apartment, talking on the phone with Jimmy, making up excuses for where she is. Peggy comes in with her dry cleaning, some magazines and food, being a good hostess to her guest. Bobbi can’t really understand why she’s doing all of this but Peggy just skirts it, Don is her boss so, she does things for him.

Joan brings in the new girl, Jane and adores her in a way she never showed Peggy. While discussing Joan’s engagement the welcoming committee comes on by and introduce themselves. The only one that is actually available though is Ken, guess it doesn’t hurt to take in the sights. Ken is also the only one with a reason to be there, he has to talk to Don who comes in moments later with his arm in a sling.

Ken informs Don that Jimmy Barrett has called and wants to take a meeting with Don. This immediately sets off alarm bells in Don’s head, he asks if he sounded angry and pushes the meeting off a few days just in case. Don, flustered, calls Bobbi at Peggy’s to make sure that she didn’t say anything incriminating.

After she hangs up with Don, Bobbi keeps pushing Peggy as to why she’s doing all of this for Don. She says that he’s done a lot for her, but Bobbi doesn’t buy it, her own smarts got her the copy job. Peggy just kind of, shrugs it off and removes herself from the room. Here, we get a little flashback as to what happened to Peggy after the baby. She’s still in the hospital talking to a psychologist. She doesn’t know why she’s there and the doctor informs her she had a baby, for the second time. Peggy just seems to disregard he statement and the doctor leaves her, confused in bed.

Meanwhile, Pete is picking out a magazine to aid in his semen sample process. Wonderful.

In the office, Joan comes into Roger’s office for an unknown reason and he congratulates her on her engagement. Then tears her down a bit. Making fun of her fiancé’s age, saying that she’ll still keep her job. Joan finds this less than amusing so she excuses herself from the office.

Joan does find many men crowding by Jane’s desk. Her blouse conveniently became undone and weirdly all these men have to get files that are located by her desk. Joan puts Jane in her place and you can see the adoration start to crumble. SC is not a place to find your husband honey, get a sweater.

Peggy keeps up the professionalism at home with Bobbi when she still asks about Don. She asks Peggy if she’s in love with him and she says no. Bobbi asks why she doesn’t ask her and Peggy says it’s none of her business. When Bobbi is finally leaving, Peggy offers up her bedroom mirror to help her get ready and Bobbi asks where the hospitality stops. She also offers up some unsolicited advice about how Peggy should climb that professional ladder: stop acting like a man and be a woman. Live the life of the person you want to be and you’ll get what you want.

As Peggy is cleaning and taking up the couch she flashback to the hospital again. This time Don has come to see her, not believing the lie her mother told him. He tells her to get out of there as quickly as possible, do whatever they say to get out. And then once she is out of there, forget what happened and move forward.

When Pete gets home, Trudy tells him that the doctor called and his specimen was viable and he is ecstatic that the problem isn’t him. He is totally aloof to Trudy’s sadness, that it’s her rotten baby-making parts that are the issue. He gets mad that she is even upset about this and when she storms out he calls her back in the room like a child. She eventually obeys and even though his apology is barely an apology, she accepts and they go out for dinner.

The next day at the office, Peggy is late to a meeting in Don’s office and is not prepared for the meeting because she was “sick”. Don beckons at his arm and even though he had issues, he still got his work done. The meeting goes on and Peggy will have her work done on time as expected. While Pete and Sal leave the office, Peggy closes the door behind them and asks for her money back from Don’s bail. He apologizes for forgetting and gives her half of what she’s owed and she thanks him. She thanks him in a way that confirms that she not only heard what Bobbi had to say, but listened as well.

As Peggy is leaving the office, Jimmy and Bobbi come in. There is an awkward moment at Jane’s desk but the Peggy leaves, Jimmy and Bobbi enter Don’s office and Ken isn’t even invited in. Don braces for the worst from him but is pleasantly surprised when Jimmy jsut wants to thank him for all he’s done. He hasn’t been the nicest guy but Don helped him out with Utz and the show regardless. Jimmy calls him a cool cat, like all the cool kids do, and leaves him.

When Don gets home that night, he sits down to dinner with the family. He goes for the salt but can’t find any, asking Betty what happened. Betty is just looking out for his health. It seems like Don forgets he actually has this home life. Good thing someone remembers.

A few notes and quotes:

• “This is America. Pick a job and become the person that does it.” Too bad this still isn’t true. Degrees and experience and things are always so necessary now…
• The foreign film that Don and Bobbi muse over in the car, La Notte, is about a happy married couple that after meeting a few people at parties and some seemingly harmless flirting, drift apart from one another. Let’s see how this could relate to this show, hm?
• Being from Long Island, I laughed at the mention of Stony Brook and Idlewild and such. It’s now JFK, the name change is coming soon enough I imagine. Also, they had their car crash nowhere near Stony Brook, the cop has the Nassau County shield on his arm. The Long Island Expressway was constructed by then, as well as the Northern State Parkway so I kind of don’t understand why they were on such a small road, so far from their destination. Guess that could be explained by the drunkenness though…
• “I never expect him to be any other way than what he is” Peggy is maybe the only person that truly understands what kind of person Don is. She doesn’t expect social norms from him, and takes him at face value. It really is no wonder they get along so well. Kindred spirits.
• “No one knows what I’m doing, it’s good for mystique”. What is this show without Roger? I don’t even what to know.
• “This never happened. It will shock you how much this never happened.” He should have a book. Don Draper’s Words of Wisdom. Available this summer in paperback. Actually, it is.
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