Greetings again, Addicts! I come to you, suffering with the bubonic plague! It's a terrible tragedy, but I will try my best to give you the greatest recap I can! Previously on Mad Men, we saw that ketchup wants to be courted, but they aren't allowed to be while they're still doing business with Heinz beans. Pete got caught in an affair and got kicked out of the house and in all reality, marriage. Don continues to have an affair with Sylvia, the good doctor's wife while Megan has a miscarriage. Oh and mean Ted decided Peggy will be going after ketchup after she opened her big fat mouth about it.
Pete is talking to someone in his shitty apartment and we can't see who right away. Then we see Don as well.
So they're going after ketchup anyways. I figured they would. It's hard not to give up on such a sure thing. Tim tells them that if they do a good job he'll make sure Raymond won't put up a fuss, and if he doesn't like what they have to offer, Raymond never has to know they met. He even offers to come back to Pete's apartment for the presentation. Pete balks immediately and says they'll get a hotel room. I would hope so! They should probably be sitting on plastic while they're there anyways. Once Tim is gone Don says that the team for this can only consist of the two of them and Stan. Pete agrees and suggests the code name "Project K" when discussing it. Don then says it's a nice apartment. What? I beg to differ. Pete offers the room to him if, ya know, the occasion should ever arise. "I live here, Pete." Ha.
Dawn is meeting with her friend/sister? I think just a friend. She's playing maid-of-honor at her wedding and her date fell through. Dawn is disappointed and tells her friend that she'll never meet a guy at her office. The friend suggests church but Dawn doesn't agree.
A lady is putting make up on Joan's mother. She's a Mary Kay specialist. Her name is Kate and Joan is very excited to see her. I hope we get more of Joan this episode, I've missed her. Kate is a sales director and she's in town from Spokane. Joan had made dinner reservations but mom wants to have dinner all together. Kate is meeting with the competition tomorrow, for some reason.
The elevator opens and Don sees Sylvia, alone. Don stops the elevator and kisses her. He tells he's been busy working, which is why they haven't slept together recently. She said that her husband will be on call one of two days, and she'll put a penny under her door mat when he's gone.
Kate got a diamond studded watch from Mary Kay as a gift, but she's meeting with Avon tomorrow because there's only so much higher that she can progress in her job now. Joan's mom says how proud she is of Joan being a partner at an advertising firm in New York, and Joan is surprised to hear it and enjoys hearing it herself.
Look at that desk! Ken storms into Harry's office and wants to talk about Bird's Eye. Harry isn't in the mood yet to talk about work. Ken spent the weekend with his in-law's and his father in law is sick of hearing how much the world hates DOW chemical. Well, can you blame the world, Ken? They produced a pretty destructive weapon. Harry asks Ken to set up a meeting with Ed (the father in law) because he may have an idea of how to turn everyone's frown upside down.
Stan doesn't stop in with the normal ranks of creative and heads right to a door marked "private". All the windows are blocked off with aluminum foil. Ginsberg is very curious about what's going on, and Bob is just around for the information. I'm not liking Bob. Ginsberg is full of theories and is trying to figure it out. Don walks into the Project K headquarters and finds Stan getting high, as usual. Stan offers the joint to Don and he takes it. They talk about a few ideas for ketchup. "I think we should order lunch" followed by a huge fit of giggles. Oh, Stan.
Dawn is in the kitchen when Scarlett, Harry's secretary, comes in and has a card for her to sign. She then asks if Dawn would mind punching her out since she needs to leave early. Dawn seems excited to have a friendly moment.
Megan is in her dressing room reading a book when a man, Rod, comes in and asks if she's gotten the pages. She says no. Another actress, Arlene comes in and sends Rod away and she tells her that she will be having a love scene with Rod in the next episode. Megan is a little nervous because the only love scene she's done was in a high school play. She's very excited but worried about what Don will say. Arlene thinks it's best to be upfront. Her husband, Mel (the writer for the show) and her will take Don and Megan out to dinner.
Joan is in her office when Meredith asks where Scarlett is since there's someone to see Harry and she's not at her desk.
Don comes home and Megan has a nice dinner and drinks prepared the minute he comes in the door. She wants to put him in a good mood. Don sees right through it and wants to know what's up. Megan lays it out that Arlene and Mel want to take them to dinner. She then drops the love-scene bomb. Don says he doesn't care, but he needs some more details. He's unsure of how he feels about it. This isn't going to end well, I can already tell. Megan tries to be positive but Don is the wet blanket you expect him to be.
Ray Wise plays Ken's father in law, the executive from DOW. They are pitching a TV special, sponsored by DOW, with Joe Nameth and his buddies do the best of Broadway. "Broadway Joe on Broadway." I have no idea why he's called Broadway Joe. They do a great job of promoting the idea. "How would you like DOW to be responsible for making people smile?" He finally agrees to the idea. "Family products for the American family."
Joan goes to confront Scarlett about her punch card time and her absence from her desk. Scarlett sort of caves early, but how could you stand strong against Joan? She still stays strong with a lie about being in accounting, which is why they couldn't find her. Joan then heads downstairs to talk to Dawn about the time card. Scarlett comes down the stairs to try and signal to Dawn not to give her up, and Joan immediately tells her that she's fired. As she's walking out the door, box in hand, mascara running down her face, Harry comes back in and is outraged that she's been fired. He pulls her back into Joan's office and demands an apology from her to Scarlett. He goes on a bit of a tirade about it. "Scarlett, do whatever you think is best" is the best that Joan can conceive as an apology.
Harry walks by the partner's meeting and is enraged to see Joan sitting there. Ken tells him not to, but he barges in anyways. He doesn't understand how he's not already been promoted to the state of partner, because, unlike Joan, he's actually earned it. Burn and sizzle! He expects to be at the next partner's meeting. Whoa, uncomfortable. Burt Cooper advises Joan not to worry, Harry won't be made partner. They decide that Dawn is a benefit to the company as a Black woman, and the humiliation that Scarlett has endured should be enough.
Dawn meets her friend again, and once again late. She has to explain how everyone at the office walks on egg shells and is always nervous about getting fired, and she's not even sure if she did get fired today. Dawn is grateful for the job she has and wants to keep it so she's going to keep her head down.
Kate and Joan head to a "bar" that is more of a soda fountain place. Each table has a phone for their personal use. Joan needs a cocktail and this place can not provide what she needs. Kate is in New York and on vacation and she wants a good lay. One of the owners it would see, comes over to talk to Kate and she's a bit clumsy with the flirty and wording, so Joan facilitates for her. They agree to meet up later at a place of his choosing. Joan is a pro.
Arlene and Mel are having dinner with Don and Megan as arranged. Don seems to be ready to talk about business rather than getting around to the actual discussion that was meant they were meant to have. Megan tries to call the show tame and tasteful and Mel doesn't seem to be going for it. The conversation is drifting in a direction that gets weird. They offer to take Don and Megan back to their place to "smoke some grass...and...see what happens." It becomes very clear that they want to have an orgy. "We like Megan, and we like you, and we like to be friends." It's so awkward. "It's a chemistry experiment!" They back out quickly.
Joan, Kate and the guy from the phone place get into a cab. He wants to know who kisses better. He kisses Joan rather chastely and then settles in on Kate. Joan drinks the 1/5th that the guy originally had.
Don and Megan joke about the situation they got themselves into at dinner. Megan is afraid that the only reason she got the new role is because they wanted to have sex with her. It's so weird! I guess Fusk was wrong, it's not Pete and Trudy that are propositioned with swinger-ship, but Don and Megan!
The 3 some arrive at a club that's so very 60's. The song Bonnie and Clyde is playing the background. Kate and Guy are making out while Joan enjoys the cocktail she needs to badly. Then one of Guy's friends shows up, and his name is Johnny. He gets sits down next to Joan and he says that he was told by Guy that he would want Joan, and he was right. He kisses her and she kisses him back and seems to go back to old Joan for a minute. It doesn't feel right. That's not who Joan is anymore.
Roger and Burt and in Burt's office when Harry comes in. I miss Burt, I feel like there's not enough of him. They ask him how his new twin boys are! Hey! My brother has twin baby boys! CRAZY GUYS!!! Roger says Harry's display of "initiative" got their attention. He pulls out a check for $23,500 and says it's the full commission for the Broadway Joe on Broadway gig. Roger says, "We have to get bigger, before we get bigger." Harry throws it out there that Joan isn't even in the office yet. He is aware that he's a huge part of this company and he should be recognized as such. I understand his position. I really do. But I don't like how he's going about this. He warns them that he hopes another company doesn't realize he's partner-quality before they do.
Joan and Kate are passed out in bed still in their party clothes from the night before. Kate is regretting her night. "I'm really not you, am I?" Joan doesn't understand why anyone would want to be her. She's been with the company for 15 years and still gets treated like a secretary, despite being a partner. Kate tells her that everything is ready for her to take, she just has to make the move. I don't even really know what Joan would do differently? She's like head secretary, head of office administration.
They meet with the ketchup guys and they present items that "crave" to have ketchup put on them. It's effective, at least for me it is. They don't include the bottle or the word ketchup because Heinz only means one thing. They feel it's half an ad and Don tries his best to convince them but they still want to see their bottle. Pete says they'll test it both ways. Everyone shakes hands and they leave feeling good.
That is until they see Peggy and Ted sitting in the hall waiting for their turn to make the pitch. SCDP is not happy, at all. Stan should feel the most betrayed. Peggy feels awkward and Don stares her down. The door opens and they invite Ted and the others inside. As Stan and Pete leave, Don listens at the door to hear the pitch. Peggy does a magnificent job of comparing catsup and ketchup. She drops the line, "If you don't like what people are saying about you, change the conversation." That's exactly what Don taught her when she was just coming up into being a writer. Betrayal!
The ad is good. It's powerful. The men seem very excited about it. Don walks away knowing she did a good job.
Dawn sees Joan arrive at her desk and goes to apologize again for what happen. She offers to have the money that was paid to Scarlett for the hours she wasn't there taken out of her own wages. Dawn wants to make it right but she's unsure of herself. Joan hands her a set of keys to the supply closet and the time cards. She's now responsible for monitoring both. "Don't thank me, you don't realize this is a punishment." "Well, I don't care if everyone here hates me, just as long as you don't." Well said, Dawn.
Project K team is sitting at a bar licking their wounds when Ted and Peggy walk in. They announce that Heinz bought their ad while in the room. Ken walks in and says that Raymond found out about the secret meeting that went down and beans is now walking away from the agency. They cut off their nose to spite their face. It's a low day for SCDP. Stan can't even look at Peggy. He says, "I think I see a friend" and walks by Peggy.
That's the least of what you deserve. I told you not to, Peggy! I told you!
We see Megan shooting her love scene, and it incredibly tame, especially considering what they show on the actual show we're watching! Don is standing in the background watching. He's pissed. He came into the studio already mad. Arlene tells Megan that her agent is here. She turns around all smiles and see's Don's scowl. She says she needs to go change and then they can go. She gets to the dressing room and they're both mad. Megan is mad that this is the first time he's showed up to the set, he doesn't watch the show anyways. This is her career. Don accuses her of enjoying it and that she kisses people for money, like a common prostitute. Damnit, Don! Why are you ruining this for her?! You're just gonna go have sex with the neighbor anyways! You're such a hypocrite! You make it so hard for me to love and defend you! Don suggests that she have dinner with Mel and Alrene tonight since they're so much more open minded. He leaves her there to cry.
He goes and finds the penny under Sylvia's door mat. She gives him sass that she's been waiting all day for him. They go in she lays on the bed. He sees that she has a cross around her neck and asks her to take the necklace off. It doesn't mean anything to him, but it does to her. He asks if she prays for absolution after he leaves. She says she prays for him to find peace. He puts the cross to the back of chain, against her back and proceeds with his sex schedule. Don. I hate you right now. You pulled the same shit with Betty. Granted, Betty was a bitch, but Megan has been good to you and for you! I'm finding it hard to forgive this one.
I'm not even going to attempt with the previews. It's just not worth it.
No comments:
Post a Comment