Christmas Waltz – Mad Men Episode Summary 5.10

Synopsis: The prospect of incarceration for his debt to Inland Revenue drives Lane Pryce to ask the creditor of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce to extend the agency’s credit for his own gain.  Pete Campbell shares thrilling news of Jaguar giving them a chance to pitch their cars.  He urges the reluctant Don Draper to immerse himself with the Jaguar automobile.  Harry Crane finally agrees to meet with his former colleague, Paul Kinsey, who reached nadir and joined Hare Krishna as a result.

Episode Summary: Lane Pryce receives a call early in the morning with news from his lawyer.  Lane is to pay the Inland Revenue two thousand nine hundred pounds by Thursday in order to avoid incarceration.  He finds himself with the unrealistic task of procuring eight thousand dollars in two days.  His piqued phone conversation stirs his wife out of bed oblivious to her husband’s financial problems.  Lane, who is already agitated with his predicament, could not bear the inquiries of his insensible wife that Rebecca becomes the recipient of his ire.Continue reading...

The following day, Lane meets with Walt Jarvis of Chemical Bank to speak to him about extending Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce’s credit to fifty thousand dollars.  Fortunately, Walt agrees to the request despite the lack of commitments from clients whom Lane notes have not been paying their bills on time.  Moreover, Walt agreed to have the money ready that day.  Lane arrives at the office and calls a partners’ meeting deliberately excluding Joan in order to announce that the agency has incurred a surplus of fifty thousand dollars.  He proposes the immediate distribution of Christmas bonuses as the result of such good fortune.  All agree except for Don, who asks that they hold the distribution of the bonuses until the Christmas party.  Pete agrees with Don’s request and goes on to share his announcement.  Earlier that day, Pete Campbell already informed Don and Roger Sterling that they have another chance at getting the Jaguar account.  Ostensibly, a man named Hugh Hibbert recently replaced Edwin Baker, at the luxury automobile company after Lane’s contact heaved on to the lap of the head of the dealers association.  Don Draper is not keen on the Herculean effort to win over Jaguar hearing that they will be competing with similar sized agencies that have yet to get an automaker as a client and it appears that the other partners are indifferent to the news.  Lane returns to the matter of the deferment of Christmas bonuses and displays an outburst after Pete recommends holding the bonuses to supplement the money required for the Jaguar pitch.  Pete is annoyed at the apathy towards his announcement citing that only Roger showed enthusiasm, but his reaction remains questionable knowing that the man is heavily inebriated.

Roger uses Pearl Harbor Day as an excuse for his intoxication annoying Joan Holloway Harris.  He relates her annoyance to his recent divorce thinking that Joan is upset with Jane Siegel draining Roger of money.  This only added to Joan’s exasperation for she in fact has been declining the gifts Roger sends their son including his proposal to pay for the child’s education.  Joan warns that his continued imposition might cause him to lose the privilege afforded to a family friend.  Lane, who unlike the filthy rich Roger Sterling, returns to the office later that evening when everyone had left and forges Don’s signature on a check made out to him for seven thousand five hundred dollars.
Don, an ad man, curiously watches America Hurrah, a play that does not only disapprove of the American involvement in the Vietnam War, but of consumerism as well.  He returns home with his wife after a night in the theater with little to say about the play they just watched.  Megan Draper whose idea it was to watch the play finds his reticence uncharacteristic and goads him into expressing his genuine opinion.  Don is obviously peeved at the play and claims that consumerism is the result of man’s pursuit of happiness.  He had declined having dinner with Megan’s friend, one of which was an understudy, due to his reluctance to foot the bill of those that had insulted his profession.  Megan finds his sensitivity foolish adding that America Hurrah failed to make a strong stand against advertising.  Don retorts that no one has made a stronger stand against advertising as her.

Harry Crane finally agrees to meet with Paul Kinsey after repeatedly refusing his calls.  He finds that Kinsey has shaved his head and joined Hare Krishna.  Harry becomes completely absorbed with the chanting just like Kinsey, a woman called Mother Lakshmi, and other followers.  He learns that Kinsey is in a relationship with Janet, the woman who goes by the name Mother Lakshmi.  Janet endured a life of promiscuity and corruption, one that ended after joining Hare Krishna.  Moreover, Kinsey, who joined Hare Krishna after reaching rock bottom, remains in the cult, because he has fallen deeply in love with Janet.  He, however, would want to make a life with her outside the cult, which is why he has been pestering Harry.  Kinsey is in need of a job in order to show Janet that they can live a normal and stable life outside of Hare Krishna.  He has written a speculative episode of the hit television show, Star Trek, with the hope that Harry can pass his work to the executives at NBC or even Gene Roddenberry, the show’s creator.  Harry is doubtful even about the show’s tenure, but agrees to read the script after hearing Kinsey’s desperation.  The man who has reached rock bottom could not even find happiness in Hare Krishna.  Harry found the script for the episode called “The Negron Complex” unsatisfactory, but asks Peggy Olson for a second opinion.  Peggy hearing that the story revolves around the white Negrons whom the Caucasons enslaved to pick katahns sees no future in the script.  Unaware of the state Kinsey has fallen into, Peggy becomes curious of Harry’s willingness to help their former colleague.  Nevertheless, she advises that the merciful thing to do is to tell Kinsey the truth.

Pete informs Don of having ridden the Mark II only to learn that the creative director has yet to test-drive a Jaguar.  He remains incredulous of Don’s lack of enthusiasm at a chance at signing an automobile account.  Don responds with sarcasm instead of providing Pete an honest explanation, a response he later regrets having said.  Later, Don becomes witness to an inappropriate scene at reception.  Joan receives divorce papers and takes her anger at the asinine receptionist who let the process server inside the office after claiming to have a surprise for Joan.  Don without prodding Joan of the reason for her outburst persuades the woman to accompany him to a Jaguar dealership.  They arrive at the dealership to find it devoid of customers and of service as well.  It required a look at the watch to get a salesman to entertain them.  The red, sleek XKE or the E-Type two-seater catches Joan’s attention, but obviously, the salesman is required to be at the test drive.  Don writes a check for six thousand dollars, four hundred dollars more than the price of the sports car, to convince the man to let them test-drive the car.  Don and Joan drive to a hotel and have drinks at the bar.  He learns that Joan’s husband, Dr. Captain Greg Harris, served her divorce papers.  Moreover, Greg deliberately had it served at the office, the one place he has no control over her, in order to spite her.  How times have changed.  There was a time when Joan used to be called to reception to receive flowers from her admirers.  Curiously, Don Draper never attempted to woo her for he learned early on that Joan is the one person in the agency he should not cross.  Instead of feeling sorry for Joan, Don congratulates her for going through a divorce.  He finds that the divorce gives Joan a chance to move on from a marriage that has gravely fallen apart.  He is optimistic that Joan despite having a child will find somebody better just as he did.  He asks her to dance with him to the Christmas Waltz that Joan had played on the jukebox, but the woman refuses in spite of her claim of Don being irresistible.  Don notices another man at the bar ogling Joan that he decides to give her the opportunity to have her ego stroked.  He pays for their drinks and leaves Joan money for carfare, while he test-drives the Jaguar before returning home.  He arrives at home drunk to a livid wife who mistook him for having an affair.  Don explains where he truly spent the hours he was away.  Learning that her husband played hooky, Megan begins to see herself as the reason for Don’s disinterest with work.  Nonetheless, she continues to be upset with him for not thinking to inform her of his whereabouts and orders him to have dinner with her.  Don may not be thoughtful of his wife, but he is with Joan.  He sends Joan flowers for the very first time.

Lane phones his lawyer with news of having procured the money required to pay the Inland Revenue only to be asked for the remuneration of his services, one Lane considers paying after the holidays.  Rebecca continues to be unwitting of their financial situation and proposes that they spend Christmas in England with her family.  With imminent trouble averted, Lane continues with the charade about his finances that he fabricates a story that exaggerated his importance at the office instead of telling his wife the truth about their financial situation.  Lane avers that Jaguar had come crawling back to him after Edwin’s termination.  Moreover, he inveigles Rebecca into spending Christmas in New York with him citing his desire to spend it with his family.

Mother Lakshmi pays Harry a visit at his office claiming to have a burning desire for him.  After engaging in a sexual intercourse with the woman, he learns that Mother Lakshmi is truly disgusted with Harry.  She had prostituted herself to keep him away from Paul.  Mother Lakshmi is aware that Paul sought Harry’s help believing him to be his way out of Hare Krishna.  Disinclined to lose a member of their congregation, especially one who is adept at recruiting followers, Mother Lakshmi had come to tell Harry to tell Paul the truth about his awful script dashing any hope of leaving Hare Krishna.  Harry does the opposite of Mother Lakshmi’s demands.  He meets with Paul and tells him that the readers at Mike Weinblatt’s office loved his script, but are not interested in purchasing it due to legal reasons.  Harry offers Paul encouragement, five hundred dollars, and a ticket to Los Angeles where he can start a new life, but only if he promises to leave Hare Krishna.  Paul hugs Harry in genuine gratefulness seeing that he is the only one who truly did something to help him.

The partners congregate in preparation for the announcement of distributing Christmas bonuses for everyone.  Pete, however, delivers the unfortunate news of Mohawk’s decision to suspend advertising due to the machinist strike.  Bertram Cooper proposes to forego the Christmas bonuses, but Lane disagrees arguing that it has been the third year in a row that their employees have not received one.  Bert then recommends deferring the bonuses for all partners until January.  Lane acquiesces and announces the financial strain due to the suspension of work on Mohawk airlines and the partners’ decision to defer their bonuses.  The announcement was not received until Roger tells the staff in plain terms that they will be receiving their bonuses and the partners will not.  Given the regrettable news about Mohawk, Pete thought it best to announce that Jaguar gave Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce an opportunity to do an advertising pitch.  The news did not receive any reactions from the employees until Don steps in to tell the staff that the time between now and the pitch will require every ounce of their hard work.  He, however, is certain that their Herculean effort will be worth it, because he believes that they will end up representing Jaguar.  The moment they land Jaguar will announce that Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce has made it.  Don’s announcement received a roaring applause from everyone.

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Dark Shadows – Mad Men Episode Summary 5.9

Synopsis: Roger Sterling bribes Michael Ginsberg to come up with an ad to help land the Manischewitz account using his race as an excuse for having enlisted his service.  The truth is Ginsberg has exhibited brilliance that even Don Draper finds himself competing with the young copywriter for Pepsi’s Sno Ball creative.  Meanwhile, Betty Francis struggles to lose weight and to avoid finding comfort in food with every trial she encounters.

Episode Summary: Unaware that Roger Sterling is in the midst of a divorce, Bertram Cooper believes that Roger’s Jewish wife, Jane Siegel, might help them land a business with Max Rosenberg, owner of Monarch Wines, a company that manufactures the Manischewitz brand of Jewish wine.  The company aims to market their wine to gentiles as well.  Although there is truth in this, Pete Campbell’s recognition in the advertising world after The New York Times sought him for an interview for a literary profile on hip agencies the newspaper wants to publish may have prompted Cooper to go directly to Roger instead of presenting the account at the partners’ meeting.  Roger speaks privately with Ginsberg to enlist his services for the potential new business and requests that he keep his work from Don Draper until they land the account.  Roger ends up bribing the reluctant Ginsberg into accepting the duplicitous arrangement.  The money he gave Ginsberg turned out to be nothing compared to the bribe he had to give his former wife.  Roger agrees to buy Jane a new apartment in exchange for her agreement to join him for dinner with clients.Continue reading...

The lack of a parking spot forces Betty Francis to pay a visit to her former husband’s apartment.  Betty, who still is in the process of losing the weight she gained, becomes anxious about meeting her husband’s new wife.  She finds a lean Megan Draper dressing in the bedroom of Don’s posh Manhattan apartment adding to her anxiety unaware that Megan found their encounter equally uncomfortable.  The awkward meeting caused a dieting Betty to find comfort in a mouthful of Reddi-wip.  She, however, immediately realizes the enduring consequences of the temporary relief from the oral gratification and decides not to swallow.  Her decision proved favorable as she loses half a pound during a weigh in with Weight Watchers.  It is a loss she and other dieters found gratifying after hearing of her trying week.  Betty later learns that dieting had left Henry Francis craving for meat, but finds that her husband’s work drove him to a late night meal.  Henry has come to a realization that his current job is a dead end after recognizing that Mayor John Lindsay really has no intention of running therefore realizing his mistake at leaving his post as Rockefeller’s Director of Public Relations and Research.  Weight Watchers appears to have not only helped Betty lose weight, but also to become aware of other people’s needs most notably of her husband, Henry.  She states her willingness to provide him support just as he had always given his.  This statement pleased Henry, who shares a small piece of meat with his wife as her reward.  Betty seems to be a better person altogether showing patience and compassion towards her children, but this quickly changes after coming across a love note Don wrote to Megan.  Aside from turning to food for comfort, Betty turns on Don and Megan by informing Sally Draper, who has been working on her family tree homework, about her father’s first wife, the late Anna Draper.  This confounding information caused the child to ask about her father’s first wife giving Betty the opportunity to have Megan answer the perplexing discovery.

There is truth in the Weight Watchers leader’s words when she reminded the dieters that thin people struggle too.  This is especially true for Megan that unwittingly handed sour grapes to a friend and fellow struggling actress.  The young woman who had sought her help in preparing for an audition for a soap opera becomes upset with her unfair criticism causing her to reproach Megan for her good fortune of affording to live luxuriously despite being unemployed.  The aspiring actress who moonlights as a waitress learns that Megan is envious of her for having received a chance to audition albeit it is for a preposterous soap opera.  Later, Megan finds herself in another confrontation, but this time with Sally.  Having acted like a friend instead of a second mother to the child, Megan finds herself trying to win Sally’s friendship after the young girl accused her of dishonesty.  Contempt meets her obsequious attempt to regain the child’s friendship.  Sally becomes guilty of her behavior towards Megan after hearing her and Don arguing about confronting Betty for deliberately creating strife.  Don comes to a realization of the consequence of doing so after Megan astutely points out of giving Betty the pleasure of having known that her spite bore fruit.

Pete wakes Don with an agitated phone call after seeing the article on The New York Times that is devoid of any mention of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.  Pete manages to blame his failure at Don’s indifference, infuriating the creative director.  His shouts roused the children including Sally, who later becomes the recipient of her father’s anger.  Don explains his marriage with Anna as a marriage of convenience and apologizes for subjecting Sally into the befuddling knowledge of such an arrangement.  Moreover, he claims to have intended to inform them about her had she not pass away.  He confirms that it is her house that they visited in California.  The next day, Betty receives word from Sally’s teacher for her excellent work with the family tree.  She speaks to her daughter about it, Anna Draper in particular, certain that Don and Megan would have tried to elude having to divulge her identity.  Betty’s plan backfires when Sally informs her that husband and wife had no qualms about speaking about Anna and even spoke very fondly of her.

Don Draper begins to miss crafting creative after realizing that his copywriters have done all the creative work.  The copy Michael Ginsberg has been working on for the Pepsi product Sno Ball made him chuckle.  He ruminates on the campaign and forms the idea of Sno Ball as an indulgence.  He comes up with the tag line “sinfully delicious” that he believes to be brilliant.  Don sneaks his idea of a devil sipping a Sno Ball in the meeting with his team surprising everyone especially the tactless Ginsberg, who candidly congratulates Don of having rid of his creative block.  Don soon finds himself competing against Ginsberg as both of their ideas are presented to their colleagues.  Ginsberg’s idea immediately elicited laughs from everyone and becomes picked as the better of the two.  He arrives late at night at the office on a weekend and finds Peggy Olson also there working.  Proud of getting recognition, Ginsberg informs Peggy of having come to do some work for Roger that the senior partner had bribed him to do in secret.  Roger soon receives contempt from Peggy, but his decision to enlist the help from Ginsberg paid off anyway for the copywriter crafted a truly brilliant ad.  His idea is to run an ad on the side of the bus, one that is a picture of bus seats with a case of Manischewitz under each seat.  The clever ad conveys the message that Manischewitz is for every race, because it makes it appear that whoever is riding the bus has bought the wine.  The Rosenbergs are blown away by Roger’s supposed idea that bringing Jane to dinner appears unnecessary and a mistake seeing that Max Rosenberg’s son, Bernard, has taken a liking to Jane.  Seeing another man flirting with his former wife educed a desire to be with Jane.  The two have sexual intercourse in Jane’s new apartment, one that is supposed to give her a fresh new start on a life without Roger.  Jane later feels that spending the night with Roger sullied her plan to begin anew.

Harry Crane arrives at the office and delivers the good news of Pepsi having bought the pitch for Sno Ball.  Ginsberg is the only one lamenting the success after discovering that Don pitched his idea after he purposely left Ginsberg’s storyboard on the cab.  The young copywriter confronts Don about his last-minute decision to pitch his idea only to learn that the creative director could not care less about him.  Thanksgiving arrives and Don is spending it with Megan and her friend who is thankful for having landed a role in a soap opera, while his children spend it with Henry and Betty, who has to settle with measly portions of Thanksgiving dinner.  Betty savors every bite of her scanty Thanksgiving meal.

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Lady Lazarus – Mad Men Episode Summary 5.8

Synopsis: Megan Draper begins a charade with her husband after receiving a callback for a play inadvertently involving Peggy Olson in her deceit.  Soon she finds the courage to leave her job as a copywriter in order to pursue an acting career much to her husband’s dismay.  Pete Campbell meets Howard Dawes wife and sleeps with her only to learn that the woman is reluctant to have an affair with him.

Episode Summary: Pete Campbell supposes that Howard Dawes, the insurance sales man, has come to ventilate his poor sales in order to persuade him into buying life insurance.  Howard denies his supposition, but after hearing Pete’s satisfaction of his company’s life insurance policy for paying six times his annual salary and covering suicide, the man felt compelled to speak of its disadvantages.  Howard guarantees that the policy will pay the company and not the employee at the event of the employee’s death.  Pete is certain that Howard is mistaken.  He becomes curious about the sales man’s money issues and learns that Howard has a young, new mistress whom he housed in an apartment in the city.  Roger Sterling summons Pete to his office soon after his arrival to inform him that Roger O’Hara, the top executive of the Head Ski Company, had personally asked Pete to handle the Head account.  Moreover, the man had sent skis as a present.  Pete is incredulous of Roger’s nonchalant and even pleased demeanor despite the client’s request, but accepts the gifts anyway.Continue reading...

Michael Ginsberg pitches the “Hard Day’s Night” campaign for Chevalier Blanc as a Beatles inspired advertisement featuring a mop-top in a white leather jacket running away from a mob of crazed fans.  The Beatles look-alike finds refuge inside a Chevalier Blanc Pub.  The pitch that satisfied Chevalier Blanc’s requirement to have an advertisement that conveys adolescent joy received applause from both clients, the traditional Calvin Nichols and the gay Rick Swanson.  Aware that it is impossible to use Beatles’ music in the commercial, the mad men of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce assure the client of their ability to find a substitute.  Michael and Stan Rizzo discuss potential substitutes with Don only to hear their boss hand the decision to his wife, Megan Draper.  Don is unaware that Megan had left the office soon after receiving a call from Jack Shapiro just as he is clueless as to the desire of clients to use pop music in their commercials.  He leaves for a dinner with a client without Megan for his wife had made an excuse of having to work that evening.  Megan, who is supposed to help Peggy that night, lies to her superior about having to accompany Don at a business dinner.  Peggy Olson finds herself in a quandary when Don calls her to ask her about his wife whom she thought was with him.  With Megan still away from home, Don continues to call Peggy.  Unable to stand being in the middle of a charade, Peggy ignores the ringing phone and leaves the office.  Megan arrives home at last and makes an excuse of having lied to Peggy to get out of working that evening in order to have drinks with her colleagues instead.

Pete stays late at the office and ends up hauling the skis on a train from Manhattan to Connecticut.  He arrives at the train station’s parking lot and finds a woman asking if he had seen Howard Dawes on the train.  Pete guessed the woman as Howard’s wife, Beth.  Beth Dawes, who claims to have locked herself out of the car, has been waiting for her husband for quite some time.  Aware of Howard’s extramarital affair, Pete fabricates an alibi for the deceitful husband to keep Beth from waiting for Howard.  He agrees to drive Beth home and learns that the woman seems to be cognizant of her husband’s affair.  Pete not wanting to be part of the Dawes’ marital problems makes more excuses for Howard, but eventually feels guilty for lying to Beth.  Sensing that the woman has become upset, Pete follows Beth into her house to placate her nerves, but ends up having sexual intercourse with the woman.  Pete becomes fixated with the woman who does not intend to continue their affair that he phones her the following morning asking her to meet him in the city.  Beth tells Pete not to call her again.

Peggy confronts Megan the following day and learns that the woman had gotten a callback on an off-off-Broadway show she had kept secret from her husband.  Megan did not get the part.  She assures Peggy that she will not be put in the same position again.  Peggy mistakes Megan’s need to seek another career as the result of the pressures of work only to learn that the woman still has aspirations of becoming an actress, one she knows her husband will not approve.  Megan dislikes being a copywriter so much that she had contemplated doing something that will cause her termination only to realize that the agency will never fire her, because she is the wife of a senior partner.  Peggy, who strived to become a copywriter, finds no sympathy for the privileged wife of her boss seeing through the selfishness of her motives.  Megan is willing to continue being a copywriter despite her aversion to it so as not to displease her husband.  Her encounter with Megan caused her to arrive late at a meeting about Cool Whip.  She becomes annoyed when her boss’ wife joins them and plays the loving, devoted wife of Don Draper.

Their client, Pat Wallace, enjoyed the Don and Megan banter enough to suggest the husband and wife team to perform it for Phil Beachum, the head of desserts at Cool Whip.  Upon Ken Cosgrove’s urging, Don and Megan perform their act to the rest of the group.  The act meant to assuage the public’s concern about the frozen, non-dairy product that is a substitute for whipped cream spurs the public to try it out of curiosity with a tag line of “Just Taste It”.  Peggy finds the banter between the seemingly happy couple unbearable that she inadvertently ends up showing her approval after uttering the tag line in order to end the banter.  Later that night, Megan confesses to Don of having lied to him and tells him the truth of her whereabouts the previous night.  She begins to share the thrill of having auditioned for a play in spite of the rejection and conveys to him her desire to return to acting.  Don dissuades his wife from pursuing her dream by telling her that she has a talent for copywriting, but Megan confesses to having felt happiness in the rejection than in the accolade she received from the success on the Heinz account.  After realizing that Megan has made up her mind, Don agrees to his wife pursuing her dream.  Megan is to resign the following day effective immediately as per Don’s instructions.  Don speaks to Joan Holloway-Harris of the company’s protocol for a resigning employee and is relieved that the shrewd head of personnel had offered to take care of the send-off.  Meanwhile, Megan speaks to her colleagues of leaving the agency in tears causing Ginsberg to mistake her resignation as a termination only to learn that she had decided to quit her job so as to pursue an acting career.  Ginsberg fails to understand Megan’s reason for leaving for his dream is to become a copywriter, while Stan comes to a realization that all their sacrifices result in nothing more than peddling some mundane product.  Peggy finds respect in Megan knowing that it took guts to go against Don’s wishes.  Joan is not as pleased with Don’s second wife as Peggy believing that the young woman married Don in order to pursue a dream she has not future in, one she could not have the luxury of chasing had she not found herself a rich husband.  Peggy maintains her confidence in Megan’s talent, but her conversation with Joan planted seeds of doubt nonetheless.

Don accompanies Megan to the elevator bank as she leaves for a lunch send-off with the girls.  He saves her the trouble of returning to work for more awkward and emotional encounters with colleagues and offers to bring home her things.  Soon after Megan boards the elevator and kisses him goodbye, Don decides to go after her, but finds himself confronted with an empty elevator shaft that could have easily caused his death.  Don stares into the void and foregoes his decision to go after Megan.  Clearly disturbed with the close encounter with death, Don calms his nerves with alcohol.  The arrival of Ken and his team disrupts his musings as he finds himself listening to music Rick of Chevalier Blanc recommended for the commercial.  Don, undoubtedly ignorant of pop music, mistakes the song as one from the Beatles and learns soon enough from Ginsberg’s disgust that it is not.  He returns home to find his wife cooking and delighted not to find him drunk and upset with her departure.  Her delight, however, seemed to have caused him disappointment.

Pete arrives late at work after taking a later train probably to avoid the Dawes.  Harry Crane informs him of Megan’s resignation in order to pursue an acting career and becomes surprised that he was not shocked at her decision.  Having been played a fool, Pete finds women manipulative for using their sexuality to force men into submission.  He finds an unwelcome seatmate in Howard on his ride home and becomes riled at hearing of the man’s decision to spend the evening with his wife to make up for his infidelity.  Pete becomes piqued and lures Howard into inviting him for dinner in order to hear of the life insurance policy he is selling.  Beth is shocked to find Pete in their house with her husband and becomes aghast when the man passionately kisses her as he hands her instructions for a rendezvous at Hotel Pennsylvania the following afternoon.  Howard returns to the foyer with his work paraphernalia unaware of what had transpired.  Beth asks to speak with him privately alarming Pete, who decides to sneak out only to learn that the woman had feigned a migraine leaving the two men to have dinner without her.  Pete waits for Beth at the hotel despite her incessant declaration of not wanting to be with him and realizes that the woman meant her words when she does not arrive.  One evening he finds her at the parking lot waiting for Howard and she once again gives him hope as he draws a heart from the moisture of her car window.

Don rejects Ken’s offer to cancel the meeting with Cool Whip and he finds himself in the test kitchen with Peggy as Megan’s stand-in.  Phil Beachum arrives at the Creative Cookery Kitchen expecting to see the husband and wife act, but Don is lost in thought that he misses his cue.  Regrettably, Phil has been briefed of the banter that he notices the missed cue and Don’s distraction.  Moreover, he is disappointed that Megan is not available and has every right to do so as Don and Peggy lack the chemistry required to make the banter adorable instead of obnoxious.  Moreover, the unrehearsed act appears forced and becomes even more painful to watch when Peggy misspeaks the tag line and ends up uttering “just try it” instead of “just taste it”.  Phil, clearly disappointed, saves them further embarrassment by cutting short the banter.  With Pat running after his boss who is dissatisfied, Don and Peggy behave like real husband and wife as they raise their voices in argument.  Don blames Peggy for Megan’s departure having made himself believe that she chased her out of the agency unable to concede to the fact that Megan dislikes advertising.  Peggy makes it known that Don’s anger should have been directed at Megan whom he surprisingly has no power over.  Soon they realize that one of the Cool Whip employees was there to witness their squabble adding to their embarrassment.  They return to the office and Don drowns his sorrow with alcohol.  Roger finds Don brooding on his couch learning that the man agreed to his wife’s desires despite his reluctance so as not to curtail her dreams having seen what doing so had done to Betty and Marie.  Don takes Roger’s advice of maintaining a routine in order to sustain a harmonious marriage and goes home to catch Megan on her way to acting class.  Megan buys Don a Beatles album to educate him of their music and suggests that he listen to “Tomorrow Never Knows’.

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At the Codfish Ball – Mad Men Episode Summary 5.7

Synopsis:  Megan Draper’s parents arrive in New York to see Don Draper accept the award from the American Cancer Society honoring him for the open letter that criticized tobacco companies including their former client, Lucky Strike.  An accident necessitated Don’s children to stay in his apartment along with his in-laws giving Megan an inspired idea for the Heinz Baked Beans campaign. Meanwhile, a talk with Joan Holloway-Harris about the disturbing call Peggy Olson received from his boyfriend convinced Peggy that Abe Drexler would be proposing marriage to her.

Episode Summary: With Betty and Henry Francis in Michigan with baby Gene, Pauline Francis looks after Sally and Bobby Draper.  With her parents away, Sally takes the opportunity to call Glen Bishop at school on a weeknight and learns that the boy is still heartbroken from the recent breakup with his girlfriend.  Pauline calls for her to set up the table for dinner, but trips on the telephone cord.  The fall sprained the woman’s ankle.Continue reading...

Megan Draper’s parents, Marie and Dr. Emile Calvet, arrive in New York to attend the event honoring Don Draper for his bold open letter that criticized tobacco companies including their former client, Lucky Strike.  Soon after their arrival, Don receives a call from Sally and leaves his guests to fetch his children.  Don returns home with his children proud of his daughter for her precocious response to the emergency.  Sally called the police and performed first aid on her restless step-grandmother.  The Calvets are impressed and offered to sightsee with the children the following day and to look after them in the evening while Don and Megan have dinner with the Heinz client.  Don suggests that his wife ask her parents to look after their children at the night of the awards, but Megan refuses the suggestion knowing that her parents came to see him receive the award.  Don believes that no award will make her father like him better.  Megan acknowledges this noting that she is her father’s favorite, which is also the reason why her mother competes with her.  She imparts that her mother’s display of affection towards Don is a result of such jealousy.

Megan has an epiphany from the spaghetti she served at dinner the night before.  She conveys to Don her idea for the Heinz campaign where a mother from the Stone Age all through the future where a colony on the moon serves Heinz Baked Beans.  Don is pleasantly surprised at the splendid idea his wife had including the tag line “Heinz Beans, some things never change.”  He calls his team to inform them of the complete revamp of their human cannon ball campaign for Heinz.  Although the change upset both Stan Rizzo and Michael Ginsberg, they did admit of the idea to be superior to theirs.

A newly divorced Roger Sterling meets his first wife, Mona, for drinks.  She learns that the man has come to ask her a favor.  Roger admits that he had lost everything when he lost Lucky Strike and has since been trying to obtain another major client for his agency.  He gives her the names of the four members of the American Cancer Society with the hope that Mona can arrange a meeting with him and Firestone.  Mona acknowledging that Roger is still the one providing financial support to his family accepts the favor.  Roger apprises Don of his plan to network during the awards ceremony.  Don disapproves of the idea believing that the event is not a platform for obtaining clients even though it was the reason why he wrote the open letter.  Moreover, he believes that the award will not gain him any favors including his communist father-in-law of whose disapproval he is certain.

Peggy Olson receives a call from her boyfriend, Abe Drexler, anxious to have dinner with her at a restaurant.  The exigency of speaking with her alone made her apprehensive so much so that she speaks to Joan Holloway-Harris about it.  Peggy is certain that Abe is about to end their relationship.  Joan argues that men do not take the time to end relationships and therefore believes that Abe will be proposing marriage to Peggy.  She advises that Peggy have an answer ready especially if it is a rejection.  Peggy takes Joan’s advice and buys a new dress for the evening.  She arrives in the restaurant in gleeful anticipation of Abe’s marriage proposal only to learn that the man only wants to move-in with her.  Abe is fond of the idea of living with Peggy, but not enough to ask for her hand in marriage.  Although it is not the proposal she wanted to hear, Peggy brings herself to accept it in spite of an overwhelming feeling of disappointment.

The Drapers and the Cosgroves have dinner with the Geigers, the Heinz client, where they learn that Ken’s father-in-law is on the board of the American Cancer Society.  Cynthia Cosgrove does note that the decision to give the award to Don was unanimous.  The conversation about the award began with Don’s invitation for the Geigers to attend, which Raymond Geiger politely turned down.  Don is surprised at the rejection and the news of the Geigers cutting short their trip to New York.  Alice Geiger, who has become fond of Megan, alludes to her husband’s plan of pulling out the Heinz account from Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.  The women return from the powder room allowing Megan to whisper to Don the unfortunate news.  Don tries to extend the dinner, but Raymond insists on ending it until Megan urges her husband to relay the evening he had with his children and in-laws.  He begins to tell of having three generations of their family in his home that evening and his observation of Megan as she spooned baked beans onto Sally’s plate while her mother looked on with nostalgic joy.  Megan informs the Geigers that the scene gave Don an idea about the campaign, but to their consternation, Ken dissuades him from pitching it at dinner.  Fortunately, the story already caught Raymond’s interest that the client himself insists that Don continue with the pitch.  Don relays the idea of taking a series of one-shot little movies beginning with a mother from the Stone Age serving beans to her son by the fire up to the present then to the future in a lunar kitchen where a child takes off his helmet to eat a spoonful of beans.  Megan reinforces the pitch with her thoughts about how a mother, a child and dinner will always be the same despite the changing world.  Don then utters the tag line “Heinz Beans, some things never change.”  Raymond is not ready to make a decision, annoying his wife who found the idea exceptional.  Ken informs the client that they have other ideas to show him, but Don makes it clear that what he had pitched is all they have.  The account executive finally understands the urgency of having the client agree to it at that moment and advises to skipping tomorrow’s meeting with a decision that very moment.  Raymond Geiger approves of the idea and they celebrate his approval with champagne.  Don becomes very proud of his wife for feeding him the pitch and fanning the fires of Raymond’s curiosity averting him from upsetting the client consequently saving the account.

The agency celebrates the success of husband and wife saving the Heinz account with champagne.  Joan informs Peggy about the celebration, but notices that the copywriter might not be up for it seeing that she is missing an engagement ring.  Peggy masks her disappointment with feigned contentment at having been asked to move in with her boyfriend.  Joan, noticing that Peggy is not entirely thrilled with the idea, brings herself to provide consolation in place of condescension.  She states that she found her situation romantic given that Abe wants to be with Peggy no matter what.  Joan’s words indeed brought Peggy comfort.  Megan leaves the celebration to inform Peggy of their success and finds that her boss is in fact happy for her.  Peggy confesses that her success should have made her jealous, but is surprised that it brought her pleasure instead.  She finds that she is reliving her own success through Megan, which is something to be cherished.  Peggy tells Megan that she should revel in it for it is as good as it gets.  Her words, however, had the opposite effect on Megan.  Later, Peggy invites her mother to have dinner at her apartment with Abe to announce their decision to live together.  As expected, Katherine Olson disapproves of their decision and leaves the apartment with the cake she brought for dessert.  Katherine finds that their living in sin is not a cause for celebration.  She believes that Peggy is selling herself short certain that Abe will just be using her for practice until he decides to marry and start a family with another woman.

The following day, the women return home from shopping.  Megan and her mother urge Sally to ask her father to allow her to attend the awards ceremony.  Marie, in an attempt to convince Don to approve of the request, states that every daughter should get to see her father as a success.  Her statement made Emile livid picking a fight with his wife in front of the children alarming Don.  He learns that Emile’s meeting with the publisher was a failure that he phones his girlfriend, his graduate student, to seek comfort.  Despite the disturbing scene earlier that day, Emile and Marie have recovered and they are ready to attend the awards ceremony.  A newly divorced Roger arrives without a date and finds himself flirting with Marie.  Sally entering the living room in her evening dress interrupts their flirtation and enchants everyone including Don, who is mesmerized by her.  He, however, does not cease his role as a father and warns of not allowing her to attend the awards ceremony if she does not remove her makeup and change her shoes to something more age appropriate.  Soon as they arrive, Pete Campbell reels Don away from his family in order to introduce him to Ed Baxter, Ken’s father-in-law who also happens to be an executive at Dow Corning.  Roger takes over in keeping the Calvets and Sally company in Don’s absence, but his goal of obtaining new clients keeps him away from them from time to time.  Marie has been observing him the whole time amused at his interaction with Sally whom he named as his date for the evening.  The child finds the lackluster event a disappointment and becomes bored.  To add to her disenchantment, the entrée for the evening is codfish, a dish she dislikes.  At last, his father receives his award and returns to their table.  He offers her the award, but Sally politely refuses it believing that the award brings his father joy.  Don, however, tells her that it is she who brings him joy.  Regretfully, his obligations to his agency, once again keeps him from his family.  With everyone away including Sally, who had gone to the ladies room, Megan begins a conversation with her father.  Emile knows his daughter all too well and declares that she is not truly happy with her life.  He is disappointed with her for giving up her dreams after falling in love with Don.  His regret stems from seeing that his daughter’s wealth and success were handed to her and not earned.  Meanwhile, Sally becomes witness to the ultimate disenchantment that evening as she catches Roger and Marie having sexual intercourse.  It happened about the same time her father comes to a realization with the disillusionment of his success.  Ed Baxter tells Don that no one will want to work with him after the seething letter that betrayed his client that he published in the newspapers.  He comes to a realization that the letter that earned him the award is the same one that will cause his ruin.  All return to their tables defeated especially Sally, who for the very first time becomes aware of filth.

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