Season 1, Episode 13

Synopsis

Pete’s father in law tells Pete that he and Trudy should start a family. Meanwhile, as Betty prepares for a Thanksgiving journey, Don claims to have a lot of work at the office. Betty suspects Don just doesn’t want to go.

Harry sits alone in his office, unable to return home because of his one-time fling with Hildy.

Francine tells Betty she noticed unusual calls on their phone bill, indicating her husband Carlton is having an affair. Her curiosity piqued, Betty pockets the household phone bill from Don’s desk.

At his first meeting at Sterling Cooper, Duck wants to land more exciting clients and notes Kodak has a new slide projector with a “wheel” storage mechanism.

Ken and Peggy watch three women audition for a radio spot advertising the “Relax-a-Cizor.” Ken likes Rita’s voice while Peggy prefers Annie.

Don comes home late. Betty tells Don about Francine and wonders how anybody could have an affair. Don admits to nothing.

Annie reads the copy ineffectively, without an awareness of the product’s benefits. After making Annie cry, Peggy relents and goes with Ken’s earlier choice.

While looking through slides of past family vacations, Don notices a photograph of Adam from the shoebox. Curious, Don rings up his hotel only to learn he committed suicide.

Betty opens the phone bill to see some odd phone calls to Manhattan. She calls the number and her psychiatrist, Dr. Wayne answers the phone. Meanwhile, Don spends the night in his office, and asks Harry for his opinion of the slide projector.

The next day, Betty sees Helen Bishop’s son Glen, waiting in Helen’s car. She says she is sad and wishes he were older.

Pete tells Don that he landed a new client, his father in law’s company called Clearasil. Cooper gave Pete a bonus and an Ayn Rand novel.

At another session, Betty tells Dr. Wayne about the stress of Thanksgiving. She confesses an awareness of Don’s affairs saying she can tell by the variety in the way he makes love. For the first time, Dr. Wayne silently takes a lot of notes.

At Sterling Cooper, Don pitches the Kodak “wheel” as a “carousel” that takes people on a voyage through time via their memories. He has filled the projector with idyllic images of his own family. Kodak is impressed.

Inspired, Don suggests Peggy would the perfect copywriter for the new Clearasil account. Pete doesn’t agree, saying Peggy is just a secretary. Don calls Peggy in and promotes her to junior copywriter. Pete angrily leaves the room.

Joan sets Peggy up in her new, albeit shared, office with a reminder to not forget where she came from. She feels a stomach-ache and rushes off to see a doctor. It turns out Peggy is about to have a baby and her contractions are getting stronger. That night, Peggy is completely uninterested in her newborn son.

Don returns home and announces to his family that he will be spending Thanksgiving with them after all. But it turns out this is just a fantasy – Don actually returns home to find an empty house. He sits on the steps, dejected.

Thoughts

Then And Now

• Slide projectors: Digital cameras and the slow death of camera film surely means the eventual death of slides.

Advertising

The Kodak slide projector “carousel” is a real product.

Developments

Earlier in the season, Roger had a heart attack, and some foreshadowing was sprinkled about in earlier episodes that in retrospect showed that development was imminent. Likewise, here we get the explanation for Peggy’s weight gain – she was actually pregnant. What’s rather amusing is based on the amount of time that has elapsed so far, the most likely date of her conception was back in the first episode when she and Pete had that initial, one night stand. Especially cruel is how Pete and Trudy are trying to have kids while Pete already has a child, unbeknownst to him. Peggy’s promotion now has a sad twinge.

The true magic of this episode is Don’s realization that he is in fact living a lie, and that it affects his family. The words of the beatniks, and specifically Midge’s friend, ring true. Don has fun looking at old slides of his family and creates a powerful pitch to Kodak, so much so that he takes his own pitch to heart and rushes home to spend time with them. But the images in his head and the story he concocted is untrue, especially now that Betty suspects his affairs. So Don learns that his vision is not reality and his profession does in fact sell lies.

Unfortunately, at the same time Don has made some sort of breakthrough, so has Betty. For some reason I only now realized why Betty gave the lock of her hair to Glen. She is, as Dr. Wayne observed, has the mentality of a child. Therefore, she finds something of herself in Glen, the trapped, lonely boy, son of a divorcee. But at her therapy session has finally contemplated Don’s affair and sees it more as Don’s failing as opposed to her own.

So the episode ends on a down note. After Peggy’s bright promotion, she learns she was pregnant by a man who hates her. Likewise, Don returns home to find an empty household. The truth hurts, especially when so much of your life is devoted to fabrications.

Next Episode: For Those Who Think Young
Previous Episode: Nixon Vs. Kennedy

TV Shows: Mad Men

 Please subscribe to the Webomatica RSS Feed!

Posted In: Mad Men

Related Posts:
Mad Men: Shut The Door. Have A Seat.
Mad Men: The Grown Ups
Mad Men: Season 3 Finale Prep

Previous Post: Movie Notes: Blue Velvet
Next Post: How I Use FriendFeed