Mad Men: Three Sundays

February 1st, 2009

Season 2, Episode 4

Synopsis

Peggy meets Father Gill at Sunday Mass. He’s invited to her sister’s house that afternoon, where he talks about the Vatican. Peggy’s relatives consider him a humble celebrity. Afterward, he gives Peggy a lift to the subway station and asks for her help writing a sermon.

Don and Betty relax at home, dancing and drinking cocktails mixed by Sally.

Roger and his wife Mona have dinner with their daughter Margaret and her rather emotionally flat fiance, Brooks. The conversation turns to wedding plans, and Mona pushes for a larger wedding.

Pete and Ken take a client (Gortons) to lunch, complete with a cute escort, Vicki. Roger stops by, and Vicki pretends to be the client’s wife.

Bobbie Barrett stops by Don’s office, saying she has an idea for a candid camera style television show starring her husband, Jimmy Barrett. Don says he’ll have to get around his Utz contract, but suggests a hit television show might make the Utz ads more successful. Bobbie locks the office door and seduces Don.

Upon arriving home, Betty tells Don that Bobby broke the record player. Don verbally scolds Bobby. Betty expected a spanking, saying that’s the only way he’ll learn right from wrong. They obviously disagree on how to properly discipline their children.

The next morning as Don cooks pancakes, Duck phones Don that American Airlines is lined up to be pitched to. Bobby burns himself on the griddle. While Betty takes Bobby to the hospital, Don takes Sally to the office while he does some weekend work on Palm Sunday for the American Airlines pitch.

Duck wants to show American Airlines all three campaigns, while Don tells the staff to stick to one unified concept. He suggests a campaign based around the bright future (1963) and pretending the crash happened to another airline. Meanwhile, Roger relaxes in a hotel room with Vicky — the escort he saw earlier. He takes her to dinner, paying dearly for the privilege.

At the office, Sally chats with Joan and Paul about peculiarly adult subjects, and then sneaks a glass of whiskey. Fast asleep, Don takes her home.

With the office ready to present, Duck says his connection at American Airlines was fired. The Sterling Cooper presentation will likely meet a cool reception.

At confession, Peggy’s sister Anita tells Father Gill that Peggy had a child out of wedlock and has become emotionally distant.

After the presentation, Don tells Roger that Duck may not be doing such a good job drumming up new business. Roger says he enjoys the chase — but perhaps he’s referring to his recent fling with Vicky.

Back at home, Bobby spills a drink. Betty tells Don to do “something.” He throws a toy robot against the wall. They argue about parenting, and push each other, stopping just short of blows.

Bobby tells Don he’s sorry and asks if his father ever hit him. Don doesn’t want to talk about his dead father. He later tells Betty that his father abused him and it just made him hate his dad.

On Easter Sunday, Father Gill gives Peggy a painted egg and says it’s for the “little one.” Peggy wonders what Father Gill knows.

Thoughts

Style

Sally mixes a drink with Libby’s tomato juice. Betty reads a book by F. Scott Fitzgerald — I couldn’t make out the title, but the cover looked like this. The Fourth Avenue BMT means Peggy lives in Brooklyn, in case that was unclear. I also saw a Boylan’s seltzer bottle on an office desk.

Then And Now

• Parents have a big say in a wedding: What Mona wants, Mona gets…
• Marital strife over parenting: I’d imagine a Betty of today would call the police when threatened with Don’s toy-smashing behavior.
• It’s okay to hit kids: Betty believes Don should discipline Bobby the good old-fashioned way.
• Lax attitude toward alcohol: The Drapers let their kids play bartender at home, and as a result it’s no surprise Sally decides to sneak a drink at the office. The  presence of alcohol in the workplace surely isn’t that common today.
  

Advertising

Gorton’s is a frozen seafood company. It’s been around for a while as its slogan is trusted since 1849.

American Airlines is a well-known airlines that has existed since the 1930s.

Developments

Roger is back to his affairs, having learned nothing from his heart attack back in season one. His mention of enjoying the “chase” — now that I think about it — hints at the new developments in his love life later this season.

Don and Betty’s troubles with his son Bobby reveal that Don wants to be a better father than his abusive dad, resulting in him not wanting to discipline Bobby — which runs counter to Betty’s idea that it’s okay to hit a kid. Bobby also has some interesting advice, that Don should get a “new dad” — which has interesting implications based on the religious layer of this episode, and its situation of Easter Sunday.

The third thread is Peggy’s complete avoidance of her presumed parenting responsibilities. Father Gil is played by Colin Hanks, son of Tom Hanks. Over the next few episodes he tries to get Peggy on his version of the straight and narrow.

I might be reading too much into this, but this episode seemed centered on children. We have Mona and Roger’s daughter, Betty and Don’s kids, and Father Gil’s interest in Peggy’s child. Don also refers to the aborted American Airlines pitch as “stillborn.”

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