Mad Men: Six Month Leave

March 5th, 2009

Season 2, Episode 9

Synopsis

Barred from home, Don sleeps in a hotel. A newspaper headline says Marilyn Monroe has died. At the office, Peggy says they’re lucky Playtex didn’t go with the Jackie / Marylin campaign.

The company is holding a blood drive. Jane fields a strange phone call from Sally, and Don tells her his home situation is personal.

While Pete, Peggy, Sal, and Freddy prepare for a meeting with Samsonite, Freddy blanks out, wets his pants, and passes out in a chair. A disgusted Pete recruits Peggy to take his place at the meeting.

Betty, sleeping on the couch after drinking wine, is woken by Sarah Beth who wants to borrow a dress. Sarah Beth admits to thinking about Arthur from the stables.

Joan tells Roger she feels sorry for Marylin, who Roger considers nothing more than a spoiled movie star. Joan urges Roger to have some empathy, saying someday he’ll lose someone important.

Don drops the kids off and finds Betty still adamant about their separation.

Don arrives at work to find some fresh shirts bought by Jane. Freddy learns the Samsonite meeting went fine without him.

Don, Pete, Duck, and Roger conclude Freddie has a drinking problem. They agree on a six-month “leave of absence” from which Freddy won’t return. The news will be broken over dinner.

At the stables, Betty invites Arthur to lunch with her and Sara Beth.

Paul, Harry, Sal, and Ken make fun of Freddy’s incontinence. Don, knowing Freddy is to be let go, scolds them.

At dinner, Roger and Don break the bad news to Freddy. They visit an illegal gambling club to end the night on a positive note. Over drinks, Roger tells Don his marriage is going through a rough spot. Don doesn’t want to talk about it and wanders over to Freddy, who is chatting with Jimmy Barrett. Don punches Jimmy.

Don and Roger send Freddy home and go out for more drinks. Don finally admits to a sense of relief now that he’s away from Betty.

The next day, Don gives Freddy’s old position to Peggy. She then confronts Pete, saying Freddy was fired and nobody needed to know about his drinking problem. Pete has no regrets, believing it’s just part of climbing the corporate ladder.

Arthur shows up for lunch to find Sara Beth, but no Betty. They’ve been set up.

Roger’s wife Mona barges into Don’s office, announcing that Roger has decided to leave her for another woman – Jane.

Don tells Roger that Jane will no longer be his secretary.

Thoughts

Style

“The champ” who Jimmy Barrett later addresses as Floyd is boxer Floyd Patterson who was the heavyweight champ at the time. Betty makes the classic Toll House chocolate chip cookies with the kids.

Then And Now

Different treatment for men and women: Although Jane is just a lowly secretary, she’s abruptly fired for a second time, while Freddy, who is also being let go, gets special treatment in the form of a night of drinking and gambling.
Newspapers: The news of Marylin Monroe’s death is first seen as a headline newspaper, and spreads as gossip through the office. Today it’s all the Internet and Twitter.

Advertising

Samsonite is a real brand of luggage that started in 1910.

Developments

Initially, Jane appears to be on the straight and narrow, saying she’ll be discreet about Don’s home situation. But it turns out, she’s up to something with Roger behind everyone’s back. That Roger leaves his wife shows he has gotten a questionable message following his heart attack last season. Instead of changing his self-damaging ways, he seems intent on continuing them.

There’s an amusing parallel with Freddie’s drinking problem followed by the scene with Betty passed out on the couch.

Betty sets her friend up with Arthur, not exactly living vicariously through Sara Beth, but perhaps using her as a test subject to see how easy it would be to cheat on one’s husband.

And lastly, Don punching Jimmy Barrett provided a nice end cap to the long-running plot threat of the comedian, his wife, and Don and Betty.

Next Episode: The Inheritance
Previous Episode: A Night To Remember

TV Shows: Mad Men

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