Synopsis

Conrad Hilton informs Don he’ll have to move his business elsewhere – McKann Erickson is buying Putnam, Powell, and Lowe, and therefore Sterling Cooper. Draper calls McKann Erickson a “sausage factory,” and accuses Hilton of toying with him. Hilton replies that he got everything on his own.

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Synopsis

The office heat is broken and Pete complains of being cold. Lane calls Pete into his office, where he tells Pete that Ken will be promoted to senior VP instead. Meanwhile, Peggy and her roommate gossip about Duck en route to work.

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Mad Men first sucked me in with the promise of a smart nostalgia trip, a celebration of the “way things were,” featuring period-specific characters (office man, housewife, career girl), retro cinematography, and an obsessive attention to the objects and mannerisms of the time.

But at the end of season three, I now see the show not as celebration, but instead a condemnation. And in future seasons, I trust it goes further, ultimately explaining why the late sixties were necessary.

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Synopsis

Preparing to take the kids out of town, Betty asks Don for money. He doesn’t respond.

Bertram, Don, and Roger meet with Annabelle Mathis from Caldecott Farms, maker of dog food using horse meat. She’s an old flame of Roger’s, and they set a dinner date.

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Synopsis

Don arrives home early for dinner, but soon departs to spend the night at Miss Farrell’s instead. While in bed, she mentions a student who wondered if everyone sees the same color blue.

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Betty, dreaming of being seduced on her fainting couch, is awakened by a ringing phone. It’s Connie Hilton wanting Don’s advice in the middle of the night. He plans to build a Hilton hotel on the moon.

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Synopsis

Trudy is out of town, leaving Pete alone during a hot August weekend. While Betty makes calls regarding the water tank, Conrad Hilton’s office calls, asking Don to travel to Rome. Don invites Betty along.

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Synopsis

Flash forward to Peggy waking in bed with an unidentified man, Betty resting on a “fainting couch” and Don lying on an unfamiliar hotel room floor, unconscious.

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Synopsis

Sally has developed a fear of the dark and has trouble sleeping, so Don sets up a bedroom night light.

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Synopsis

Don and Betty meet with Sally’s teacher (Suzanne Farrell), because Sally got in a fight with another student and has been asking questions about the recent murder of a civil rights activist. She’s been acting out since the death of Grandpa Gene.

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