Year: 2009

Can this really be the end of season 3? Sadly, it is. But this was one hell of a season finale! Let’s get right into it, shall we?

This episode begins with Don waking up… on the twin bed in Gene’s old room. He wakes up and coughs several times. We then see him walking in to a meeting with Conrad Hilton, where the hotel magnate drops a bomb: McCann Erickson, a large ad agency, is buying Putnam Powell and Lowe (and therefore, Sterling Cooper). Hilton further states that he’ll have to drop Sterling Cooper as a conflict of interest. Don then says that they’ll all be fired. Hilton says that Cooper is definitely gone, that he’s unsure about Sterling’s future, and that Don is a “prize pig”, and that he’ll get more stock and money from the deal. Don calls McCann a “sausage factory”, and tells Connie that he turned down a job offer from them three years ago. Hilton says that it’s “just business”. Don then says that Hilton “doesn’t give a crap that my future is tied up in this mess because of you.”  Conrad says that he got everything he has on his own, and that’s made him immune to people that cry because they can’t. He then says that he didn’t take Don to be one of those people. Conrad and Don then agree to “try again” one day.

We then see Don walking in to Sterling Cooper. He’s in a daze, and he slowly looks around the office. When one of the office girls crushes a piece of paper into a ball, he has a flashback: the price of wheat has collapsed, and Archibald Whitman is bucking the wishes of his co-op by refusing to sell for 69¢ a bushel. A young Dick Whitman looks on as his father tells the other members of the co-op that he’s prepared to build a silo and store the grain until winter, when he can get a better price. The others wonder how he’ll pay his mortgage without selling the wheat now. Archibald then orders the other farmers to leave his kitchen.

Continue reading “Mad Men: “Shut the Door. Have a Seat””

This episode begins with Pete asleep on the sofa in his office. Hildy, in a heavy coat and mittens, wakes him up with hot cocoa. It seems that the heat is off in the building. Pete complains that the cocoa is instant; Hildy says that it’s from the diner and asks how he can tell. He says that it’s made with water, not milk. Hildy also says that Lane wants to see him in his office. Pete, obviously annoyed by the lack of heat, apologizes to Hildy and says that the cocoa is helping.

Inside Lane’s office, Pete gets the bad news: Ken Cosgrove is being made “senior vice president in charge of account services”, while Pete is being made “head of account management”. When Pete asks why the decision was made the way it was, Lane says that Pete has excelled at making the clients feel that their needs are being met, but that Ken makes them feel as if they have no needs. Lane says that they’ve upgraded his title so he won’t feel so bad. When Pete asks if Roger and Bert know about this, Lane says that it’s been done “under my authority”. Pete walks back to his office, dejected, and sees a carefree Ken helping an office girl with a space heater under her desk. Pete walks into his office, grabs his briefcase and walks out. When Hildy asks where he’s going, he says that he “doesn’t feel well”.

Continue reading “Mad Men: “The Grown Ups””

This episode begins with Betty packing her bags. Thankfully, she’s not leaving Don, she’s only traveling to Philadelphia to deal with Gene’s house. Sally asks Don about pre-made costumes at Woolworth’s. Don says that they’ll only wear the costume once, they’re made out of cheap plastic and “they’re crap”. Sally says that she’ll always love Minnie Mouse. Betty tells the kids to go upstairs and get their bags. While they’re gone, she tells Don that she only had $40. He tells her to swing by the bank, that she should have $200 in her account. She asks him again if he’s sure he has no extra money on him. He kisses her on the cheek and tells her to be careful.

A little while later, we see Bert sitting on the sofa in his office with Annabelle Mathis, an old flame of Roger’s and the owner of a dog food company named Caldecott Farms. Don and Roger walk in the office and introductions are given (it’s obvious that Roger and Annabelle have a past). After Annabelle and Roger do some catching up, she says that Caldecott Farms is in dire straights after it was made public that the company used horse meat in its dog food products. She says that she’s in town visiting ad agencies. What she really wants is a new word for “horse meat”; she says that the ingredients and the brand name cannot change. Don says that it’s a “tall order” but they’ll do their best.

Continue reading “Mad Men: “The Gypsy and the Hobo””