Mad Men is a American TV show on the cable network AMC. It was created by Matthew Weiner, best known for working on The Sopranos.
For some reason I stopped watching the show after the 5th episode. Since the show has been renewed for a second season, and that second season premiered last Sunday, I felt obligated to watch the entire run. Well actually, I had planned on doing so. There are a couple of shows like that I haven’t yet had the time to watch, like the last season of the 4400, second season of Big Love.
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Don’s been made partner. He has to hire a new guy to be Head of Accounts. Pete wants the job, but Don’s got other ideas. Pete tries to blackmail Don, saying that he knows who he really is. He discovered that his name is Dick Widman and that Don Draper is an assumed name.
Things don’t go as planned for Pete and Cooper gives Don the option of firing him. Don keeps him around, knowing full well that it’s better to keep your enemies closer than your friends.
We see how Dick became Don. It was just a series of events in the Korean War, nothing too tragic. In the end, it was cathartic to take over a new identity and become someone else. He left his past behind him and become someone new, someone that wasn’t marked by his upbringing. A new man. Which is why Don is so successful now.
When Don thought that things were going to end badly, he tried to run away with Rachel, but she wouldn’t have it. Her steely resolve made him confront Pete in Cooper’s office when he informed his boss that he was hiring Duck Philipps.
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Don brings in Herman “Duck” Philipps to see Cooper. Herman wants to work at Sterling-Cooper.
The boys make fun of Duck Philipps as he leaves. He’s bargain hunter. He fell apart in London. That’s the rumor.
Pete comes to see Don. He wants to know about Duck. Pete wants to be promoted. Don doesn’t give a shit. The decision rests solely with Don. Roger isn’t involved.
As soon as Don leaves, the office puts on the TV and gets out the booze to watch the election results. Joan lets them into the supply closet when the alcohol runs out.
Don arrives home.
Ken kind of sexually molests a girl named Alison to find out what color of panties she is wearing. Alison is none the wiser and lets him do as he pleases. Peggy sees this and wants to go home.
Pete is looking through a box. His wife comes to see him. He has been looking at the box for some time. It isn’t his. He hasn’t been able to sleep.
Ken couldn’t find any absinthe in Paul’s office. He found the play that Paul wrote. He makes fun of it. A little later, the office stages the play. Joan, Hilde and Sal play the parts. In the play, Sal has to kiss Joan. Joan enjoyed it.
Harry kisses Hilde. She kisses him back. He leaves for his office when she says that she’s tipsy. She goes after him. He takes off his glasses and they kiss some more. They close the door and fool around.
Joan and Paul talk after the party is winding down. She tells him that he has a big mouth. She didn’t like the play. The meaner she is the more he likes her. They dance a silent cha-cha-cha.
Harry and Hilde wake up later. His glasses are broken. She tells him not to worry, it didn’t mean anything to her. It obviously did. She leaves his office. Alison leaves also from Ken’s office.
Peggy finds puke in her wastebasket. As she brings it to be rinsed out, she finds that they have been through the girls’ lockers. She says that she will report them.
Dan comes to see Cooper. The results are extremely close, too close to tell. Nixon can’t ask for a recount, as the country will be without a president for 30 days.
Pete brings the box to Don. He says that it came to him by mistake. It’s box that Pete has been obsessing about. Pete tries to blackmail Don to get the promotion. Pete says that he knows that Don’s name is Dick Widman. Widman died in Korea in 1953. Pete has been checking up on Don. Don tells him to get out. He’s making a fool of himself.
Don tells him that he should be careful. Pete wants the job. As soon opens the box, he is taking back to Korea. He arrives at his posting. He’s the only man in the company, apart his commander. They have to establish a field hospital. They have to dig trenches. Widman volunteered. They got the engineer by the college fund.
Pete knows that Draper mysteriously appeared after Widman disappeared. He had someone at the State Department check Don out. It might raise some flags.
Don comes to see Rachel. They kiss. Don wants to leave with her. She doesn’t want to go.
You don’t want to run away with me, you just want to run away.
Rachel to Don
Don comes to his office and finds Peggy there. He momentarily loses his temper. He tells her that it’s alright, he’s sorry that he yelled. Peggy says that two people got fired because she called security when something was missing.
She says that people hate her. She follows the rules.
Don comes to see Pete. Don tells Pete that he’s hiring Duck Philipps. Don tells Pete that he hasn’t thought this through. Pete says that he deserves this job. Don says that he doesn’t deserve anything. He’s been given a free ride all of his life.
Don and Pete go to see Cooper. Don tells Cooper that he has hired Duck Philipps. Pete tells Cooper about what he has discovered. Cooper tells Pete that no one cares. Cooper tells him to forget this and to bring in more accounts. After Pete leaves, Cooper tells Don that he can fire Pete, but he should keep an eye on him.
One never knows how loyalty is born.
Cooper to Don
There is another flashback. Widman is busy digging trenches. They get fired upon by hostiles. While Widman lights a cigarette for both of them, his commander notices that he pissed himself. He looks down and drops his lighter. The lighter sparks the gasoline and the camp blows up. After the explosion, Widman finds that the LT is dead. He exchanges dog tags with him.
At the hospital, they address him as Lt Draper. He receives a Purple Heart. He is informed that he is released to the Reserves for 80 days. They want him to bring Widman’s body back home. He sees his family as they are about to release the fake body of Widman. He doesn’t go out. Adam thinks that he saw Dick in the train. His parents dismiss that.
An attractive girl in the train buys Don a drink. She tells him that he’s got his whole life ahead of him.
Don comes home and finds that Nixon conceded defeat to Kennedy.
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