- While Don continues his affair with Sylvia, Pete's latest infidelity threatens his marriage. Meanwhile, Peggy's icy relationship with her new staff continues, but she also gets an unlikely tip on a potential new client.
- At CGC, Peggy is feeling unliked by her underlings, as it is implied to her that she is too tough on them. Over at SCDP, two clients are causing minor problems. Herb Rennet at Jaguar wants Don and Pete to recommend a specific strategy to head office. Don doesn't agree with the strategy, but Pete believes they have to give him what he wants or risk losing them as clients. Can Don and Pete provide a united front at the Jaguar meeting? And Raymond Geiger at Heinz, head of their beans division, tells Don and Ken in confidence that he doesn't want them providing any business to their ketchup division, as he feels ketchup will steal all the glory away from beans that was built up at SCDP. This conundrum may cause more problems for SCDP than just figuring out if they should kowtow to Raymond, who gave them business when no one else was, or go after the more lucrative ketchup account. Meanwhile, the Drapers and the Rosens are becoming closer as two couples, as Don and Sylvia continue with their sexual liaison. This situation may become more difficult for Sylvia to deal with emotionally as Megan confides in her about a recent event. And Pete and Trudy are settling into suburban life, where flirting and open but implied sexual innuendo seems to be happening with many of their neighbors. This may cause some problems in Pete and Trudy's continual unspoken disagreement over how they live their lives.—Huggo
- Don is still sleeping with his neighbor Sylvia Rosen and seems unconcerned about having to socialize with her husband. A flashback to his youth reveals some of the life he led after he and his stepmother moved into a brothel. Megan has had a rough couple of weeks finally telling Don that she had a miscarriage a few days ago. He says they can have a baby anytime she wants. Pete Campbell is making good use of his Manhattan apartment seducing his neighbor, but it all goes wrong when she tells her husband. Trudy throws him out of the house. Herb the Jaguar dealer stops by the agency. much to Joan's dismay and wants the agency to propose a new direction for the Jaguar ad campaign. Don finds a way to sink it. At her new agency, Peggy is having trouble with her staff - they don't like her.—garykmcd
- "Mad Men" - "The Collaborators" - April 14, 2013
Pete and Trudy are saying goodnight to their new neighbors. The two husbands hit on Trudy. Pete hits on the two wives, offering them tickets to "Hair," and crowing about all the profanity and simulated sex. One of the wives is clearly interested. They leave and Trudy complains she's tired of being the welcome wagon and that they won't get someone to cook them dinner unless they move. Pete turns on the news and we hear a snippet about North Korea.
Don and Arnold ride the elevator in the a.m. They talk about dinner plans they have later in the week. Don claims he forgot his cigarettes and heads back up to the Rosens and has a little morning romp with Sylvia in the maid's room. She again voices concern about feeling bad and worries about dinner, and they admit that they like each other's spouses, that they are "good company." Don says he doesn't think about "this" when he's out with Megan and Arnold. He says "this" didn't happen. We again hear a snippet about the war about Viet Cong burning government buildings.
(Before he enters the Rosen's apartment he flashes back to a memory with his mother. She is pregnant and they have shown up at a brothel willing to take them in. She has a friend there but the sleazy guy running the show, Mac, asserts his dominance over Don calling himself "the rooster." One of the prostitutes calls him cute, tells him to find his own sins and stay away from Mac's. His mother tells him to keep his head down and out of the way and be helpful.)
Phyllis, Peggy's black secretary says her underlings in creative are afraid to come see her. She also tells Peggy to be encouraging of them like she is with her. They come in, she admonishes them for their bad Clearasil concepts but tries to make up for it by telling that she has faith in them, sort of, even though they are the way they are. It is not the best pep talk.
Pete head to his apartment in the city and one of the wives has come. She doesn't want food, drink, or music. She just wants Pete. They get it on but then she wants to be all cute and says she wants to see him again and she'll call and let it ring once and hang up and then he'll know it's her or park in front of her house instead of her driveway to let him know she's thinking about him. He's not having any of this and tells her to hurry up and get dressed and get a move on.
Our old buddy Raymond, he of Heinz baked beans comes to visit SCDP with his young protégé Timmy in tow. Timmy runs Heinz ketchup. Although they're eager to work with Timmy he keeps saying this meeting never happened wink-wink. He doesn't even want good old Bob to take notes. After he leaves, a bitter Raymond lingers. He rails he taught Timmy everything he knows and he got stuck with the worst lot, vinegars, sauces, and beans. And once he was successful Timmy was dismissive of his success but at the same time wanted to replicate it. He is not happy with Timmy and tells Don and Ken if they so much as talk to Timmy again he's pulling out. Ken is flabbergasted they wasted their time. Don gets it but points out that Raymond was there when they were done and out so they have to honor his wishes.
In the laundry room at their apartment Megan is castigating the maid who has been washing her delicates in the machine, left the vacuum out on the terrace and used S.O.S. on the Teflon. She says she leaves her house for work and doesn't know what will be ruined. Sylvia enters. Megan fires her and begins to cry. Sylvia advises they go upstairs for a drink. Megan explains about her new meaty storyline. Sylvia is intrigued but says watching TV during the day makes her feel guilty. And then Megan breaks down and tells her she had a miscarriage a few days ago. She explains that on the one hand she feels terrible about losing the baby but at the same time she feels guilty that maybe a part of her feels relieved since perhaps the timing wasn't right. She admits she didn't tell Don. She talks about how she was raised in Catholic schools and so her relief is a sin and she's a horrible person because she thought about abortion. (But she doesn't use that word.) Sylvia says she once too had a miscarriage so she understands some of what she feels but because she was raised the same way she can't relate to the abortion piece and she thinks this is why Megan feels bad. Don arrives home from work. Sylvia skedaddles.
Peggy comes into her office and there's a bottle of "feminine hygiene powder" on her desk with a folder. She goes to Chaough thinking she's missed a meeting on a new account. He opens the folder and reads the "proof points" that it "has baking soda, makes you nicer if you're stinky, kills overly critical bacteria, Target: professional women and other Olsons." Her employees are making fun of her. She wishes they were this funny when they were actually working.
Joan is working when Herb, from Jaguar, arrives. He of the scummy "Make Joan sleep with me and I'll give you the Jaguar account" from last season. She is very cool to him. He says he knows there's a part of her that's happy to see him. She says she knows there's a part of him that he hasn't seen in years. Pete hurries him away. Joan goes into Don's office and announces "He's here" and then pours herself a belt from his bar.
Don, Pete, and Bob meet with Herb. He has an idea. A terrible, self-serving idea. He wants to gut the elegant national ad campaign that Don came up with targeting classy people, and he wants them to redirect 60 percent of the money into local radio campaigns to increase foot traffic in his Jersey dealership. And not only that, he wants them to present it to the big guns at Jaguar as if it's their own idea. Don, of course, hates hates hates this. Pete tries to calm him down. Don says he wishes Pete would handle the clients as well as he's handling him.
Peggy's working late in the office and she has another late night call with Stan. Stan spills the beans on ketchup and cracks her up with the story especially the part about Ken crowing how he was going to get ketchup. Ted walks in as she laughs and she hangs up with Stan. He tells her it's okay to make personal calls after 5 especially after they make her laugh. She explains the Heinz story and, not surprisingly, Chaough gets a lightbulb.
Chaough has done a work up on Heinz ketchup. Peggy says she can't do that. He says it's a little bit of a secret and that they're taking meetings. Peggy says her friend told her in confidence. Chaough says maybe she needs a friend more than a job but he doesn't know about that because he's in advertising. He says this is how wars are won and Stan's mistake was in underestimating her and he hopes Heinz makes the same mistake so she can blow their mind.
Don gets home and they're running late for dinner with Arnold and Sylvia. Megan says she's not feeling well but tells him to go and have fun.
Pete is watching TV when a frantic knock comes at the door. It's the neighbor wife Brenda, that he banged. Her husband has beaten her up. As she comes in the husband yells "Hey Campbell, she's your problem now." Trudy tends to her bloody nose, and then puts a steak on her face. When Trudy is out of the room, even with her bloody nose she says to Pete she wants to be with him. He says "absolutely not." Pete wants to call the police but she begs off. Instead of letting her stay there they get her a hotel and Trudy gives her a ride. Pete is clearly nervous.
Pete watches the Carson show and Carson is talking about being pre-empted for 15 minutes for news about the war. Later he is in bed when Trudy returns home. She silently turns out the light. The next morning she confronts him. She asks if he couldn't just pretend. She is livid. She says she gave him the apartment in New York and all she wanted was for him to be discreet, not sleep with someone on their block. He tries to demur but she's not having it. She says there's no way for her to escape being an object of pity and that she's always let him do what he wants. He disagrees pointing out Connecticut was her idea. She says this is over. He asks if she wants a divorce. She says she refuses to be a failure and lays out the ground rules saying he will only be at the house when she allows it and otherwise she's putting a 50 mile radius around it and if he so much as opens his fly to urinate she will destroy him. He says she's going to go to bed alone tonight and that she doesn't know anything for sure. She says she can live with that.
Don arrives at dinner and he, Arnold, and Sylvia briefly talk about the war but then Arnold gets an emergency call and has to go and leaves Don and Sylvia to dinner. She is snippy and nervous and he tries to figure out why. She says she doesn't know what they're doing and says just because they cleared their plates doesn't mean they're alone. It's clear that she's mad that Don is still sleeping with Megan, jealous of his wife.
He notes she wants to feel shitty and guilty and angry right up until the point where he takes her dress off. He says she may want to skip dinner but she needs to not pretend. She wonders what if Megan had come, it would be someone else's dress he was ripping off later. He says it is what it is and if she suddenly decides she wants something more than than that then that's news to him. She orders for him and says they're in a hurry. We cut to them on the bed. She says she's sorry and that she has no right be jealous. She says they have to be careful and not fall in love because then it won't be so "French" anymore.
Don returns home and explains about Arnold's emergency. She confesses about the miscarriage. He asks if she's okay and how far along she was. She is and she was six weeks. She was nervous to tell him since she didn't know what he wanted. He says he wants what she wants. She says she does want a baby, of course, but wasn't sure if this was the right time but she should've told him. He says she should and reiterates he wants what she wants.
They all meet with Jaguar the next day and present Herb's idea as if it's theirs. Pete sells it well. Herb plays his part. And Don actually plays along, at least as best as he can, he says it's an exciting new angle on direct sales. In fact, he starts really getting into it and selling it for the tacky idea it is, but with his usual elan. He starts selling it as an idea for truck drivers and housewives. The British guy is surprised that Don wants to do this, given his original elegant idea. Don goes into overdrive and goes to the used car sales place. The British lead guys say no go, and that's their final decision. Don brilliantly sabotaged it. Herb is angry about what Don did. Roger goes into Don's office and calls it the deftest self-immolation he's ever seen. Pete storms in livid. Don says who cares what that scummy guy thinks. Roger points out that Herb is a client. Don likens it to Munich. Pete does not understand this analogy. Roger explains that "we" gave the Germans Munich thinking it would make them happy but they just wanted more, just like Herb. They gave him Joan but it wasn't enough. Pete storms out asking "Who the hell won the war?" Roger turns to Don and quotes what he thinks his mother saying he had a choice between dishonor and war. Don chose dishonor but may still get war. Don points out that it was Churchill who said that.
Later Pete stares out his window as Bob stops by, full of his chipper attitude. He thinks Pete loves what he does. Pete says he's glad he makes it look that way to Bob. Bob says this is a helluva lot better than finance where he used to work. He offers to pick food up at the deli, Pete says he's good but asks for toilet paper instead. Bob's all over it.
Don stops by Arnold and Sylvia's and she hisses that her hubby is home. He says if they're caught he can claim he was taking out the trash and the door was open. She tells him to come to her the next day.
Later he has another memory, of Mac sleeping with his pregnant mother, peeping on them through the door. One of the hookers, with her John, catches him and calls him a dirty little spy.
Don heads home and takes out his keys at the door. But instead of going in, he sits down in the hallway.
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