Mad Men C to Z S3E6: Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency Transcript

Below, find the full, human-edited transcript for our Mad Men C to Z podcast episode, S3E6: Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency.
You can listen to the podcast here on Spotify, or listen here from our Alitu host page.

Find the details on our episode webpage, including Sterling Lines, our Double Dip question for listeners, and additional details.

Mad Men C to Z S3E6 Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency Transcript
 
Jenna: Hi, I'm Jenna.
 
Steve: And I'm Steve. Welcome to All Things Mad Men, from Chip and Dip to Zou Bisou.
 
Jenna: There's so much to love about this amazing show, and we're happy to connect to fans like us who discover new things with each rewatch.
 
Steve: Be advised, while we aren't gratuitous with spoilers, they can pop up as we discuss character arcs through the final season.
Let's get started with Mad Men C to Z.
 
Jenna: Welcome to season three, episode six, Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency. This episode was written by Robin Veith and Matthew Weiner, and directed by Lesli Linka Glatter.
 
This is a fantastic episode of Mad Men.
I was chatting online with Charlene from San Francisco about season three being outstanding, and I want to give a shout out here at the top of the episode to Charlene F.: we really appreciate you sharing our podcast on social media every week. Thank you so much for listening!
 
And yes, season three has some powerhouse episodes.
This episode is such a standout, even though it's light on Peggy and Pete and I typically enjoy those character episodes the most.
 
In the director's commentary, Matthew Weiner says this episode is about the difference between expectation and reality,
and he also talks about the difference between country and city people,
contempt, and comeuppance.
 
And we also get a theme with several unwanted or problematic gifts in this episode, so those are all things to track.
 

Steve: The episode kicks off with Sally wanting the light on because she's afraid.
Like a good dad. Don reassures her, turns on her lamp, promises that she'll get a nightlight.
 
Jenna: I like her line where it's not that she's afraid of the dark.
She says, I'm afraid of what's going to happen when you turn off the lights.
 
So it's a very subtle setup for the tone of expectations,
the things that happen clearly in the light versus dark, unexpected complications.
 
Steve: It follows from there that the expectations, the fears are all in our head.
 
 
Jenna: In the next scene, the office is abuzz and Mr. Hooker is full of his own importance, announcing the mandatory meeting.
The office guys notice that Cosgrove is late.
 
Our first truth call-out in the episode occurs when Mr. Hooker says the announcement will not be repeated, and Lane corrects him, I think mostly to take the wind out of his sails.
He says that's not true, Mr. Hooker.
 
There will be a visit from PP&L and now they'll have to work on Wednesday, July 3rd, since the British were not aware of the holiday. And there are a lot of expectations presented here:
 
Joan's last day of Sterling Cooper is tomorrow. They've planned a cake.
Greg is supposed to find out about his residency. The office guys need to plan some short presentations for this British visit.
And everyone is supposed to make things look great.
 
Steve: That the Brits don't think about the holiday this week, it feels like a stretch. They probably all know that July 4th is the national day for the United States, but it just doesn't register on their calendars.
 
So they schedule this big visit and then by doing that biff, you know, this acquired company they've got in New York City, which I think just throws a little more kindling on the fire of that British / American friction.
 
Jenna: John Hooker is annoyingly self important, but he does get a good joke past Kinsey when he suggests that he might want to shave his beard. And Paul is horrified until Hooker says, that was a joke.
 
Steve: Getting back to expectations, Bert asks for a word with Don.
Bert expresses his thoughts about possibly why the Brits are coming for a meeting is maybe they want to see the American genius that is Don Draper and get to know him better.
 
Potentially this could mean there's a bigger position or role for Don in the future here that crosses the Atlantic.
 
Jenna: Don looks really pleased at the suggestion that he might have a position that shares time between London and New York.
In the course of this conversation, Bert makes a comment saying that Roger and Don are being very congenial: I hope you can keep up this pretense when the British are here.
 
And then he brooks no discussion. He sets up an appointment for Roger and Don to go to the barber together to kiss and make up.
And they protest that it's not necessary, but Bert insists.
 
Steve: Yeah, and I think we know Bert is very pragmatic, sort of the voice of reason.
So his speculation on the potential reason for the visit carries a lot of weight, I think, especially in Don's mind, and really piques his interest and excites him about the possibilities.
 
The fact that Bert is calling out this cold war between Don and Roger suggests it's obvious to someone who's observant that they've fallen out. There's a gap between them and Bert wants this smoothed over prior to the visit from the British executives.
 
 
Jenna: We see Pete coming out of his office, angrily disturbed by a loud noise. Ken missed the meeting earlier and they noticed. And now he comes riding in on a shiny green John Deere tractor.
 
He's just brought in a new account, and they call him Mr. Clampett from the Beverly Hillbillies and tell him to get his iron horse out of reception. And Ken says, oh, I will. I'll get it out after everybody's seen it.
 
He's so cheerful and he's proud and braggy, but in a likable way. He seems to enjoy his job in a way that Pete never can.
 
Steve: Yeah, and he seems to be just killing it, you know, with these successes. I think that the line is, he brought in a mastodon.
 
And the way the tractor is treated, almost like it's some sexy, shiny new motorcycle in the office with all the admins gathering around it.
 
At the end of the scene, it seems like all Pete's paranoia, worries, insecurities - Ken just seems to be the reciprocal of all of them. You know, cool, self assured, having a great time, and simultaneously having all this professional success.
 
 
Jenna: Back at the Draper house, Betty is resting with a new baby. Sally stands in the doorway. She won't come near the baby, but Bobby comes in and he asks, can I pet him? Which I think is sweet.
 
And then he tells Betty he's bored, and she says, go bang your head against the wall.
My mother never said that part, but she did often say the second part, which is, only boring people are bored.
It's a powerful life philosophy - go find something meaningful to do with your time.
 
And yet we notice Betty Draper does struggle with exactly that. In this scene, though, she seems very content. When the kids leave, Betty smiles at the baby and tells him he can sleep all he wants.
She wasn't thrilled to be pregnant, but now she does seem pretty pleased with her life.
 
Steve: Yeah, she seems content with the new baby. And I think it's also another example of her lack of interaction with Bobby and Sally, you know, and not to say she doesn't have her hands for with the new baby, but she's not engineering this interaction with the baby and them.
They come to her.
 
It just feels like she's in her own solitude there with little baby Gene. And it feels like Sally is the one who's sort of the odd person out keeping her distance.
And it doesn't seem like Betty wants to build a bridge there.
 
 
Jenna: Speaking of building bridges, next we see Don and Roger at the barber.
Roger's getting a manicure while Don is finishing his shave.
There's a truth call-out when Don avoids getting a manicure, saying he already has one. And Roger says that's not true.
 
And then he tells this very elaborate story about his father dying in a car crash and having perfect nails in the coffin.
 
Steve: Perfect nails on one hand, since one arm was ripped off in the accident. [Laughing]
 
As they get into the discussion,
“I don't like being judged” and questioning Don about, I don't know what I've done to you other than make you rich.
 
I wondered in this moment with Don feeling excited about the possibilities of his future, if it isn't a great moment that Bert's picked in order to have Roger and Don patch things up. We know Don looks forward.
 
Whatever slights or frustrations Don's had with Roger in the past,
well, maybe it's working out for the better for Don here, especially if he gets a flashy new position.
 
Jenna: Roger is a little bit more honest, I think.
He says, it's my company. Why should I be nervous? Which completely betrays the fact that he is nervous about this British visit and the valuation that's coming.
 
And Don doesn't comfort him. He says, because you sold it.
Both Don and Bert, I think, are willing to give Roger some judgment about that. And he was the one who pushed the decision. He was the one who made it happen.
I don't know. Do you think Don has the right to be irritated at Roger about selling the company?
 
Steve: No, I don't. I don't, really. It feels to me like Don's being a little bit of a baby about the whole thing.
I liked that, you know, when Roger says, look, I don't like being judged. I like that Don fessed up and apologized about judging him. What do you think?
 
Jenna: I think Don has been exactly as childish as Roger. He took off in the Jet Set, he didn't stay in contact, and the world moved on without him. And then he pouted about it.
 
So I see Roger still kind of wanting to pout, because in this discussion, he says, well, I was holding out for gratitude, but I'll take it.
 
I'm with Bert. I do like them together more than I like them at each other's throats. But there's always been that competition lurking between them, even on a good day.
 
Steve: Yeah. And I think the other childish aspect to this, from my perspective, is you pocketed the money, right? Like you got the benefit of selling to the Brits.
 
So to turn around now and lament their control or influence or the changes they're going to make, that's all part and parcel of having sold,
and in Don's case, pocketed half a million dollars. And, you know, Roger with the larger stake, pocketing even more.
 
So it does seem a bit crybaby ish to me to sort of want the upsides of this infusion of money as owners, and then to lament the reality that in return for the money, you surrendered control.
 
 
Jenna: Back at the office, Joan is buzzing around, making everything ready. Tomorrow might be her last day, but she isn't taking things easy. She's arranged the timing of deliveries to make the office look very active while the British are here.
 
Hildy has this line where she asks Joan, are you being short with me because you think it will make parting easier? My mother does that.
And then Mr. Hooker comes up to Joan and says, I'm noticing the ladies are rather plain.
 
And Joan retorts, they could hire some prostitutes for his Prime Minister.
The British Secretary of State for War had an affair with a 19 year old which he denied to the House of Commons. And the scandal damaged the Prime Minister's government. It was known as the Profumo Affair.
 
So in retaliation, Mr. Hooker looks at her and says,
maybe we can reschedule your surprise party. And Hildy is horrified by this. Why would you - why would you do that?
And he says, Mrs. Harris knows everything that goes on around here. I'm sure she knew it was coming.
 
And just as Don and Roger were having this back and forth gamesmanship, Mr. Hooker seems to force that on Joan. I don't think she would really give him the time of day, but he's clearly in competition with her.
 
Steve: Yeah, it's a funny little relationship between the two of them because Joan says to him, look, you know, don't call me when you remember whatever was forgotten in the middle of the night.
 
So it feels like a poke, asserting how she does a much more thorough job than, than he will have. And there will be these things that, that he's going to want to lean on her for.
 
Jenna: And his error - she's a willing partner to make everything right. She's looking after all these little pieces, even though she's on her way out the door. And yet he's so threatened by her competence.
 
You would think she would get it just from the clients or the ad guys, the account guys. She even gets it from her peers.
 
Steve: But don't you think some of the friction goes back to just British - American here with the acquisition and the new roles, and this person parachuted in, and some sort of challenge or limitation on his power and authority which he feels he is entitled to due to his appointment there in that office?
So it is this microcosm, I think, of the larger frictions between the two sides.
 
Jenna: I think you might be right about that, because I get to see her in other scenes.
What I see of him is all about him puffing up his self importance.
It really shows on his side - he shows worse than she does.
 
Steve: We've talked about how so many characters here, we get little insights into them in their personal lives. We really don't get that for Mr. Hooker, right?
 
 
Jenna: In the next scene, Don comes home and kisses Betty.
And this dialogue works so well to me because their conversation is jumping around to different topics the way it really happens:
Which dinner option do you want?
Sally's being clingy.
The British are showing up at work tomorrow.
 
Betty's diagnosis is that Sally is resentful of the baby. She won't even go in his room unless I make her, Betty says.
And she goes on to say that Gene was perfect today.
 
And it's kind of a relief that Betty isn't restless and unhappy with her new baby. And it doesn't seem fake, either. She seems genuinely pleased to be home with her kids.
She doesn't have horseback riding or modeling, but she seems good.
 
We talk a lot about Don and Peggy trying on potential lives for themselves. And this feels like Betty is immersing herself in this choice to be with Don as a stay at home mom.
 
Except, as you pointed out earlier, the piece with Sally and Bobby is a little less engaged than the part with Gene.
 
Steve: It feels to me like she's cherry picking. This blissful life with this newborn baby and neglecting, you know, Sally, who's got this issue, which it feels like Betty of all people should know if there's something deeper to it.
 
Yet she dismisses it as just, oh, it's a jealousy of the baby. And then we have Don, who we know isn't the most attentive father and is not around all that much, yet he seems to to see that there's something more going on here.
 
Jenna: When Don brings up the question, would you ever want to live in London?
You can see both Don and Betty really start to sparkle. It's that leveling up that's exciting to both of them.
 
Betty isn't excited to live in London so she can see museums or expose the kids to new culture.
She says she could get a pram and a real nanny.
So maybe she'd be happy to trade her childcare role for something else after all.
 
Steve: It makes sense to me Don Draper would be excited and want to go to London. I struggle a little bit with what would the appeal be to Dick Whitman? What do you think the appeal is?
 
Jenna: I wondered about that too, since he's built himself up so much here in New York. He seems to be of New York, like he belongs there,
but I think he's been on an ascent for a long time,
and that this seems like a natural progression to both of them.
 
They continue to move on to bigger, better, brighter things. And I think this seems like that for him. This is the next logical step to do something bigger and better.
She's attached to his dreams and his success, so that pleases her if he's on the rise, I guess.
 
Steve: Yeah, maybe more - more money, more responsibility, more status.
 
 
Jenna: Our next scene between Joan and Greg is so painful and absolutely phenomenally acted.
This is a shout-out to Sam Page and Christina Hendricks for every choice and beat here.
 
Greg shows up late and drunk.
Joan is waiting up for him. She doesn't scream.
He says, I called you. And she says, that's a lie.
And it seems like a small thing, but it's so important. She's insisting on honesty between them.
 
Steve: Yeah, I have to echo your comments about the acting.
The scene is dimly lit as well, which I think creates space for the actors.
You know, in this scene, we see a Greg whose dream of being a surgeon is - has been dashed, you know, right in front of everybody's eyes.
 
And we know that Joan's dreams or ideals are very directly tied to Greg in his world. So they're going over the side of the ship simultaneously.
 
And just this interplay between the two of them is Joan has to draw out the truth from Greg, and at the same time, she has to hold it together for herself.
Large and in charge, she does hold it together and pays attention to comforting Greg and helping him work through this, this very difficult day.
 
Jenna: He seems obviously upset about not being chief resident,
really humiliated about the news, but it feels almost like telling her seems like just as difficult for him as receiving that news.
 
We've seen before, that he feels like he wants to be the one in charge of the relationship.
And both of them understand differently, even though they don't admit that openly.
 
To confess this to her, you can see every single pain point on his face.
And as you say, she's very supportive. She's already trying to get to the next step in the plan:
So you're still a doctor, you know, you can try another hospital.
But he wants to be a surgeon, and he says he can't be that anywhere in New York.
 
And when he says he could go to Alabama or something and the camera goes to Joan, she doesn't have any words, but her face says everything.
Moving to Alabama is not an option for Joan.
There's that city, country, conflict showing up, too.
 
And then he says he has another year of residency and she can't leave her job. She's already crossed that bridge. She can't even imagine going back and telling them, just kidding, I'm staying in this job. My doctor husband didn't work out so well.
 
I mean, she can't go back and do that.
And he just says unsympathetically, get another one.
 
Steve: He really kind of throws it into her lap. She needs to get another job because she's leaving her current one, because of the outcome of his situation, which, getting back to the theme of the episode, you know, an expectation that wasn't realized.
 
He can't even go out to celebrate with the other doctors. He finally confesses, you know, late in the scene that he drank alone in a bar, trying to drown his sorrows. So he's really rock bottom here.
 
And I know we've talked about Joan in a number of situations, is always very quick with the plan B or, you know, what steps can we take?
And she's starting to probe on those. But that kind of bounces back onto her, in that she's the one who has to scramble and find another job now, because of this obstacle in his path.
 
Jenna: She really rises to the occasion here.
She tells him, I married you for your heart, not your hands.
It's a nice thing to say, and I think she believes it.
 
But Greg being a doctor was always key to choosing him. This promise, this expectation of his success.
Also real talk, he's gorgeous, so that doesn't hurt.
 
But you have to wonder if they have enough between them to sustain this relationship, if he doesn't live up to her dream for him.
 
And as he goes to bed and she turns out the living room light,
you can see the weight of this news on her face.
She always has the next step planned, but not here. And it's a big curve in her path.
 
And the transition from Joan's light going out to Don and Betty's bedroom light is so perfect, because Betty is also tied to Don's success and his dreams in a similar way.
 
So at the moment, Don is lying awake, smiling about his trajectory, while Joan is turning off a light, worried about Greg's.
 
Steve: I always find I'm struggling a bit with Joan's dream here and her ideal, that was it misguided, and that she's defaulted into this traditional M.R.S. vision for her future, when she's so clearly qualified and adept at other aspects.
 
I always find myself watching Joan on this path, thinking, this is a doomed path for you.
Even if the fairy tale works out exactly the way it's supposed to, I just I don't imagine her staying at home while the kids are at school would ever float her boat or be successful.
 
So to me, there is this sort of doomed feeling of watching Joan in this marriage, wondering how it can succeed.
 
Jenna: I'm so glad you brought that up. I see that too. And I think, especially since she was so good at reading the scripts for the television department and Harry didn't even recognize how great she was . . .
 
So we've seen her be successful as an office manager.
We've seen her step up in terms of a job she wasn't even trained to do, that she learned how to do and did very well, I think.
 
Yes, she's been stuck with this dream that this is her path and this is what she wants. But she's such a great example of a character who wants things for herself - she hasn't allowed herself to dream bigger.
 
Is that what you really need? Do you really need to go find a man and get married to him? Or is there something better for you, better suited for you?
 
Steve: Well, in this theme we've talked about in the last episode, where there's this awful birthing experience that everybody's going on a conveyor belt and stuck with this experience, which isn't really optimal,
but you're defaulting into it.
 
And even if you put your hand up or try and rebel against it, the system and the people are trying to keep you in alignment.
 
It feels like that for me on Joan's life, and she's an agent in that control of herself on what her expectations should be.
You just feel she's being pulled along by the current here and just wondering when is she going to buck it or start to realize that perhaps she can swim against the current or do something differently?
 
 
Jenna: And Joan's competence is again on full display the next morning.
 
the British have shown up. We get a quick truth call-out as Joan comes over and introduces herself. We've spoken on the phone. Oh, yes, I believe that's true, she says.
 
And you get the sense that Mr. Hooker would like to just shove Joan in a closet and take all the relevant glory of touring the Brits around the office as if he owns the place, when in fact they do.
 
But Joan has made reservations for them for dinner, and gotten them tickets to a Broadway show.
 
Oliver, Saint John Powell remarks, a tragedy with a happy ending.
It's a great nod to all the raised expectations floating around.
 
Steve: Yeah, and I think one of the advantages Joan has too, with these Brits, and I just feel there's a wow factor that she has in person for those men as they see her, and shining and brilliant.
 
And I wonder if Mr. Hooker, you know, has a - has a little envy there. That's not something he can bring to the table.
 
Jenna: Oh, he can never be that.
 
We get our first look at Guy McKendrick, played by Jamie Thomas King. You might recognize him from The Tudors.
 
Guy McKendrick, the man of the hour. He has plenty to say, but it's generally the same thing.
We hear him tell Pete and Peggy separately that he knows everything about them and they're very impressive.
And we also hear him use the phrase, I'm sure you have thousands of questions as he addresses groups.
 
So there's very little that seems genuine about this ad man, perhaps unsurprisingly. But he's also very clearly used to success.
He charms, he attracts attention.
 
Steve: He's also a new presence. Nobody knew he was coming. Nobody knows what his role or place is.
He is a bit of a mystery man, and just given the way he's the center of attention.
 
Sticking with the episode theme of expectations,
he's more questions than answers at this point to us as viewers.
 
Jenna: When Guy walks to Peggy and gives her that line about being impressive, she's typically socially awkward. It isn't memorably horrible, but it's just enough to show she's really terrible at the schmoozing part.
 
Ms. Olsen, this is one of our copywriters, and he gives the line, and she goes, I was just . . . writing copy.
She doesn't know how to talk about things if it's not work.
 
As he walks away, her secretary Olive notices, that is a very handsome man.
And they're all watching Guy stride through the office.
I think this is deliberately placed to be an echo of JFK, a young, handsome man with a world of possibilities before him.
 
Steve: Oh, yeah, well, the timing's good here.
 
As we roll into the next scene, they're going into Bert's office, and as is Bert's requirement, everybody has to remove their shoes. And the Brits politely comment about it as some sort of Eastern tradition.
 
And it's a funny, humanizing, almost humbling gesture of obliging people to take their shoes off to come into your office. So it always gets a chuckle out of me as a viewer.
 
Jenna: Saint John tells Don that Guy has done a study of your work, which is very flattering.
He's assigning to Don that he's supposed to be flattered about this,
and instead of sucking up to Don, it's all about promoting Guy.
 
And Don cannot stand it if somebody else is the hero.
And sometimes we've seen Roger's ego bruised a bit when he's standing next to Don.
And Don does not show any better next to Guy.
 
He isn't throwing positives about his team, he doesn't seem interested in learning more about the Brits. He's just waiting for them to tell him how great they think he is.
 
Steve: This unmet expectation, you know, which was set up by Bert speculating about why they're coming and that it would be a Don focused session, it's turned out to be completely Guy focused.
 
And then I think as well, just objectively comparing Guy with Don.
The problem is Guy outDons Don. You know, as great as Don is at his work, he doesn't have the educational pedigree that Guy has:
 
London School of Economics and then a degree from Cambridge.
He's also got great professional achievements. They talk about, you know, Mercedes Benz.
It becomes very clear that the shining star in the room here that we're worshiping is Guy, not Don Draper.
 
You can just see Don's face falling here, and this has totally not gone the way he was expecting it would.
 
As the Brits leave the office, Bert comments aloud, that was strange.
It's clear Bert shares the puzzlement as to why are these guys here pumping up Guy? This doesn't seem to have anything to do with the Americans at all at this point.
 
Jenna: And Roger doesn't have any more clarification than Don or Bert. But he does do a little poke at Don.
He looks over and says, look at that. The suspense is killing him.
 
So they still think it's possible that something great is going to come out for Don here.
 
Steve: Yeah. And I wonder, is that Roger’s being sort of petulant and jealous of Don in that, oh, if Don's going to be the belle of the ball, Roger's going to feel left out and neglect.
 
So he walked in there gritting his teeth. His expectation is this isn't going to be a pleasant session for him.
And now it still could end up unpleasant for him, but Roger's happy to live there rather than have confirmation of his fears.
 
 
Jenna: The next scene takes us to Lane's office, with Mr. Hooker going in to prep for his meeting with the Brits. He reminds Lane, spectacles,
and Lane takes off his glasses and pockets them before smoothing his hair.
 
This is such small work, but it's so important to show how critical this visit is, and how much Lane cares about making a good impression.
 
And I don't want to give any major spoilers, but I do want to point out this thing with the glasses, that it does seem to be a marker of weakness for Lane. So we want to come back to that later.
 
Steve: To this point, we've seen Lane poking and prodding and herding the Americans about cost control and driving new business and the rest of it.
It's interesting to see Lane on the other side of the table now in that he's clearly nervous and apprehensive about meeting with his superiors.
It becomes very clear very quickly that the Brits do have some business with Lane.
 
Jenna: And he's so happy. He's all smiles when they say they're very impressed. He's positively smug. He loves that they're pleased about the way he's trimmed excessive and increased billings.
And then they tell him there's a reward for him.
 
Steve: Yeah. And their way of telling him is to present him with a physical gift, which is in a box, which turns out to be a stuffed snake.
A snake for our snake charmer.
 
And I like that because we know the friction between the Brits and the Americans. In that metaphor, the Americans are the snakes that needed to be charmed.
To his shock and horror, the reward is they're going to ship him off to Bombay and take him out of New York City.
 
Jenna: Lane is obviously not happy with this turn of events. This is the first of three unwelcome gifts in this episode.
 
Lane's wife dislikes America, but Lane doesn't share her animosity. He seems to be fitting in at Sterling Cooper and given this visit, right now in this scene, (he) may be even more at home than he felt in England.
 
So he doesn't immediately swear or shout about this. But he does try to get his bearings.
 
Steve: Yeah. And it's very clear that St. John and Mr. Ford are not asking, they're telling.
Ford says to Lane, don't pout. One of your best qualities is that you always do what you're told.
 
You're not moving on, you're moving up, says St. John.
We can tell they're just using the words here to try and smooth things over with Lane. But his reward for loyally and faithfully executing the tasks they needed done in New York City is he's getting shipped off to Bombay.
And his own preferences are not a factor in the equation at all.
 
Jenna: I do have a spoiler right here. So fast forward about 10 seconds if you're new to the series and you haven't seen it before.
 
This fake cobra that they've given Lane has its tail wrapped around its neck. So that was interesting to note.
 
In the DVD commentary, Jared Harris says that he had a bet between the British actors, and they were all trying to see if they could get an ad lib in, which would be a really challenging thing on a show with such huge attention to detail in terms of the written lines.
 
So apparently one of them has a “hear hear” in the episode and he was trying to make that count for the bet as his ad lib.
 
 
Steve: The next scene has Guy making a presentation to the senior leadership, giving congratulations to Lane:
Our loss in New York is India's gain.
 
From that line it's clear, his use of the inclusive our is that Guy is now part of New York.
So he talks of there'll be no further reductions in the ranks.
 
And then they use an overhead projector,
which the old ones of us on this podcast will remember from our education and early work, to lay out the new org chart.
 
Guy is stepping in and will be Don's direct boss.
Bert is also reporting into Guy.
Pete and Ken remain over accounts. Harry's promoted up on television.
There's no Roger Sterling on the org chart at all.
 
Jenna: A fact which Roger doesn't even notice until Bert points it out. That's true. Roger agrees, in another truth call-out in this episode.
 
Steve: In his DVD commentary, Matt Weiner talks about the American inferiority complex rearing its head.
And I think that's a really relevant point, that given the power of the United States at this time, you know, it really is a Pax Americana era here in the early 60s where the US is dominating the world technologically, economically. American military might is near a peak.
 
It's interesting that for all of that there lurks an insecurity of this inferiority complex, particularly, I think, vis a vis the mother country from way back when.
 
And in this dynamic, where the Sterling Cooper gang have been acquired by the Brits, the fact that this promotion of Guy has taken place without any input from them just really serves to aggravate and underline their lack of power and input into how Sterling Cooper is being run now.
 
And I think it's a trigger, especially for Bert and Roger and Don,
but I think it extends to that next tier. You know, the Kens, the Petes, the Harrys as well.
 
They can see that they're slipping down the org chart in terms of power and influence, and getting further and further removed from where the decisions are really happening.
 
Jenna: It's interesting too, because Guy is throwing praise right and left. He throws it to creative, to accounts, to media.
So the words are saying one thing and the actions are saying another.
 
And as soon as Don looks at the chart, this Guy! - when it's not a promotion for him, he has no interest in this meeting anymore.
In fact, he starts doodling an American flag in protest at the meeting.
 
There are a couple of fun things about this chart, if you zoom in. There's a guy on the chart named Adam Rowe who's on Sal's level reporting to Don, and we've never met this character.
 
And there's also a layer with Ken and Pete, even with Harry,
with Greta Gutman, who's the head of research, and we haven't seen her since season one.
 
As many characters as we follow in Mad Men, I feel like this really does enhance the realism of the show that we don't know absolutely everybody's life. I mean, it's a big company.
 
Steve: I also like, too, the intelligence of the characters. They're ad men,
so they are constantly using words to try and spin myths, stories to sell things, to convince people of things.
So they're quite inoculated from its usage against them.
 
And they cut directly to the substance. And there's no masking or failing to appreciate the substance that has been presented in this meeting.
 
After the Brits walk out of the meeting and Harry sort of asks, hey, what happened? And Pete, with a bit of an edge, says, you know, he's the only one who got a promotion.
And the fact that Harry is struggling to keep up with the implications of this meeting that the rest of them have all instantly seen and understood.
 
Jenna: Finally, the anxious guy Harry got something he didn't expect,
while across the table, Don is disappointed.
 
Bert apologizes for his wild imagination in getting Don's hopes up.
No dual position in London is going to materialize from here.
 
I also notice Ken does the right thing, and he takes a second to talk to Lane and says, we'll really miss you around here.
That again, really illustrates, with a very small piece of writing,
the contrast between how Ken receives the news, and how Pete receives it.
 
Steve: Yeah, they really are the yin and yang, from the selfish, insecure,
inferiority complex to the yang of easygoing, roll with the punches,
say what's supposed to be said in the proper, professional way.
 
Getting back to the theme of expectations, it's all out in the open now. So Bert's apology to Don - we had a clue that something had gone awry,
you know, when Bert mentioned how strange the first meeting was.
 
And now it's all come to pass in this meeting. So Don's gone from this wonderful high of great expectations to now, this crushing low of it's more of the same.
And you're going to have to figure out a new boss.
 
 
Jenna: Our next scene takes us back to the Draper household. Betty is trying with Sally here. She goes into her room.
 
I notice that Betty is a terrible liar, unlike her husband. I mean, she's pretty good at lying to herself, but she's not a natural smooth liar like Don is.
 
Also, I really like Sally's little outfit. She's got a halter top and these red pants. It's red, white, and blue, and they're approaching the 4th of July here. And little kids don't dress like little kids anymore, so it's a great period piece to notice.
 
Betty pulls a box out from behind Sally's pillow and presents it to Sally.
 
Steve: Yeah, and Betty's pretending that this is a gift from baby Gene to Sally. It's a nice gesture. I don't get the sense that Sally's really buying it because she's just old enough to realize that, hey, baby Gene can't exactly write or go get me a gift.
 
I like the gesture of a mother trying to do something to ease what previously Betty has said is, you know, jealousy about baby Gene to get her something and to start building a bridge there between the two of them.
 
It does feel, though, that it's a shallow attempt, and Betty's not giving any further thought to this, that there might be more to it in terms of Sally. And the idea that you can materially solve it with a gift.
Again, seems a little optimistic and low energy to me.
 
Jenna: I agree. This is our second unwanted gift in this episode.
And previously, when Betty was being honest with herself, she had a scene when she was also honest with Sally.
She said, you're a big girl now.
 
She was telling her Don was away because they were having a disagreement, but here she's denying who Sally is right in front of her by trying to trick her into comfort with Gene instead of having a real conversation.
 
Betty thinks she's doing the right thing,
but it's sort of the perfect error for Betty. It's exactly like what Don did to Betty in season one when he gave her the watch,
but she still thought she needed to go to therapy.
 
The watch didn't solve that. And here it's like, oh, here's Barbie. Problem solved. I'm too busy to have an actual conversation where I listen to your feelings.
 
This was a real 1963 Barbie that Betty gives Sally, inspired by First Lady Jackie Kennedy. So this is more foreshadowing of what's coming in November.
 
If you search brunette bubble cut 1963 Barbie, you can find some vintage ones for sale if you want to traumatize your own kids.
 
 
Steve: From here, we cut back to the office.
All the employees are gathered to hear the big announcements presented by Guy.
He talks about the inspired stewardship of Lane Pryce.
 
He mentions that Joan's milestone of almost 10 years of service and that she will be departing wishes her well, which causes Joan to break down in tears.
They wheel out a bon voyage cake for Joan, and the party kicks off.
 
Jenna: Yes, this is our third gift that's not the right fit: Joan's farewell cake.
Even though her husband has just told her she either needs to keep this job or find a new one, she's got her pride.
 
So when she tells everybody she's leaving to go live with her super successful doctor husband, it's a little rough to have to say, well, he's not one of those successful doctors.
 
And I love this bit where Mr. Hooker wheels out the cake, as if he had anything to do with it. And he says, you will be sorely missed.
And Hildy reclaims the valor for the secretaries here. She says, we got you the cake.
 
Steve: I like when the frat boys are talking amongst themselves and Pete says, you know, one more promotion and we'll all be answering phones, you know, the mood is pretty glum among the Americans.
 
Ken, again, ever the optimist and professional,
leads the way to start the ass kissing to get to know Guy better.
And then we have a small scene where Don and Peggy are sipping champagne.
 
Jenna: Yes, Don is not going to be doing any sucking up to the Brits. He's not following Ken for that particular excursion.
 
And when Peggy says, this is good champagne,
Don goes, I don't think so.
And she's like, oh, I know this mood. Nothing good can come from this. So she doesn't stay to console him or argue him out of it. She just walks away.
 
Steve: Yeah, and I also got the vibe from that that Don knows what good champagne tastes like.
This is cheap champagne for an office party, not good champagne that actually does taste great to a connoisseur or a cultured person like Don.
 
Peggy, not being privy to that world, is probably just happy to be sipping champagne, period, full stop.
 
Jenna: I think that's absolutely true. But I also think they could serve Don the finest champagne in the world right now and he would still not like the taste of it. It's a mood.
 
 
Steve: Don gets a phone call from the office of Conrad Hilton.
Don exits the meeting, and 15 minutes later, he's expected at the Waldorf Astoria presidential suite to talk with Conrad Hilton.
 
Jenna: Yes, we almost never see Don make himself available so immediately for a client.
And it's not just because Hilton is important. It's because he's so happy to get out of that office that's so intent to celebrate Guy McKendrick.
 
Don does not show very well here. We've hit Roger a bunch for being so put out all the time, but we can see Don is no better.
 
Steve: I don't hold it against Don for jumping on an opportunity to get out of the meeting. I mean, we know how disappointed he is.
There's nothing really happening at this office party, or at least not that we know about at this point.
 
So why not, you know, start pursuing the next opportunity and sort of see where that road leads, especially with somebody as powerful and unique as Conrad Hilton.
 
 
Jenna: Roger and Bert are having a debrief in Bert's office, and Roger's feeling sorry for himself.
He says, I like to think I'm rich. They can't hurt me.
 
And he has the same jealousy of Guy that he has about Don.
He can't help noticing “that kid Guy, he has a spark. He is a pure account man.”
And they have an interesting back and forth about being an account man.
 
Roger says his job is about listening to people and never saying what's really on your mind.
And Bert says, no, it's about letting things go so you can get what you want.
 
Steve: I like Bert's next lines, though, where he says,
we took their money. We have to do what they want.
You know, voice of reason, pragmatic, grounded.
 
He's strained the emotion out of it and the frustration, and it's just saying it like it like it is.
And that is, to me, where Roger's emotionally immature and he is having trouble getting to that place,
because I think Bert is absolutely correct there.
 
And Roger just wants it both ways. He wants the money,
and he doesn't want to have to do what the Brits say. And the fact that Roger can't let go of it, to me, is a bad look for someone who's supposed to be a mature senior executive leader of this firm.
 
Jenna: Bert seems much more resigned to this decision at this point, even though he had more trouble agreeing to it in the first place.
 
It's interesting to see Roger and Don both being restless. They aren't sure what they want until somebody else gets something they want. They're like, oh, I think I want that, too.
 
I guess success is a pretty frustrating thing to chase in that sense, because those goalposts are always moving.
 
Steve: And as well, I think Roger defined success as the money and is now realizing that the money isn't sufficient. It's a bed of his own making.
 
 
Jenna: Back at the office party between Dale, Kurt and Smitty, we get the first mention of Vietnam in the series so far.
 
The camera cuts over to Peggy talking to Joan, too.
And she's trying to be sincere.
She doesn't get the wrong kind of gift for Joan.
 
Instead, she expresses genuine appreciation, and Joan can see she means well. I think Peggy isn't jealous or bitter about Joan's happiness. And she says, I'm really happy you got what you wanted. And I remember on my first day, you said that could happen to me if I played my cards right.
 
Of course, Peggy has no idea Joan hasn't played her own cards right.
Peggy does have a little bit of that duality as well. She says, you know, we can't all be you.
 
So they continue to have this really interesting relationship, because I feel like Peggy is expressing very sincere good wishes to Joan here.
And at the same time, she still has that feeling of maybe I'm supposed to be more like you when she says, well, we can't all be you.
 
And of course, Joan doesn't confide in her. She's hiding her own personal issues, that her fairy tale is not something that Peggy would want to emulate.
 
Steve: And it feels like a nice denouement between the two of them.
At least from Peggy's side, I think we're seeing honest sentiment, even if we know on Joan's side, she's keeping up appearances about the life that she's allegedly going off to live.
 
So I like it as well that it's taking place with the chaos and noise of the party in the background, because we've got the tractor's been fired up, so Peggy's having to raise her voice in order to be heard.
And we can hear the laughter and hijinks going on in the background.
 
Jenna: Yes, various people are taking turns around the office on the John Deere. And eventually Lois climbs aboard.
 
She's an unlikely instrument of restructuring, but this former switchboard operator reroutes all their plans when she plows past Guy McKendrick and into a glass partition.
Guy's foot hangs at an odd angle. He's yelling in pain.
Blood has splattered everywhere.
We have never seen anything like this on Mad Men.
 
Steve: It is a very crazy, gory scene compared to what we've had on the show to this point and who, in the midst of all this chaos and carnage, seizes control and starts to look after things?
It's Joan.
 
She orders someone to get Lois out of there who's being hysterical. She says there's a tourniquet in the first aid kit and tells someone to go out and get that for them.
She administers a tourniquet with her hands around the lower part of Guy's leg. Of all the people in the office there who all have a chance to step up and step forward in the midst of this disaster,
it's Joan who's large and in charge yet again.
 
Jenna: Ken is right there, too. He's the one who says to call the ambulance. He's with Joan, and he's from the country, or woods in Vermont.
So if we're tracking contempt of city people to country people,
Ken is right there ready to help.
 
I also wanted to point out this moment where Peggy falls into a faint and Pete is there to catch her.
He's been actively avoiding her, including not sitting at Duck's lunch with her last episode.
But in this one moment, he does see her and looks out for her.
 
Steve: I did also want to mention a production note where the splattering of the blood, notably over Harry, Paul and a couple others.
When they shot that scene, they did the blood splatter early, so the actors weren't expecting it on the count.
 
So when they got splattered slightly early, the hope was to get a slightly more honest and natural shock reaction, since they weren't anticipating it. I think the scene works brilliantly and it's just a brief flash across your screen, but it conveys the horror and surprise of the moment, I think,
in just a really wonderful way.
 
And again, not something we see on on Mad Men.
 
Jenna: And it's 100% something that you feel guilty about finding so funny on rewatches.
 
 
So from this carnage, we see Don meeting Conrad Hilton in his suite.
Conrad Hilton really was on the cover of Time magazine on July 19, 1963, as the “innkeeper to the world.”
We'll put a link to the image on our Mad Men C to Z website.
 
These two men have some good back and forth here, just as in their first meeting.
 
Steve: I think the big difference here is in the first meeting, Don doesn't know who Conrad Hilton is.
So they're talking and Don has no sense of this guy's identity or that he has any importance or significance in this meeting.
 
The power dynamic to me is ever present. This is Conrad Hilton, the mover and Shaker, one of the It business leaders of the moment.
And Don is very cognizant of  just how important and powerful he is as an individual.
 
All that said, you know, we've seen Don a little discombobulated by the disconnect between his expectations and then what has subsequently happened with Guy at Sterling Cooper.
He's back in position here, I think, for this meeting.
 
And when Connie asks him to assess his ad campaign,
Don balks at it and says, you know, hey, I don't work for free. And I don't think you do either.
I think you can see this perturbs Conrad Hilton.
And he comes right out and says he wants a free one out of Don.
 
I think you can get a sense of this entitlement and privilege of Conrad Hilton. He's not used to being told no.
And even though Don has good, legitimate reasons for saying no,
Conrad's not going to accept them.
 
Jenna: In their first meeting,
they also had this push and pull between them, the “By golly yer prickly” when Don corrected him when he didn't have the movie title quite right.
 
Here, he asks Don to look at his ad campaign.
Don does - for free.
It's the town mouse and the country mouse.
And Don looks at it, and with one sentence, he says, I don't think anybody wants to imagine a mouse in a hotel.
 
And Conrad can instantly see he's correct. And it turns out Don didn't know this, but it turns out that was Conrad Hilton's idea.
And so that's a critique.
 
Very soon after, he says, what do you want?
And Don says, I'd like your business.
And then Conrad turns around and corrects Don and says,
when someone like me asks you a question like that, you need to think bigger.
 
I feel like it's respectful, but it's intriguing to both of them because I'm sure it's true - more for Conrad Hilton - but I think it's rare that either of them has people telling them that they're wrong.
 
And I like this moment, too, because this is Don making a mistake. He's in over his head, and we don't usually see that he can't be Mr. Smooth everywhere all the time.
He made that faux pas with the Jet Set when he said, you must be well off.
 
And here Conrad Hilton asks him what he wants, and you can sense it's a bigger question than business.
And Don tries to cover with this story, but this is a new pond he's swimming in.
 
Steve: Yeah, I like Don's covering of it, though, when he says he tells the parable about, you know, a snake that hasn't eaten and then eating too much and suffocating itself as a way of saying, look, one opportunity at a time.
 
And the opportunity that he's seeking, based on his response, is a chance at Conrad Hilton's business.
It's a good recovery, but I agree with you. I think Conrad Hilton is taking a poke here at Don Draper and trying to reassert his power and control.
 
Jenna: And this story Don says about the snake suffocating because it tried to eat too much at once in the same episode where Lane is presented with a snake, that's some additional foreshadowing.
 
Steve: I think we don't get any resolution of what they've decided or agreed to in this meeting.
But it is an interesting beginning here where Don has this opportunity,
but it's also fraught with a very powerful person who has perhaps rigid ideas or expectations.
Conrad Hilton isn't someone who takes no for an answer.
 
 
Jenna: Back at the office, there's blood on the walls from the accident.
They're going to have to replace the carpet.
 
And Harry's upset since he's the one with the most to gain by restructuring.
Ken is upset because Smitty didn't handle the equipment safely.
And Smitty, in turn, blames Lois for being “an idiot who doesn't know how to drive.”
Then Roger shows up with the best lines in the whole episode.
 
Steve: Yeah, I really enjoy the Roger lines, you know, Jesus, it's like Iwo Jima out there, as they're wiping the blood off the smoked glass, you know, for the office.
 
And then he says, oh, we have to put a rubber mat down so Cooper can get around in his stocking feet.
And then when they talk about, you know, the foot getting chopped and he could lose it, you know, he says, oh, just when he got his foot in the door.
And they all sort of smirk and snigger at that.
 
It's. It's inappropriate, but. But you just can't resist the humor of the moment.
 
Jenna: Ken says to Roger, I take full responsibility.
But Roger shrugs it off, saying, believe me, somewhere in this business, this has happened before.
 
It is amazing to speculate that this highly specific trauma is occurring in offices all over Manhattan.
 
Steve: In listening to the commentary, I was hopeful that there was some basis for this scene, that somehow something had happened like it somewhere at some time.
 
Nothing. Nothing is mentioned. So that's not to say that something didn't happen.
 
Jenna: And Lois isn't fired after this incident. We'll see her again. How does she keep her job?
 
Steve: I think there's so much blame to go around here that just hang it on the person who was driving something they didn't know how to drive. A city person driving a tractor that they don't know how to drive, nor even the fact that you don't have to have the blade going to drive the tractors,
you know.
 
So again, city folks, you know, turn off the blades, they don't need to be spinning. There's no grass to be cut.
It's just a funny debacle as this piece of exotic equipment from another world lands on the foot of the new British boss of Sterling Cooper.
 
Jenna: Besides, I think everyone is so relieved to have avoided the British restructuring, she basically did them a favor, no offense to Guy's future intended.
 
 
At the hospital, Joan is getting a Dr. Pepper when Don walks in and sees her dress covered in bloodstains.
This is another connection to Jackie Kennedy and foreshadowing of the violence that's coming in November.
She's still wearing the dress at the hospital.
 
Back in Maidenform, Kinsey made a comment about how Joan is a Marilyn. But here she's got the Jackie comparison.
After all, we've got a vehicle ride that was supposed to be a happy, festive occasion ending in violence.
It is 1963.
 
There's definitely more to Joan than meets the eye.
I mean, she's held the office together. She was the one who sprang into action when the accident happened.
And you feel certain that she's going to figure out some solution for her future.
 
Steve: Even the color of Joan's dress is reminiscent of the color of Jackie's dress on November 22nd.
 
There does seem to be a connection here as Don and Joan sit there on the couch in the hospital waiting room.
It's a great shot of the two of them after this crazy day where they went from, you know, high expectations to this gritty reality.
 
We've got the bag full of the going away presents for Joan between the two of them on the sofa there. And it just again feels like a great farewell scene between Don Draper and Joan as she's leaving the office.
 
Jenna: She accepts it kindly, as she did with Peggy, even though she has this secret about now needing a job.
 
And I did kind of want her to turn things around and stay at Sterling Cooper. I didn't want to see the end of her character.
 
Steve: Yeah. And Matt Weiner in his commentary, you know, makes a point that they really wanted this to be to feel like a send off episode for Joan's character.
And I think first time through it, it really does have that vibe,
Especially these scenes with people like Don and Peggy.
 
Jenna: As Don and Joan talk for a minute, they've got Guy's expectations in mind.
She says, I bet he felt great when he woke up this morning.
 
And we know Don did feel great when he woke up this morning. He was lying awake smiling the night before.
And those expectations have been disappointed. But, of course, Guy’s are much worse.
 
When the Brits arrive, they thank Joan for saving Guy's life.
And our final truth call-out happens in this scene when the Brits are saying, Guy will live, but his life is over.
And Don questions that. He says, I don't know if that's true,
but they insist the doctors say he'll never golf again.
 
Insurmountable tragedy, that.
 
Steve: Yeah. And the interesting part is this blows up the plans of St. John and Mr. Ford.
But we can see Lane is not crying any tears, that that plan has now gone by the wayside.
This means that he's going to stay with Sterling Cooper in New York, which we know is what Lane wants.
 
So he's gotten this reprieve. And he talks about at the end of the scene that he felt like he went to his own funeral and he didn't like the eulogy.
 
And I think that's such an interesting comment to make to someone like Don Draper, AKA Dick Whitman,
who in some ways had a similar situation when he said goodbye to his prior self and then continued on as the new person as Don Draper.
 
Jenna: Yes, in this episode about disappointed expectations, he's getting a second chance.
 
I also wanted to call out the comparison where Lane mentions he's been reading a lot of American literature lately. Tom Sawyer,
where, of course, there is a scene about attending your own funeral and then, surprise.
It's a lovely nod for a Brit enamored with American culture.
 
Steve: Yeah, And I think it's a nice detail because we get the sense that Lane is finding happiness and fulfillment here in this new world in New York in a way that his wife is quite the opposite.
 
You know, to her, New York is like being in Bombay would be for Lane.
So the fact that Lane is embracing and immersing himself in American culture, including his earlier observations there about the Admiral account in the prior episode.
 
It's so interesting how this experience for different individuals, you know, some take to the new place, some resist it and fight it.
Just that individuality, and how there's no way to know how that's going to play out until we start to see how things are actually happening.
Suddenly someone like Lane realizes he likes New York and wants to stay there desperately.
 
 
Jenna: This next scene makes me laugh every time.
Don comes in the front door of his house and notices a Barbie in the bushes.
So he brings it inside and sets it on Sally's dresser, smiling as he sees her sleeping with her new nightlight on.
 
He goes into his room, and soon he hears screams from down the hall. Sally is in bed, terrorized by the Barbie who's sitting back on her dresser,
and Don rushes in to comfort her.
 
Steve: We can understand why it's so terrifying to Sally that somehow this Barbie from Gene has found its way back into her room and sort of sitting there at the exit to the room, looking at her.
 
This wakes up the baby, of course, who starts crying.
Don and Betty wake up, and then they get into some friction between themselves here, and it's back to that earlier conversation of what's the issue with Sally?
 
Jenna: Sally tells Don it's Grandpa Gene. She says he's not supposed to be here.
The baby is called Gene. He sleeps in his room, and he looks just like him.
 
In the last episode, The Fog, Betty encounters her father in the kitchen in her dream, and Gene says, nobody knows I'm here, okay?
 
And Sally can't know about that, but she is suspicious about this bald little baby named after her grandpa.
 
Steve: It's also funny because I can remember as a child, my mother saying to me, you know, if she's able to come back and give me a sign, she will do that.
And as a kid, it terrified me.
 
My mother was puzzled. She's like, you know, I love you, and if I came back, you know, to give you a sign, you know, it's not a bad thing.
And it just - it scared me that somebody, you know, a ghost, could come back and from the beyond.
 
And I laugh at it now as an adult, because I would think, oh, I would be so comforted to have a sign to say, oh, they're still there,
this person I loved and cherished. So I can really relate to young Sally's terror here at the notion that Grandpa Gene, who she loved and had this nice relationship with, is somehow coming back through this little baby.
 
Jenna: Don and Betty have avoided this argument about the name, but it definitely pops up here in the middle of the night.
She's jealous of her little brother. Betty says she'll get over it.
 
She's scared because he has that name. Don counters.
Betty says, you keep the memory alive. It's what people do.
And that's a dig at Don, who doesn't have family, and doesn't want to name his sons after anybody from his past.
 
Sally hears them arguing and comes in to apologize.
 
Steve: I also like Don's summary of the memory, which is he hated me and I hated him.
So it's not a memory that Don Draper wants to keep alive, which I think is a fair point from his side, although it's clear that Betty has no time for that.
It's her father. She wants to memorialize him, and that's why she named the baby Eugene.
 
Jenna: So Don leads Sally back to bed by way of Gene's room.
And even though Don is a better liar than Betty, he's also able to be more honest with Sally in a much more constructive way in this scene than Betty has been.
 
He takes the baby out of the crib and cuddles and rocks him with Sally by his side.
And in this episode about expectations,
could there be more expectations around a child and what they might become?
 
Don has a great couple of lines here. He says,
this is your little brother and he's only a baby.
We don't know who he is yet or who he's going to be.
And that is a wonderful thing.
 
That's pretty optimistic for Don Draper.
 
Steve: Yeah, it's a magical little scene.
It's so sweet and tender of him, giving real attention to Gene, which we haven't seen to this point.
 
And in effect introducing Sally to her brother,
not as a threat, but as you know, this small little person. And the future's not written for them yet.
 
For all his failings as a father, Don comes through in these moments in a way, I think, that Betty doesn't seem to,
in terms of trying to look through Sally's eyes and understand her fears and concerns and to directly address them in a very honest, direct way.
 
 
Jenna: The closing song is by Bob Dylan and it's called Song for Woody. Apparently, Bob Dylan was a huge admirer of Woody Guthrie and got to meet him.
 
One of the lines in the song says,
there's not many men that done the things you've done.
 
Which is true for Don Draper, of course. And later, David Bowie kept the torch burning with his song for Bob Dylan. And that song has a line that says,
we'd rather be scared together than alone.
 
And it's so nice to see Don being present with Sally in her fear,
especially after Grandpa Gene's gone,
being a good dad.
 
I feel like this is such a memorable episode that it warrants some overall wrap up. But the lines are so good, and the cuts and edits are so tight that it kind of lends itself to,
‘That's a great line.’ ‘That's a great scene.’
 
Steve: It's so striking to me, the violence of the accident with the lawnmower,
it just stands out so much, you know, from - compared to so many other scene series where there's so much violence.
 
And it just shows the power, I think, of violence when it is rare and gory and special.
You know, it's - I imagine, you know, someone like a David Cronenberg would appreciate, because he's always tried to infuse his violence in his films with that emotional power that it really does have in the real world, but somehow gets lost when it's, you know, the 80th character getting shot or stabbed or whatever it is.
 
Jenna: And you can splatter blood all over the office guys, and they're still going to worry about their hierarchy of their jobs, no matter what.
 
Steve: Yeah. And I love the after scene where Harry and Paul have their dress shirts off. So they're just standing there in their undershirts because the blood was all over the dress shirts and their ties.
So I like that connection to, you know, there's a consequence to what happened here, and we can still see the echoes of it.
 
 
Jenna: As we wrap up this episode, our listener shout out today is to Flemish Giant. Thank you for listening to our podcast on Spotify and for commenting - we're so thankful to our listeners.
 
 
Steve: That's it for this episode of All Things Mad Men, from Chip and Dip to Zou Bisou. Visit our website, Mad Men C to Z.com to vote for your favorite Sterling Lines, and to share your opinions on our Double Dip questions for each episode.
 
Jenna: You can find us on Instagram and YouTube, Mad Men C to Z. And please listen, like, and subscribe. That's what the podcast's for!
 
Steve: Thanks for listening, everybody.