The Unfiltered Ramblings of a DVR Addict

Mad Men Season 3, Episode 11:  The Grown Ups

I have been waiting for this episode since the beginning of the season.  I wondered how they were going to capture President Kennedy’s assassination-I am not upset, but I wanted a bit more.  The main characters focused in this episode are Pete Campbell, Don Draper, Betty Draper, Peggy Olson and Roger Sterling.

The episode started off with Lane demoting Campbell from Head of Accounts to some sort of Director of Client Services.   Kenny Cosgrove was promoted to Vice-President of Accounts.  Campbell doesn’t take it well and goes home early.  Trudy comes home and finds Pete, he tells her he was fired and he wants to call Duck.  She tells him to wait it out.  Pete goes to work the next day and complains to Crane.  Crane offers advice; he carved out his position by researching what other ad agencies had vs. SC.  Their conversation is stopped short when the office goes a buzz with news of the assassination.

We learn that Peggy and Duck are still seeing each other.  Peggy’s roommate Karen makes a comment about married men, but Peggy explains that he isn’t married.  Karen’s response was why is she still with him?  Yeah Peg!  Why are you with Yucky Ducky?!  At first they built it up as a career move, but I am not convinced there are true feelings there.  Later Peggy agrees to meet Duck at a nearby hotel.  Kinsey is in her office when she receives the call from him—he spots a nooner.  Peggy walks out embarrassed.  Meanwhile Duck is in the hotel room watching television, a special report from Dallas about President Kennedy being shot.  Duck turns off the TV when Peggy gets there.  Hello-Duck…are you so hot for Peg that you don’t stay glued to the TV?  After their afternoon delight-Duck switches on the TV and they learn that the President died-Duck immediately calls his kids.  And to think-just a few minutes prior Peggy was wondering if Duck gave her a hickey.  I think Duck is a loser-did really ignore the newscast in order to hook up with Peggy?

When Don emerges from Lane’s office, he hears phones running off the hook and the staff huddled together.  A secretary tells him what happened in Dallas.  Don comes home to find Sally and Bobby watching the news coverage.  Don is puzzled as to why they are watching TV, but Betty defends herself-what is she supposed to do?  She tells him she can’t stop crying.  Prior to Don getting home, Betty and Carla share a heartfelt moment watching the news when they learn that President Kennedy just died.  Don tries to console the children; people will be sad, but things are going to be ok.  Poor Sally-death has been around her this season.

The next day is Roger Sterling’s daughter’s wedding.  How horrible to have your wedding during this time?!  This wedding was already off to a bumpy start.   Roger’s brat, Margaret, doesn’t want Jane to go to the wedding.  Roger confronts Jane, but is grows upset since she feels she is trying hard to win her affections.  Mona to the rescue, either suck it up or cancel the wedding, she tells Margaret.  I almost wished they cancelled the wedding.

Don urges Betty to get dressed for the wedding, she doesn’t want to go.  Pete doesn’t want to go, but Trudy explains that it is business.  Pete tells Trudy that Roger made a crass statement about the President and convinces her stay home.

At wedding reception there are few guests and Roger encourages everyone to fill in the empty seats and to enjoy both entrees for dinner.  Margaret should have eloped!  Before Roger makes a toast, he searches for Jane, but she is in the kitchen watching the news conference on Lee Harvey Oswald.  She doesn’t join him in the toast.  The speech was heartfelt; he even thanks his ex-wife, not the typical smartass.  Guess who enters the ballroom-Henry Francis (with his daughter)-Betty eyes him from across the room.  Does she still want him?  After Don’s coming out as Dick Whitman, is she focused on her marriage and family?  Later Don and Betty share a dance and Henry’s daughter asks him why he keeps looking at Betty.  Don tries to tell Betty that everything is going to be alright.  She challenges him, how does he know that?  Girlfriend….the next decade is going to be one crazy rollercoaster ride!

Later that evening, Roger puts drunk Jane to bed and he calls up Joan.  I guess he needed to talk to someone who cared for him.

The next morning at the Draper home, Betty is watching TV and sees Jack Ruby kill LH Oswald.  She screams and Don tries to comfort her.  She pushes him away and again Don is puzzled by her behavior.  Hmmm…what’s up Betty?  Later that day, Betty is dressed and tells Don she is going to clear her head and go for a ride.  We see her parked in a car with Henry Francis.  He inquires where husband thinks she is=she doesn’t care.   She is distraught, Henry proposes to her sort off.  They share a kiss.

Pete and Trudy are at home watching the new coverage on Jack Ruby.  Trudy is building up Pete-go back to work and gather your clients.  She tells him that they will follow him.  I guess Pete isn’t out for the count…I guess you can say that Trudy is the brains in this operation.  You know what they say, behind a successful man; you will find a smart woman guiding him.

When Betty returns from her “ride,” she tells Don that she wants to scream at him for ruining all this.  What is all this-her marriage? Her image of him?  Last season focused on Don’s infidelity, but she took him back.  He retorts that she is just upset about the assassination.  She replies that she doesn’t love anymore.  She knew when she kissed him at the wedding the night before.  Don tries to convince her sleep on it, but she tells him he isn’t hearing her, she’s right-Don walks away.  The camera pans to Don sitting in the dark upstairs.

Don finally tells his big secret and now his marriage is in the crapper.  This was a long time coming.  Betty has been unhappy for some time now; she made a play for the horse rider, now Henry Francis.

Monday morning at the Drapers, Betty is making breakfast, Sally and Bobby are eating at the table when Don walks in dressed for work.  The tension is in the air-the kids just watch as Don and Betty do not speak.  Monday is the National Day of Mourning….but Don would rather escape to work than deal with Betty.

Don isn’t the only one at work…Peggy is busy typing at her desk.  She is reworking the Aqua Net campaign-if you recall it has two couples driving in a convertible-very reminiscent of the Kennedys in Dallas.  Peggy escaped to the office-Karen has the neighbors over watching the funeral and writing condolence notes to Jackie Kennedy, plus her mother is crying and praying non-stop.  I like what Peggy said about her mother’s reactions-she was crying so hard there wasn’t any room for anyone else to feel.

Peggy invites Don to join her in watching the funeral in Cooper’s office.  Don declines and retreats to his office and pours himself a drink.  Peggy and Don are so alike-work is their refuge.

Next week is the season finale….will Betty leave Don?  Will SC be sold?  Will Pete and Peggy join Duck?  Will Joan come back?  This season has been so-so; I am interested in learning how they will tie everything together.

Interesting thoughts:

• Pete accused of caring too much about his clients-how can it be bad?
• Using  actual news coverage of the Kennedy assassination throughout the episode
• Sally comforting her mother when they learn about Kennedy
• Betty’s favorite movie is Singin’ in the Rain