Mad Men, Man with a Plan opens with Don ease dropping on Silvia and Arnold in a huge fight. From there Silvia calls Don at the office and says she needs him and "nothing else will do" This, he likes and tells her to meet him at the Sherry Netherland. Once there we watch 50 Shades of Draper. He could have been a great S&M dominatrix. Silvia goes for it, why she doesn't hurl his shoes in his face, when he tells her to crawl on her hand and knees to find them for him, I have no idea. By the end of the day, Silvia realizes that this relationship has run it's course and tells Don so. Then something unexpected happens, Don begs just a "Please?", but still it was shocking.
I loved seeing Joan showing Peggy around the office again. Only this time Peggy knows what's going on and they are equals. Peggy's fears are realized when they get to her office and the "boys" have labeled it Peggy Olsen Coffee Chief, she's back to fighting for respect. It's not going to be as fun, but I'm sure she'll handle it. Especially, if the way she deals with Don is any indication. When she goes in to talk to him about his stunt with Chaugh. He tries to shut her down with his usual put downs but she serves it right back. Good for Peggy!
Don vs Chaugh reminds me so much of the time Don got Roger ruined at lunch on oysters and martinis and then made him run flights of stairs to a client meeting. Like Chaugh's dying partner says, Don wins the early rounds, but when Chaugh gets Don in his plane, it's no contest. Chaugh takes it hands down. Don's going to have to work out some kind of peace or this is going to get ugly.
I love the partner meeting. They start normally but it quickly devolves into a fight about all the things the two firms have hidden from one another. They are still two separate entities they better resolve that. The only two who seem to have become one is Roger and Jim. They have gotten Leica to send them to Germany and they are smiling at each other like they are in love.
Joan and Bob at the hospital was charming. Bob is so smooth. He knows he's last hired and the person he's reporting to has been fired. He sees Joan and knows if he plays it right she will be a word for him in the partner meeting. I want to think he is also just being nice but I think he is a pretty calculating guy. Joan knows too of course, but she does save his job in the end.
Pete's descent into hell continues. Pete's brother and sister in law have had it with their senile mother. Pete's sister in law left his address in the city on mom's bed side table, so she shows up there. Pete's brother refuses to take her back. So now Pete is living with his mother, which is only increasing the speed of his decline at work. Rolling in late to the partner meeting there is no chair for him and Roger relishes the opportunity to point out that Don got the last seat which means even Don got to the meeting before Pete. As I said last week Pete better get it together, quick.
The show closes with Robert Kennedy's death. Things are not looking up.
This and That:
Roger firing Bert Peterson...again.
Bert " You're a prick."
Roger "You stole my goodbye"
Don and Chaugh flying. Don says he is relaxed so Chaugh makes the plane bump to scare him again.
Harry gets bumped down to a smaller office so Peggy can have his.
Pete saying his mother can go to hell and Ted Chaugh can fly here there.
All of Chaugh's hip speak- groovy, free associate, and wrap session.
Silvia is reading THE LAST PICTURE SHOW. Perfect for Mad Men so far, just a bunch of messed up people trying to figure out who they are as everything comes down around them. Hoping our Mad Men characters get a happier ending, but I doubt it...
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