Three Up, Three Down: Mad Men

Three Up


3. Stan Rizzo. He doesn't have many lines in the episode, but he may have the best one when, after Megan announces she's quitting, he explains why he gets by saying that she works like crazy, sweats out the results, and generally stresses out over something as prosaic as beans. Better to chase a dream than go through the wringer for something like that. His words have an impact, too, as Peggy clearly reacts to what he says.


2. Michael Ginsburg. He kills a pitch to start the episode, has a funny interchange with Megan (and Peggy by interjection) asking if she gets clothes or has to act in her own clothes, and then closes his night by saying that the lame song Ken suggests for his ad is "stabbing me in the heart" (it's certainly not suggestive of the Beatles, which is what they were supposed to be going for).

1. Megan Draper. So she starts the episode lying to get out of work so she can go to a call back for a play. She doesn't get the part, but the experience solidifies her desire to return to acting full time. She tells Peggy this first, and while Peggy's not supportive she does get Megan straightened out enough to tell Don. Don is very understanding, and tells Megan to quit the next day. She does this, and while it's hard for her, she gets through it and is much happier, if a little oblivious to the concerns others have over her departure. She ever tries to get Don to listen to the Beatles, which is about as brave as her quitting.


Three Down


3. Peggy Olsen. She gets caught up in Megan lying to Don about her call back, and then gets stuck with extra work when Megan quits. She then fills in for Megan during a presentation for Cool Whip, and winds up arguing with Don over why Megan left. He more or less blames Peggy and the rest of the staff for being cynical and petty. Peggy does blow the tag line for the ad ("Just taste it!"), but she's mad at Don over his role in having Megan come aboard, but also mad that she's losing someone with obvious talent. She does have a small disagreement with Joan about Megan, nothing to damage their growing relationship but interesting in their differing opinions on Megan's skills and Don't taste in women.

2. Don Draper. Don is very supportive of Megan's quitting, but underestimates the resulting problems, most notably with Peggy. He's also concerned for himself, as seen in the none-too-subtle use of an elevator shaft to suggest the yawning chasm that may be opening up now that Don won't be with Megan pretty much 24/7. Don's Cool Whip pitch and resulting argument with Peggy is ugly, and while he's likely arguing from truth (Megan had voiced a similar opinion of her coworkers in the past), he also doesn't recognize the stresses that came with marrying (and then promoting) Megan. He even has to get marriage advice from Roger, whose suggestion of keeping to a schedule came from his ex-father in law. I'm assuming Roger didn't follow it. Don ends the episode listening to "Tomorrow Never Knows" by the Beatles, and turning it off before the end. His overall apathy towards music is problematic, on top of everything else.

1. Pete Campbell. Having failed in seducing his driver's ed classmate, Pete finds a new object of philandering in Beth, the wife of his train buddy Howard, who has started to use an apartment in the city to cheat. It starts with Pete giving her a ride home, and he tries to cover for Howard, but it's flimsy cover at best. They do it in the living room, and afterwards Beth makes it clear it's a one time thing. Pete doesn't believe in one time things, calling Beth and wangling an invite to their house under the cover of buying insurance. Beth continues to state she doesn't want to get into an affair. He schedules a rendezvous at a hotel, but Beth doesn't show up. At the end of the episode she does draw a heart in window fog for Peter, which gives Peter hope even as Beth tries to resist.