Inside Mad Men: Season 7, Episode 11 — “Time & Life”

Pete Campbell and Ken Cosgrove are in a restaurant waiting for Don and Ken gives Pete a hard time on the Dow Chemical account. Don walks in and tells Ken not to have second thoughts. Ken says ok.

Don is back in his empty apartment and calls into the office for his messages. One is from Diana the waitress. He finds that she did not want to leave a message or number. Don is frustrated.

Back at Sterling Cooper, Roger finds that the lease hasn’t been paid. He calls Joan into his office and she says she’ll take care of it.

Pete gets a call from Trudy Campbell (!!!!). She says their daughter is on the wait list at Greenwich Country Day. Pete is angry that their daughter is on the wait list at all. Trudy says it’s because they’re divorced and she wants Pete to come to a meeting the following day. He agrees.

Joan has Shirley, Caroline and Dawn into the room and just as Roger announces they’re all fired, Joan interrupts him to tell him that McCann Erickson has canceled their lease. Joan tells the women not to say anything.

Peggy has a bunch of children as a test case for an account and tells them to play. A disinterested Stan is there too. She tells to play as if they’re not watching. Stan tells her to talk to the kids like people. Peggy doesn’t know how. Stan then tells one of the kids to throw his ball as far as he can throw it.

Roger talks with a McCann exec who says the plan is to move Sterling Cooper into their offices. Roger is shocked and hangs up the phone. Peggy comforts him.

Roger goes into Don’s office, but Joan, Pete and Ted Chaough follows him. Roger announces that Sterling Cooper is being swallowed up and they’ll be no more. Pete is angry. Ted says he has no problem with it. Roger says until he gets orders from Jim Hobart at McCann, no one is to say anything. Pete leaves in disgust. Don says McCann Erickson waited to make the move until everyone was secure in their positions. He gives a toast to what he knows is the end of SCP.

Pete asks to speak with Peggy while she’s holding a casting call. He tells her about McCann Erickson’s move. Pete says he’s going to leave because he’s never worked anywhere else. He tells her to go back to work. He instructs Peggy not to tell anyone.

Joan calls Richard is California and says she’s having a bad day a work. Richard says he’s coming to NYC to talk about it.

Don is informed Melody wants to show him a couple of apartments. He wants to cancel all his appointments. Lou Avery calls to give his notice and tells him he’s going to Tokyo to become an animator for the Speed Racer cartoons. Lou thinks he’s sticking it to Don.

Don has Meredith call a partner’s meeting. He tells Roger, Pete, Ted and Joan that the SCP office in LA is available. He says their accounts they took from McCann like Sunkist, Burger Chef and Ken Cosgrove’s Dow Chemical need to be secured if they are to move out west. Roger tells them they have 24 hours.

Peggy is meeting with a headhunter to talk about where she can move. He tells her the best job is at McCann. Tells her that’s where she should go and stay there for three years and then she can go anywhere she wants.

Roger has Ken Cosgrove come to his apartment. Roger tells Ken he can move with SCP. Ken looks at Roger and Pete straight in the eye and says no and leaves. You can practically hear him chuckling.

Don and Ted discuss California. Ted says he was misguided about going to California. He apologizes for taking Don’s spot when he went to SCP’s West Coast office. Joan tells them about Ken’s decision. Don tells her go get the smaller accounts so they can replace Dow.

Pete and Trudy meet with the Greenwich Country Day headmaster. He tells her that their daughter messed up a drawing development test. The headmaster brings up a 300 year old family feud. Pete punches him out.

A young actress on a casting call tells Peggy and Stan she’s waiting for mother. As Harry yells at a client on the phone, they take the girl downstairs.

Trudy is feeling sorry for herself. Pete comforts her the best he can.

As the partners get ready to leave for their meeting at McCann, Pete comes in and tells them he convinced Secor Laxatives to join them. They head off to McCann.

Peggy and Stan go over the actresses. So Peggy tells Stan about the McCann move. Meanwhile, the girl staples her finger. Her mom comes in and starts blaming everyone. Peggy tells the mom she likes cashing her daughters her checks. The mother says she’ll do what she wants with her children, Peggy can do whatever she wants with hers. Oh, it makes Peggy think about the child she gave up.

The partners meet with Jim Hobart at McCann. Don starts going into his spiel. Jim stops him. And before Don tells him, Jim says everything has been decided and they passed the test, died and gone to advertising heaven. They have the big accounts and all the perks. the partners are shocked.

At at restaurant, Roger, Don, Pete, Joan and Ted have a drink and toast Bert Cooper. Joan leaves and tells Roger not to be a baby. Ted is happy and says it’s time to let someone else drive.

As Joan and Pete share a cab, Joan is not optimistic about her future. Pete tells her McCann doesn’t know what they’re dealing with.

Peggy is still thinking about the mom. After going through a scenario about giving up a baby and a man can just leave, Stan figures out that Peggy gave up her son for adoption. After Peggy is shaken for a bit, she goes back to work.

Don and Roger are smoking at the bar and says he prayed to God that if everything worked out, he’ll stop smoking. Roger says he’s the last of the Sterlings. Don says every copywriter thinks he’s a Shakespeare. Roger says he’s going to meet Marie. Don is shocked. Roger tells Don that when he married his secretary, Don gave him shit then Don did the same thing. Don says he surrenders for the second time.

Don goes to Dawn’s apartment and finds a gay couple.

Back in the office, Shirley and Dawn discuss if they’re going to McCann. Meredith hears it. She confronts Don. Tells him that she wants to know if she’s going with Don too. She says in a month, they’re losing an office, he’s losing an apartment and does he want to lose her too. Don assures her and tells her to get Roger on the phone.

Stan calls Peggy from his office. Peggy says she’s going to McCann and Stan should too. Stan says he’s dumb and believes her.

Don announces the move. As Roger tries to assure everyone, the employees begin to scramble. Harry says it’s good news, but no one believes them and the partners are left alone.

Dean Martin takes us out with “Money Burns A Hole In My Pocket.” Classic.

The videos now.

Let’s go inside the episode with Matt Weiner who says this episode is about advertising in the 1970’s.

Now to Set Decorator Claudette Didul, Set Decorator Dan Bishop, Property Master Ellen Freund and Costume Designer Janie Bryant talk about the look for this episode.

Now to a scene from last night’s episode where Don and Roger discuss their friendship.

And finally, here’s Matthew Weiner’s cryptic promo for next week.

Just three more episodes left. Wow.

About Ken Fang

Ken has been covering the sports media in earnest at his own site, Fang's Bites since May 2007 and at Awful Announcing since March 2013. He provides a unique perspective having been an award-winning radio news reporter in Providence and having worked in local television. Fang celebrates the three Boston Red Sox World Championships in the 21st Century, but continues to be a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.

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