Vietnam is the backdrop for this episode.
Ginsberg hates the new IBM computer.
Stan sees one of Lou’s comic strips left at the copier. Stan, Ginsberg and the copywriters have fun with it. But then Lou overhears a conversation about Stan making fun of it. And during a pitch meeting, Lou lets Stan have it. Don tries to leave SCP, but Lou won’t let him. Lou then leaves and screws Don out of his flight.
Don hears from one of his Stephanie, the niece of Anna Draper, and finds she’s 7 months pregnant. He has her stay with Megan. After talking with an awkward discussion with Megan, Don heads out to California. Megan has to cancel plans and doesn’t seem too happy about it. Stephanie arrives at the house and Megan doesn’t seem too happy about it. Stephanie lets out that she knows all of Don’s secrets which upsets Megan. Megan gives Stephanie $1,000 and basically kicks her out of house. Don arrives in Cali and is pissed that Stephanie isn’t there.
Betty Francis is arranging some shindig for Henry. After Henry declares his support for President Nixon’s pledge to pull out of Vietnam, Betty is surprised. Henry is angry at Betty for leaving the party and leaving him alone. Bobby hears the argument.
Sally breaks her nose in a fight at school and Betty is pissed. Their argument is the best part of this episode. Too bad they won’t get their own spinoff show. Bobby comes into Sally’s room and reports to her about the argument. He wants to runaway from home.
Ginsberg sees Jim Cutler talk with Lou in the computer. So Ginsberg runs to Peggy’s apartment where he accuses Jim and Lou of being gay. He meets Julio from upstairs and asks Peggy if he can work at her place. Ginsberg starts to act weird, accuses the computer of making “us homo” and tries to jump Peggy’s bones. She throws him out and he leaves.
At Megan’s party for her acting class, she complains about Stephanie. Don doesn’t hear it as he stays away from everybody. Her friend, Amy, tries to cheer Don up. Megan does a sexy dance with a classmate in front of Don and it pisses him off. Harry shows up at the party and Don has him accompany him for a drink leaving his date behind at the party. At a bar, Harry lets Don know that Jim and Lou are up to something and are plotting to cut Don out.
Megan and Amy seduce Don with a threesome. Holy frijoles.
Stephanie calls the morning after to tell Don she’s out in Oakland in a bad area. Don tells her he’s going back to NYC. Megan is pissed as Amy leaves the house. She’s left alone.
Henry and Betty argue again.
Ginsberg tells Peggy he’s attracted to her and gives her his nipple that he had ripped off his chest??? WTF??? She calls security and has him taken out on a stretcher.
Don crashes Jim and Lou’s meeting with Phillip Morris and tells them that he’s willing to work with them. Jim then tells Don, “You think this is going to save you, don’t you?” Interesting.
This was a weird episode and I wonder if the writers were on acid. Two episodes in this first half of Season 7 that will air this year. I hope they won’t get weirder than this.
Ok. Let’s go inside this insane episode. Matthew Weiner, Jon Hamm, January Jones and Elisabeth Moss discuss it.
Here’s the scene where Ginsberg shows his ripped nipple to Peggy. It may be uncomfortable to watch. No, it IS uncomfortable to watch.
Let’s move to something else. Here’s Costume Designer Janie Bryant talking about the dress Megan wore during the party scene and the dress Betty wore at the political event. Property Master Ellen Freud tells us about the contrasting parties and what she had to obtain for the episode
Now the cryptic promo for the next-to-last episode of the year of Mad Men.
Mad Men airs Sunday nights at 10 ET/PT on AMC.
