Mad Men S03E01: Out of Town (Season 3 Premiere!)
Posted by KAT in Mad MenAugust 17th, 2009, 11:12 AM
Would love to get everyone’s thoughts this morning on last night’s Mad Men - the season premiere! A little bit o’ recap to get you started…
SPOILER ALERT: If you haven’t watched, I’m about to recap the darn thing, get outta here! Here goes nothing:
Our opening scene is Don Draper heating milk for his pregant wife Betty. Cue flashback! We revisit his past: a prostitute has died in childbirth, her child given to the Whitman family. Cue Dick Whitman’s arrival into the world! That’s Don Draper, dummies. Please keep up.
The Brits have taken over Sterling Cooper and they’re basically reorganizing the joint, in their stodgy British style. Burt Peterson is fired, and Pete Campbell and Ken Cosgrove are pitted against each other as Head of Accounts. Pete is nonplussed: why can’t things ever be easy for him?
Peggy Olson is looking stylish and continues to kick ass and take names. She’s annoyed with her flirtatious secretary, Lola. Have some respect, woman! Peggy is a feminist here, you feel me?
Don Draper and Salvatore Romano go on a trip to Baltimore for the London Fog account and are courted by a couple of flirty stewardesses. Don ends up taking one of them - Shelly - to his room for a nightcap. It seems like nothing’s changed with our favorite adulterer.
Meanwhile, Salvatore calls a bellboy up to his hotel room to fix the air conditioner, and BAM! His hinted-at homosexual tendencies from seasons 1 and 2 are made a reality when the two men start making out and getting sexy.
But shucks, the fire alarm goes off and everyone exits their rooms via fire escape. Don passes Salvatore’s room and spots the two men disheveled and partly undressed. Shock!
But obv, Draper keeps his mouth shut. He’s no stranger to leading a double life. Who’s he to judge?
Zip boom bam, Don Draper comes up with an ingenius idea for the London Fog campaign at the last moment: “Limit Your Exposure” is the tagline. Yep, nothing’s changed.
The episode ends at the Draper household, where little Sally asks parents Don and Betty to tell her about the night she was born. Daddy Don starts off but can’t finish - Betty takes over. The topic of birth (and rebirth!) is not an easy one for him.
Mad Men, Season 3, Episode 1: a bit slow, perhaps a bit disappointing. However, if it’s one thing I know to expect from Mad Men, it’s that all this sweet, sweet build-up will pay off in the end. I’ve likely discounted the many subtle details and interactions as insignificant and boy, can I not wait to be proven dense.
Here’s to another exciting season! Oh, and don’t forget to Mad Men Yourself, you clowns.
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