| For Those Who Think Young | |
|---|---|
| |
| Production | |
| Season 2 Episode 1 | |
| Air date | 27 July 2008 |
| Written by | Matthew Weiner |
| Directed by | Tim Hunter |
| Previous The Wheel |
Next Flight 1 |
Intro
On Valentine’s Day 1962, Don and Herman Phillips find themselves at odds over an account. Betty reconnects with a friend and once again finds herself struggling with car trouble.
Synopsis
Don gets an insurance physical during which he lies about how much he drinks and smokes. "You live too hard," his doctor chides before prescribing phenobarbital to help Don relax.
At the stables, Arthur Case, an inexperienced but handsome rider, flirts with Betty Hofstadt and her friend Sarah Beth Carson, who reasons, "He's engaged. There's no point in being aloof."
Sarah Beth Carson
Back at Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency, staffers await Don's arrival in the conference room. When Peggy Olson, now slender, leaves to find him, the men speculate about whether Don got her pregnant then gave her a promotion as compensation. Pete Campbell thinks she went to a fat farm. On the office floor, Peggy scolds Don's secretary for making a glib remark about his whereabouts. "I want you to imagine when you talk about Mr. Draper that he is standing right behind you."
Unbeknownst to Peggy or his secretary, Don is having lunch (and a cocktail) at a bar. Nearby a fellow patron reading Frank O'Hara's "Meditations in an Emergency" replies, "I don't think you'd like it," when Don asks about it.
Back at Sterling Cooper, Roger grills Joan about new her boyfriend. After she exits, Herman Phillips tells Roger the agency needs younger creative talent and then implies that Don is resistant to the idea. Roger encourages Herman Phillips to deal directly with Don about his concerns.
Finally arriving in the conference room, Don listens to pitches for Mohawk Airlines. The Indian puns annoy him. Instead of playing on the brand name, Don advocates tapping into the male customer's fantasy saying the ad should give "just the hint of a woman's thigh."
Later that evening, Don and Betty meet up for Valentine's Day at the Savoy Hotel. In the swank lobby bar, Betty notices Juanita, a former roommate accompanied by an older gentleman. "That is not who I thought she'd end up with", Betty remarks. Don tells her that the two are not a couple and that Juanita is a "party girl."
Upstairs in their hotel room, Betty emerges from the bathroom, in heels, stockings, and a bustier. "Wow," says Don, although later he can't pull the trigger in the midst of lovemaking. "I wish you'd just tell me what to do," Betty says afterwards. They order room service and watch Jackie Kennedy's televised White House tour.
Over at the Campbell apartment, Trudy Vogel becomes teary-eyed telling Pete that Harry Crane's wife is pregnant. "It's this big club they're all in together", Trudy says of pregnant women.
At home, Salvatore Romano and his wife view the White House tour. Elsewhere, Joan, despite being in the middle of a make-out session with her beau, is also watching the White House tour.
The next day, Francine Hanson tells Betty about the tour as if Betty hadn't seen it. "I'm sorry we missed it," Betty comments. "No time for television." When Betty tells Francine about Juanita, Francine gushes "BUtterfield 8", a 1960 Elizabeth Taylor movie about a call girl.
The next day, two young creative types enter Don's office. Harry wonders whether Herman Phillips made Don meet them to which Pete counters. "Nobody makes Draper do anything."
Joan, still debating where the new large copy machine should go, reprimands Lois for crying over Peggy's scolding. "There's a place to do that, like your apartment," she advises.
Their brief meeting with Don concluded, the interviewees depart. "I like the direction you're taking," Herman Phillips tells Don, who replies, "So, now that I've given you your babies and your Xerox machine, should I throw in a couple of elephants? I don't want there to be an excuse when you can't bring in Martinson's Coffee."
Martinson's Coffee
"Kids, what's the big deal?" Pete asks Peggy after more young talent arrives for interviews. "Do you want to have kids?" "Eventually," she replies.
Don finds the new direction for Mohawk too obvious. "Sex sells," Peggy responds. He disagrees. "You feeling something. That's what sells. Not them. Not sex." He plops his daughter's valentine on the table. When Peggy says, "What did you bring me, Daddy?" he approves. Back at her office, Peggy discovers the copy machine has been installed there.
That night, Betty's car breaks down. A mechanic arrives, but she's short of cash so she flirts so he'll make the repair at a discount. Once she's home, Betty fibs to Don about why she was delayed. Later that night he reads Meditations in an Emergency: "Now I am waiting for the catastrophe of my personality to seem beautiful again, and interesting, and modern." He writes, "Made me think of you. -- D" on the title page and walks down the street to mail the book to an unknown recipient.
Cast
Main Star
- Jon Hamm as Don Draper
- Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson
- Vincent Kartheiser as Pete Campbell
- January Jones as Betty Hofstadt
- Christina Hendricks as Joan Holloway
- Bryan Batt as Salvatore Romano
- Michael Gladis as Paul Kinsey
- Aaron Staton as Ken Cosgrove
- Rich Sommer as Harry Crane
- John Slattery as Roger Sterling
Guest Star
- Mark Moses as Herman Phillips
- Joel Murray as Freddy Rumsen
- Gabriel Mann as Arthur Case
- Anne Dudek as Francine Hanson
- Alison Brie as Trudy Vogel
- Missy Yager as Sarah Beth Carson
- Patrick Cavanaugh as Smitty Smith
- Denise Crosby as Gertie
- Crista Flanagan as Lois Sadler
- Seamus Dever as Chuck
- Scott MacArthur as Jim
- Sarah Drew as Kitty Romano
- Jennifer Siebel as Juanita
- Gerald Downey as Greg Harris
- David Bowe as Doctor Adams
- John Thaddeus as Driver
Co-Star
- Kiernan Shipka as Sally Draper
- Aaron Hart as Robert Draper
- Julie McNiven as Hildy
- Mark Kelly as Dale
- Deborah Lacey as Carla
- Michael C. Alexander as Delivery Man
- Edin Gali as Kurt Smith
- Jeff Grace as Jones
- Norma Micheals as Older Woman
- Frank Novak as Curtis
- Tess Alexandra Parker as Nurse