- A plane crash causes the firm to go after the account for the airline involved and drop the smaller airline they have an account with. Peggy pays a visit to her mother and sister, who are now guardians of a child.
- A conflict of interest does not deter the Sterling Cooper agency from aggressively pursuing an airline account. Also, Paul introduces his special somebody to his Sterling Cooper colleagues when he throws a party at his place, and Peggy has dinner with her family.—Anonymous
- The crash of American Airlines Flight 1 on March 1, 1962 leads to friction at the office. Duck Phillips immediately contacts the airline and gets signals that they might be looking for a new agency to re-build their image. Don Draper thinks the whole thing is nonsense and argues against giving up the Mohawk Airlines account just to sit down with AA. He's overruled however and Roger Sterling orders him to deliver the bad news to Mohawk. Pete Campbell learns that his father was on that aircraft and decides to use this information to raise his profile at the agency. He also learns that his father died penniless and that he may have also spent a good part of his mother's trust fund. Peggy pays a visit to her mother and sister, who are now guardians of a child. Paul Kinsey throws a party at his New Jersey apartment and introduces his girlfriend to his friends. The next day, Joan Holloway tells him exactly why she thinks he's adopting this more bohemian lifestyle.—garykmcd
- On March 1, 1962, American Airlines flight #1 crashes in Jamaica Bay killing ninety-five on board. This incident places a general pall over New York. On the professional front at Sterling Cooper, the immediate issue is the ads they've produced for rival airline, Mohawk, and the public sensitivities required regarding airlines and flying in general. But an opportunistic Duck learns through one of his old contacts at American, almost immediately following the crash, that American may want to change advertising agencies to re-brand the airline to get the public mindset away from the crash. In pursuing that account, Sterling Cooper would have to drop the Mohawk Airlines account due to a conflict of interest. Duck is supported by both Bertram and Roger on this move, but Don think it crass and unloyal, especially for just a shot at the American account. On a more personal issue, Pete learns that his father was on that flight. He is having trouble mourning the passing of his father. What's more, Pete learns through his brother, Bud, in dealing with the estate that his father squandered all the family's money - including some of his mother's trust fund - on a lavish lifestyle leaving the family estate worthless. Back at the office, Duck tries to convince Pete that he should be one of the major faces in the presentation to American due to his family tragedy. Although both Duck and Pete realize the request is insensitive and opportunistic, Pete does not say no. On other issues outside the office, Peggy pays a visit to her mother and sister, who are now guardians of a child. Paul, living an artist's lifestyle in New Jersey, throws a party with his Sterling Cooper colleagues in attendance. The party is in part to introduce his new girlfriend Sheila, who happens to be black, to his friends. About his lifestyle including dating outside his race, Joan accuses Paul of wanting to appear more liberal in his attitude than he actually is. And an unknown someone uses the office photocopying machine on a gag at Joan's expense.—Huggo
- "Mad Men" - "Flight 1"- August 3, 2008
Previously on: Kinsey pissed off Joan by telling people he slept with her; Pete's dad asked him what he has done with the name his family has given him; Don wasn't happy with the pitches for Mohawk Airlines; Pete tried to blackmail Don; Duck told Don there are other ways to think of things than the way Don does; Betty told Don that Francine told her that Carlton has been having an affair; Peggy shunned her baby.
Credits
Pete and Trudy arrive at a party at Kinsey's new apartment in Jersey; apparently it's in a not-so-good neighborhood and they're worried about the car. Inside, people are drinking and dancing. Pete and Lovely spot the Crains, who were also worried about the neighborhood. Pete and Lovely go to get drinks. They spot Peggy chatting with a man named Eugene she just met. Kinsey comes over and gives them drinks. Pete wants to know why Kinsey moved to Jersey; he says it's because "it's America" as opposed to Greenwich Village. Kinsey talks up Montclair: art galleries, antiques, etc.
Eugene hits on Peggy and calls her a "button." Cosgrove is hitting on a girl near Sal and his lady- who I just realized is Sarah Drew from "Everwood" with big poufy hair.
Joan explains to Kinsey that her doctor boyfriend isn't in attendance because he's on-call. He says he can't wait to meet him because he has a pain in his side. Joan reminds him they've already met. Kinsey says of course he remembers the big, handsome Doc. He explains his big fancy glass holds a very special liquor from a shipwreck. He introduces Joan to Sheila, his girlfriend who is an assistant manager at a Jersey grocery store. Sheila is saving for school. Oh, and she's Black. Kinsey gets called away to deal with a noise/marijuana smell complaint from a neighbor. Kinsey instructs them not to speak to each other.
Alone, Joan and Sheila speak to each other. Sheila's from Jersey. She's glad to be putting faces to names. Joan tells her that she's glad they're together because when she and Paul were together the last thing she would've taken him for was "open-minded." Sheila compliments her purse.
Kinsey and Cosgrove hug and Cosgrove points out that he spies a typewriter from across the room that Kinsey stole from the office, an incident that almost got a secretary fired. "But she didn't," Kinsey points out. Kinsey says he needs it because he's a writer.
In the hallway Peggy is making out with Eugene. He asks her to come home with him. She asks why she should. He says because they're having fun and she knows she wants to. She says she's in the persuasion business and she's disappointed by his presentation and walks away.
The next morning she lies in bed still in her dress as the phone rings. She ignores it.
It's morning and Don and Roger are in the elevator going to work talking about a parade for Colonel Glenn. In the office the phones are ringing off the hook as everyone is crowded around a radio. Roger, exasperated, asks Don, "Can I just fire everyone?" He yells but no one turns around. He thinks they're listening to the parade but he discovers it's news coverage of American Airlines Flight 1 to Los Angeles, which just went down in Jamaica Bay.
Peggy arrives late, with a vacuum cleaner, unnoticed. Don tells them to turn off the radio and pull all Mohawk Airlines stuff. Kinsey says it wasn't Mohawk. Don points out that they don't want people opening their morning paper and seeing a Mohawk ad next to a floating engine. He tells the rest of them to stop crying and figure out how they're going to hit the ground running in three weeks with new work.
They not only stop crying, they immediately start cracking bad plane crash jokes. Including Pete.
Roger is in Bert Cooper's office talking about French girls. Duck comes in tells them to tell Draper to pull all Mohawk ads. Bert, who is eating, points out that Don knows that. Duck has just gotten a call from an American Airlines bigwig who's making it known they might be interested in going with a new firm, one that can help them spin this tragedy.
Pete is in his office on the phone. He hangs up looking shocked. He pours himself a drink. He walks out of his office, drink in hand, and looks around. Hildy asks if he's okay. He doesn't answer. He walks into Don's office and tells him that his brother just told him that their father was on the plane that went down. Don is also shocked now. He says he's sorry to hear that. Pete says he doesn't know what to do, he just saw him at the barber. Don shuts the door and gets him a drink as Pete asks "what does one do? Make arrangements I guess." He asks Don what he should do. Don tells him to go home. Pete says he's not sure if he knew how old his dad was and someone is going to ask that. Pete says he's not going to tell anyone and then wonders if he's going to cry. Don tells him that he's had a shock and he shouldn't worry about his feelings. He tells him to go home because that's what people do. Pete wonders if that's what Don would do. He says it is. Pete doesn't seem to believe this. He says everything is exactly the same and seems puzzled by this. Don tells him to go home. Pete wonders about the Stouffer's meeting. Don says he'll cancel it. He opens the door and tells Pete "there's life and there's work." Pete leaves and he pats him on the back. Pete walks by some guys still making plane crash jokes. Lois tells Don that Bert wants to see him.
Don enters Bert's office and assures him that everything is okey-dokey with Mohawk. Duck, Roger, and Bert lay the American phone call on Don. Duck says it's not for sure, but, he thinks if they get rid of Mohawk as a gesture then they'll probably get American as a client. Don is reasonably outraged. It's been three or four hours since the crash and he needs to be excused from seeing bodies in the bay as an opportunity. He points out they have an airline, and the one whose planes didn't just fall out of the sky. Bert laughs at this, saying "that's good." Duck doesn't see the problem. He says he knows Don's dream was that American would see Mohawk's awesome ads and call them up saying "get me that guy," but it didn't work out that way. Don doesn't want to burn their good, smaller client for the bigger fish. ($1 million for Mohawk versus $7 million for American.) Duck can't believe it. Don leaves in a huff. Roger says he'll be fine.
In the Campbell living room Pete's mother, in shock, is saying she needs to cancel her plans to go to Sarasota and "of course, Andrew's return flight." Mother Campbell is sitting on the couch with Pete's sister-in-law. Pete is seated in a chair with Trudy standing behind him. Bud's on the phone with the family lawyer trying to make arrangements. Mother Campbell is overwhelmed. She asks Trudy about a pink elephant behind her on the mantle. She doesn't know what it is and tells Trudy to take it. Sister-in-law says she thought her pops-in-law was a nice-mannered man whom her father admired. Trudy thinks this is nice.
Pete gets up to make a drink and Bud comes in. Bud tells his mom it's all taken care of. He joins Pete at the bar. He tells Pete that the lawyer gave him the unpleasant news that their father was broke. Pete wonders if there's enough for a funeral. Bud says he knows it's not as if the idea of a will never crossed Pete's mind. Pete says, "We weren't going to get that." Bud corrects him, "You weren't." Pete asks about their mother's money. Also, not so good. Seems their father frittered away most of her money, too. "Oysters, travel, and club memberships." Pete wonders if Mom knows. Bud says Pete can feel free to tell her. Bud again reassures Mom, "It's all taken care of." Mom, who is named Dot, says "your father called you salt and pepper."
In the Draper kitchen Don returns and Betty tells him she made him a ham sandwich, as she's preparing the coffee set. Apparently, Carlton and Francine are coming over for cards. Exasperated Don wonders "didn't we just do that." Betty points out the last time was before Christmas. The kids want to play cards, too. Don goes to lie down for a bit. Betty tells the kids they can say hello then it's off to bed.
Don's daughter brings him a drink, Carlton compliments her. Carlton is fat now. (It's the same kind of fat suit they gave Peggy last year). Bobby is snacking on candy and Don shoos him away to watch TV. Carlton talks about how the kids are growing up so fast and points out that the "Carruthers girl" is over babysitting. Don says he doesn't know her. Carlton says he'd remember and gets all lascivious about her Catholic schoolgirl uniform. Don rolls his eyes. Carlton says Francine brought her in to torture him. He complains that everything he does rubs her the wrong way. He got rid of his apartment in the city and he's taking her to Nassau but she's still mad at him. "There was a pie, cooling in the window sill, and I'm not even supposed to smell it?" Carlton laments. Daughter comes in looking for advice on how to make Tom Collins' for the ladies. Don instructs her how.
Peggy walks in a house with the vacuum cleaner. Her mom and sister sit at a kitchen table smoking. Peggy is glad to see they didn't wait dinner for her. Her mother says they couldn't, given the late hour. Work, says Peggy, who compliments her mother's hair. Sis agrees, telling Peggy that Mom fought with the hairdresser. Mom offers food, Peggy declines. Mom says that a neighbor saw the plane crash. She tries to give Peggy food, which she protests saying she already ate. Mom: "You say you're coming to dinner and you already ate?" Peggy says she came because she wanted to see them. Sis says they never see her. Peggy laughs and says "I'm here, right now." Mom tells her she has such a pretty face. They gossip about neighbors who are asking after her at church. Peggy says it doesn't mean the same thing to her as it does to her mom. Mom says she thinks her father would like it if Peggy lit a candle for him. She gets up and rubs her face and tells Peggy she prays for her. She leaves.
Alone, Sis tells Peggy that Mom lies and says Peggy is always out of town on business and has made up a church that she goes to in Wilkes-Barre, PA to explain why Peggy is never at their church. Peggy says no one asked her to lie. Sis points out that their mother won't be here forever and would it kill her to go to church once in a while? Peggy says she doesn't want to and she's capable of making her own decisions. Sis responds, "Really? The State of New York didn't think so; the doctors didn't think so." Mom wonders if Peggy returned with the vacuum with a clean bag. Peggy replies in the affirmative.
Over at the Draper house the two couples are playing cards talking about a new apartment complex. The kids are listening on the stairs. Conversation stalls. They talk about the plane crash. Bobby sneaks in to get more candy. Betty tells him to go to bed. He's scared. Don goes to take him upstairs. Betty says when she was a child she would've been more frightened of her father than of going to sleep. Carlton says he hated going to sleep. Betty says she bets he did as he was told. He says he did, with a flashlight and a stack of comic books. She says she doesn't care what they do when they're up there she just likes a few hours of quiet. Francine says her son tests her patience. Don returns saying that Bobby thought he saw a ghost. Betty calls him a little liar. Don is mildly aghast. She explains that she discovered that he turned in a tracing as a freehand drawing. Don says his whole art department is run on tracing paper, "why reinvent the wheel?" Betty wins the rest of the hands. She says she doesn't care about the tracing, she cares about him taking praise for something he didn't do.
Peggy and Sis are drying and putting away dishes and Peggy asks Mom if she wants anything from the library. Mom says no. Peggy says she has to take off since she has work in the morning. Mom calls her a busy bee. As she walks out, Sis asks, "Aren't you going to say goodnight?" Peggy walks into a bedroom where there are two small children sleeping - one says "Hi, Aunt Peggy"- and a baby in a crib. She takes a brief look at the baby, shuts the door, and walks out stone-faced.
In the Draper kitchen Don and Betty clean up after cards and gossip about Helen Bishop. Don points out that Carlton has gained a few pounds. Betty says it's nice that Carlton's filled out, "it shows he's happy." Don doesn't agree and Betty immediately wants to know what Carlton said. Don says he didn't say anything. Betty says he should be happy and showering Francine with love after what he put her through, she's getting worked up. Don says he doesn't want to fight, he'll say whatever she thinks he should say but he won't fight. She stalks out with the trash and lights a cigarette outside.
Don goes up to the kids' room and Bobby is sleeping with his sister. Don sighs. (Either because his son was scared and Betty is so heartless about it, or because his son's a wuss. It's not clear).
In the Campbell bedroom Trudy has just gotten out of the shower wrapped in a towel. Pete chuckles. She asks what's funny. He says he just remembered in the last conversation he had with his dad they were arguing about whether a certain dude bred Boston Terriers or French Bulldogs. Trudy says she's sorry they were arguing and that neither of them knew it was the last time they would speak. Pete is bemused that they were "fighting about facts," as his mother calls it. Arguing over something that is, in fact, one thing or another. Turns out Pete was wrong; they were French Bulldogs. He says when he woke up he felt fine for a minute, and then he remembered. She tells him to remember the good times. He says, "Right."
Joan is chatting with another secretary as Kinsey walks up and sends the other woman away. Joan goes up to him and asks if something's wrong. He says he's avoiding her if she hadn't noticed. She tells him that if it's the typewriter, he doesn't have to worry; she's not going to tell. It's not. He's wondering what she said to Sheila. Joan feigns ignorance, saying "Describe her to me." Kinsey is about to call her a racist but not before she can call him a phony. She says what he's doing is obvious and that the conversation with a supermarket check out girl must be stimulating. Kinsey thinks she's jealous. "Because you're the one who got away?" she taunts with a laugh. She mocks his "little rich boy apartment," his pipe, and his beard, and then suggests that he's "falling in love with that girl just to show how interesting you are." He's hurt. She taunts him, "Go ahead. What part is wrong?" He walks away.
Duck comes into Pete's office. He read about Pete's dad in the Times. He offers his condolences and compliments his skills in the office. And then literally 90 seconds later asks him to come to the American Airlines meeting. (Yikes! But really, when you think about it, good PR move.) He wants Pete leading the way. Pete doesn't think he should do that in light of the fact that it just happened and he hasn't even cried yet. Duck understands.
In the break room, a male hand is seen taking Joan's purse out of her locker.
In Don's office, Don buzzes Lois and says "can you come in here with the papers I asked for?" Lois does. Roger enters and tells him to cut Mohawk Airlines loose. Don thinks this is a desperation move to get American. Don is outraged he's going to have to look like a jerk. Roger tells him to take off his dress and do it.
Pete, out of sorts, come out of his office and asks Hildy to get his wife on the phone and then changes his mind. He stares across at Peggy. He goes into Don's office. Don, still steaming, asks, "What do you want, Campbell?" He barks at Pete, "It's not a good time." Pete leaves.
Some girls are giggling at a posting on the bulletin board as Joan walks in. Kinsey photocopied her driver's license, which shows she's 31. Joan asks Peggy if she saw who did it. Peggy says no and that she never would've guessed that Joan was in her 30s. Joan says people shouldn't bring their personal problems into the office and wonders why they can't leave that stuff at the door and do their jobs. Peggy agrees wholeheartedly and says she looks forward to just that. Joan says they can't stand it, they just want you to be as miserable as they are. She says let them have it.
Don cuts Mohawk Airlines loose in a tense, short meeting with its boss. He says it wasn't his idea. The Mohawk boss says he heard that Sterling Cooper was Don Draper. The boss says he can't believe he fell for the Sterling Cooper routine that they cared about growing with their clients.
Duck is meeting with the head of American. Pete shows up after all and talks up SC's commitment and enthusiasm for the project and how important building up the public's confidence in them is, and that he understands what American man is going through. When Pete informs that his father was on Flight 1, American man offers his condolences. Pete hard sells "it's a horrible thing, hopefully something good will come of it." American man says he'll pass it on.
Back at the restaurant, Don, now alone drinks. The pretty Asian waitress comes over and offers him a menu, and maybe a little something more. He says not tonight. He leaves.
In church Peggy's sister tries to quiet the baby. When it's time for communion, Sis rises and hands the baby to Peggy who looks crazy awkward holding it, and the baby begins to cry. Mom takes communion. The baby continues to cry and Peggy looks like she's trying to keep it together.
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