Mad Men 4x12

Due to Roger Sterling’s ineffectiveness, the firm has lost Lucky Strike, and now they may be on the brink of bankruptcy. Don has pressured Faye for a meeting with a Heinz executive, who shows interest and is excited about Don’s ideas, but remains reluctant going into business with a firm that may not exist anymore in six months. How are they to attract new clients and remain financially solvent like this? Then they are offered an exclusive meeting with Philip Morris for their new brand of women’s cigarettes. They have everything in place for another cigarette brand, so it seems like their best shot. Still, Lane Pryce remains worried and implores they reduce staff and office space. He also requires a substantial collateral contribution from all the partners. Pete Campbell panics, because he doesn’t have the required $50,000 (even if that’s only half of what the senior partners’ share). Everyone at the office is nervous about losing their jobs. When push comes to shoves, it turns out Philip Morris was just using the pitch meeting as leverage with another firm. The deal goes up in smoke, so to say. Don understands they look too desperate.

Then my girl Peggy reminds Don of what he used to say, “If you don’t like what they’re saying about you, change the conversation.” Once home, he tears out his old journal entries (another interesting comment on that lone episode with Don’s voice-overs) – and starts writing a note, “Why I’m Quitting Tobacco.” He admits it’s addictive, causes illness, never gets better, but earned him big money when they were working for Lucky Strike. What is he doing? Is he seriously quitting? No, he changed the conversation by putting in a full-page ad in the New York Times, without consulting his partners, mind you. The next day the office is all abuzz, phones ringing everywhere, everyone unsure what Don was thinking, and his partners furious they weren’t included. Bert Cooper walks out and resigns. Don’s secretary Megan tells him she admires his guts. It’s like “he didn’t dump me, I dumped him,” she explains. Something good came out of it, too, because the American Cancer Society wants to go into business with SCDP. At the end of the day, Pete also learns that Don paid Pete’s share (no doubt to keep him quiet). He’s grateful for not having to go against his wife’s demand that he won’t lose their savings in the firm.

Meanwhile, Sally is trying to make nice with Betty and Henry. Not because she is no longer mad, or because therapy is helping, but because that weird kid Glen told her to kiss her mom’s ass. Betty doesn’t really believe Sally’s making progress, but Sally’s therapist thinks they may reduce their sessions to just once a week. Sally keeps seeing Glen secretly, until Betty catches them together. Mind you, Betty knows better than Sally what a weird little freak this kid is. During dinner Betty tells Henry she wants to move. Typical – if you don’t know how to handle a situation, walk away from it. For his part, Don bumps into an old flame, Midge (back from season 1), who we learn tracked him down to sell him a painting. She’s become addicted to heroin and needs money. Don’s appalled but offers her some money and walks away with one of her paintings. It seems like a lose thread in the plot. Are we going to hear from her again next week? At any rate, what a marvelous show! I am very impressed how this season keeps us on the edge of our seats wondering what is going to happen next. Almost imperceptibly Don has found his center of gravity again, taking the reins even if he cannot know whence he is going.