- Don is on the outside looking in on the forced indefinite paid leave from his job. While Ted heads back to New York for a few days, Don takes the opportunity to head to Los Angeles in part to meet with a California transformed Pete while he reunites with Megan, who is living full time there while pursuing what looks to be a promising acting career. Back in New York, Peggy avoids Ted at all cost while she learns to deal with the new "Don", Lou Avery, most specifically on the Accutron account for which she is getting consulting help from Freddie Rumsen. On top of that, she is also having to deal with being a landlady to who she believes are overly demanding tenants. Ken feeling overworked leads to Joan taking over his scheduled business meeting with Wayne Barnes, the new Head of Marketing for Butler Footwear. Barnes' news results in Joan taking what she hopes will be seen as decisive and preemptive action in overcoming a potential problem, action which she hopes demonstrates that she deserves to be more than just a glorified secretary. And Roger meets with Margaret on her request, the two who have been somewhat estranged over the last few months. Their individual new approaches to life may result in a friction-free reunion.—Huggo
- It's January 1969 and Don has yet to return to work. As a partner, he's still being paid and he takes the opportunity to to go to Los Angeles to visit Megan who is trying to get her acting career going. At SCP, Ken Cosgrove is feeling the pressure as head of accounts. The business has grown with Pete Campbell in L.A. and Bob Benson in Detroit. He asks Joan to meet with the new head marketing at Butler shoes. When she does, he tells her they may be moving their advertising in house. Joan goes on the offensive. Peggy meanwhile isn't much fun with her new boss who doesn't have much excitement for the job and she is again feeling under appreciated. Peggy is getting good ideas from freelancer Fred Rumsen but Fred has his own source of inspiration. Roger continues to explore his alternative lifestyle and is surprised when his daughter invites him out for Sunday brunch.—garykmcd
- "Mad Men" - "Time Zones" - April 13, 2014
We open on Freddie Rumsen making a gorgeous pitch for Accutron watches. The tagline is: "It's not a timepiece, it's a conversation piece."
We see that he's pitching Peggy who is incredibly impressed with the work. She calls it a home run and says it's not what she expected. He says there's a nice way to say that and the way she just said it. She likes "It's time for a conversation."
The phone rings in a littered, ramshackle hotel room. A naked woman on the floor picks it up and hands it to a naked Roger Sterling, also on the floor. He puts the phone on his privates. It's Margaret, they make a date for Sunday brunch. We see the room is full of young, naked hippies.
Sally, Stan, Ginsburg and the rest of the creative team go into Lou's office to present pitches.
Joan goes to see Ken who is screaming at his accounts men. Still wearing the eyepatch, Ken explains how overwhelmed he is as the new head of accounts with Bob in Detroit and Pete in L.A. He says he has no real help and he doesn't want to meet with Butler footwear's new head of marketing since that would be a step down for him in how he's viewed in the hierarchy. He tells Joan to tell him at the last minute that he couldn't make it.
In the creative meeting Peggy follows up on the Accutron pitch and Lou is unimpressed. She pushes for it and he says he doesn't care and rudely says so.
We cut to Don shaving in an airplane bathroom. He has arrived in L.A. to see Megan and she picks him up in a rocking convertible and does the driving too. They head to a quick dinner with her agent.
At the end of the day the creative team is looking at some film footage. Peggy sees Ted through the window and shuts the blind.
Cutler goes to see Ted and tries to tempt him with some fun but he demurs. Cutler wonders if Ted is done with his adventure and says he misses him. He offers to take Ted to the inauguration but Ted chooses to work instead.
Megan and Don meet with Alan Silver. He thinks Don looks like a matinee idol. Alan makes clear that he has no romantic interest in Megan. But he tells her "your girl is something." He tells her she's gotten a callback for the "Bracken's World" pilot. She thought the guy hated her, Alan says his boss loved her and that Megan evokes strong feelings. The callback is for NBC on Wednesday. Alan says they can hold off on fixing her teeth. Megan is excited. She and Don kiss and Alan says they are her favorite couple.
Joan meets Wade Barnes the Butler Footwear marketing guy and asks him about his new job. He says he gets paid to think about the four P's: price, product, place and promotion. He has a business degree and says advertising is a small part of the marketing mix and he wants to move all advertising in house since it would be cheaper. Joan tries to sell him on the firm in his absence. He isn't biting and says he's prepared to make his recommendation. He leaves to tuck in his kids. She asks him to hold off on making a recommendation until he meets with Ken. He says he will.
Don and Megan, a little tipsy arrive at her pad in Benedict Canyon. It's groovy and has a cool view. You can hear coyotes howling. He wonders if she doesn't want to move into a more populated area and that if feels like Dracula's castle. She says the coyotes are far away. They kiss but she begs off saying she's a little dizzy. He walks her to the bed. They will not be having sex in it. She says she'll make it up to him tomorrow. He tucks her in. She asks him not flick cigarettes off the balcony because she says they can tell how fires start. He sits and watches TV.
In the morning she wakes him on the couch. She's tying a new scarf he gave her on the head. She's leaving for an acting class. She tells him not to work all day.
Peggy arrives early and runs into Ted in the kitchen. It is supremely awkward. Stan arrives and said he thought Ted would be tan. Ted gets out of the way. Stan says none of this seems related to coffee. He tells Peggy to buck up and she says it's fine.
Pete meets Don for lunch and gives him a big hug. Pete likes this place because it's New York-ish diner where they offer sandwiches like the Brooklyn Avenue, pastrami with cole slaw right on it. He says the bagels are terrible. He says he lives in a 1BR by the tar pits but it's two floors. He says the city is brown and ugly but he likes the vibration. Don says he sounds like a hippie. Don says he's keeping busy and Pete reports on the accounts he's lined up. He wonders if Roger made an announcement. Don notes he wouldn't know. Pete says if it was up to him Don would be back already. He asks after Ted and Pete notices that Don timed it that Ted would be out of town. Pete says Ted has soured and maybe it's because he doesn't like the sun. Pete, however, loves it.
Pete shows him to his office, which is very nice, airy and bright. His "realtor" Bonnie shows up. She's helping him find the ideal pad. She smiles at him, they flirt. She gives him her card for when he's tired of commuting. It's clear she's also his girlfriend.
Joan goes to see a business professor she's paying to get some tips on how to help her manage her job. She brings him her Butler conundrum. He talks about the diversifying they should do. She asks if she can get an analysis in writing. He's very impressed with her. He asks if he can ask her something in trade. She blanches thinking he means sex. He's actually asking her for tips on how the advertising world works for an advertising research study he's doing. She is relieved and happy to talk about something she is an expert in.
Megan is making coq au vin and bread pudding for dessert. She tells him she's bought a bottle for him. Don has a huge new TV delivered to Megan and she is annoyed. He doesn't understand it since she actually hopes to be on it, why wouldn't she want a nice one. She says it's ostentatious and everyone she knows here is starving and she doesn't want him to jinx her. He says he didn't know an expensive gift would upset her. She says he's not here long enough for a fight.
Peggy's tenants have a clogged toilet and the son yells at her to fix it for his mother. She hands him a plunger and shuts the door on him.
Megan sleeps and Don watches a movie on the big new color TV. She wakes and they go to bed. He says they haven't "celebrated." She says she didn't know if he wanted to. He says he does. She turns out the light. They kiss but she seems off. She says she's nervous, about everything. They have sex but it seems pretty unsatisfying for her.
The next morning she lies on his chest, pensive. She says she hates that he has to leave. He says they have the rest of the day. He apologizes for having to get back to work. They kiss again.
Roger meets Margaret for brunch. She lays some weird trip on him. She's all blissed out and says everything's wonderful. She has clearly joined some new movement and the foundation of it is forgiveness. She says she when all is said and done "I forgive you." He says he forgives her too. He lobs it right back and she pressed on with the forgiveness. She says she forgives all of his transgressions, his abandonment of mother, making her ask for money, his intermittent interest in his grandson, the fact that he smells like incense, his current state of affairs. He wonders if he's supposed to apologize because he doesn't agree with all of that. She says it's fine there's nothing he can do to fix it. She says in her searching and with some help she's learned that anger can be vanquished by love. He asks If she's going to church and she says not in anyway he'd understands. He asks what she wants from him. She says nothing. They eat Eggs Benedict.
Don boards his flight home. He's seated next to a beautiful brunette, not that dissimilar from Sylvia. On their red eye she tells him that even though she still wears her ring she was in L.A. to scatter her husband's ashes. He wanted Pebble Beach but she had to settle for Plan B: Disneyland. She says he died of "thirst." It seems she is intimating he was an alcoholic who tried rehab but it didn't take. He touches her face tenderly. She says she's going to close her eyes now. When they land she wakes up on his shoulder. She says if she was his wife she wouldn't like this. He says she knows he's a terrible husband. She asks how long he's been married. He says not long enough. He says he really thought he could do it this time. She asks if she kicked him out. He says no, but she knows certain things. She tells him not to offer anymore, that's what people do. He wonders if he's a broken vessel. She says if he is what can he do about it. She offers to make him feel better. Don begs off for work. She is surprised.
Roger returns to his hotel room, in shambles. His hippie girlfriend asks where he was. He thinks this is square given their arrangement. She says she doesn't care if he was with someone. He says he wants to sleep and tells her to move over and move over the guy also in the bed. He lies down and stares at the ceiling.
Peggy arrives at work and her secretary tells her her tenant called again about the toilet. She tells her to call Anita and ask Jerry to come fix the toilet. Lou arrives and Peggy again tries to press him on Accutron and gives Freddie's original pitch. He blows her off. She tries to press again. He asks why she's making it so hard. He says she's immune to his charms.
Joan hears that Mr. Butler is coming in this week and is alarmed and has Clara get Wade Barnes on the line in Ken's office. (Ken is out.) She's mad at him, but controlled. He tells her not to get emotional even though she's fighting for her job. She says she's fighting for his job. He says he appreciates it and to not worry about him. She talks to him about his in-house ad idea and how it in fact is not that good and that they will be competing against other ad firms not other shoe companies for space and if there's a decline that will be his responsibility. He starts to get nervous and asks her what he should do. She tells him to cancel the meeting. He then says, "I'm asking you, what do I do." She says to tell them SCPA canceled the meeting since they needed time to firm up on their strategy. He says he needs to meet with Ken still. She says she'll firm it up. He says she had better.
Stan comes to Peggy and wonders why she's still pushing on Accutron, to the point where she's having boards drawn up. He tells her to give it up and she's essentially saying to Lou that she thinks he's stupid. She has an outburst and says everyone is a bunch of hacks and nobody cares if the work is mediocre. Stan is offended by that.
Don watches Nixon's inauguration speech at his apartment. Freddie is at Don's apartment. We learn that Don is writing pitches for Freddie to perform, Cyrano-style. Freddie notes the open balcony door but it's broken and he can't close it even though it's freezing. Freddie tells Don that Don is making quite a name for Freddie out there. Don notes he's still being paid. Freddie notes it's been two months, and that Don doesn't want to be damaged goods, Freddie knows.
Ken arrives and thanks Joan for fixing Butler. She says she bailed it out but thinks it's only a matter of time before they lose it. Ken says every account man has said that to him but none ever left an earring behind. Because of his poor depth perception he tries to toss it to her and misses wildly. He tells her stay out of his office.
Peggy returns home and Jerry is sleeping on the couch. He heads to back to Brooklyn even though it's late. He says he doesn't like to leave Anita alone. She locks the door behind him then crumples to the floor and begins to cry.
Don contemplates a bottle and puts it down and then heads out through the broken balcony doors and shivers in the night..
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