Unbound Edition - Attention Deficit Theatre: "Mad Men," Season Two, Episode 11

Ditch all of your commitments and responsibilities and watch as the Unbound Edition Players present "The Jet Set," otherwise known as "The One Where Don Flips His Wig and Goes Native."

Scene: The Sherry-Netherland hotel. Jane and Roger are basking in the afterglow while she pens a poem.

Jane (writing): You make me new with laughter, you make me old with wisdom, I can’t wait to get my paws on all of your money…

Jane: How do I know when I’ve trapped you? Margaret and Mona have been your life for the past 80 years or something.

Roger: Don’t you worry. I’m not impulsive. So totally not impulsive. Hey, let’s get married!

Scene: Sterling Cooper conference room. The team is gathered ‘round talking about deodorant.

Salvatore (paging through Playboy): This is absolutely titillating! Look at the gorgeous window treatments in this woman’s bedroom. How did they stitch that silk without puckering the fabric?

Pete: It sucks that you lost your luggage. I brought my swim trunks. Let’s horrify these women with the sight of me shirtless.

Fancy Pants Man with Accent: Excuse me. My friends and I have been stalking you. Are you an actor or an astronaut? That high schooler over there digs you. I am Viscount Monteforte d’Alsace. Which, in English, is “Willy.”

Willy: Certainly not. Your appearance and name are unsettling. See now, you’re upsetting Joy. Run along now. Look for us, Don.

Roger: Sure thing! Yes indeedy. I’ll bring it up at the next partners’ meeting and you’ll be rolling in partner money right away! Nah, I’m just messing with you. You’re nothing but a disappointment. Just ask Chauncey. No go make it rain so I can buy my new girl a bird.

Duck: Thank you for your candor. And by thank you, I mean I must crush you like a worm.

Joy: It’s a desert city 100 miles east of Los Angeles. But that isn’t important right now.

Don: No, I mean I never drive with strange women unless they don some garish headwear that looks like an ostrich flapping on their head.

Pete: Um. Let’s just give it a few more minutes. I think Don had to make an important call. Hey, would either of you like to see my swimsuit?

Joy: Everyone, I’d like you to meet my friend, Don. Don, these are all of my accented, pretentious, presumably rich friends who don’t work but have a lot of indiscriminate sex.

Don: My kind of people. Wow, this is like that Kubrick movie with the masks and robes and that creepy dwarf Tom Cruise. Group sex with Tom Cruise? Suddenly I don’t feel so well.

Joy: Don, you look uncomfortable. Why don’t you take off your 12-piece business suit and go swimming?

Scene: Later at the fancy pants house. Don wakes up to the sight of a bearded German man loading up a syringe.

Klaus. No, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. No Joy of Sex until you get some rest.

Scene: Later that night after a weird dinner where everyone clapped for Don because he’s (a) not dead and (b) able to play a word game that a turnip could play.

Scene: The next morning at Sterling Cooper. Various people gather around to eat donuts.

Scene: That night at a New York restaurant. Duck meets up with two former British colleagues, Saint John Powell and Alec Martin.

Saint John: We’re British. And I worked with that banshee Fran Drescher for six seasons on “The Nanny." I’ve earned it. How’s Chauncey?

Duck: Let’s cut to the chase. I’m a big wuss now that I’m sober. Can I come back and work at your firm?

Duck: Do you think I have nothing to offer you, you pretentious fop? I can get Sterling Cooper to sell. Roger has a 20 year old tramp fiancée, and his divorce won’t leave him a pot to piss in. GOD that tastes good!

Duck: Listen up, redcoat! I want to be president, and I want the head of Don Draper on a platter! Bwah ha ha!

Scene: That night at Peggy’s apartment. Kurt shows up to take her to the Bob Dylan concert.

Peggy: Oh, hi. You know, if there’s some dude you want to take tonight instead of me, that’s cool. First Pete, then I drug my feet on Salvatore, now you. What’s wrong with me?

Kurt: You’re ugly. But I fix you, since all gay men are stylists. Don’t worry, we’ll make it work.

Scene: The next day at the office. The team is watching t.v. coverage of race riots in Mississippi.

Duck: Remember that guy from “The Nanny?” Turns out he’s in advertising and wants to buy us.

Roger: Oooh, is this gonna be a sure thing like your great work with American Airlines? Yuk yuk.

Duck: Shut it, you homewrecking child molester, or I’ll have Weiner hire Fran Drescher as Jane’s live-in mom.

Duck: You’ll get mountains of money, and you won’t have to change the name. We’ll give them five days to make an offer.

Scene: The fancy pants house in Palm Beach. Don rifles through his wallet for a number and picks up the phone.

Don: It’s Dick Whitman. Yeah. I’d love to see you soon. Remind me to tell you about the time I drove Adam to kill himself. It’s a really funny story.

Don’s suitcase: Aw, crap. He’s off in Palm Beach living it up and mounting a 21 year old, and I’m stuck here watching Betty pass out on the couch? Jesus. That woman has more baggage than the carousel at LAX. Kill me.

Way to go, Weiner! This was the best of all 24 episodes. A commenter chided me earlier this season for something like always needing a climax (ahem), and this episode had ‘em in spades. Don runs away with the rich nomads! Kurt’s gay! Peggy’s hair is slightly improved! Don re-embraces his inner Dick! It was all surreal. And what was up with Willy getting the willies from Pete? He obviously remembered him from somewhere. And who do you think Don/Dick called at the end?

Here’s a look at the next episode, “The Mountain King.” This clip is all about Pete and Hildy the Nattering Fool, but the description on AMC also says Don meets with an old friend, so we’ll find out soon enough.

To read more articles by Kristin Ament, including "Attention Deficit Theatre" recaps of all "Mad Men" episodes, click here.

To read some of the coolest behind-the-scenes stuff about "Mad Men," check out our friends at Basket of Kisses.

...
written by PR, October 16, 2008 02:01 AM

Wonderful, Kristin. Thanks.

Your re-cap is the only thing that saved this waste of an hour...
written by Dick Whitman's Whore Child, October 16, 2008 06:20 AM

This episode had more fleas than Chauncy roaming the dockside looking for a new home.

I hope MM did not jump the shark with this one. Hopefully Weiner can pull it back together again before the season finale. The whole Palm Springs Euro-trash set totally lost me.

But Brava! Kristin, Brava...another amazing re-cap!

nanny jokes yay!
written by latenac, October 16, 2008 07:53 AM

Had to spend 20 minutes wiping coffee off of my computer after this -

Saint John: We’re British. And I worked with that banshee Fran Drescher for six seasons on “The Nanny." I’ve earned it. How’s Chauncey?

Thanks again for another great recap and getting it done during the work week so I could waste time.

I disagree, child
written by Damp Duvet, October 16, 2008 08:09 AM

Wha? I thought the entire episode was great. Admittedly, it was all about the male escape fantasy, so it probably played better with us gents in the audience. I think the "Eurotrash" set was just odd enough to seem dreamlike, encouraging viewers to suspend disbelief.

I dug it
written by Joe the Plumber, October 16, 2008 08:38 AM

I'm with Damp. Great episode all around. I had forgotten the awkward run-in with Count Blah Blah de Willy and Pete. What do you think the back story is? It does bum me out that now we're going to get a bunch of homophobic remarks from all of the office idiots. And is Smitty carrying a torch for Kurt? Just two more episodes this season? Where will it go? I will say it's much more interesting with Boring Betty out of the picture. Maybe Don will pull a Roger and dump her and run off with the 21-year-old. Doubtful, but a guy can dream.

Brits
written by Spridle, October 16, 2008 08:55 AM

Don't you love how English people pronounce St. John as "Sinjin?" Oh, fa fa fa faaaaa.

And why did Kurt leave Peggy's horrible bangs as is?

Don's vacay
written by Kiddo, October 16, 2008 09:11 AM

I loved this episode! Certainly one of the best of season 2! Liked that Don was stripped of his gray flannel life for a change. And Smitty coming out to the office mates was priceless. As was his chopping off Peggy's flaccid ponytail! Fabulous!

Gracias, Kristen, for another amazing recap!

Who was Don talking to on the phone?
written by The Big Ragoo, October 16, 2008 01:59 PM

Is there anyone left from Dick Whitman's nuclear family? His parents are dead, right, and we all know how things ended up for Adam. Who's left? What about that woman who showed up at the used car dealership in that flashback scene a few episodes ago? Now I'm very anxious for Sunday's episode to find out...

The Truth About Bangs! Warn your Daughters!
written by Former Bangs Victim, October 16, 2008 02:01 PM

All over the internet, people have been wondering when Peggy will get rid of the "horrible bangs."

The answer? When they grow out! And it takes a long time. There is no way to make them go away--unless you just shave your head & start over. Somehow, I don't see our Peggy waltzing into Sterling Cooper with a gleaming skull.

I learned this back in the 60's when I stopped teasing my hair & tried to emulate those British chicks with long straight hair & bangs. I'd plaster my naturally curly bangs with Dippity Doo & tape them flat until they dried. Eventually I had to remove the tape & go outside into Gulf Coast humidity. Sproing!! Finally I just gave up, let every hair grow & became a hippy. (Then began cutting my own hair during Punk Days.)

I'm sad that this season of MM is almost over & we don't even know--yet--when it will resume. At least the bangs may be gone when she reappears. We may even miss the "Using Barrettes Or a Headband to Hold Back the Former Bangs" stage....

(Love the recaps!)

bangs
written by Hell Toupee, October 16, 2008 02:16 PM

Not to make this a hairdo and hairdon't blog, but couldn't Kurt have done a side part and flattened them over to the side, Former Bangs Victim?

I hate to say it out loud, but I think Duck will off himself in this season's finale.

Agreed Toup
written by Blisstex, October 16, 2008 03:18 PM

Yeah, Duck's a goner. I say Don ends up returning just in time to block the deal with one of his stirring speeches, and Duck tries to fly from the roof. Pete will adopt his own baby, and Sal will woo Kurt.

...
written by Sillyme, October 16, 2008 04:02 PM

Kristin, you made me LOL at "remind me to tell you the funny story about how I got Adam to kill himself.." You are hilarious!! I love your re-caps.

Will it be the lady from the train?
written by Dick Whitman's Whore Child, October 16, 2008 06:47 PM

I don't think he called the blonde from the flashback. She struck me as being one of the real Don Draper's relatives (after all, as far as they knew, he was still alive some place). I doubt she'd be too sympathetic to his story.

That leaves two others who we have come across so far who could know Dick Whitman. One is the old army buddy from episode one, the one he met on the commuter train home (not likely it was him he called). The other is the woman who took him by the arm and walked him back to the club car while the body of the real Don Draper was being offloaded. (Of course he had already begun to assume the identity of Don Draper by then.)

If it turns out to be the lady from the train, I think that would be a stroke of genius.

Uncle Mack was right.
written by Ghost of Adam, October 16, 2008 08:15 PM

Uncle Mack was right, Don is weak. My brother had a lot more than heat stroke to worry about in Palm Springs. And will Season 2 end with another suicide?

Fun episode
written by CP, October 16, 2008 09:41 PM

Re. Count Vichyssoise de Marmaduke:

LOTS of people are not happy to see Pete arrive and start talking, even if they don't know him! It's a special talent of his. Maybe the Viscount swindled Pete's dad. Or maybe the Viscount is a pimp and provided girls to Pete's dad. He seemed pretty pimpish to me at first.

Male escape fantasy? Well, yes, but there's something even more simple and primal than that, and that's just the insert-seed-in-Joy fantasy. Ask me how I know. Oof. I'm in love.

Yep, I've been suspecting/fearing Pete adopting his own child. If I were Peggy, I'd hate to see that prick raise my child.

So, who are zees Eurotrash? My first guess, if That Darned Weiner wants to go off into Sillyland (and he sure did in last year's last episode), is that they're all international jewel thieves and Don runs off to join them on the road for high crimes and swanky fun. But that would, uh, be the end of Mad Men as a show about Madison Ave. Slightly too stupid for That Darned Weiener.

So, my other theory: they want to sell Don a time share condo. Hard sell tactics, I know, using a honeytrap, drugging him once or twice, and rifling through his wallet, but I've heard that the time share folks have dialed back their hard-sell tactics a little bit since the good old days.

Or, they're Communist spies and they really did fear he was a spy.

I do feel a little cheated. It's just cheating, to drop Satyr Don off in SoCal in the early 60's, while the rest of the country is still stodgy.

I haven't been keeping score of Don's conquests or anything (are we up to 6? I think it's 6) but at what point are these people going to all get the herpes? Just wonderin'.

One more prediction: aren't we steaming towards JFK getting shot soon?

Don's wallet
written by CP, October 16, 2008 09:44 PM

P.S. From 2008, looking back, when I heard that the Eurotrash rifled through Don's wallet, my first thought was, AIEE! Identity theft!

Then I realized... stealing Don Draper's identity, eh? Heh heh. He was just borrowing it himself.

(Now, if they steal his Cadillac and vomit in it, that's some serious s***.)

Kurt's a homo!
written by Mary, October 17, 2008 03:42 AM

That line just really couldn't be improved on, could it?

Also loved the part about threatening to bring in Fran Dresher as Jane's live in mother!

This season's last episode
written by Rondi, October 17, 2008 07:43 AM

CP, JFK's assassination is a year and bit off. Unless Weiner does another time jump, my guess is that this season will end with the Cuban Missile Crisis, and everyone thinking they're going to get nuked. This will allow them to scratch their itches on the grounds that they may die soon (Don already does that of course, but I'm thinking of Sal) and or cling to what they know (perhaps Roger will go back to Mona). It could also prompt some suicides.
As for bangs...they do have a good use. Now that I am over 40 (but just!) they help cover up lines on my forehead. But they have to be longish, wispy bangs, not like Peggy's silly short bangs. So glad she got rid of her spit curls, at least.

the head spins
written by Kristin, October 17, 2008 08:48 AM

Now that you mention the idea of Joy and the Kubrickian weirdos drugging Don to sell him a great timeshare in Boca, I remember that scene in the pool where he was looking into his wine glass, and there's this strange film all over the glass, which one usually doesn't find with your basic California Pinots. And did he swig something right before the alleged heat stroke? That would be awesome...drugging Don and stealing his identity, which of course was already stolen from someone else.

feeling ignorant
written by helenof, October 17, 2008 10:16 AM

Peggy: "then I drug my feet on Salvatore" -- sorry, I don't get the reference -- was Peggy interested in Sal at any point?

Pop goes the culture
written by TJ, October 17, 2008 11:06 AM

Hope you are feeling better, Kristin. Great job this week on the pop culture references. As a PR viewer I especially liked the "make it work" line and, "How did they stitch that silk without puckering the fabric?"

Don't think there was a film on Don's wine glass; looked like air bubbles formed in the glass. The significance of the shot was the crack in the glass; could mean the folks in the "jet set" are not what they appear to be, or perhaps Don's world is cracking... so many meanings -- Damn that Weiner!

Helen
written by Damp Duvet, October 17, 2008 11:09 AM

I read that as creative license... just poking fun of her bad taste in men. I don't think there was anything to suggest Peggy had an interest in Sal.

Hidey, Helen
written by Kristin, October 17, 2008 02:39 PM

Yeah, that was supposed to be Peggy insinuating that she makes crap choices in dudes while all of the great, eligible, totally straight ones, like Salvatore, were snatched up by the likes of Kitty.

Boho Dick?
written by Midwest Expresso, October 19, 2008 07:45 PM

I thought both the episode and the recap were great! I totally missed the crack in Don's glass. I thought he was gazing at the drink and thinking how he uses alcohol to escape everything. The boy reminded me of the young Don in the flashbacks. I wondered if Don was calling someone he has kept in contact with, as Dick, over the years. It seems like there would have been more exuberance (even phony) if it was an old war buddy.

Although Don has his fake businesslike identity; he seems to gravitate toward people and things that are more artsy. He skipped out to see the foreign film. He hung out with Midge and Rachel. He bought the book and is taking up with Joy and the Europeans. Maybe Dick is bohemian and we are getting glimpses of the real Dick (pardon the pun)personal preferences all along. He could be calling the person he sent the book to. Maybe the "D" stood for Dick. I can't wait for tonight's episode and really can't wait for the recap!

don the boho
written by sonofkato, October 20, 2008 09:29 AM

Good point, Midwest Expresso, about Don's "wanna' be" free spirit...he does serve as a foil of sorts for the bohemian point-of-view...those who rejected the corporate identity as a sequence of lies...about self, soul, identity, and spirit...Don feels the weight of those lies...

I have yet to see Sunday's episode and do not know who Don met up with--but the past has served as a central theme in this show--especially the past as viewed through the prism of Don's impressionistic self--we have seen many symbols of it, from the medal of honor in Korea, to the Kodak carousel (and his knock out of a presentation), and on to his various recollections that seem to separate the decent from the not so decent

don is a creative director
written by neorush, October 20, 2008 01:59 PM

don is a creative director, of course he's "artsy"

Kristin, you or me? One of us must...
written by Ghost of Adam, October 20, 2008 07:07 PM

Dearest Kristin, You must think of something truly nasty to say about the Evil Dr. that Joan is involved with, one of us must put him somewhere beyond the point of no return. He leaves her alone, he lives. He doesn't, he moves into my neighborhood. Only the warmer version.

Roast that Weiner
written by TJ, October 20, 2008 09:20 PM

Poor Joan. That scene was harsh. I found it ironic, though, that they were in Don's office. It reminded me of this exchange from ADT Episode 9:

Jane: You have NO idea what I'm doing on your desk when you're not looking.
Chauncey: Call me, babe.

I noticed Betty was wearing pants in every scene. Then she's bleeding on the pants. Quite the metaphor.

And two hoots for Pegs! Of course, as soon as she moved into the new office she's hitting the bottle. They grow up so fast...

Don't you worry, Ghost o' Adam.
written by Kristin, October 21, 2008 08:36 AM

Dr. Evil will be punished for his actions by the Unbound Edition players.

Peggy boozing
written by helenof, October 21, 2008 01:01 PM

Yes -- must be something in the air of that office!

Oh, No You Di'int!
written by TJH in NYC, October 21, 2008 05:58 PM

Best brief moment: Bert Cooper's sister Alice remarks to Roger that he has to think of his “children.” He reminds her that he only has one child. “Really?” sez Alice.

All I could think about at that moment was Kristin -- in a flash anthropomorphic brilliance -- having Alice's mink stole look directly into the camera and say "ZING!"

For you, TJH, anything.
written by Kristin, October 22, 2008 08:05 AM

The minks will have a line this week. I hope to get it up (so to speak) later today.