"Mad Men" Ladies Room (2007)

Director:

Alan Taylor

Writers:

Matthew Weiner (creator)
Matthew Weiner (written by)

TV Series:

"Mad Men" (2007)

Original Air Date:

26 July 2007 (Season 1, Episode 2)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Don Draper is reluctant to talk about his past, or his childhood, whether with his wife Betty or his boss Roger Sterling...

Plot Keywords:

1960s | Secretary | New York City | Advertising | Marriage

Cast

Jon Hamm	...	Don Draper
Elisabeth Moss	...	Peggy Olson
Vincent Kartheiser	...	Pete Campbell (credit only)
January Jones	...	Betty Draper
Christina Hendricks	...	Joan Holloway
Bryan Batt	...	Salvatore Romano
Michael Gladis	...	Paul Kinsey
Aaron Staton	...	Ken Cosgrove
Rich Sommer	...	Harry Crane
Maggie Siff	...	Rachel Menken (credit only)
Rosemarie DeWitt	...	Midge Daniels
Robert Morse	...	Bertram Cooper
John Slattery	...	Roger Sterling
Talia Balsam	...	Mona Sterling
Anne Dudek	...	Francine Hanson

Runtime:

47 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Lionsgate Television

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Don Draper presents his wife with the gift of a quartz wristwatch. The show is set in the early 1960s yet the quartz wristwatch was not developed until 1967 and the first production models arrived in 1969.

Quotes:

Don Draper: I can't decide... if you have everything... or nothing.
Midge Daniels: I live in the moment. Nothing *is* everything.

Movie Connections:

References "Shirley Temple's Storybook" (1958)

Soundtrack:

The Great Divide

"Most of the time it looks like you're doing nothing"

After the introduction of the pretty large ensemble cast (so large that two regulars are missing in this episode), the second hour of Mad Men takes the necessary time to have a closer look at some of the more troubled characters, mostly female, as indicated by the episode's title (Ladies Room).

Specifically, two ladies are at the center of the plot: Don's secretary Peggy, who gets to learn from Joan how to get a free meal from the male staff (possibly without giving them anything in return), and his wife Betty (January Jones), who we got a very brief glimpse of in the pilot's last scene. On the surface, she may look like an ordinary '60s housewife, but in reality something's not all right, and after a minor accident with the car she thinks it's better to receive some expert advice. Don, on the other hand, has to deal with the new assignment from his boss Bertram Cooper (Robert Morse) to work on Richard Nixon's campaign and Roger's suggestion that he open up a little about his personal life.

Compared to the previous episode, very little time is devoted to the usual ad job the guys have to do (this time it's a deodorant spray), in favor of some crucial psychological development: Peggy is already starting to come off as more complex than she appeared to be, but the real core of the show is the Drapers, one terribly secretive (Don), the other profoundly insecure and confused (Betty). Together, however, they try their best to carry on their reputation as a normal, happy American family. Just like those you see in advertisements.

The claim made by some critics that this could be the new Sopranos is even more justified now than it was in the pilot. Sure, there's no nudity or violence, and the swearing is limited to the occasional S-word (this isn't HBO or Showtime, after all), but with mood, characters and dialogue so perfect, who needs extra flesh, blood and profanity?