Indian Summer (4 Oct. 2007)

Peggy is given the opportunity to write copy for a new weight loss device that everyone knows is useless. She finds an interesting use for it, however. Afraid of losing the Lucky Strike ... See full summary »

Director:

Tim Hunter

Writers:

Matthew Weiner (creator), Tom Palmer,

Stars:

Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Jon Hamm	...	Don Draper
Elisabeth Moss	...	Peggy Olson
Vincent Kartheiser	...	Pete Campbell
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
Robert Morse	...	Bertram Cooper
John Cullum	...	Lee Garner, Sr.
John Slattery	...	Roger Sterling
Talia Balsam	...	Mona Sterling
Anne Dudek	...	Francine Hanson

Storyline

Peggy is given the opportunity to write copy for a new weight loss device that everyone knows is useless. She finds an interesting use for it, however. Afraid of losing the Lucky Strike cigarette account, Bert Cooper gets Roger Sterling to come in for a one-hour meeting but he has another attack. Don Draper becomes a partner and takes over for his friend Roger, but some of the ad men are sharpening their resumes nonetheless. Pete Campbell wants a promotion but Draper doesn't seem too interested. Pete sneaks into Don's office and takes home a parcel sent by Adam addressed to Don that the mail room boy comes to deliver.

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Plot Keywords:

weight loss | washing machine | male wearing makeup | corporate ladder | air conditioner | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 October 2007 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lionsgate Television, American Movie Classics (AMC), Weiner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

46 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

"Agua de Beber" ("Water to Drink") by Astrud Gilberto plays on the soundtrack during Betty's fantasy sequence, at the end of which it sounds like it's actually playing on the radio. This episode was set in October 1960; "Agua de Beber" wasn't released until 1965, on The Astrud Gilberto Album.

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Quotes

Peggy Olson: Those people - in Manhattan - they are better than us. Because they want things they haven't seen.

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Connections

Features Make Room for Daddy (1953)

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Soundtracks

"Agua de Beber"
(uncredited)
Lyrics by Vinicius de Moraes
Music by Antonio Carlos Jobim
Performed by Astrud Gilberto with Antonio Carlos Jobim
playing on radio during Betty's fantasy

User Reviews

Schemes and promotions

Approaching the end, the first season of Mad Men starts building up a solid narrative arc that merges plot strands from previous episodes to form something that will greatly impact the season finale and, hopefully, what comes next, as well.

The main arc of Indian Summer concerns the future of Sterling Cooper in the wake of Roger's heart attack: Bertram Cooper asks him to come in to help with the Lucky Strike account, but the effort proves too much for Roger, who is promptly sent home and replaced by Don, now named a senior partner. This event prompts several employees to consider job offers elsewhere, but Pete Campbell decides to openly challenge fate and ask for a promotion. When Don doesn't pay attention to his request, Pete reacts in a way that could have devastating consequences. Amusing subplot: Peggy is asked to test a weight loss machine so she can write copy for the ad campaign, and discovers through that humiliating experience that the apparatus can have another unexpected function.

The joy of Indian Summer is all in the performances, the nuances that make each interaction between the actors a treat to watch and hear: Slattery is excellent in the few scenes he's given, Robert Morse is valuable support as his partner and the Don/Pete scenes are as tense and brilliant as one has come to expect. The plotting is equally exquisite, showing that beneath the immaculate facade there's much more, as is evident in the closing moments, which provide a powerful build-up for the finale. A lesson in televised storytelling.