A Night to Remember (14 Sep. 2008)

Betty becomes suspicious that Don is having an affair after her conversation with Jimmy Barrett, Joan helps out in the television department, and Peggy helps the church with a dance flyer.

Director:

Lesli Linka Glatter

Writers:

Matthew Weiner (creator), Robin Veith,

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
John Slattery	...	Roger Sterling
Mark Moses	...	Herman 'Duck' Phillips
Colin Hanks	...	Father John Gill
Talia Balsam	...	Mona Sterling
Sam Page	...	Greg Harris
Audrey Wasilewski	...	Anita Olson Respola

Storyline

For the Heineken beer account, Don and Duck think that targeting upper class suburban housewives is the approach to take. True to their thoughts, Betty even ends up buying Heineken for a small company dinner party. When an inside joke is made at the party about her buying Heineken, Betty uses this situation to later confront Don with her knowledge of his affair with Bobbie Barrett. Don denies everything, although Betty deep in her heart knows the truth. She searches for conclusive evidence of the affair, without luck. But Betty makes a short term decision about their marriage. With other work goings-on, Harry is chastised for a faux pas regarding airing a Maytag commercial on a television movie Maytag deemed unsuitable. Harry, working alone, pleads for extra help for the fledgling television department. Roger denies his request but does allow Harry to co-opt someone from the secretarial staff to assist in at least reading scripts. Thinking it sound interesting, Joan volunteers. She ...

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Plot Keywords:

heineken beer | pro bono | flyer | breaking a chair | poster | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 September 2008 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

American Movie Classics (AMC), Lionsgate Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

48 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The subplot in this episode in which Heineken beer executives have a meeting with Sterling Cooper, and then Betty unknowingly buys Heineken for a dinner party (thereby proving Don's theory about Heineken's appeal to a certain class of housewives) was included because of a product-placement deal between "Mad Men"'s showrunners and Heineken. Many television critics commented on the irony of a show that has a pervasively jaundiced view of advertising nonetheless placing unironic advertising in their scripts.

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Goofs

When Don goes into the office kitchen late at night, there's a box of Mister Salty pretzels - a Nabsico product not introduced until 1966, four years after scene was set.

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Connections

References As the World Turns (1956)

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Soundtracks

"A Beautiful Mine"
(uncredited)
Written by by Rjd2
Performed by Rjd2

User Reviews

Shows what can happen to an affecting action...

Betty Draper is torn apart in this episode, and she finally lets her emotions out on Don in one of the finest episodes of the series.

The episode masterfully executes the emotional and over-bearing aspect that Don and Betty have in their home, that tension that was always hidden inside Betty comes out. She might have just realized it, but it was a long time coming. Both Jon Hamm and January Jones are brilliant in their scenes together, and if anyone has seen the film Revolutionary Road or the novel it is based upon one can only imagine what a problem like this will turn out.

On the other side of the episode we have Peggy dealing with her shame and guilt with a priest, and Moss is playing Peggy so well that she might upstage Hamm in the future of the show. Ultimately, this is a very strong episode and one that is sure to become the beginning of a downward spiral for Don, Betty, and Peggy.