Blowing Smoke (10 Oct. 2010)

Don makes a bold, desperate move to save Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, but the other partners are furious with his actions. Meanwhile, Sally's psychiatrist suggests that she is improving, but Betty is skeptical.

Director:

John Slattery

Writers:

Matthew Weiner (creator), André Jacquemetton,

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 Francis
Christina Hendricks	...	Joan Harris
Jared Harris	...	Lane Pryce
Aaron Staton	...	Ken Cosgrove
Rich Sommer	...	Harry Crane
Kiernan Shipka	...	Sally Draper
Robert Morse	...	Bertram Cooper
John Slattery	...	Roger Sterling
Rosemarie DeWitt	...	Midge Daniels
Christopher Stanley	...	Henry Francis
Alison Brie	...	Trudy Campbell
Cara Buono	...	Faye Miller

Storyline

Sally is continuing on with her therapy sessions with Dr. Edna, who believes Sally is progressing so much that the frequency of her sessions can be reduced. However, Sally is also having unofficial therapy sessions with Glen Bishop, about which Betty is unaware. Betty feels the need to speak to someone herself about life, but doesn't want it under the guise of therapy sessions. She will really need to speak to someone after she makes a discovery, which in turn may set Sally's therapy back. Meanwhile, life at SCDP is not getting any better following Lucky Strike's departure. Although Don has an off the record meeting with Heinz arranged by Faye, they have the same opinion as all other potential clients: business is a possibility in six months if SCDP is still in operation. Beyond Lane's need to deal with the operational aspects of the the business such as payroll, none of the partners has a concrete proposal to get them out of their predicament. And an idea from Peggy to Don is ...

---

Plot Keywords:

desperation | new york times | belief in the afterlife | abstract painting | belief in heaven | 

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 October 2010 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

American Movie Classics (AMC), Lionsgate Television

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of the messages that Megan tells Don he got after his anti-tobacco ad is from an "Emerson Foote." Foote was chairman of the powerful advertising firm McCann-Erickson in the mid-1960s when he resigned and publicly spoke out against the tobacco industry, which was a large part of McCann's business. He later became an anti-smoking activist and the chairman of the National Interagency Council on Smoking and Health.

---

Quotes

Pete Campbell: [to Don Draper, after Draper has authored a one-page ad in the New York Times with the headline "Why I'm Quitting Tobacco"] You did what was best for you because you're impatient and childish. You had a tantrum on a full page in the New York Times.

---

Connections

References Frankenstein (1931)

---

Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

The return of an old character...

Blowing Smoke shows the agency at it's most desperate. What can they do? The episode revolves around all of their attempts, and includes the return of one of the best guest stars ever on Mad Men...

Who is that guest star? Rosemarie DeWiit of course, who played midge back in the first season. In this episode, DeWitt is amazing, and she has proved that she is probably one of the most talented actors to ever star on this show, if not the best. Saying that, her character is definitely interesting and perhaps unlikeable in hidden attempts, but DeWitt plays her brilliantly. There is one more week to go before the finale, and I for one cannot wait, and do not know what to expect