The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (22 Aug. 2010)

Don is forced to compete with a cocky upstart rival for a potential account with Honda motorcycles, but Roger's prejudice causes unexpected problems. Meanwhile Betty considers a psychiatrist for Sally because of her behavior.

Director:

Lesli Linka Glatter

Writers:

Matthew Weiner (creator), Erin Levy

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 (credit only)
Rich Sommer	...	Harry Crane (credit only)
Kiernan Shipka	...	Sally Draper
Robert Morse	...	Bertram Cooper
John Slattery	...	Roger Sterling
Christopher Stanley	...	Henry Francis
Deborah Lacey	...	Carla
Cara Buono	...	Faye Miller
Matt Long	...	Joey Baird

Storyline

The general scuttlebutt within the Madison Avenue advertising world is that Ted Chaough is the next Don Draper, and that Ted's firm, Cutler Gleason & Chaough (CG&C), is stealing all the accounts from Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce (SCDP), the latest being Clearasil. Although not quite the truth, the perception that CG&C is the up and coming ad agency may make life tougher for an already struggling SCDP. Pete has connections for what may be the next big account up for grabs, Honda Motorcycles, worth $3 million in potential billings. Don wants everyone dealing with the account at SCDP to brush up on their Japanese etiquette as the leg up for the firm in nabbing the account. Ted lets Don know that CG&C is also in the running for the lucrative business. Everyone in the know in the ad world seems to want the account, except for Roger, who has strong remembrances of his time in the last world war. When Roger makes a move that may jeopardize the account before they even get it, Don comes up ...

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Plot Keywords:

honda | reference to margaret dumont | child psychologist | watching tv | incompetence | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 August 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

Roger's negative, WWII-based reaction to the prospect of doing business with a Japanese company is a reference to Jerry Della Femina's seminal 1970 memoir about the 1960s advertising industry, From Those Wonderful Folks Who Gave You Pearl Harbor: Front Line Dispatches from the Advertising War, which was a major influence on "Mad Men." Della Femina's book title came from a meeting he had at his agency in which he and his colleagues were discussing possible taglines for their Panasonic account, and he jokingly came up with "Panasonic: From Those Wonderful Folks Who Gave You Pearl Harbor."

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Goofs

When Roger, in his office, still angry about the company attempting to do business with a Japanese company, is talking to Joan, he relates briefly about his time on a U.S. Navy ship, a destroyer. He starts talking about "a young PFC" (private first class). This rank does not exist in the U.S. Navy. Also, while some Navy ships had a Marine Corps contingent aboard (This rank does exist in the USMC), destroyers did not.

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Quotes

Miss Blankenship: You said not to buzz you all the time, but I don't know how else to do this - you have a phone call.
Don Draper: You can buzz me for a phone call. Things like coffee after I've said no, you don't have to ask again.
Miss Blankenship: You're always asleep in here.

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Connections

References Lassie (1954)

User Reviews

January Jones at her best...

January Jones, who plays Betty, gets a lot of criticism. Some criticize her character, which in turn makes them criticize her. However, this episode shows that even though Betty Draper is cruel and cold-hearted to an extent, it does not go without reasoning. Betty Draper's conflicts have come from the pain that Don has caused her. Neither are to be blamed while the other goes without complaints. Both Don and Betty's lack of attention for their daughter Sally is causing her to go overboard, and this will in time affect the other children. Of course, the two parents will only notice too late, if ever they do notice, but January Jones is proving that she is perfectly playing the part of a mentally-abused mother in the 1960's.