Mad Men Recap: “Out of Town”, and Ratings (UPDATED)

August 17, 2009  |   Filed under: Features,Reviews  |   Posted by:

By: Darby Semeniuk

Season three of AMC’s hit series Mad Men opened on a haggard Don Draper the night before his birthday, a sharp contrast to the dapper, well-suited Manhattan ad executive we know from the former two seasons.

He stands in his kitchen over a pot of warm milk and reflects on some disturbing and emotional scenes from his former life, and his own fateful day of birth. Quickly, we learn he’s warming milk for his wife Betty, who announced her pregnancy at the end of season two.

Viewers have been impatiently waiting to learn how much time has passed since the previous season, especially after the surprising 15 months between the first two seasons. We now know this time lapse is less than nine months, probably more like six or seven. Likely, the birth of Don and Betty’s third child will occur during season three, a theory supported by cast and production photos released earlier this year.

We then return to the richly produced set and clicking typewriters of Sterling Cooper, where Peggy Olson asserts her position in the company and feelings about women and marriage to her secretary, and later to Joan Holloway. A few offices away, Don and his colleagues, including a late-arriving Roger Sterling, fire their head of accounts, who doesn’t react well. Don asks “Is that the last of them? It makes me sick I’m getting used to these.” Sterling Cooper is not surprisingly adapting to the changes that come attached to its season two purchase by British firm Putnam, Powell & Lowe.

Pete Campbell is called into CFO Mr. Price’s office to learn he’s been promoted to head of accounts. Ken Cosgrove also learns the same news about himself and later in the episode, they’re called into a meeting for both heads of account to learn how the clients will be divided between the two. Pete is visibly displeased at the news of sharing the coveted title, especially after Mr. Price says “You’re each getting half the company. There’s a chance for one of you to distinguish himself. That would be easier.” Clearly fodder for confrontation at the company throughout the season.

Head secretary Joan Holloway – looking as curvaceous and voluptuous as ever – finds Mr. Price’s British assistant Mr. Hooker an office and the chance to select his own secretary. Mr. Price disagrees with the decision and tells him to sit out front, bringing a new perspective on gender roles and hierarchy at Sterling Cooper. Mr. Hooker also becomes the object of Peggy’s secretary Lola’s affections.

Don and Salvatore fly to Baltimore to meet with the London Fog family client. Don, posing as accountant Bill, seduces an engaged but willing stewardess into her hotel room after dinner, while Salvatore has a brief but exciting encounter with a male hotel staffer. Foreshadowed by the exploded pen in his pocket, this is presumably his first time with a man, but he’s interrupted by a fire alarm. While Don and the stewardess descend the hotel fire escape, Don sees that Sal – who has a wife back home – has a man in his room. The awkward look shared by Don and Sal indicates how risqué and unusual this would have been in the early 60s, but they don’t discuss it again.

The episode ends with Don participating in and reflecting on his role of parent and husband, first gently disciplining daughter Sally for breaking his suitcase, then listening to Betty tell Sally about the day she was born, bringing the concept of birth full circle during this third season premiere.

So far, Don Draper is neither a new man this season, nor a man we can completely condemn. But Weiner and Hamm both say this season is about change, about becoming a better person, and about losing things familiar in life.

Many of the same themes from former seasons are in full force in this episode, which should please the Mad Men fan base. No doubt, this season will raise questions about gender roles and relations in society, the art and guise of the advertising business, and of course, smoking, drinking and cheating.

RATINGS REPORT

Season 3 of Mad Men started with a record breaking performance.

Last night’s episode was watched by 2.8 million viewers, which is a 33% raise from last year’s debut, and a series high.

In the 18-45 year old demographic, the news gets better. The episode saw a 71% increase in viewers.

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Posted by on August 17, 2009. Filed under Features, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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  • http://ravenrollinscrg.blogspot.com Evie Smith

    Great write up and it was an exciting season debut (especially FINALLY seeing Sal get a little man-action) I think one thing should be noted that the flight attendant pretty much threw herself at Don, he did not have to do any seducing . . .of course he did not resist either. The timing of the scene with the fire alarm makes it unclear as to if the deed was actually done. I personally would like to see Don clean up his act and come clean to Betty about his past, but I guess that’s why we all keep watching.

    ~Evie

    PS – When the HECK are we gonna see Pete and Peggy go head-to-head again????

  • CK Honolulu

    This show is American television at its best. The brilliance of the storytelling is in the subtext. What the characters do not say is often more important than what is actually said. Don berating Salvador for his transgresions by using an ad pitch ending with “limit your exposure” is discrete and ingenious. At the end of the episode where Don does not actually remember his daughter’s birth, then Betty covers. What a stunning revelation as to Betty’s desire to do whatever is necessary for a perfect home. This is television storytelling at its best.