Mad Men is back and I was right about everything. Granted, I had a little help here, but a good many of my Mad Men predictions were right. Let’s relive the first episode together, shall we?
Season 3 kicks off with a barefoot Don boiling milk and apparently remembering his own birth as he tends to the cravings of a very pregnant Betty. As predicted, Don and Betty are still married and still pregnant. I suppose this also proves it is sometime in 1963, although it’s never stated explicitly, but was revealed in Friday’s New York Times review.
Life at the Draper home is pretty much left alone for the rest of the episode, as the new British invaded Sterling Cooper takes center stage. Turns out Duck Phillips is gone, because there’s a new head of accounts who is introduced and immediately fired. Minus the new English CFO Lane Pryce, and his he-Secretary John Hooker, the power structure at SC is pretty much the same. Until Pryce promotes Cosgrove AND Campbell as co-Heads of Accounts. Without telling the other one. When the plan is revealed (“Is Cooper playing God or Darwin?” Don asks) Babyface Cosgrove still loves the promotion, whereas Pete whines and sulks to Trudy, who basically tells him to beat Cosgrove at the job while wearing an awkward hat that makes her head look like a reservoir tip.
Meanwhile, Don and Sal go on a business trip down to Baltimore, where Don gets it on with a stewardess, Sal nearly gets it on with a bellhop, and I fondly recall that other Greatest Show (that was once) on Television. Then the fire alarm goes off, and Don TOTES sees Sal with the mans in his room as he’s scurrying down the fire escape. But since Don is the keeper of all secrets deep and dark, he doesn’t say anything.
The episode ends back at the Draper home, as Sally unpacks Don’s suitcase to find the stewardess’s wings pin, and inadvertently covers his cheating by assuming it’s a gift for her. Betty doesn’t flinch, but she’s probably just tired and pregnant and not on her game. Then Sally asks Don to tell the story of the night she was born, in which Don barely veils the fact he was out cheating and came home late to find his wife in labor. Can’t wait to see what happens when Draper Baby #3 is born.
In episode one we also find out that Joan is still engaged and plans on high tailing it out of Sterling Cooper as soon as she can; Peggy can’t get respect from her secretary; and Dunkin Donuts is totally a client of Sterling Cooper. Let’s see if any more of my predictions come true in future episodes, and leave your own in the comments.
(photo credit: Carin Baer)