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Maidenform
Maidenform
Production
Season 2 Episode 6
Air date 31 August 2008
Written by Matthew Weiner
Directed by Phil Abraham

Previous
The New Girl
Next
The Gold Violin

Intro[]

Don and Herman Phillips attempt to make peace at the office; Peggy tries to find a way to participate in the high-level after-hours meetings being held by the executives; one of Herman Phillips's family members visits his office.

Synopsis[]

Betty Hofstadt, Joan Harris and Peggy Olson dress themselves in the morning, particularly showing the bras which they are wearing.

Herman Phillips informs Don Draper and the staff that Playtex wants a new campaign akin to the fantasy-oriented approach of competitor Maidenform. Afterwards, Pete Campbell, Peggy Olson, and Salvatore Romano discuss possible directions for the Clearasil account with Pete pushing his own tagline ("Thanks Clearasil") onto Peggy's concept.

At the Memorial Day event at a country club, Betty Hofstadt runs into Arthur Case from the stables. He feels responsible for her changing her riding schedule and vows to stay out of her way. She says, "Let's be friends." Don stands when the emcee asks all servicemen to rise and be recognized. As the club's swimwear fashion show begins, Don exits after telling Betty that he's needed at the office. However, he calls Bobbie Barrett shortly thereafter, but Bobbie says she has to cancel their rendezvous.

The following day, Pete tells Peggy his father-in-law loved his tagline. Peggy responds that she's aware they both need to keep his father-in-law happy. When she adds, "I do my job, you do yours," he asks her what that's supposed to mean. "Nothing," she replies.

Roger Sterling drops by Don's office then orders Don to have lunch with Herman Phillips to make peace over the American Airlines debacle. Herman Phillips, in his office with his children, learns that his ex-wife is remarrying and is returning his dog because the new husband is allergic.

Paul Kinsey maneuvers his way onto the Playtex account after a boys' night out reaps a new idea: All women want to be Jackie Kennedy or Marilyn Monroe. Peggy asks which one she is. "Gertrude Stein," Ken says. After this presentation, Peggy tells Freddy Rumsen she wants to be included in any after-hours outings.

Don drops by Herman Phillips's office in lieu of lunch and says he feels that Herman Phillips is trying to sell the client's idea to Don instead of Don's idea to the client. For his part, Herman Phillips maintains that going after American was a risk worth taking because it made people think differently about Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency. He asks if he and Don can move forward. In a tense moment, Don says yes.

"Oh, where did you come from?" Bobbie sighs to Don in bed. "You're a lion," she says later. "Now I know what you like."

"No one told me about this," Peggy complains to Ken when she learns he's running a casting call for bra models. "I didn't think you'd want to come," Ken replies. Leaving the office that evening, Pete meets one of the bra models and winds up at her apartment for a tryst.

The next morning Betty makes breakfast wearing a bright yellow bikini which she bought at the fashion show. When Don tells her he thinks it looks desperate, she says she didn't know it looked that way.

At the office, Peggy asks Joan why she isn't being included in all the memos. Joan says that Peggy is "in their country, learn to speak the language"; reminding her of the creative team and advises her to take herself seriously and "stop dressing like a little girl".

Maidenform-0

Playtex

Don unveils the new Jackie/Marilyn campaign for two Playtex executives. They love it but decide that they prefer their current, conservative approach after all. Don consoles Herman Phillips, saying the exercise probably bought them a few more years of business with the company. To show their appreciation, the Playtex execs offer a night on the town for those who worked on the account. Peggy overhears Fred's suggestion that they meet at a strip joint.

That evening Herman Phillips considers drinking liquor straight from the bottle as his dog looks on. Although he resists the temptation, he intentionally abandons his dog on the sidewalk outside the office.

Bobbie spoils the mood for Don during lovemaking by saying things like "It's flattering to be able to keep you interested" and "I want the full Don Draper treatment." When he learns that she and other women have been talking about his reputation in bed, he ties her wrists to the bed, gets dressed, and leaves.

One of the Men

Peggy proves she's one of the men. Episode: Maidenform.

Peggy shows up at the strip club wearing a gown that shows cleavage, her hair no longer in a ponytail. "Tell me what you want for Christmas," says one of the Playtex execs, ushering her onto his lap while the burlesque performer continues her act. Peggy meets Pete's disapproving stare.

At the Draper house the next morning, daughter Sally watches Don shave until he suddenly asks her to leave. Sitting on the toilet and staring blankly, he slowly wipes the shaving cream off his face. He didn't like something he saw in the mirror.

Trivia[]

  • Matthew Weiner has said that this is “probably” his favorite episode of the show.
  • Originally the episode was going to be called “High Flight”.
  • Matthew Weiner almost used “The Infanta” by The Decemberists for "Shoot" in season 1 when Betty is shooting the pigeons.
  • The Country Club scene was shot in Griffith Park in Los Angeles (Letters from Iwo Jima had scenes shot in the same room).
  • There is a lot of John Cheever in the scene showing Don coming home and drinking milk.
  • Chauncey was supposed to be in more scenes but the production crew couldn’t do it. For example, Chauncey was originally supposed to interrupt Don and Duck’s meeting.
  • In the scene where Don gets upset at Betty for wearing the swimsuit, Bobby is walking around with a bucket on his head because it wasn’t the normal actor.
  • “How Mable Get Sable (Cha Cha Cha)”, the song playing in the strip club, was almost the theme of the show.

Cast[]

Main Star[]

Guest Star[]

Co-Star[]

  • Kiernan Shipka as Sally Draper
  • Sarah Wright as Susie
  • Aaron Hart as Robert Draper
  • Julia Carpenter as Joyce
  • Miranda Lilley as Judy Campbell
  • Kim Swennen as Marcy Patterson
  • Jesse Henecke as Griz Patterson
  • Greg Felden as Webb
  • Jonathan Strait as Harold Wadro
  • Benjamin Seay as William Redd
  • Darian Weiss as Mark Phillips
Seasons of Mad Men
Season 1 • "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" • "Ladies Room" • "Marriage of Figaro" • "New Amsterdam" • "5G" • "Babylon" • "Red in the Face" • "The Hobo Code" • "Shoot" • "Long Weekend" • "Indian Summer" • "Nixon vs. Kennedy" • "The Wheel" •
Season 2 • "For Those Who Think Young" • "Flight 1" • "The Benefactor" • "Three Sundays" • "The New Girl" • "Maidenform" • "The Gold Violin" • "A Night to Remember" • "Six Month Leave" • "The Inheritance" • "The Jet Set" • "The Mountain King" • "Meditations in an Emergency" •
Season 3 • "Out of Town" • "Love Among the Ruins" • "My Old Kentucky Home" • "The Arrangements" • "The Fog" • "Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency" • "Seven Twenty Three" • "Souvenir" • "Wee Small Hours" • "The Color Blue" • "The Gypsy and the Hobo" • "The Grown-Ups" • "Shut the Door. Have a Seat" •
Season 4 • "Public Relations" • "Christmas Comes But Once a Year" • "The Good News" • "The Rejected" • "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword" • "Waldorf Stories" • "The Suitcase" • "The Summer Man" • "The Beautiful Girls" • "Hands and Knees" • "Chinese Wall" • "Blowing Smoke" • "Tomorrowland" •
Season 5 • "A Little Kiss, Part 1" • "A Little Kiss, Part 2" • "Tea Leaves" • "Mystery Date" • "Signal 30" • "Far Away Places" • "At the Codfish Ball" • "Lady Lazarus" • "Dark Shadows" • "Christmas Waltz" • "The Other Woman" • "Commissions and Fees" • "The Phantom" •
Season 6 • "The Doorway, Part 1" • "The Doorway, Part 2" • "The Collaborators" • "To Have and To Hold" • "The Flood" • "For Immediate Release" • "Man With a Plan" • "The Crash" • "The Better Half" • "A Tale of Two Cities" • "Favors" • "The Quality of Mercy" • "In Care Of" •
Season 7 • "Time Zones" • "A Day's Work" • "Field Trip" • "The Monolith" • "The Runaways" • "The Strategy" • "Waterloo" • "Severance" • "New Business" • "The Forecast" • "Time & Life" • "Lost Horizon" • "The Milk and Honey Route" • "Person to Person" •
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