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The Gold Violin
The gold violin
Production
Season 2 Episode 7
Air date 7 September 2008
Written by Jane Anderson
Andre Jacquemetton
Maria Jacquemetton
Directed by Andrew Bernstein

Previous
Maidenform
Next
A Night to Remember

Intro[]

Don steps up in class and purchases a new car that is more appropriate for an executive; Sal invites Ken over for Sunday dinner to discuss Ken’s new short story; a serious error by Don’s secretary could reflect poorly on Joan; the staff reacts to the new “objet d’art” in Cooper’s office.

Synopsis[]

Don Draper is at a Cadillac dealership admiring the latest models. The salesman speculates that Don would be as comfortable in a Coupe de Ville as he is in his own skin. Don flashes back to a memory of his early career as a used-car salesman, and one particular day during which a woman accused him of not being Don Draper. Back in the present, Don declines an offer to test drive the Cadillac.

Later that day Don meets with recent hires Smitty Smith and Kurt Smith. The duo contend that today’s youth don’t “want to be told what to do or how to act. We just want to be.” Later, at the close of the workday, Jane Siegel leads Ken Cosgrove, Salvatore Romano, and Harry Crane into Cooper’s office to view his new painting, a Rothko. Paul Kinsey exits, saying, “Call me from jail.”

Ken muses to Sal that he could write a great short story about their escapade then learns that Sal has read (and liked) his story in “Atlantic Monthly”. Shortly thereafter, Ken asks Sal to read his latest effort. Sal says he’d be honored and invites Ken over for Sunday dinner.

At a pitch meeting, Smitty plays a calypso song for the folks from Martinson Coffee. “It’s a song, and it’s a mood,” Smitty explains. “It stays with you,” Peggy Olson adds.

In Cooper’s office to review media buys, Harry brings up the Rothko even as he admits he knows nothing about art. “Mr. Crane, you’re here because of numbers. Stick to that,” Bertram Cooper states.

Jimmy Barrett calls Betty Hofstadt to invite her and Don to a party at the Stork Club to celebrate ABC’s acquisition of Grin and Barrett. “It would mean a lot to me if you were there,” he tells her.

Herman Phillips informs Don that Sterling Cooper has landed the Martinson account. Jane interrupts to say that Cooper wants to see Don in his office. Cooper volunteers that Don has been invited to join the “people who get to decide what will happen in our world,” which in this case means the board of a folk art museum.

Back downstairs, Joan approaches Jane to discuss about her breaking into Cooper’s office. Jane snarks at Joan for not allowing anyone to “have fun” and says that she doesn’t need a “mother.” This causes Joan to fire Jane for sneaking into Cooper’s office. Toting a box of her belongings, Jane makes a point to drop by Roger’s office before leaving. Roger tells her to come back on Monday and promises to smooth things over with Joan. At home, Don shows Betty their new Coupe de Ville, and she tells him about Jimmy’s invitation.

On Sunday, Ken arrives at Sal and Kitty’s apartment. Sal says he loved Ken’s story, “The Gold Violin,” which was inspired by a violin Ken saw at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. (“It was perfect in every way except it couldn’t make music,” says Ken.) After Ken leaves, Kitty Romano breaks down in tears, saying Sal left her out of the conversation the entire night. “Do you even see me here?” she asks. “I am so sorry,” he replies. As he’s cleaning up, Sal discovers a lighter that Ken left behind.

That same day, while the Drapers picnic in a park, Sally asks, “Are we rich?” Betty replies it’s not polite to talk about money.

On Monday morning, Ken thanks Sal for dinner and compliments Sal and Kitty’s home. When Joan sees that Jane has shown up for work, Joan expresses surprise; Jane asks, “Has Mr. Sterling told you?” to which Joan says no. Jane responds that Mr. Sterling informed her that Joan often loses her temper, “that you’re impetuous and it’s not serious.” A few exchanges later, Joan walks away and Jane goes back to her typing.

At the Stork Club, Jimmy offers Betty champagne while Bobbie and Don talk business with an ABC exec. “Over here at the kids’ table” as he puts it, Jimmy reveals his suspicion that Don and Bobbie had an affair. “You people are ugly and crude,” Betty responds before abruptly leaving.

A few moments later, Don tells Jimmy that he and Betty are leaving because she’s not feeling well. Jimmy thanks Don for getting him everything he wanted. “And what did you get?” he says to Don, “Bobbie? Lots of people have had that.” Just before Betty returns to Don’s side, Jimmy adds, “You don’t screw another man’s wife. You’re garbage. And you know it.”

Betty and Don drive home in the Coupe de Ville but don’t speak. The silence is broken only when Betty vomits in her lap.

Cast[]

Main Star[]

Guest Star[]

Co-Star[]

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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