Mad Men (TV Series) Nixon vs. Kennedy (2007) User Reviews

Secrets

[jotix100 · 10/10 · 13 January 2010]

Don Draper has decided to give the vacant post of head account services to "Duck" Phillips, a man with a lot of experience and class. Pete Campbell is intent in getting the job. Since Don's mind is made up, Pete has to use his knowledge about Don Draper's past, something he learned when he stole the package that came to the office. The package contained photographs of Don Draper's previous life.

In flashbacks we are taken to the Korean War conflict in which a private, Richard Whitman is seen arriving at the front. As the position Pvt. Whitman is attacked, his superior, Lt. Donald Draper, is caught with Whitman in a place where they can't move. After the fire stops, Whitman accidentally drops his Zippo lighter, provoking an explosion where Lt. Draper dies. Richard takes the opportunity to get the dead man's identification and exchanges his own. At a hospital, later on, a purple heart is given to Lt. Donald Draper, who is asked to accompany the fallen soldier home. At the station, the lieutenant sees the coffin as it's being unloaded and watches the family that has come to meet the wrong man's remains while Adam Whitman spots his own brother inside the car.

The election night is celebrated at the office with a party in which all hell breaks loose. The junior executives try to make out with all the willing secretaries. Peggy is horrified and decides to go home. When she returns the following morning to a messy place, she reports to security what she feels is a break and has a few men fired because of her actions.

Don Draper visits Rachel Menken at her office. Suddenly, he is scared because of the ramifications his secret will have. He stands to lose everything. Don suggests Rachel leaves with him to California. She lets him know she has no intentions of going away and suggests he is not thinking about the dire consequences he faces.

At the office Pete Campbell comes to tell Don Draper how he wants to be named for the position he intends to give to Phillips. When Don refuses, Pete goes to mention what he has learned about his secret past. Don decides to call his bluff and goes to see Bertram Cooper. Pete follows Don inside. Don announces he has decided to bring "Duck" Phillips to the firm. Pete, furiously, reveals what he knows about Don, but Bert couldn't care less. After all, Bertram reflects, America is made of self-invented men and they have gone to make the country great.

Alan Taylor directed the episode which was written by Lisa Albert, Andre and Maria Jaquemetton. This is an amazing chapter in the series that brings to a head the confrontation between the sneaky Pete Campbell who's ambition is to get ahead, not because of being smart, but by blackmailing, backstabbing, and subterfuge.

Excellent acting Mr. Taylor gets from all the principals and guest stars. "Mad Men" shows why it one of the best television series in the last few years because it captures the essence of the era in which the action takes place with an eye to detail and a true account of the typical intrigues in that milieu.

The truth about Don Draper

[MaxBorg89 · 10/10 · 28 August 2010]

Over the course of one season, Mad Men has proved to be particularly good at mixing bits of American history with the characters' private tragedies. This aspect comes to head in the penultimate episode, Nixon vs. Kennedy, which trumps The Hobo Code as the essential chapter of the season for the importance of the major revelation it contains.

As the title suggests, the big event of the episode is Election Night, which the men at Sterling Cooper are watching in the office while throwing a party. Don, now a senior partner, also has to worry about finding a new head of the accounts department, and chooses his old acquaintance Herman "Duck" Phillips (former Desperate Housewives regular Mark Moses) for the job, which Pete Campbell is after as well. Using information he has gathered thanks to a letter he stole from the office, he confronts Don and threatens to blackmail him with a piece of information that is shown to the viewer through flashbacks: a battle in the Korean war which killed one Donald Draper, whose identity was then taken over by one of his soldiers, Dick Whitman.

The Korea flashback is one of the episode's strongest points, using the show's trademark visual flair to frame a couple of scenes that are brutally intense, deliberately clashing with the superficial cool of the '60s. On a narrative level, praise is due for the long awaited final reveal concerning the Dick/Don mystery, the answer proving to be as riveting and thoughtful as all the clues seemed to indicate.

Back in the present, the Nixon/Kennedy "war" is a great way to ground the plot in historic reality, providing ample ground for another conflict, that between Don and Pete, acted out with gusto by Hamm and Kartheiser. Also noteworthy is the addition of Moses to the cast, a cool and charismatic contrast to his creepy Desperate Housewives character. In short, a great foreshadowing of the season finale.

Pete "Nixon" Campbell vs. Don "JFK" Draper

[Dan1863Sickles · 9/10 · 14 April 2018]

This is one of my favorite MAD MEN episodes. It's so thrilling to watch the big payoff as wormy little Pete Campbell finally confronts handsome mystery man Don Draper about the real truth of his murky past. There's no violence, yet as Pete himself points out the confrontation is just as suspenseful and just as deadly as if one mad man had a gun pointed right at the other man's chest!

I also love the way real history comments on the fictional story line. Pete Campbell is such an unappealing character -- mean-spirited, self-centered, and a born snitch. He's Richard Nixon, and yet (like Nixon) he's sincere in his prejudices and oddly pitiable at the end. Don Draper, of course, is JFK, and what makes this fascinating is that the comparison is not entirely complimentary. The writers seem to suggest that as handsome, sophisticated, and appealing as Don may appear to be, on the surface, he's merely an actor playing a part, or projecting an image. There's no real man underneath, no real identity, no real convictions. Daring stuff considering everything that JFK has come to mean to liberals and the elite in the fifty years since his tragic death!

Meanwhile, on Election Night the boys and girls at the office throw a wild party, and there's plenty of drinking and frisky goings-on. It's really striking how carefully the writers balance the cruelty and sexual harassment with genuine passion and heartbreak. The party scenes are sordid, scandalous, exciting and exhilarating all at the same time. The women at the office are really at the mercy of the men, and their bitter commentary and facial reactions when Harry and Ken are on the prowl really hit home. (My heart went out to Allison, sensationally portrayed by the stunning Alexa Alemanni!)

Others will disagree with this, but to me the weakest part of the episode was actually the "flashback" scenes to the Korean War. Jonathan Hamm is at a disadvantage having to play himself ten years younger. The sets are transparently fake. Clothes, weapons, tents, everything looks too new and clean. Even the explosion looks fake, and is almost comically abrupt!

But this is MAD MEN, not M*A*S*H. And this episode is one of the best!

If only Television was this good all the time...

[Red_Identity · 16 September 2010]

Mad Men is by now, in it's fourth season, one of the best television shows of all time. It cannot be denied of the power and talent it holds, and episode 12 of the first season reinforces that idea completely.

The episode on one hand is light, and focuses on a lot of characters that are usually in the background for the most part. The office holds a party for the Nixon/Kennedy election, not knowing that the final outcome will not be favorable to what they want. There is a brief scene where Joan and Salvatore are acting out a play that after a kiss between both, there is a very subtle expression on Joan's face... could this mean she suspects something?

The episode also shows just how much Peggy's sense of character and the way others see her has changed since the beginning of the season. It shows how much Moss shines, especially in a particular scene. Of course, we also continue the story of Pete finding Don's old belongings. Pete Campbell is the most unlikeable character on the show, and the nerve that he has to impose such an action on part of Don's behalf in this episode is ruthless, although not completely shocking. We always knew Pete was this type of character. We also see the truth to Dick Whitman's final fate in some amazing scenes.

Overall, this episode is so far the best o the first season, and having seen the four seasons of Mad Men, one of the best of the entire series. Films rarely get this good, not to mention even in the category of television, this series is going to go down in history.

The Greatest Episode Yet

[borowiecsminus · 9/10 · 11 July 2016]

I said that about "Long Weekend." I'm changing my mind to this penultimate episode of the first season. Nixon vs. Kennedy is a truly fantastic showcase of the talent that Mad Men and the people working on the show possess.

The episode takes place within the span of only forty-eight hours. It goes from election day to the post-election day. Within the course of those forty-eight hours, all hell breaks loose for Don Draper. From PTSD, to blackmail, to a loss of an affair, to an unsuccessful election, the only problem with the episode is that you can't possibly imagine how the season finale could be better.

This is without a doubt the best episode Mad Men has given television so far. The writing is still wonderfully subtle. The direction is fantastic. The realism is uncanny, and the acting is absolutely brilliant.

One of my few complaints is the lack of screen-time that is given to Betty and Peggy, both played by phenomenal actresses.

In the Top Twenty best episodes of TV ever.

Nixon vs. Kennedy (#1.12)

[ComedyFan2010 · 9/10 · 19 November 2018]

As one can see by the title this episode shows us the results of Nixon vs Kennedy election. The office party was really well done. One can see so much of their personalities as well as reflection of those times in it.

A more important conflict though is the one between Don and Pete. Don facing his secret while Pete wanted to use it against him was a great scene especially when waiting for Bertram Cooper's reaction to it. And it turns out that he doesn't care. So let's see how it will affect Pete now. Was also an episode to show us how exactly Don Draper became Don Draper.

Poor Mr. Campbell

[clawingthepsychosphere · 9/10 · 15 October 2021]

It is incredible what they've managed to do with Campbell in this first season. There's just enough there for you to empathize with him and understand the struggle he's going through without ever rooting for the blackmailing rat.

What's interesting to me about the conflict of this episode is the nature of Pete and the facade he puts up despite threatening to unmask Don. Just like Donald Draper, the Peter Campbell he exhibits to the world is a complete phony. We have enough moments with Pete to know that even with the damage his parents have done, he can be sensitive, heartfelt, and deep down he longs for a simple life full of love and understanding. And above all, to be taken seriously as a human being. Unfortunately, he sacrifices everything to try and get ahead, but instead of prioritizing his own wants, he burns up his dignity for the sake of his mask instead to please Trudy and his parents. Near the end as Don approaches Cooper's office you can tell that he's close to crying and begging to just get the damn job. This is such an easy transaction in his mind that he can't understand why Don is choosing to blow himself up, because Pete wouldn't pull the trigger unless absolutely forced to. For the first time he understands that Don isn't just messing with him but has a lot of antipathy. We can't tell from how things went down whether Pete would have gone to Cooper if simply denied and left alone, but my instincts tell me that it's unlikely. Don emasculates him to such a degree that by the time he's standing in front of Cooper there's not much else to do but go ahead and reveal the information. But I don't think he would have killed Don out of spite.

What's interesting is that pulling the trigger takes Don by surprise. What did he think Pete was going to do when he pushed him so hard? What makes Don's character so compelling is that almost all of his understanding of humanity comes from within. He's able to channel his feelings to come up with ads that get to other people, but he's incapable of reading the feelings of others. All it would've taken to win Pete over is a bit of sentimentality and paternal energy, but Don won't budge. Despite the fact that he's left his life behind and remade himself, he has zero empathy, and absolutely no desire to understand that Pete might also be a kid that's trying to remake himself without giving up his name entirely. We see time and time again that Pete is hardworking as well as creative, but Don is too set in his ways, too convinced to his core that this is just some rich boy that's wasting everybody's time to see the real person underneath and give him a helping hand.

The biggest victim in all of this is Rachel. In this episode she finally understands just how little Don cares about her and how little he's able to care for anybody. From the point of view of the audience, it's shocking that the would go to a woman that quite explicitly loves her father and expect that she would abandon not only him, but also be okay with Don abandoning his own daughter, son, and wife. What could he possibly imagine Rachel would think about him in that moment? He's so used to his vain persona and smooth-talking women that he thinks the mere proposition of going away with him would sweep her off her feet, even though we just saw this fail when he offered Midge the trip to Paris. And where would this departure leave Rachel's family and his own?

Donald Draper is a bad person and this is the first episode where his unpleasantness is shoved right in your face. He's a coward, he's spiteful, resentful, and such an egomaniac that he's incapable of thinking past himself and his needs. His first thought when the real Draper dies is to take his nametag. This is who he is.

What all this has to do with the title is up for interpretation. Are we to think that Don is Kennedy in this situation? I'm not sure that works, because in this case Don is the self-made man like Nixon, not Pete, something he voices appreciation for in episodes past. But JFK was underestimated and seen as a rich boy the same way that Pete Campbell was. Everyone thought he would lose (as this episode emphasis over and over) and yet he won. Pete lost, though one would wonder if JFK would've won over Nixon if the final judge were an old Japanophile libertarian that doesn't want to destabilize his firm by cutting one of his best earners. That Pete couldn't predict Cooper keeping Don along anyway given how much money he brought in really speaks to his childlike innocence. Maybe the message is that Pete, too, could have been a winner if he were just given a chance. But that never happens.

There is honestly so much to talk and think about when it comes to this episode. It's one of the greats.

The clash between two men and Nixon and Kennedy are included too

[Horst_In_Translation · 8/10 · 23 March 2024]

"Nixon vs. Kennedy" is the 12th episode from the first season of the successful American television show "Mad Men". It runs the usual 48 minutes and was directed by Alan Taylor for whom it was the third of four episodes he directed for the show. The first two were the opening to the series and eventually he returned for one more episode in season two. If you look at the writers, several again, you will read familiar names too including the one of series creator Matthew Weiner. The title here makes it very much clear that we are taken to November 1960 this time and the big political event happening there. However, you might have guessed from the title that this episode would be more about the election than it actually was. I mean the first half is pretty much the night at the office when the election happens and the characters are following the action, but rather celebrating, partying and so on. When it gets really late, Joan is the one I think who switches the TV off or at least she is one of two characters in the scene when the TV is switched off and everything that follows afterwards has almost no connection to the election anymore. We do find out that it is a close result and that there is no winner determined right away, even though, if I look at the result now, it does not look close at all. Kennedy also won the public vote eventually and he took Texas which surprises me a bit. Nixon winning his home state California, still one of the crucial states for current elections, was not enough for him. Actually, you can say that how close it was was more of an indicator how strong Kennedy was that he was this close to getting California.

But yeah, so if it is not the election, then what happens afterwards? Well, it is pretty much another duel we witness there, namely Pete vs. Don and you can say there are parallels with Pete being the pampered boy with rich parents and Don, well he worked his way up in a way, even if he went by a different name. But he did not have any big clients to himself that helped his rise in the company you can surely say. So maybe there is a parallel to Nixon, I mean the first names obviously too, but also in terms of military, but the parallel between Pete and Kennedy seems more obvious to me. The long segment at the end also takes us back into the past of Don Draper or Dick Whitman and we see what happened that turned him into Don Draper. It was actually a terrible accident there and this accident was caused by Whitman. I would never say he did this on purpose. I mean he risked his own life there as much as his boss'. What was also a bit sad was then how Dick's brother saw him in the train, but is shushed by his mother and he even keeps running after the train there in the end. This was when a new life started for Dick and he became Don. Once again, this accident was something were people in favor of Don would say that he never planned this or anything and also that he did not hurt anybody by getting his new identify, while critics would say it shows that all his life is based on a lie and with his negligence he took a man's life and even the Purple Heart for it. Then again, you can say he worked really, really hard that day and all the other workers had gone while he stayed resilient and dutiful. As always, there is no black-and-white with Don. The aforementioned conflict between him and Pete was also pretty interesting, especially the escalation there in Cooper's office. Certainly not what Pete expected. Cooper even tells Don afterwards that he can fire Pete if he wants to and he'd be fine with it. We will see how this continues.

For me this episode was better than the last episode of season 1 I would say. The only thing that keeps me from saying that the season should have ended here is that it had no closure really. I mean a revelation yes, but no closure. Before we go away from Pete and Don, let me say that in this scene at his home Pete with his hair all messed-up did remind me a bit of Don, so the two may not be as different as they would want to be. Or at least Don surely wants to be very different. Oh yeah and you also hear the line again that "it never should have been this close", a phrase that was included repeatedly in previous episodes to describe the Nixon/Kennedy race. We also do not find out how it ends here and that Kennedy becomes President, but a look into history books shows us that Nixon had his most successful years still ahead of him. But back to the episode: I did feel sorry for Peggy here for sure on several occasions. The first is when she is working diligently there while the rest is celebrating and the other is when she is at Don's office of course and starts crying because of what happened after she went to security and notified them that somebody stole money from her. I am not sure what was more humiliating, the theft or the vomit near her table. But even with the one person she does get along there for a moment she does not really have a connection and leaves quickly. However, her scene with Don inspired him to man up and fight, to not take the blackmail from Pete and go see Cooper and take it like a man. Best thing he could have done in retrospective and he has to thank Peggy at least a little bit for it. Before that we saw him with Rachel again. It was interesting he was ready to leave everything behind and she is the one he was going to. However, during the conversation it became obvious, to her at least, that he just does not want to head out alone and on his own and once again start from zero perhaps. But yeah, things turned out differently anyway and he did not leave. This scene with Rachel and what she understands there, however, could have been some closure for her in the series. We will see if she returns.

I definitely have to mention Cooper too now and say a few words. I mean only he could turn off the television at the beginning there when everybody else is so curious about the two candidates on television. And let's keep in mind too how new the concept of television there still was in 1960. Also, another moment I loved was when Don and Pete get out of their shoes there before entering Cooper's office. Like two boys entering daddy's work environment. Good stuff. You will probably not find another character from this show who is a bigger boss over Don. May Robert Morse rest in peace. This would also have been a good way to end the review, but I think I am done anyway. It's a really strong episode once again, one of the season's finest without a doubt. Lots of tension, historic relevance and interesting character interactions. You can only wonder how Pete's future in the office with Don is gonna look now. Oh and finally look at the moment one employee checks out the color of a female employee's underwear. Now that was something. Some of the females were left in disbelief, but the one affected by it was just joking around again right after she stood up. The man who did this would never get employed again anywhere in the 2020s you can say. Different times back then. Alright, this is really it. Go see this episode for sure, but I doubt you need the recommendation. You should be appreciating Mad Men at this stage, very close to the end of the opening season, thoroughly yourself and not even think about quitting.

A Decent Whimper

[TheFearmakers · 6/10 · 4 September 2023]

This is a great show, and yet it's not one of those that relies on the penultimate or final episode of each season. Unlike Breaking Bad, Mad Men often deliberately peters out so that the first episode of the following season that kick things back into gear... A whimper not a bang, but the bang's always come (that sounded very sexual)...

What's a shock is how anything concerning JFK vs Richard Nixon can be so non-bias, especially coming from Hollywood... politically this series calls it like it really is, or, was... They actually were able to mention JFK's shortcomings (grew up with a silver spoon) and compliment Nixon (self-made man)... What's weird is, most movies and TV-shows has Kennedy as a working-class hero, making no sense... Anyhow...

The main flaw is a lot of the younger ad men simply seem too young, like Ken Cosgrove, who resembles a high school bully in college; or the guy with glasses, who scores with the hottest girl on the series... not Joan but... that secretary... anyhow...

The real-life ad men all looked like Freddy (Joel Murray); they were adults and looked worn out, experienced, unlike the kids here... still though, a perfect series and the cast is wonderful either way because they have chemistry...

As for the whole Real Don Draper thing, it played out all-right but was a bit dragged and melodramatic. However, it was important. Then again, this series didn't want to hang on that secret element for too long, hence it pretty much dies here... so to speak.

Election Party In The Office and Draper's Past

[vivianla · 8 June 2020]

The Kennedy vs. Nixon election is happening. When Donald Draper leaves the office the entire office start a party. Alcohol and the television is brought out.

They start playing a game where a man chases a girl to see what colour panties she is wearing while they guess what colour. The first couple falls down and the man pulls up her dress to reveal blue underwear.

Peggy goes home. She is not into the celebratory mood of the group. I love the scene where Don comes home to his wife and kids. His wife asks if he wants food.

The secretary who is very professional and sticks to formalities gets tipsy and kisses one of the men. She later goes to her office to apologize to him as he is a married man. He feels the heated tension and they proceed to have sex.

The next morning when the secretary and man wake up, she is lying topless. She gets up wrapping the blanket to cover her chest that is falling out. He tapes his glasses back together. She turns around and we see the outlines of her breasts as she puts her white bra back on.

Peter looks through the box of photos and things from Don's brother at home. Trudy comes in wearing a light blue nightgown.

Peter attempts to blackmail Don with the information he has of Donald Draper not being his real name. His real name is Dick Whitman.

Don goes to Rachel the Jewish girl's place and cries tearfully. They kiss. He asks her to run away with him to Los Angeles, leaving his wife and kids. Rachel sees he just wants to run away from his problems, not because of her.

Don comes into the office where Peggy is crying and he yells at her for being there as he is upset and needs space. Peggy is crying as she called security and got two men fired. Peggy thinks aloud about how she is a good person but people end up hating her while those with bad intentions get to walk around the place. Don realizes he should proceed with the blackmailing in an honest and good way.

He goes to Peter and does not follow what Peter wants. Peter wants to be head of accounts. They walk to Cooper's office and Don announces he will hire that candidate previously discussed as head of accounts. Peter tells Cooper about Don's real name but Cooper replies who cares. It does not matter.

We see a flashback of Don and his leader in South Korea. Don is the only man left. The leader gets killed by an explosion and we see his charred body. Don switches the necklaces and has a new identity. He watches his supposed body go home to his family and his younger brother sees him on the train. His bro calls out for him but his parents tell him to stop that.

First Season Ends Quietly

[DKosty123 · 7/10 · 29 May 2011]

While Pete fails to blackmail Don Draper, Drapers past is out here to come back and bite him. He avoids the bite here. There is a great sequence with Robert Morse shooting down Pete in very great fashion here. The cliff hanger is where will Don's past lead us.

As for Nixon-Kennedy, the main summary of the election is that Illinois is stolen from Nixon by the Kennedy machine. While there is some truth to that, the weak point of this is that the typical household with a husband and wife voting in this election voted 50-50, one for Nixon and one for Kennedy.

This was a very close election, and this series fails to mention the way the television image that made Nixon look bad on the television debates gets no play here. There were several things that made this election close. Another thing not mentioned is Ike Eisenhowers late campaign stump for Nixon in the final days which almost swung the election.

Nixon-Kennedy is one of the very few times this series fall a little short. I think it is writing paying so much attention to the plot line of Draper, that they go a little short on Nixon-Kennedy. Still, this series even when it falls short is better than many other series.