- Things quickly become awkward after the two firms merge, Don asserts his dominance over Sylvia, Pete has to deal with his ailing mother, and Bob Benson helps out a sick Joan.
- It's the first official day of the merger between SCDP and CGC, with CGC staff moving into the SCDP offices. Beyond the logistical issues of who will be housed where, the mood is generally cordial on the surface, with the exception of Pete, who feels like his usefulness to the company is and will be diluted with a whole new set of partners. His time is also preoccupied by his mother, who, with a case of dementia, is staying at his apartment as she was basically kicked out of of his brother Bud's house because of an altercation with Bud's wife. Some staff will definitely be gone and Joan knows that Bob helping her with a personal issue which she would rather the other staff not know about is primarily a means to keep his job. Bubbling below the surface is a competitive situation between Don and Ted as the heads of creative. Peggy feels somewhat caught in the middle of that struggle between Don and Ted. But much like Pete, Don's mind is not fully at the office, as he gets a call from Sylvia, who had just had a potentially marriage ending fight with Arnold. As Sylvia needs Don as an emotional and by association sexual outlet, Don in turn takes advantage of such to exert his sexual power on their relationship.—Huggo
- The merged companies start to sort things out such as new offices but also deciding who to let go. Ted Cheough makes an immediate impression with the staff. He's not too keen when he finds Don is late for a brainstorming session with the creative team for a potential new client, Fleischmann's margarine. Don is unapologetic about missing the meeting and goads Ted into drinking match that he easily wins. Ted gets payback when he and Don fly to a meeting in Ted's airplane. Bert Peterson is no sooner in the office than Roger fires him.....again. Joan finds herself in considerable pain and Bob Benson takes her to the hospital refusing to leave her there until the emergency is over. She returns the favor. Pete Campbell's mother Dot is suffering from dementia and he finds himself having to care for her after his brother refuses to take her back. Don and Sylvia have been spending a lot of time in a hotel room but his manipulative games bring their relationship to an end.—garykmcd
- "Mad Men" - "Man with a Plan"- May 12, 2013
Change is in the air everywhere tonight as SCDP merges with CGC, Sylvia and Arnie experience turbulence, Pete deals with his mom, and Joan and Bob Benson go on a painful, but fruitful, adventure.
Everybody is scrambling for position on the busy first day at the new firm. Literally. The CGC version of Joan, Moira, is locking horns with her about handing out offices. (Harry gets a demotion in space again.) There aren't enough chairs in the conference rooms so a secretary gives up her seat to Pete and Ted gives up his seat to her showing how cool he can be. And everyone else tries to prove their worth since redundancies will be eliminated.
The first of these is former SCDP accounts man Burt Peterson who Roger takes great, giddy glee in firing... again.
The smoothest operator in eluding getting fired is good old Bob Benson. When he comes across a sick Joan, she is vomiting and has a debilitating pain in her side, he whisks her off to the hospital and cleverly gets her moved up in the waiting room. She will be just fine, having been diagnosed with an ovarian cyst. He then drops by her house to check up on her with a football for Kevin (who is 2.) She is touched, her mother also notes how cute and sweet he seems. Later when Joan is in a meeting with the major financial players deciding who else should be cut, his head is on the chopping block and she saves him.
The creatives size each other up in their first meeting about their new client, Fleishmann's margarine. Ted runs the meeting because Don is busy (we'll get to that) and it turns out he's a very collaborative, hep cat. It also turns out that nobody knows squat about margarine except Peggy who knows it was invented by Napoleon III to help feed his men during wartime since it didn't spoil as quickly as butter. They decide to reconvene just as Don shows up.
Don was late because he was busy with Sylvia.
On his way to work that morning he heard Arnie and Sylvia having a terrible row. Later, she called him and said she needed him right that instant. He told her to get a room at a fancy hotel and he'd meet her later. They rendezvous and he begins playing a game of dominance: telling her to put on his shoes, taking her room key and telling her not to leave, calling her and telling her not to answer the phone for anyone else.
He heads back to work and is upbraided by Ted for being 40 minutes late to the meeting. Don decides to offer an "olive branch" the only way he knows how: he gets Ted drunk and they collaborate on a plan for Fleishmann's. When Ted then staggers back into the creatives room babbling about Kennedy and McCarthy and promptly passes out, Peggy dresses Don down and tells him it's time "move forward" from this kind of behavior.
Ted gets his revenge, however. After visiting Frank Gleason in the hospital and getting advice to rope-a-dope Don-- give him the early rounds and tire him out-- Ted takes the upper hand. In order to keep Mohawk Airlines happy, they decide to fly up to their headquarters in a tiny plane piloted by Ted. It is rainy and scary and bumpy and Don is clearly freaked out. But when they reach a sunny cruising altitude above the weather, Ted confidently puts on his Ray-Bans. He also gets to arrive at the meeting as the big man who piloted them there. It goes well.
It does not, however, go well for Pete. He misses the bumpy journey because he is called away to deal with his mother. She is suffering from some kind of dementia and has taken up residence at his apartment. Pete tries to pawn her off on his brother Bob to no avail. She later accidentally sets a fire in his place. He is a ball of anguish dealing with this and the changes at the agency. Don returns to Sylvia at the hotel periodically-- at one point buying her a beautiful red dress and forcing her to strip for him. When he returns for the evening she says it's time to go home and that this is now over. Don is crestfallen to the point where he nearly begs her to stay. He notes that it's easy to give up something when you're satisfied. She notes that it's easy to give up something when you're ashamed.
Don and Sylvia ride the elevator in silence and she gets off at her floor without looking back, returning to Arnie.
Don goes home and listen as Megan talks about how fun it would be go on another trip, maybe back to Hawaii. He stops listening and simply regards her.
We cut to Megan sitting on the bed watching the television and crying. Bobby Kennedy has been shot. Don sit on the bed, facing away from her.
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