A Tangled Web

Last week's Mad Men had me wondering, with only a handful of episodes left, when the big plot developments would start happening.  Well, this week, in "Hands And Knees," we got so many big plots we could hardly keep up.

Right off the bat Joan comes into Roger's office, locks the door and tells him she's pregnant.  From their little session on the street after they'd been mugger last episode.  It has to be him.  His husband's in basic training.

Don calls Sally.  She seems unhappy with him after he let her go last time.  But he's got the best thing a girl of her age could possible hope for--tickets to the Beatles at Shea Stadium. She screams, as she should.  She'll remember this the rest of her life.  (The Beatles were the biggest cultural phenomenon of the decade--it's hard for the show to avoid them entirely.)

Lane's father--with a rumbling voice that sounds like it comes fromt he heavens--shows up.  He demands Lane return to England and deal with his estranged wife, but Lane likes American and ain't leaving.

Pete's set up a meeting with some defense guys--he's been developing this account since season 2, and it looks like it's finally flowering.  Four millions dollars worth.  Harry's in this scene, and then he leaves for LA--what's going on there, he's done almost nothing in New York this season.  He's the one getting Don his Beatles tix, by the way.  Is that this week's plot?

Don joins Lane and his dad at the Playboy Club, where they still play jazz, and the Beatles are banished.  Lane's obviously been here before.  He's a keybolder and seems almost too interested in one particular African-American bunny named Toni.  (I know a woman who was a bunny at a New York Playboy club in the mid-60s. I wonder if she watches this show.)

At the Francis residence two G-men drop by and question Betty about Don.  If he wants to do advertising for the Defense Department, he needs clearance.  Betty gets out her cigarettes and lies about Don's past.  What will happen if they find out he's a deserter named Dick Whitman?  Will they find out?  Sometimes it's best not to know things, huh, Betty?

After, she calls Don.  Unflappable Don.  He didn't know about this, but finding out his wife, one of the few people alive who knows his secret, shakes him to the core.  He's even worried the phone is bugged, and they start putting on an act.  Don finds out from Megan that he simply signed the clearance form that she filled out.  She thought it was standard information, but of course it's all lies.  Megan feels horrible, but probably not as bad as Don.  He figures he needs to talk to Pete, one of the few in on the secret.

Don't been faced with the problem before.  His usually instinct is to run.  What will he do now?

Lane meets Toni by himself at the club.  They're in love.  He calls her his chocolate bunny, but I'd say it's a fine kettle of fish.

Roger, with Joan, gets lectured by his doctor, but they get the name of an abortionist who works outside the city.  The practice was still illegal in New York in 1965, but if you had money that wasn't a problem.

Pete meets Don.  Don mentions security, and Pete realizes what that means. Pete knows guys at the Defense Department, Don wants him to look into it.  The Don even suggests he'll leave the agency, which shocks Pete.

Roger and Joan discuss their situation at an old haunt.  He's clearly got a thing for her, and she, probably, for him.  If she wants to keep it, that's fine.  He'll help.  He even muses on her husband dying in Vietnam.  She says Craig dying is not a solution, while the audience is thinking it's the perfect solution.  She decides to go forward with the abortion.  She'll go alone.  Even in a crisis she can keep her head.

Betty tells Henry about the FBI officials she talked to.  She says she doesn't want any secrets between them, but of course she doesn't tell him the biggest secret of all about Don.

Don and Pete meet in the elevator.  Pete is a bit too glib about it, as far as Don is concerned. He's also a bit angry, especially that Don's life has led to, at the very least, him losing a major account.  Meanwhile, Don takes his situation very seriously, and in an emergency meeting talks to a professional about setting up a trust for his kids.

In the waiting room, Joan sees a mom and her teenage daughter.  The daughter goes in and the mom talk to Joan about her problem. She asks Joan how old is her daughter, and Joan says 15.

Dr. Faye comes in to see Don. He's obviously a wreck.  He hasn't been attending to business, of course.  He's sick and she decides to walk him home.

All this seems pretty big, but out of nowhere we get a scene with Roger doing his job--drinking with the jerky Lee Garner, Jr., Mr. Lucky Strikes.  Who drops a bombshell--they're conslidating, and won't be needing the services of SCDP.  After decades.  Since Lucky Strikes supplies over half their business, this is a death sentence.  But it's done.  It's all Roger can do to get 30 days before the bombshell drops.  After which, he takes his heart pills.  That four million defense deal is looking more important, but they'll need a bunch more like that just to be square.

Don's outside his apartment with Faye when a man comes up to him.  He justs wants some directions, but Don starts shaking.  Every time he turns a corner it might be someone who's there to pick him up.  Don can't breath--he's panicking.  He rushes to the bathroom to vomit.

Lane brings his father to his place and introduces him to his new woman, Toni.  His dad declines.  There's a problem, of course.  Lane has Toni go on ahead and asks pater what's wrong.  He's met with a cane to the head, knocking him down.  This is the Old Testament talking to him.  He tells 

him to get his house in order, one way or another.  "Yes, sir."

At home, Pete's watching Hazel.  It's 1965, the last year everything was in black and white.  Pregant Trudy wants to know what's wrong and he can't tell her, except to generally (and somewhat self-righteously, but that's Pete) condemn all those liars who ruin things for all the honest people.

Joan rides the train back home.  Does she have any doubts?  Too late, in any case.  Meanwhile, Roger is calling his rolodex numbers late into the night, trying to scare up business.  Seems like a losing effort.

Don lies in bed and Faye talks to him.  Shockingly, Don admits to what he did.  I guess he needs to tell someone who looks like Anna Draper.  This is definitely not the Don of 1965. He's tired of running.  I have to wonder if extending the circle of trust to someone you barely know is a good idea.  It seems to make them closer, but will he pay later?

Pete comes over in the morning and runs into Faye leaving.  Another secret blown.  Anyway, Pete's friend says they haven't flagged done yet.  If they drop the account, the investigation will stop.  Pete is not pleased, but Don says do it.  He'll also have to make an excuse to the partners.

Roger comes into the office and Joan's there.  He checks to she how she's holding up.  She says she's fine. Time to go to the partner's meeting.

At the meeting there's Joan, Roger, Pete, Don, Lane and Bert.  They all have secrets except Bert, unless you count his wild affair with Blankenship.

Pete falls on his sword and explains he lost the account with North American Aviation due to a misunderstanding.  Roger explodes.  He even says Pete "fucked up."  They're all shocked and he apologizes.  Next, Lane will be taking a leave of absence, going back to London to deal with his family. He leaves knowing the company is financially stable and in good hands with Joan.  Roger can only laugh, but when it comes to Lucky Strikes, he's mum.  How long can he keep this bombshell to himself.

At Don't office, Faye comes in to see how Don's been.  He seems to be feeling better--why not, he dodged a bullet.  He also seems closer to Faye, perhaps ready to have a serious relationship?  Then Megan comes in with Harry's Beatle tickets--at least that worked out.  Don looks out the door at pretty Megan doing her makeup while we hear (almost too on the nose) an instrumental of the Beatles' "Do You Want To Know A Secret."

So it looks like the big plot is not Don's identity--though I'm not sure if those repercussions are over yet (and who knows if he would have made clearance if they kept the account?), but the possible dissolution of the agency.  They've got three more episodes to deal with it.  This episode skipped ahead several weeks, but with a 30-day countdown, will the next few have a shorter span?

By the way, no Peggy, and she was missed.