- Don is preoccupied with keeping Sylvia's son from being drafted, Peggy has a rat in her apartment, Don and Ted bury the hatchet, Pete has a problem with his mother's new nurse, and Sally makes an accidental discovery about her father.
- Professional relationships and personal business intersect at Sterling Cooper & Partners. Peggy, hating her apartment even more because of an unwanted visitor, doesn't quite get the help she wants from a colleague in alleviating the matter. Ted, Pete and Peggy bond over a few drinks, which opens Pete's eyes to what's going on with his two colleagues, and which highlights what Ted's wife Nan is feeling at home. Pete appreciates the help that Bob provided to him regarding getting a personal nurse for his mother, until Mrs. Campbell divulges some information about the situation, which in turn ends up revealing one of Bob's motivations in providing that help. Don tries to help the Rosens with a major problem, namely the fact that their son, Mitchell, who sent his draft notice back in protest, has now been reclassified as 1A. Don uses a professional connection to try and solve that problem. That action by Don causes a further rift with Ted, who is already irked that Don was proceeding with Sunkist while they already have a promising account with Ocean Spray. That act, however, may make Don and Ted come to an understanding about their working life. On a purely personal issue, Sally and her friend Julie are staying at Don and Megan's while they attend a model UN conference in the city. Their initial encounter with Mitchell is one which they hope becomes more personal. A move by Julie on this front results in an action by Sally which may threaten her relationship with her father.—Huggo
- Don and Ted continue to ignore one another leading to arguments at the office. In the latest round, Ted has been pursuing Ocean Spray while Don and Roger have been pursuing Sunkist. Ted, for one, is taking all of this very personal. Peggy has a rat infestation at home and seek's Stan's help and advice. Meanwhile Pete has to deal with a delicate situation when his mother tells him she and her caregiver, Manolo, are sleeping together. Sally and her friend Julie spend the weekend with Don and Megan. Sylvia and Arnold Rosen face a major dilemma when their son Matthew is reclassified 1A by the selective service board and faces being drafted into the army at any time. Don tries to help them out and it's Ted who may have a solution. It all goes badly however when Sally sees Don in a compromising situation.—garykmcd
- "Mad Men" - "Favors" - June 9, 2013
At one point in this episode Roger says to Don: "Not all surprises are bad." Tell that to Sally Draper, because it's about to go down.
So several things are happening in this episode.
Pete's mom is loving her new male nurse Manolo. But when she has a conversation with Peggy at the office-- in which she mistakes Peggy for Trudy in her dementia-- she makes it sound like she is literally "loving" him and that he has ignited fires in her loins. Eek.
When Peggy relays this bit of confusion to Pete he is aghast. Peggy does this at a drunken dinner with Pete and Ted, where they are waiting to fly. Pete of course is not a fan of flying since his dad died in a plane crash so he's getting nice and sozzled. But not so drunk that he doesn't feel the heat between Peggy and Ted. She assures him nothing has happened. Pete tells her he thinks Ted is in love with her too. She seems to take comfort in that. He opines that he's glad they're back together at the office as well and is pleased to see that one of them has come up in the world. He hopes she doesn't pity him because she knows him best. She says she doesn't and charitably agrees she does know him best. They have a giggle while Ted is off calling his wife and Ted notices this little exchange between them.
When Pete thinks he has confirmed with his mother that indeed Manolo has been getting handsy with his mom-- she tells him this before a planned dinner-- he calls Bob Benson on the carpet. Benson points out that Manolo is likely gay. (Of course he doesn't say this, um, straight out.) Pete says then he is a degenerate and wants to fire him. Bob asks if Pete's mother is happy. Pete agrees she is. Bob asks if it's not possible then, when someone makes you feel really good and well taken care of that you might not develop feelings for them? As he asks this he presses his knee up against Pete's. Pete tries to mask his disgust and says that they will give Manolo a month's pay and then they are done. Bob straightens up and agrees and as he walks out of Pete's office with his big Bob Benson smile he looks distraught and nervous.
Meanwhile Ted had called home but that was not enough for his wife. She points out even though work is stressful and important she also knows how much he enjoys it and wishes that he would enjoy being at home as much.
Ted is stressed at work because he and Pete have got Ocean Spray on the hook while Don and Roger were working on Sunkist in L.A. They can't have two juices. Ted is angry when he finds out telling Jim Cutler he wants the firm to choose his juice not Don's. When Jim points out "it's all your juice" Ted tells him to tell Don that, since he still seems to think they're competing.
Also competing? Sally in the model U.N. She comes into the city with her friend Julie and they stay with Don and Megan. They run into the Rosen's son Mitchell in the lobby and go moony-eyed over his lanky, long-haired late '60s hunkiness. They stay up all night before the model U.N. and write notes about how much they dig him. But as they're going to the event Julie reveals that she slipped the note under Mitchell's door. Sally is aghast and goes back to retrieve it, getting the master ring of keys from the doorman.
Mitchell, it turns out, has got bigger fish to fry. He sent his draft card back in protest and has gotten himself classified 1A meaning he is going to Vietnam with no chance of deferment. First he goes to Megan to talk about running away to Canada. Then Arnold and Don go have a drink to mull it over and discuss how they understood during their youth that service and sacrifice were part of being American but agree that this war is wrong. Arnold is also worried that since Mitchell is "soft" he will die in the war. Don asks if Arnold has any contacts that can help. He's going to look into it.
Don also looks into it, very clumsily. At a meeting with Chevy-- part of GM, one of the nation's biggest defense contractors-- Don works the war into the conversation mentioning his son's friend is 1A. They all agree this is a shame. When Don mentions that many people are doing things to help their children out, one of the men from GM expresses his disgust that anyone would do such a thing. A heretofore jolly and boozy dinner comes to a contemplative halt and everyone is mortified and Ted looks at Don incredulously.
The next day he goes and dresses him down in his office reminding him that you never want the client to have a negative thought in your presence. Don mentions that it's his friend's kid and he was trying to help. Ted says he knows a brigadier general in the Air National Guard and if Mitchell agrees to cut his hair and write a letter saying he's always wanted to be a pilot, Ted may be able to get him in with them, thereby keeping him safer. Ted says he will do it on one condition, that Don start acting like a team player instead of a competitor. Don, not even really aware that Ted felt this way, easily agrees and they shake on it.
Don calls to tell Arnold the news and gets Sylvia. She is so grateful and they discuss the end of the affair. She notes that he was better to her than she to him but she needed him not to fall in love. She is so grateful for this that she apparently invites Don over for make-up sex.
Because that's what they are doing when Sally walks in on them while trying to retrieve the Mitchell note. She is so stunned at seeing this that she drops the key ring and alerts them to her presence. Don chases after her but she makes it into a cab before he can talk to her. He is shaky. He heads to a bar and gets drunk.
When he heads home Sally, Megan, and Julie are at dinner. And then Arnold and Mitchell show up. Mitchell thanks him and shakes his hand. Arnold puts an arm on his shoulder and says he "owes" him and that Sylvia is also very grateful. Don looks like he's going to be sick. They leave and suddenly Sally jumps up from the table and proclaims that Don makes her sick. She runs to her room and locks the door. He speaks to her through it, explaining that he was just "comforting" Mrs. Rosen. Sally is devastated, exhausted, ragged and simply says "Okay." Don wanders into his room and shuts the door.
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