Don and Sal take a business trip to Baltimore, Pete is thrilled to be promoted to Head of Accounts . . . until he isn't, and we meet Lane Pryce, from PP&L. We go back in time to see Dick Whitman's birth, while Don and Betty are preparing for their new child together. Limit your exposure, grab your ant farm, and re-watch with us! www.madmenctoz.com @MadMenCtoZ Podcast Time Stamps for this Episode: 00:00 Introduction 00:47 Dick Whitman's origin story 05:45 Her name was Lola / She was a secretary. / And while John's accent made her flushed / Peggy looked on in disgust 06:43 "Who was the man who imagined her ecstasy?" "Who, indeed." Is it the sucking up that connects the painting to your business? We have questions, Bert. 13:42 "I wanted to inform you that you're the new Head of Accounts." "Excuse me?" "It seemed like the right thing to do, in spite of your lack of hospitality." 19:12 "I wouldn't be much of an account man if I didn't ask what it pays." "And I wouldn't be much of a financial officer if I wasn't prepared to disappoint you." 21:15 "I've never seen a stewardess that game." Jenna and Steve disagree about Shelly here - Jenna argues it's a departure for Don because Shelly gives no evidence of being complex or challenging, which is usually a requirement for Don's notice and interest. 24:24 "I've always been a big fan of your work, and I've been very vocal about it." 25:27 "I've been married a long time. You get lots of chances." 35:48 The fire alarm brings everything to a "screechin' halt." What does Don Draper do with someone else's secret? 37:50 "Why is she shamelessly flirting with Moneypenny?" "Don't call him that. He hates that." Why can't Joan and Peggy align and give us the glorious girl power duo we envision? 39:42 " 'Our worst fears lie in anticipation.' That's not me - that's Balzac." 42:08 "You're each taking half the company. Of course, it's possible someone could distinguish himself. It would be easier that way." 45:48 Limit your exposure 47:47 This office comes with a complimentary ant farm 48:46 "The buck stops here unless it stops over there. There are two heads of accounts. Kenny Cosgrove and I are sharing it." 55:12 Just kidding - you aren't worthy of the ant farm. It's unseemly. 58:08 What did you bring me, Daddy? Well, I inadvertently brought home a stick pin belonging to the stewardess I slept with last night. Would you like to wear it? 1:01:01 Mad Men S3:E1 wrap-up and listener shout-out Read the Mad Men C to Z Season 3 Episode 1: Out of Town Full Transcript on our Mad Men C to Z website Jenna: Hi, I'm Jenna. Steve: And I'm Steve. Welcome to All Things Mad Men, from Chip and Dip to Zou Bisou. Jenna: There's so much to love about this amazing show, and we're happy to connect to fans like us, who discover new things with each rewatch. Steve: Be advised, while we aren't gratuitous with spoilers, they can pop up as we discuss character arcs through the final season. Let's get started with Mad Men C to Z. Jenna: Welcome back to season three of Mad Men, C to Z! This episode, Out of Town, was written by Matthew Weiner and directed by Phil Abraham, and It takes place six months after season two ends in April of 1963. As we open, Mad Men loves to show Don's back to camera. It's always reminding us that we can see him, but it's making us wonder if we really know who he is. And we're also getting a closer look at that before time. With a bit of creative license, we're going back in time to Don Draper's, or rather, Dick Whitman's birth. Steve: Obviously, Dick Whitman doesn't remember his own birth, as Matt Weiner mentions in the commentary. It's terrifying. It's an awful origin story for anyone to walk around with. Jenna: We see that Abigail Whitman lost several babies, but she does want a baby very much. Earlier, in the Mother's Day episode in season one, we saw how she gave birth to Don's brother Adam and called it a miracle. And this, of course, is before Adam was born. So we learn that Archie Whitman visited a young woman working as a prostitute, and he didn't have any protection. She mutters curses as we see her later delivering the baby that the midwife delivers back to Abigail, saying his name is Dick, after a wish his mother should have lived to see. Steve: You also see how it's possible that this story could have taken a different turn. You know, she really desperately wanted a baby. Now she's getting a baby, finally. So there's this glimmer of possibility that this could be a positive thing. But as we all know, Dick Whitman's upbringing is terrible. She's an awful mother. You know, she's resentful of her husband seeing a prostitute and this child, you know, from the prostitute. So we know the whole thing goes off the rails. But I did get a sense in this scene that there's an alternate universe where it could have been more of a positive thing. Jenna: Yeah. I have a related question for you. As you mentioned in the commentary, Weiner says this is an extremely inauspicious way to
