Basket of Kisses

Monday, August 6, 1962, and the next few days

Don
Don is sitting and coughing on the side of a bed in what we see is a hotel room, wearing just his white boxers (oh thank you!). He gets up and opens the door, picks up his polished shoes and the morning newspaper. Marilyn Monroe’s death is the headline.

Betty
Betty is sitting on the side of her bed. She gets up and, from the top of the stairs, observes, but does not interact with, Carla sending the kids off to school.

In the elevator
Peggy and ‘Don’ (as Peggy now greets him) get in the elevator and discuss Marilyn’s death with Hollis.

In the bullpen
Peggy observes, to Don, that it’s a good thing Playtex didn’t go for the Jackie/Marilyn campaign, as they’d have to pull it indefinitely. Don is definitely noticing that Peggy is seeing the big picture, business-wise.

All the secretaries are upset and in huddles. When Jane greets Don, she is crying. He asks if she needs to go home. She doesn’t.

In the conference room
A Sterling Cooper blood drive meeting–Harry, Paul, Sal and Ken, Don joins. It is an annual competition between the departments. Ken is grumpy about it, but that could be sour grapes because Accounts has a poor showing. As the meeting breaks, Harry offers Don an opportunity to bring the wife to see Mitch Miller. Don answers that ˜we’d’ love to, but his kid is sick.

Betty
Betty is defrosting the refrigerator. And lining the drawers.

Don
Jane and Don review his schedule. Jane then delicately tells him that Sally had called the office asking when Don would return from his business trip, because her mother wasn’t sure. Don gets up and closes the door. He begins to palely discuss the situation, Mrs. Draper is working out some things I thought it’d be over by now, then he switches to a more buttoned up, It goes without saying that this is personal, and I’d appreciate you keeping it that way. He tells her that he’s staying at the Roosevelt.

Betty
Betty, still in her housecoat, with a glass of wine in hand, turns on the radio, listens to a report on Marilyn, turns it off, switches to classical music, sits on the couch and reads.

Freddy
Pete, Sal, and Peggy come into Fred’s office for final rehearsal for the Samsonite presentation. The clients are presently on their way to the office. Freddy offers everyone a drink, and Sal indicates he’d like a nip. Fred hands him a full tumbler of straight liquor. Pete runs through the order of things, introductions, etc., and turns it over to Freddy, who delivers his portion of the presentation (the ad itself) beautifully. Sal flips over the artwork, Pete and Freddy discuss different ways of revealing it, and Freddy, once again turned back to the bar, pees his pants. Pete is disgusted, What the hell, Freddy?, Sal laughs like a child, and Peggy is gentle and sweet as she tries to move things along. Freddy, do you have another pair of trousers here? Freddy is clearly graying out, not aware of what has happened or of where in the conversation they were. Finally he understands, gets very upset and tries to figure out a plan. He sits at his desk as he talks, and passes out cold while upright(ish) at his desk. Abigail, Freddy’s secretary, buzzes that the clients are in.
They decide to tell the client that Freddy is ill, and to have Peggy present the copy. Before they head out, Pete makes a harsh remark about Freddy, and Peggy scolds him for it. Pete leaves first, then Peggy and Sal, with Peggy first stopping to have a word with Abigail.

Betty
Betty is passed out, face down, on the living room couch. It is the middle of the afternoon. The doorbell awakens her. She calls for Carla, who is likely out with the kids, and when she doesn’t get a response, she goes to the door, coughing. It’s Sarah Beth, come over to borrow a dress for tonight’s (unidentified) event (Betty had forgotten this afternoon closet-raiding appointment). Betty says she isn’t feeling well, and that therefore she and Don won’t make it.
Upstairs, Betty brings out several dresses for Sarah Beth to choose from. Sarah Beth talks about how she is plain, her husband is sweet, her therapist has diagnosed her as bored, and she has the hots for Arthur. She says she wishes Betty would ride with them again because it takes the pressure off. Betty tells her she should keep her distance from him, and then comes out with the revealing, It’s a switch you can flip on and off, you know. Sarah Beth skims past it, assumes that Betty doesn’t even think about this stuff, because of how perfect Don is. At this, Betty cuts the visit short, asking if they could continue talking over their lunch date on Thursday. Sarah Beth takes two dresses and skedaddles.

Freddy
Wakes up on his office couch. Placing his jacket, briefcase and hat in front of him, he leaves for the day, while every secretary stares.

Joan
Roger comes into his office to find Joan asleep on his couch. Apparently she does this on occasion, unbeknownst to Roger. She has been crying over Marilyn Monroe. Roger doesn’t get why people are affected by this, but does offer Joan, Hey. You’re not like her. Joan feels the world destroyed Marilyn. Roger feels Marilyn had everything and threw it away. Joan: One day you’ll lose someone who’s important to you. You’ll see. It’s very painful.

Don and Betty
Don brings the children home from dinner. Sally is sad that Don is leaving for another ˜business trip’. After she goes upstairs, Don and Betty discuss/argue over what to tell the kids. Don wants to come home. Betty isn’t having any of it.

Don and Jane
Jane offers Don coffee and gifts him with new shirts. She reminds him that today is the blood drive.

Peggy and Freddy
Freddy stops by Peggy’s office to see how the presentation went and apologizes for putting her in a bad position. She is relentless in her encouragement.

Carla and Betty
Betty is trying to get into the locked drawer in Don’s desk. Carla hears her and comes in, thinking Bobby is getting into things. She tries to chat with Betty about her with the children, and then offers her some help as well as unsolicited advice.

Roger’s office
Don walks in and is not pleased to see Duck and Pete already seated; I’m usually part of the meeting before the meeting. Pete tells Don about what happened with Freddy. Don stays very cool and defends Freddy, but the decision to let Freddy go has already been made. Don stays behind and has a drink with Roger, who says they will tell him to take a six month leave to get “the cure”. They decide to take him out for a last hurrah to tell him.

At the stable
Betty watches Arthur send off Tara, and once he is alone, she approaches and says hello. Betty then mentions Sarah Beth, asking if he’s seen her lately. Betty deliberately but vaguely makes it seem like there is something wrong with Sarah Beth, and says that she thinks Arthur makes her feel better. She suggests the three of them go to lunch and have some fun in order to cheer Sarah Beth up, and invites him along to the date she and Sarah Beth already have planned, but makes it sound like there was no date in place. Arthur is psyched, and Betty is cheerful, until the moment Arthur is gone, when she drops the smile.

Outside the blood drive
Salvatore, rolling his sleeve back up, joins the guys back out in the waiting area. The jokes quickly turn to Freddy (I thought I was gonna pull a Freddy Rumsen, Too bad Freddy gave his donation yesterday, and He’s a real whiz in advertising), and Harry does an impression of Freddy’s moment. Don has come along by this point, and angrily gives the guys a dressing down.

In the restaurant
Don and Roger break it to Freddy over pre-dinner drinks, framing it as a six month leave. The conversation is oddly convivial as Freddy tries to talk them out of it. Don and Roger are very kind but remain firm. Freddy talks about maybe moving to Boston or Philly and starting over. Roger suggests they make a full night of it, starting with another round of pre-dinner drinks.

Outside the Chuck-a-Luck
The three of them are loaded and at some backdoor (near a freight elevator) of an underground nightclub. Roger negotiates poorly with the very large bouncer. After they’ve handed over some cash and offered up their names, (Dick Dollars, Mike Moneybags and Tilden Katz) the bouncer escorts them down the elevator. It is only then, in the elevator, that Roger remembers the password. D’oh!

At the tables at the Chuck-a-Luck
Don, Roger and Freddy, now inside this underground casino–Freddy spots (who we are to find out is) world heavyweight champ Floyd Patterson, Roger orders a round, and the three continue to discuss the politics behind Freddy’s dismissal; namely Pete Campbell and Duck Phillips.

Don and Roger at the bar
Roger is counting his money and advising Don on how to bet better. They look over at Fred, who is seated and enjoying himself at an active table. A woman approaches and then retreats when neither Don nor Roger bites. Roger probes Don about his living situation, seemingly having sussed out based on his behavior (coming into the office early, dry cleaning coming in and out). Though Roger does his best to lament the reasons a man stays married, claiming to have been in his shoes. Don refuses to confide, but does express something like disdain for the notion of staying married.

In the middle of the conversation Don stands up, walks across the room (buttoning his jacket) and approaches Freddy who is laughing it up with Jimmy Barrett. Jimmy greets Don with a one-liner, and Don punches him. Jimmy drops to the floor. Exit Roger, Don and Fred from the Chuck-a-Luck.

Outside the warehouse doors
A yellow cab comes by and Roger and Don give it to Freddy. Fred says his goodbyes, first to Roger and then to Don. To Don Fred expresses real affection, and then real terror; “If I don’t go into that office every day, who am I?” before getting in the taxi.

Yet another bar
Roger is still probing, now about why Don hit Jimmy Barrett. Don admits to Roger that he is staying at the Roosevelt, and goes on to say that, while he does feel bad at times, he is ultimately relieved. They talk about, in sparsely-languaged drinking-all-night terms, the notion of falling in love with someone else. Don talks about marriage from a ‘is that all there is’ position, and goes on about moving forward, once he figures out what that is.

Don’s office
Peggy comes in to see Don, who is nursing an alka seltzer cocktail. He tells her that the Samsonite people are impressed with her, and that she will be handling the account. In fact, she will be taking over all of Freddy’s accounts, because Freddy will be taking some time off. Peggy is confused, then upset. Then Don whacks her with, I didn’t appreciate walking into an ambush by Duck and Pete. She says, She didn’t see why anyone needed to know, but realizes her mistake when Don says, Even me? He tells her not to be ashamed of being good at her job, and congratulates her. She leaves, shaken.

But then she marches into Pete’s office, bypassing Hildy
Pete is lying on his couch when Peggy comes in, Hildy behind her. Peggy confronts Pete, and even Hildy chimes in (until Pete rightfully dismisses her). Pete shows no remorse, referring to alcoholics as ˜those people’. She argues loyalty (If it wasn’t for him I’d still be a secretary)”Peggy has always contended that she owes her career to Freddy”and Pete counters (If it wasn’t for me you’d still be a Junior Copywriter). Pete forces mutual congratulations.

Cafe Soleil
Sarah Beth is seated at the table (outdoors), waiting for Betty. She thinks. But it is Arthur who joins her. And things get immediately flirty. Now, we know that Betty knows that Arthur was invited to join them. Why doesn’t Sarah Beth know?

the Drapers’ kitchen
Betty and the kids are making cookies; Sally is stirring batter and Bobby is assisting. Betty glances at her watch and walks over to the phone, picks up the receiver and turns it sideways on the cradle, (leaving it impossible for, say, someone who might be trying to find out why she’s late for lunch to reach her), and goes back to the baking.

Sterling Cooper conference room
Paul is presenting a campaign (surrounded by his team of Salvatore, Pete and Peggy) to Duck. When he is through, Duck turns to Peggy and asks her if she’s okay with this plan. She smoothly adjusts from feeling shocked at being asked to a confident Yes.

Don’s office
Don is asleep on his couch when Mona Sterling charges in, Jane behind her. Don dismisses Jane and stands up. Mona informs Don that Roger is leaving her for a secretary, and she is blaming Don, saying that he’d said it was great. Don has no idea what she’s talking about, but she quotes him from his drunken chat from the post-Freddy bar, “It’s your life. You have to move forward.” As she walks out of Don’s office, Roger is standing directly outside and begins attempting damage control, asking her to stay calm, and suggesting they talk about it. Mona is not having it, saying he can talk to Margaret, and walks away. Jane, at her post, begins crying, and Roger puts his hand consolingly on the back of her neck. Jane leaves (presumably for the Ladies Room), but Don, having witnessed this, tells Roger that he wants Jane ‘off her desk’.

Closing credits
Marilyn Monroe singing I’m Through With Love

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