episode-12-betty

“Mad Men,” Season 4, Episode 12: “Blowing Smoke”

Sunday night’s “Mad Men” was kind of all over the place. But in a good way.

Midge resurfaces and reveals herself as a heroine addict. Don (Jon Hamm) gives her some money to buy smack. Sally is secretly meeting with creepy kid. And Betty (January Jones) is doing her best to relate to Sally. Which isn’t easy. Creepy kid even knows Betty “doesn’t’ like kids.”

Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce is still trying to figure out what to do after losing Lucky Strike. Heinz just rejected Don. And what I’m guessing would be Virginia Slim cigarettes wouldn’t even meet with the firm.

Lane (Jared Harris) tells the partners they each have to pitch in some money to be able to keep the payroll going. That’s in addition to firing some people. Pete (Vincent Kartheiser) freaks out because he doesn’t have the money and fights with Trudy (who sadly wasn’t wearing her hilarious pregnancy nightie) about it.

So just as it seems there’s no hope, Don does something amazing.

Don takes out a full page ad in the New York Times, dumping tobacco. He writes that Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce will no longer be taking tobacco companies of clients. He even mentions the health risks of tobacco.

I have a feeling this will be a brilliant move. But unfortunately the people at SCDP don’t agree. The partners are furious. Cooper even quits. I think. So will it become Sterling Draper Pryce? That doesn’t have a very good ring to it.

So until Don’s trick pays off, people still have to be fired. Thankfully, no major characters are pink slipped.

This is episode 12 of 13, so anyone care to guess what will happen on next week’s season finale? We surely didn’t get a preview following the episode. I’m betting Don’s plan works in some way or another. I’m also predicting something serious happening with Sally. Betty did pretty much negate any of the poor girl’s therapy on Sunday’s episode. I bet Sally kills Betty (I’m mostly joking, but with as little as January Jones has been used this season, I wouldn’t be completely surprised).

Regardless, I want more Sally. She’s really grown on me. Especially after her funny Land O Lakes logo observation.

Of course there’s also Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) and Joan (Christina Hendricks) who didn’t have storylines set up in Sunday’s episode. Let’s hope they’re not just overlooked next week.

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