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"Waldorf Stories" is the sixth episode of the fourth season of the American television drama series Mad Men, and the 45th overall episode of the series. It was written by Brett Johnson and series creator and executive producer Matthew Weiner, and directed by Scott Hornbacher. The episode originally aired on the AMC channel in the United States on August 29, 2010. This was the same evening that Mad Men received the award for Outstanding Drama Series at the 2010 Emmy Awards.

Plot

It is now April, 1965. Don Draper (Jon Hamm) wins an award at the Clio television advertising ceremony, but the celebration is cut short when the team has to return to the office for a meeting with clients from Life cereal. Peggy Olson is upset that Don has not acknowledged her contribution to the awarded ad. Intoxicated and empowered by the award, Don responds to the client's desire for an accessible slogan by bouncing several spontaneous, mediocre ideas off his potential clients. The clients like one slogan, which Don has inadvertently stolen from Danny, a dim-witted applicant for a job at the firm and Roger's wife's cousin. Returning to the celebration, he loses an entire weekend to debauchery. He leaves the party with a woman only to awaken two days later in bed with another woman - whom he has no recollection of, but she knows Don's real name.

Peggy is having problems working with the new art director Stan Rizzo (Jay R. Ferguson). As they spend a weekend together working in a hotel room, she finds a way to counter his accusations that she is uptight. Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser), meanwhile, is not pleased that Lane Pryce (Jared Harris) is trying to bring back Ken Cosgrove (Aaron Staton) to the firm.

On Sunday, Betty Draper telephones and awakens, Don after he has forgotten to pick up his children; until then, he did not even realize it was Sunday. Peggy Olson visits Don to inform him of his new slogan's source, and to insist that he make it right. On Monday, Don enters his office to the surprise that Danny is waiting for him. Don attempts to buy the slogan, but Danny refuses money, insisting he wants a job. Don gives in, not bothering to hide his disgust, as he is unable to otherwise correct his mistake.

Campbell usurps a meeting that Lane has scheduled with Cosgrove, finally agreeing to accept Ken, on the condition that Ken accepts and pays due respect to Campbell's rank in SCDP.

In flashbacks, Roger Sterling (John Slattery) (who is writing a memoir), remembers how he met Don as a fur salesman, who hounded him for a job at Sterling Cooper.

Reception

John Swansburg, reviewing the episode for Slate, appreciated the episode as an opportunity to "explore in greater detail a series of related questions" the season had presented so far. This included the relation between the old, experienced employees at the firm and the younger, more ambitious ones. He also highlighted the scene where Peggy chastises Don for his misappropriation of the slogan, as an example of how reduced Don has become as a man. Walter Dellinger of The Wall Street Journal wondered whether Weiner had "lost control of this show," with Don's dramatic emotional swings. He did, however, enjoy Peggy redeeming herself by humiliating Stan, after initially feeling under-appreciated at the firm. Time's James Poniewozik gave the episode a generally good review, praising the "small details in the flashback scenes". On the other hand, he did find some of the "lighter elements," such as the challenging secretary Mrs. Blankenship, somewhat out of place in the show.

Cultural references

• Angry when Lane Pryce reveals the firm's plans to rehire Pete Campbell's old rival Ken Cosgrove (without first consulting him, much less keeping him in the loop), Pete makes an angry reference comparing Roger Sterling to Madame Defarge.

References

1. ^ Swansburg, John (August 30, 2010). "Mad Men Week 6: When Roger met Don". Slate. Retrieved August 30, 2010.
2. Dellinger, Walter (August 30, 2010). "'Mad Men': A Conversation (Season 4, Episode 6) - Speakeasy - WSJ". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 30, 2010.
3. Poniewozik, James (August 30, 2010). "Mad Men Watch: I'd Like to Thank the Academy". Time. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
4. Swansburg (Monday, Aug. 30, 2010). Slate. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |date= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help)

External links

• "Waldorf Stories" at AMC
• "Waldorf Stories" at IMDb
• Template:TV.com episode
• Mad Men 4.6 on Kritik

• Mad Men episodes
• 2010 television episodes