# Mad-Men 3.06, Guy Walks Into An Advertising Agency (open spoiler)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-3-06-guy-walks-into-an-advertising-agency-open-spoiler/510895>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [September 21, 2009, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-3-06-guy-walks-into-an-advertising-agency-open-spoiler/510895 "2009-09-21T01:03:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-3-06-guy-walks-into-an-advertising-agency-open-spoiler/510895/61 "2009-09-22T17:10:28Z")

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> [@SaharaTea](#):
>
> I might be reading too much into it, but I thought Joan’s bloodstained skirt was foreshadowing the JFK assassination. There was also a shot of Don and Joan sitting next to each other in the hospital waiting room which looked a lot like JFK and Jackie sitting next to one another in the car before he was shot. Maybe I’m crazy though…

Don’t think you’re reading too much into it (the parading around and the pink dress definitely gave me that vibe).

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**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-3-06-guy-walks-into-an-advertising-agency-open-spoiler/510895/62 "2009-09-22T17:52:49Z")

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> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#):
>
> My guess, they have both in there until one proves himself. And with Ken just landing the John Deere account, Pete may be “for now”, since he was already on the org chart.

But Pete has a big advantage over Ken now. He wasn’t the guy that brought the foot chopping mower into the office.

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**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2009, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-3-06-guy-walks-into-an-advertising-agency-open-spoiler/510895/63 "2009-09-22T21:14:21Z")

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> [@ftg](#):
>
> But Pete has a big advantage over Ken now. He wasn’t the guy that brought the foot chopping mower into the office.

Good point. There’s goint to be Hell to pay over that incident (bye bye Lois & possibly Smitty). The preview makes it sound like Mackendrick files a lawsuit. I know people weren’t as lawsuit-happy in the 60s as they are today, but I don’t it’s out of the question given the circumstances. Then again he was technically “in charge” of Sterling-Cooper that afternoon and one could argue it’s his own fault for not putting a stop to it as soon as Smitty drove the tractor out.

[QUOTE=Green Bean]  
…Would this lead to friction between Joan and Peggy, or will Joan a chance to take Peggy under her wing and break her out of her shell? (The roommate ad could foreshadow this.)  
[/QUOTE]

Of course it would lead to friction between Joan and Peggy. 🙂 Joan already get’s more respect from everyone then Peggy. Even so I don’t think it’ll be quite that easy for Joan to become “one of the guys” and she’ll probally run into many of the same problems as Peggy. This could lead to them both simultaneously being both mentor and protege to eachother.

BTW is any one else suprised and delighted to see that Kurt (the gay Swede who gave Peggy a makeover) is still at Sterling-Cooper? I just assumed he’d end up being fired (& sent back to Sweden) after he came out last season. I wonder if we see his homosexuality come up as a subplot (maybe involving Sal) again.

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**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-3-06-guy-walks-into-an-advertising-agency-open-spoiler/510895/64 "2009-09-23T00:22:44Z")

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I thought the lawnmower was headed toward Joan. But she certainly kept cool under the situation, unlike Peggy, who fainted.

I like Don trying to help Sally through the sudden changes…loss of her grandpa, the birth of the baby.

I’m a little lost about Dr. Rape…so, was he fired? Or is the hospital not going to let him perform surgery? And no, I can’t see Joan in Alabama.

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**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-3-06-guy-walks-into-an-advertising-agency-open-spoiler/510895/65 "2009-09-23T00:37:13Z")

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> [@alphaboi867](#):
>
> BTW is any one else surprised and delighted to see that Kurt (the gay Swede who gave Peggy a makeover) is still at Sterling-Cooper? I just assumed he’d end up being fired (& sent back to Sweden) after he came out last season. I wonder if we see his homosexuality come up as a subplot (maybe involving Sal) again.

Are they actually employed by SC as salaried employees, or are they on on some sort of independent contractor status?

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**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-3-06-guy-walks-into-an-advertising-agency-open-spoiler/510895/66 "2009-09-23T00:42:03Z")

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> [@ivylass](#):
>
> I thought the lawnmower was headed toward Joan. But she certainly kept cool under the situation, unlike Peggy, who fainted.
> 
> I like Don trying to help Sally through the sudden changes…loss of her grandpa, the birth of the baby.
> 
> I’m a little lost about Dr. Rape…so, was he fired? Or is the hospital not going to let him perform surgery? And no, I can’t see Joan in Alabama.

While a competent rapist he’s apparently a butter fingered surgeon, and is not going to get the Chief Residency position/title necessary for him to move forward as a surgeon in New York. His options are reduced to being a plain old, non-glamorous doctor which in the early 60’s is apparently not that god like or remunerative .

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**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-3-06-guy-walks-into-an-advertising-agency-open-spoiler/510895/67 "2009-09-23T02:26:56Z")

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Does anyone else think it awfully cheeky that the Brits essentially ruined everyone’s 4th of July plans? There is a reason why we celebrate that day, you frickin’ limeys.

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**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-3-06-guy-walks-into-an-advertising-agency-open-spoiler/510895/68 "2009-09-23T13:21:59Z")

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:smack: I just got the title…“Guy” is the name of the man who had his foot sliced off (and squeegeeing off the window was the perfect touch, with the watery blood trickling down the glass) not a random “guy.”

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**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-3-06-guy-walks-into-an-advertising-agency-open-spoiler/510895/69 "2009-09-23T13:27:16Z")

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> [@Frostillicus](#):
>
> Does anyone else think it awfully cheeky that the Brits essentially ruined everyone’s 4th of July plans? There is a reason why we celebrate that day, you frickin’ limeys.

The visiting Brits were deliberately showing that they were jerks. That was their whole point. “We are going to be nasty to you and you’ll have to smile and take it.” Look at the gift bit with Pryce. A stuffed snake in an open cardboard box. Clearly sending a message with that. Leaving Roger off the chart was also not a mistake but a message.

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**Author:** ![lalenin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@lalenin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lalenin)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-3-06-guy-walks-into-an-advertising-agency-open-spoiler/510895/70 "2009-09-23T14:05:24Z")

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Ok, so I started watching this show based on the threads and comments here, and I just finished catching up to the current episode.

I really enjoy this show, and I noticed something that I don’t think has been mentioned yet. I was watching one of the season two episodes and I wanted to comment to my girlfriend about something I noticed in the scene. As I was waiting for a break in the action of the story I noticed that this show is bang-bang, very little wasted screen time. No filler! Any other show will have at least a few minutes of wasted screen time, where the characters walk around holding hands, or emoting silently or something. Not this show.

Maybe it was an effect of watching all the shows on DVD, with no commercials, but it was really eye opening. This show is as tight as a good jazz group.

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**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-3-06-guy-walks-into-an-advertising-agency-open-spoiler/510895/71 "2009-09-23T14:15:45Z")

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Yes, that’s something that lifts this show above soap-opera level, in that every scene, heck, every line, means something. If not now, in future episodes. (Lost is like that, too. Not a lot of ‘filler’ in either show.)

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**Author:** ![Aw\_Hamburgers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@Aw\_Hamburgers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aw_Hamburgers)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-3-06-guy-walks-into-an-advertising-agency-open-spoiler/510895/72 "2009-09-23T14:18:09Z")

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> [@ftg](#):
>
> I see Joan arranging to be persuaded to come back (to save face) but moving into the creative side. A hint of this was given when she suggested changes to Peggy’s roommate ad, as well as her script reviewing story arc from a while back.

I disagree. I felt like they showed these scenes to demonstrate Joan’s potential yet Joan never sees herself more than the Head Secretary/Trophy Wife. I thought it was to contrast with Peggy.

Peggy= ambitious, yet socially awkward  
Joan= amazing social grace yet doesn’t realize her potential

Although maybe the Dr. Rape storyline will lead her to realize she _can_ be the breadwinner of her house.

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**Author:** ![The\_Weird\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@The\_Weird\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Weird_One)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-3-06-guy-walks-into-an-advertising-agency-open-spoiler/510895/73 "2009-09-23T14:44:31Z")

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> [@Sam\_Stone](#):
>
> Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but I thought the whole British subplot was basically an echo of the last gasp of British Colonialism. Sending Lane to Bombay because of all the problems there, putting on airs of strength to mask crumbling vision and crippled executives… It’s like they were convinced that they were commanders of all, while the artifices crumbled around them. I thought the treatment of Lane was simply an example of indifference towards the ‘menial people.’ A vestige of the colonial class hierarchies. They seemed actually surprised that he didn’t take it like a good soldier. They were probably thinking that America was a bad influence on him.

I don’t think you’re reading too much into it. I thought it was interesting that Lane’s bosses mentioned they were happy that they’d “heard no complaints,” when in fact the employees at S-C were very unhappy with the changes he made and resentful over the British control. I imagine that whatever resentment the Americans felt towards Lane would greatly multiplied in Inida by the much more recent colonial history.

Oh, and does that mean that Lane’s manservant has to go with him? That would make the office less interesting.

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**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-3-06-guy-walks-into-an-advertising-agency-open-spoiler/510895/74 "2009-09-23T14:46:04Z")

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> [@ivylass](#):
>
> :smack: I just got the title…“Guy” is the name of the man who had his foot sliced off (and squeegeeing off the window was the perfect touch, with the watery blood trickling down the glass) not a random “guy.”

:smack: Me too! I only got as far as realizing that the title was the opening line for a joke.

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**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-3-06-guy-walks-into-an-advertising-agency-open-spoiler/510895/75 "2009-09-23T15:45:08Z")

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> [@The\_Weird\_One](#):
>
> Oh, and does that mean that Lane’s manservant has to go with him? That would make the office less interesting.

Lane’s staying with SC for the time being since his replacement is now one-footed so the fate of his manservant isn’t currently in question.

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**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-3-06-guy-walks-into-an-advertising-agency-open-spoiler/510895/76 "2009-09-23T16:05:20Z")

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The whole idea of sending Lane to India was so bizarre to me. First of all, because India in 1963 was a much less developed country than it is today, with fewer consumer goods, and what goods it had were mostly domestically produced. So how much business could there be for a British advertising agency? Secondly, because my understanding was that multinational corporations rewarded someone who succeeded in a given market by transferring them to a larger market. So sending someone from Manhattan to Bombay sounds like something that you do as punishment, not reward.

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**Author:** ![The\_Weird\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@The\_Weird\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Weird_One)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-3-06-guy-walks-into-an-advertising-agency-open-spoiler/510895/77 "2009-09-23T16:20:12Z")

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> [@Jophiel](#):
>
> Lane’s staying with SC for the time being since his replacement is now one-footed so the fate of his manservant isn’t currently in question.

Huzzah! More excuses to use the word “manservant!” Mmmm…mmmanservant.

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**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-3-06-guy-walks-into-an-advertising-agency-open-spoiler/510895/78 "2009-09-23T16:25:56Z")

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> [@Dewey\_Finn](#):
>
> The whole idea of sending Lane to India was so bizarre to me. First of all, because India in 1963 was a much less developed country than it is today, with fewer consumer goods, and what goods it had were mostly domestically produced. So how much business could there be for a British advertising agency? Secondly, because my understanding was that multinational corporations rewarded someone who succeeded in a given market by transferring them to a larger market. So sending someone from Manhattan to Bombay sounds like something that you do as punishment, not reward.

It was pretty clear to me that the notion that Lane’s passage to India was a reward was a lie, and Lane was quite aware of it. Not that he was being unpunished, exactly; rather, he was being pushed aside for the golden (and soon to be gimpy) boy.

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**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-3-06-guy-walks-into-an-advertising-agency-open-spoiler/510895/79 "2009-09-23T17:47:11Z")

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Lane had used up his usefulness at SC, time to send him to the next assignment to do what he does well, there is really nothing more to read into it.

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**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-3-06-guy-walks-into-an-advertising-agency-open-spoiler/510895/80 "2009-09-23T18:19:50Z")

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> [@Aw\_Hamburgers](#):
>
> Joan= amazing social grace yet doesn’t realize her potential.

I’ve noticed this too; in Season One the impression I had of Joan was that she was a shallow, nasty piece of work who had her little kingdom and took great pleasure in ruling it. But there’s a lot more to her; she’s patient, (a little too) forgiving, kind and helpful when it counts, she can keep her head in some really extreme circumstances. She’s beginning to seem like a hell of a swell person.

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