I thought when they took him aboard it was said that he’d have a minority share compared to the others. I could be wrong but that’s what I meant by junior. He’s a partner but his single share is smaller than any of that of the four guys with their names on the door.
I don’t know how they have allocated shares, but, yes, it’s likely that Pete’s share is smaller than the others (although it’s unlikely to be a “single” share).
Also, with five partners, it’s likely that each of them holds a minority share (I doubt any one of them by himself holds 50 percent plus one, which is what it would require to have a majority share).
I mentioned the name bit parenthetically, because I have noticed some degree of confusion regarding its significance.
The episode was an exploration of traditional “success” in business, underscoring the fact that it is often arbitrary. The “best decision” Roger ever made–hiring Don–occurred during a bender. Don wins over the reps from “Life” with a slogan he doesn’t remeber pitching, and that results in the hire of a clearly unqualified young copywriter. Don delivered a line early on to the effect that “by the time you get an award, it doesn’t seem like it was for anything you did”; that, to me, summarized the mood perfectly: The disconnect between effort and reward in many business settings.
But it would be a mistake to say success is completely arbitrary. Peggy and Pete were able to play their particular challenges successfully and turn them to their advantage–sometimes smart play and hard work do pay off. Don can also do that–last week’s episode with Honda proves that–but he’s also painfully aware at how much of his success is based on chance, a stolen identity, or just plain old bullshit.
I actually wonder if Roger had offered Don a job at all that night - or if Don just took advantage of Roger’s drunkeness to manipulate his way into the position. Did we see the job offer take place? I can’t remember.
He’d already stolen another man’s identity at that point, so it’s not unreasonable that he’d play Roger like that.
I don’t believe we’re meant to think that Draper completely made that up. In any case, it’s not like that kind of an offer can’t be rescinded.
Here’s an ambiguity.
Did Don go to bed with a hot chick on one night and then with the french fry chick on the second night? Or was he supposed to be so out of it that he imagined the french fry chick to be the hot chick?
Don slept with both chicks. Due to his drinking, he lost most of Friday night, all of Saturday, and Sunday morning.
I think it was two different chicks – remember, he’s missing an entire day in there.
And I actually thought while watching that Don completely made up Roger’s “hiring” him – he knew that Roger was completely plastered, and would never remember it later. Only in retrospect did I start doubting that was the intent.
Nonetheless, the parallels between Roger-Don-Doofus were too painfully obvious for those not to be intentional. Don got hired because Roger was a drunken sot, and it turned out that Don had good ideas. Doofus got hired because Don is a drunken sot, and turns out that Doofus had at least one idea. It’s also clearly following the degeneration-of-Don storyline that’s been going on this season.
Which is… not what I’m watching this show for. I know Weiner’s going to go where he wants to go, but last episode where Don was the clever, half-likable bastard of old again, that was fun.
Don just comes across as… smelly, now. Although I’m actually impressed that Jon Hamm’s portrayal kind of looks like Don has gone all dissolute. He’s not looking like the cool, handsome Don of past seasons. He looks like he’s put on weight. And looks smelly.
I don’t think it was ambiguous at all–it was clearly meant to be two different chicks (though he was obviously “slumming” by the 2nd night of his Lost Weekend).
Well, he did have three orders of french fries. 
Maybe that’s what Don means when he tells women they smell good.
He was a salesman. Would you buy something from a guy like Don Draper, ad man? Being all fakey-nice and smiley is what salesmen do. To rise to the top of an ad agency meant he had to be ruthless and uncompromising. At least that’s what I think they’re trying to put across.
I’m really getting a kick out of Don’s secretary. Complete payback for being such a shit to the last one.
I think you mean Marilyn Monroe looked a little Earlier-version-of-Joanish. That’s what Roger’s said, after all.
At least Doris the fast-food clerk was reasonably attractive. And female. I think it’d be hysterical if he woke up in bed next to special guest star Kenan Thompson.
“Who the fuc…”
“I’m Reba! And you still owe me $3.00 for the gas.”
Was it Christmas 1964 that just passed or Christmas 1965?
Capote’s Black & White Ball was in November 1966 and I was wondering if there’s any way they’ll be able to work it into future episodes. Bert would probably be the most likely to be invited, perhaps with Joan as his Plus One, or Don could squire some lady with an invite.
The show has definitely lost momentum and desperately needs a compelling story arc. They’re currently just sort of drifting from episode to episode. The flashback and the days with the original Mrs. Draper were about the best part of the season so far (since we’re apparently never going to learn whether the old woman bought the pears).
I can see how Roger can claim he discovered Don. He could easily and without any legal or moral or ethical repercussions have told him to go to hell even if he had offered him a job while drunk: there was nothing in writing, his judgment was impaired, no terms had been discussed or settled (“You want a job? Sure- here’s a broom- $1 per hour, 1 hour per day”) but I think he had a “Let’s see where this goes…” mentality.
I totally didn’t recognize Duck at the awards, which is odd because I recognized John Aniston (the presenter, estranged father to Jennifer in real life) from his voice alone.
Don’s clothes were of a lesser quality, and they didn’t fit as well. I though they got his clothes right, as well as his overall look.
Did I miss the part where it was explained that Doris was a fast-food clerk?
She may have been a diner waitress. In any case she’s wearing some sort of food server uniform and served him three orders of fries the night before.
- On their first meeting of the new year, one of the partners (Lane, I think) said “Welcome to 1965.”).
I must have somehow missed this…was this one of her lines?