# Mad-Men: 5.12 "Commissions & Fees" (open spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 4, 2012, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-5-12-commissions-fees-open-spoilers/623980 "2012-06-04T00:16:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2012, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-5-12-commissions-fees-open-spoilers/623980/141 "2012-06-05T16:45:31Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > I don’t want spoilers, of course, but every preview just leaves me saying “huh”? Something’s going to happen, and it looks like it’s going to be significant for some people! > [@Jophiel](#): > > The only person who knows about the embezzlement is Don. As someone else said, Cooper thinks Don just signed off on the bonus Lane had been whining about for the last two months. No one knows the check was a forgery except Don. The only way anyone will know different is if Don tells them. The coroner is likely to ask some questions. I don’t see how the embezzlement stays secret. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2012, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-5-12-commissions-fees-open-spoilers/623980/142 "2012-06-05T16:48:26Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > The only person who knows about the embezzlement is Don. As someone else said, Cooper thinks Don just signed off on the bonus Lane had been whining about for the last two months. No one knows the check was a forgery except Don. The only way anyone will know different is if Don tells them. > > The $50k credit extension is certain to come to light but that, by itself, doesn’t mean embezzlement. To everyone else, the assumption may be that Lane committed suicide when he mismanaged (not necessarily stole) the company books and found himself in a hole he couldn’t find a way out of. For whatever reason they’ve chosen to make Cooper interpret the check that way. In ‘reality’ the partners voted to not take a bonus and Don and Lane conspired behind their backs to surreptitiously withdraw money from the firm for personal gain. The other reality is that Lane did it all and forged Don’s signature. If two of my partners signed off on a check written to one of the partners after we explicitly decided not to, they’d both be embezzling me/my company. ---
**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:** [June 5, 2012, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-5-12-commissions-fees-open-spoilers/623980/143 "2012-06-05T16:50:58Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I’m not following what you mean here. The partners already know that Joan slept with the guy. “How much sympathy THEY try to make us feel for Joan” and “I am hoping THEY make Joan own it…” Who is “they”? And make Joan own what? The writers. Make Joan own what she did, not try and act all Choy and secretive about it. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2012, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-5-12-commissions-fees-open-spoilers/623980/144 "2012-06-05T16:54:42Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > The only person who knows about the embezzlement is Don. As someone else said, Cooper thinks Don just signed off on the bonus Lane had been whining about for the last two months. No one knows the check was a forgery except Don. The only way anyone will know different is if Don tells them. > > The $50k credit extension is certain to come to light but that, by itself, doesn’t mean embezzlement. To everyone else, the assumption may be that Lane committed suicide when he mismanaged (not necessarily stole) the company books and found himself in a hole he couldn’t find a way out of. There’s also the rubber check his wife wrote to Jaguar, could that be an issue? ---
**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:** [June 5, 2012, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-5-12-commissions-fees-open-spoilers/623980/145 "2012-06-05T16:56:40Z")
> [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](#): > > If two of my partners signed off on a check written to one of the partners after we explicitly decided not to, they’d both be embezzling me/my company. You’re correct but, as you said, Cooper didn’t treat it as such and in Mad Men world, that’s all that matters. Given the time jumps between episodes, I suspect Lane’s suicide will be something of old news by next week and there’ll be no mention of coroners and the like. My own half-assed guess is that the season will end on a relatively high note for SCDP with Jaguar and Dow and the books having issues but the new work promising to smooth the problems. Then next season we’ll see it all go to hell again 😃 I base this entirely on the last season which ended on a downer (loss of Lucky Strikes, layoffs) and the season before which ended high (office heist and birth of SCDP). Peaks and valleys. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2012, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-5-12-commissions-fees-open-spoilers/623980/146 "2012-06-05T17:00:07Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > There’s also the rubber check his wife wrote to Jaguar, could that be an issue? I’m assuming that was a personal check. Which might cause problems for her, but it shouldn’t affect the company. ---
**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:** [June 5, 2012, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-5-12-commissions-fees-open-spoilers/623980/147 "2012-06-05T17:00:47Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > There’s also the rubber check his wife wrote to Jaguar, could that be an issue? I’d assume that was written to a dealership. I’m sure it’s not the first bad check they’ve seen and they’d handle it like any other. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2012, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-5-12-commissions-fees-open-spoilers/623980/148 "2012-06-05T17:01:46Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > The coroner is likely to ask some questions. I don’t see how the embezzlement stays secret. Why? People kill themselves for all sorts of reasons. I don’t think it would occur to the coroner to look at the company financials. It will probably come out that his personal financial situation is in shambles and that will close the case. ---
**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:** [June 5, 2012, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-5-12-commissions-fees-open-spoilers/623980/149 "2012-06-05T17:02:21Z")
I agree that Lane hated his glasses and didn’t want to ever have to wear them again, especially to be buried and spend eternity with them. Not only was there no Peggy in this episode, there was no mention of her or any dealing with the fallout of her leaving. The whole creativity team was left out. Big cast, no time for everyone in each episode, but this is only the 2nd episode where she’s been credit only (as per IMDb). The other was S4E10 where Lane’s father visits and Joan had her abortion. Elizabeth Moss gets 2nd billing at IMDb, so she is a significant character. The show started with her entering the old agency. She can’t stay away for long. Ken is the anti-Pete. In more ways than one. Pete is the darling of the agency now (at least to outsiders). Ken was forced to stop his writing. (I thought that was going to be the favor he was going to ask of Roger. That he be allowed to write again on his own time.) Ken is starting to look more like the one to use Pete’s gun. And I still go wide-eyed everytime someone heads to the elevators. Weiner sure knows how to hold the suspense. Each of the partners has a different role. Don handles the creative side. Roger is supposed to work the social/business side but is being usurped by Pete. Burt is the diplomat/senior statesmen in charge of keeping the kids on the playground from hurting the business (but not each other). Lane ran the office. Presumably Joan will take over that now. The Big Question: Who gets Lane’s office? That’s what really matters when someone “resigns”. ---
**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:** [June 5, 2012, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-5-12-commissions-fees-open-spoilers/623980/150 "2012-06-05T17:06:43Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > The Big Question: Who gets Lane’s office? That’s what really matters when someone “resigns”. Obviously Pete gets Lane’s office. Don & Roger have no reason to want it, Burt and Joan are not not venal enough to suggest it, and Pete **is** venal enough to suggest it. Hopefully he will get it but only after Joan demonstrates that she too can kick his ass. I am crestfallen over Lane’s death, as you might infer. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2012, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-5-12-commissions-fees-open-spoilers/623980/151 "2012-06-05T17:16:13Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Ken is the anti-Pete. In more ways than one. Pete is the darling of the agency now (at least to outsiders). Ken was forced to stop his writing. (I thought that was going to be the favor he was going to ask of Roger. That he be allowed to write again on his own time.) Ken is starting to look more like the one to use Pete’s gun. If I recall correctly, Ken is continuing to write under a new pseudonym. ---
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2012, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-5-12-commissions-fees-open-spoilers/623980/152 "2012-06-05T17:34:55Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Obviously Pete gets Lane’s office. Possibly — although it seems to me Pete’s current office (which he upgraded to earlier, when he swapped with Harry) is very similar to Lane’s. It’s about the same size, with the same outside view too, as they’re right next to each other. Lane’s office might have extra perks I haven’t noticed, like a closet or washroom or something. But otherwise, Pete’s moving into it doesn’t seem worthwhile. Plus, he’d always be looking at the inside of his door, remembering Lane’s gray, bug-eyed corpse hanging from it. ---
**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:** [June 5, 2012, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-5-12-commissions-fees-open-spoilers/623980/153 "2012-06-05T17:40:27Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > There’s also the rubber check his wife wrote to Jaguar, could that be an issue? Presumably Lane’s wife will attempt to cancel the purchase of the Jaguar. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2012, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-5-12-commissions-fees-open-spoilers/623980/154 "2012-06-05T17:44:58Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Why? People kill themselves for all sorts of reasons. I don’t think it would occur to the coroner to look at the company financials. It will probably come out that his personal financial situation is in shambles and that will close the case. People kill other people for all sorts of reasons, too, so the coroner has to establish that it was a suicide and not murder. Talking to Cooper will yield up the fact that Lane just got an unusual bonus check, signed by Don. And Don will have to tell them that Lane forged his signature, because the coroner’s alternate theory would be that Lane was blackmailing Don over something (“and what might that be, Mr. … umm … ‘Draper’”?). ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2012, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-5-12-commissions-fees-open-spoilers/623980/155 "2012-06-05T17:46:46Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > People kill other people for all sorts of reasons, too, so the coroner has to establish that it was a suicide and not murder. Talking to Cooper will yield up the fact that Lane just got an unusual bonus check, signed by Don. And Don will have to tell them that Lane forged his signature, because the coroner’s alternate theory would be that Lane was blackmailling Don over something (“and what might that be, Mr. … umm … ‘Draper’”?). Does the _coroner_ do this kind of questioning? It looks like police work to me. ---
**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:** [June 5, 2012, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-5-12-commissions-fees-open-spoilers/623980/156 "2012-06-05T17:54:43Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Obviously Pete gets Lane’s office. He’s going to want to get the carpet cleaned. And a new couch. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2012, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-5-12-commissions-fees-open-spoilers/623980/157 "2012-06-05T18:00:48Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Does the _coroner_ do this kind of questioning? It looks like police work to me. Well, whoever. I think the coroner has some role in calling it a suicide or not, but I don’t know who would ask those questions, or – more importantly – who would have asked those questions in 1966. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2012, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-5-12-commissions-fees-open-spoilers/623980/158 "2012-06-05T18:23:25Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Does the _coroner_ do this kind of questioning? It looks like police work to me. You clearly have not watched enough episodes of “Quincy, M.E.”! ---
**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:** [June 5, 2012, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-5-12-commissions-fees-open-spoilers/623980/159 "2012-06-05T18:56:01Z")
I am just a bit surprised at how some people earlier in the thread seemed to be posting that this would all be tied up in a neat bow. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2012, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-5-12-commissions-fees-open-spoilers/623980/160 "2012-06-05T19:10:34Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > I am just a bit surprised at how some people earlier in the thread seemed to be posting that this would all be tied up in a neat bow. Maybe not a neat bow, but Mad Men often jumps ahead in time episode to episode and it wouldn’t surprise me if the finale takes place some months after Lane’s suicide rather than picking up right when it left off. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-5-12-commissions-fees-open-spoilers/623980.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-5-12-commissions-fees-open-spoilers/623980.md?page=9)