# Mad-Men: 6.12 "The Quality of Mercy" (open spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 17, 2013, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-6-12-the-quality-of-mercy-open-spoilers/661150 "2013-06-17T01:00:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-6-12-the-quality-of-mercy-open-spoilers/661150/41 "2013-06-17T15:18:27Z")
[QUOTE=AuntiePam] I thought the scene at Miss Porter’s was awful, badly done, clumsy, and poorly acted by everyone. [/QUOTE] But it beefed up Wiener’s kid’s college trust fund. ---
**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 17, 2013, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-6-12-the-quality-of-mercy-open-spoilers/661150/42 "2013-06-17T15:34:59Z")
Really though… the girls start off like they’re going to haze Sally, then immediately forget that they’re hazing her, then Sally breaks up their drugs, booze & sex party and no one cares. Well, except Rolo. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-6-12-the-quality-of-mercy-open-spoilers/661150/43 "2013-06-17T16:37:31Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > No way the customer would have gone for that – that movie was too out of the mainstream at the time (although, tame and quaint by modern standards). Rosemary’s Baby was a successful movie and went on to win a lot of awards–including an Oscar or two. I think it was mainstream. I think the question in the episode was at that moment was it well known enough to be referenced. Also, I kind of liked the ad…but that might have been for Joan’s Jewish lady “How about some chicken soup?” > [@Lightray](#): > > edit: Don definitely took the opportunity to take Ted down a peg. His “Go on Ted, tell them” was him rubbing Ted’s face in the fact that Don was in control, _not_ actually giving Ted an opportunity to save things. The way Don presented it, Ted couldn’t disagree, and so had to let Peggy’s idea be stolen from under her, _and_ Don then further humiliated him by pointing out that everyone knew about Ted and Peggy’s budding affair. At the start I thought that Don might have been trying to set up Ted to be talking TO St. Josephs (I got the impression that they had been one of his clients for years) but about Peggy. Don manipulating it so Ted and Peggy were on notice about their “young love” behavior and Don shaming Ted into putting a stop to it… but then Don went the most dickish way and stole Peggy’s idea not for himself but for a dead man. The ad will get a Cleo now for sure. ---
**Author:** ![BluePear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@BluePear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BluePear)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-6-12-the-quality-of-mercy-open-spoilers/661150/44 "2013-06-17T16:45:10Z")
Roger’s line “Lee Garner, Jr. made me hold his balls,” that was rich on so many levels. I forgot how much that character fucked around with people. Poor Sal, Garner wanted to literally do it to him. Pete made a smart move keeping Benenson. Anyone think it interesting that Pete got his mother a black nurse, when in earlier episodes he basically said his mother would refuse any non-white person. I guess that was Pete’s big “fuck you” to his mom. I have mixed feelings about what Don did. Overall I thought it was harsh but, he was right about Ted allowing his feelings to interfere with his judgement. I think the scene with Ginsberg and the one with Joan were to make clear to us that the ad idea probably wasn’t great, and they were just clearly into each other. Anyone else think Ken is going to finally try to be a full-time writer? ---
**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 17, 2013, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-6-12-the-quality-of-mercy-open-spoilers/661150/45 "2013-06-17T16:46:07Z")
I’m not sure which was my favorite moment from this season, Don saying “I love puppies!” or Don pretending to be a crying baby. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-6-12-the-quality-of-mercy-open-spoilers/661150/46 "2013-06-17T16:53:31Z")
> [@BluePear](#): > > Anyone think it interesting that Pete got his mother a black nurse, when in earlier episodes he basically said his mother would refuse any non-white person. I guess that was Pete’s big “fuck you” to his mom. It would have been great if it had been Grandma Ida. I think Ken should forget advertising and writing both and become a dancer. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-6-12-the-quality-of-mercy-open-spoilers/661150/47 "2013-06-17T17:12:42Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > edit: Don definitely took the opportunity to take Ted down a peg. His “Go on Ted, tell them” was him rubbing Ted’s face in the fact that Don was in control, _not_ actually giving Ted an opportunity to save things. Yes, but if Ted were Don’s equal, he WOULD have been able to come up with something on the spot. But he couldn’t. He’s not an idea man. In fact, I’m not sure WHAT Ted is good for. > [@](#): > > The way Don presented it, Ted couldn’t disagree, and so had to let Peggy’s idea be stolen from under her, At that point, saving the account was more important than Peggy \*maybe \*winning an award. If Ted could have come up with something to save the account AND save Peggy’s award when Don gave him the opening (whether sincerely or not), then he could have been the hero. But Ted is not a creative type like Don or Peggy. Don’t blame Don for the fact that Ted doesn’t have an original idea in his head. > [@](#): > > _and_ Don then further humiliated him by pointing out that everyone knew about Ted and Peggy’s budding affair. Oh please, Ted and Peggy were making fools of themselves without any help from anyone. Anyway Don told him in private. It had to be done. At least when Don screwed around, it didn’t directly affect keeping/losing big clients. ---
**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:** [June 17, 2013, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-6-12-the-quality-of-mercy-open-spoilers/661150/48 "2013-06-17T17:20:45Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > Betty was preening because Sally got into the boarding school where _Jackie Kennedy_ went. That’s like the mothership calling her daughter home, and of course Betty (being Betty) thinks that reflects on her. Probably didn’t hurt her self-esteem to learn that Sally is sour on Don, too… Betty is so going to love bragging about having a daughter at Miss Porter’s. Not to mention that she can now go weeks (months) without ever having to be in the same room as Sally. > [@Jophiel](#): > > …Pete’s obviously calling back to the Don blackmail thing. He knows his chances of getting the partners to fire Bob aren’t great. But Bob doesn’t necessarily know that so Pete can hang the ole Sword of Damocles over Bob. Pete also knows that Bob is a skilled con guy and figures it’s better to have that working for him than against him… Not only that but Bob doesn’t have any idea that Pete was talking about Don, or con artists in general. He probably thinks Pete was talking about dealing with _homosexuals_ before; which make’s Pete’s actions all the more confusing to him. > [@salinqmind](#): > > …Aside from causing havoc at the office, Bob (and Manolo) is also, it seems, working on some kind of scam to get Pete’s mom’s money (not that she has any real amount). I find this aspect rather creepy. I wonder if her fancy man is going to try to marry her on that trip they want to take. I think Bob was just trying to scare Pete. Also I think Bob & Manolo may be a couple. Then again I thought the same thing about Kurt _and Smitty_ (although that wasn’t exactly disproved). > [@Sampiro](#): > > I got that Pete was also a little embarrassed that he was instrumental in hiring somebody so unqualified. Pete’s also embarrassed that said person hit on him, after having tricked him into hiring his mother a gigolo. Pete really doesn’t want the rest of the office finding that out. > [@BluePear](#): > > …Anyone think it interesting that Pete got his mother a black nurse, when in earlier episodes he basically said his mother would refuse any non-white person. I guess that was Pete’s big “fuck you” to his mom…Anyone else think Ken is going to finally try to be a full-time writer? I don’t think Dotty is as uncomfortable around non-white woman as she is around men. A woman like her wouldn’t think twice about having a black woman wait on her. She’d just treat her like a maid instead of a companion. I agree about Ken. He’s just about had it with the company. I’m pretty sure he’d resign from SC&P on the spot if that’s what it took to get off Chevy. ---
**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 17, 2013, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-6-12-the-quality-of-mercy-open-spoilers/661150/49 "2013-06-17T17:21:46Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > At least when Don screwed around, it didn’t directly affect keeping/losing big clients. Rachel Menken! ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-6-12-the-quality-of-mercy-open-spoilers/661150/50 "2013-06-17T17:25:27Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > I’m not sure which was my favorite moment from this season, Don saying “I love puppies!” or Don pretending to be a crying baby. I want a gif or a YTMND of Ted saying “I want MY juice” and then Don’s “Waahh Waaah!” ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-6-12-the-quality-of-mercy-open-spoilers/661150/51 "2013-06-17T18:03:52Z")
I hope there’s an upcoming episode called The Talented Mr. Benson. So does this mean that Bob and Pete are temporarily moving to Detroit, or just that they’ll be making lots of business trips there? It wouldn’t be a bad move for Pete- it would give him and Trudy a trial separation without having to say “We’re separated” and give him a break from his mom. (And who gives a damn if she and Manolo _were_ getting it on if it makes her happy and he’s content with the paycheck? It’s not like she’s going to give birth to a little half-brother to steal the inheritance, which aside from some family effects there’s not much of to begin with; I’d have been happy as hell for my mother to have found a gigolo in her final years.) ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-6-12-the-quality-of-mercy-open-spoilers/661150/52 "2013-06-17T18:53:22Z")
Can someone explain the episode title? (Yeah, I know it’s a reference to Shakespeare’s _Merchant of Venice_).) Who is showing mercy to whom? Or not. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-6-12-the-quality-of-mercy-open-spoilers/661150/53 "2013-06-17T18:56:09Z")
I have to love that Sally’s “rebellion” is going to Miss Porter’s School. After all these years of readings comments that she was going to join the Manson Family, Weiner apparently decided to give them the biggest possible finger. The oddest moment was when the headmistress called for “Clara” to accompany her. I’m sure every long-term viewer (and that’s everybody isn’t it: the show would literally be incomprehensible to a newbie) was thinking, “Clara got a job at Miss Porter’s after being fired by Betty?” Weiner’s said nobody’s dying this year so whatever surprises he’s saving for the last episode can be carried over to next year. That could be a problem. The last thing we need are more characters. The show needs to prune them back by a half. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-6-12-the-quality-of-mercy-open-spoilers/661150/54 "2013-06-17T19:06:24Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Yes, but if Ted were Don’s equal, he WOULD have been able to come up with something on the spot. But he couldn’t. He’s not an idea man. In fact, I’m not sure WHAT Ted is good for. Ted was in charge of Creative at his firm, just like Don was. That’s why he was introduced: as a rival hotshot to Don. We just haven’t _seen_ Ted be creative, only been informed that he is so, where we’ve had six seasons of seeing Don be clever. > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > At that point, saving the account was more important than Peggy \*maybe \*winning an award. If Ted could have come up with something to save the account AND save Peggy’s award when Don gave him the opening (whether sincerely or not), then he could have been the hero. But Ted is not a creative type like Don or Peggy. Don’t blame Don for the fact that Ted doesn’t have an original idea in his head. The account wasn’t in peril. Only Peggy’s ad idea was in peril. If they didn’t convince the customer, all that would have happened is they’d need to sell them on a different (cheaper) ad idea. And, again, Ted _is_ a Creative star just like Don. He’s the one who came up with his firm’s pitch to GM that he and Don were indifferent whether the combined firm used his or Don’s pitch. > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Oh please, Ted and Peggy were making fools of themselves without any help from anyone. Anyway Don told him in private. It had to be done. At least when Don screwed around, it didn’t directly affect keeping/losing big clients. Don was planning on screwing with Ted as soon as he saw them at the movie theater. That was the point of his asking what time it was in LA when they got home, and then having to go call Harry – he was going back on his promise to Ted to not pursue the rival juice account. Everything that followed thereafter was Don putting Ted in his place: he got _his_ juice account, set up Ted to smash Peggy’s hopes of a Clio, threw a wrench into their affair, and all without making it seem he was manipulating them. (_Don_ is a master manipulator – unlike, say, Pete or Bob.) Peggy saw through him, knowing him as well as she does. She knew his antics were wholly petty revenge, despite his protestations that what he did was for the company. That’s why she called him “a monster”; she knows he’s a liar. > [@Sampiro](#): > > So does this mean that Bob and Pete are temporarily moving to Detroit, or just that they’ll be making lots of business trips there? It wouldn’t be a bad move for Pete- it would give him and Trudy a trial separation without having to say “We’re separated” and give him a break from his mom… Ken mentioned not wanting to be away from his his soon-to-be-kid as another reason he didn’t want to deal with GM any more. And Pete mentioned his daughter only sees him every other weekend, anyway, so wouldn’t know the difference. So they’re commuting between NY and Detroit. Pete said he and Trudy were separated; no need for a trial separation when it’s already happened. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-6-12-the-quality-of-mercy-open-spoilers/661150/55 "2013-06-17T19:17:42Z")
One way in which Pete is a nicer guy than I is that I would have already sent whatever evidence I could get my hands on up to and including 16mm footage of his father-in-law’s infidelity to his mother-in-law, co-workers, members of any church or lodge or club he belongs to, hell- take out an ad in the NYT Sunday edition if need be. It’s not the patronizing a prostitute that bothers me in the least but the hypocrisy, and I’m surprised Pete hasn’t outed him to everybody he can. (The scandal will have blown over before Tammy’s old enough to know anything about it.) ---
**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 17, 2013, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-6-12-the-quality-of-mercy-open-spoilers/661150/56 "2013-06-17T19:44:13Z")
“You finally found a hooker that takes Traveler Checks?” “Crap! Why did I tell you that?” ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-6-12-the-quality-of-mercy-open-spoilers/661150/57 "2013-06-17T20:07:40Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Can someone explain the episode title? (Yeah, I know it’s a reference to Shakespeare’s _Merchant of Venice_).) Who is showing mercy to whom? Or not. According to the[review in The AV Club](http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-quality-of-mercy,98638/): > [@](#): > > Here, we should dispense with Shakespeare and Twilight. “The Quality Of Mercy” is the first line of a famous speech delivered by Portia in The Merchant Of Venice. Portia, one of the most purely lovable of all of Shakespeare’s characters, is speaking to Shylock, one of the most reprehensible (and, to modern eyes, one of the most problematic, since he’s basically an Elizabethan era Jewish stereotype that Shakespeare only fitfully tries to humanize). The speech involves Portia trying to get Shylock to stop chasing so fervently after justice and instead embrace mercy. Shylock’s the one who goes after the “pound of flesh,” but once Portia confounds him in court, he continues to howl for some sort of restitution over the bond he was unable to collect. (Briefly: Antonio made the deal with Shylock where if he could not repay the money he borrowed, Shylock would get the pound of flesh as collateral, but once Antonio suffers the loss of his fortune at sea, Portia outwits Shylock in court by saying he must take his pound of flesh but only a pound of flesh, while spilling no blood. Both would be impossible.) The audience is clearly meant to take joy in Shylock’s misfortune here, and Portia asking Shylock to embrace mercy when he really has many good reasons to keep pushing for his money back is presented as an unbridgeable gap between Christians and Jews. Portia keeps making entreaties to God, but it’s quite clearly not the same God that Shylock would understand. Because Jews have not been given the mercy of God, they are unable to extend it to others. That Twilight Zone episode deals with much the same question: An American GI, gung ho about killing Japanese soldiers, is abruptly tossed into one of their lives, causing him to have an epiphany about the uselessness of pointless violence. ---
**Author:** ![CJJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@CJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CJJ)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-6-12-the-quality-of-mercy-open-spoilers/661150/58 "2013-06-17T20:30:49Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Can someone explain the episode title? (Yeah, I know it’s a reference to Shakespeare’s _Merchant of Venice_).) Who is showing mercy to whom? Or not. Portia’s famous speech argues for a mode of conduct beyond following legal rules or social mores. Pete showed this kind of mercy to Bob, who knew that Pete could have destroyed his new-found career by outing him, but decided instead to give him a (limited) break. Don, on the other hand, did not; he followed all the “rules” of business in crushing Ted. Businessmen–based on a strict profit/loss accounting–would judge Sunkist to be the better deal and the aspirin ad budget overrun to be foolish. Much like the Shylock portrayed in the play, Don wanted his “pound of flesh” simply to harm and humiliate the other party. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-6-12-the-quality-of-mercy-open-spoilers/661150/59 "2013-06-17T20:33:12Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > According to the[review in The AV Club](http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-quality-of-mercy,98638/): Thanks for the link… now please relate it to the episode. (I already went on the record as being literal-minded.) ---
**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 17, 2013, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-6-12-the-quality-of-mercy-open-spoilers/661150/60 "2013-06-17T21:18:14Z")
> [@CJJ](#): > > Portia’s famous speech argues for a mode of conduct beyond following legal rules or social mores. Pete showed this kind of mercy to Bob, who knew that Pete could have destroyed his new-found career by outing him, but decided instead to give him a (limited) break. > > Don, on the other hand, did not; he followed all the “rules” of business in crushing Ted. Businessmen–based on a strict profit/loss accounting–would judge Sunkist to be the better deal and the aspirin ad budget overrun to be foolish. Much like the Shylock portrayed in the play, Don wanted his “pound of flesh” simply to harm and humiliate the other party. Another example from the episode: Sally could have ratted out Don to Betty but didn’t. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-6-12-the-quality-of-mercy-open-spoilers/661150.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-men-6-12-the-quality-of-mercy-open-spoilers/661150.md?page=4)