Recap: Mad Men: Season 1, Episode 5 "5G"
Recap: Mad Men: Season 1, Episode 5 "5G"
The episode opens with Don and Betty struggling with massive hangovers from a night of smoking and boozing. When Don Draper (né Dick Whitman), the man who’d rather chew glass than talk about his feelings, finally makes it to the office he is ambushed by a ghost from his past: Adam Whitman, his baby brother. Adam, a wide-eyed innocent who probably still believes in Santa Claus and basic human decency, tracks Don down in New York. But Don (Dick Whitman), if we’re being honest…doesn’t do reunions. He does damage control. In a diner booth that’s seen better days, Don serves up a masterclass in emotional evasion. Adam, bless his heart, thinks family bonds are stronger than a stack of bills. Don, of course, treats this reunion like a radioactive spill. He hands Adam some cash, tosses out a few icy pleasantries, and sends him packing. Nothing says “family” like paying someone to pretend you don’t exist.
Meanwhile, Pete is trying his best to be on his very best behavior…until Ken Cosgrove enters the picture with a short story that got published in the Atlantic. Turns out Ken is a great writer and has even written some novels…one about an oil rig and another about a farm…he is basically Taylor Sheridan! Another creative account guy…this wrecks Pete more than the apartment fiasco last week. So much so that he can’t stand it and wants to sell his wife for an opportunity to be published himself by telling her to throw herself at an ex who works in the publishing world. This is getting more comical week after week…how low can Pete go (spoiler… it’s still coming!)
Peggy Olson, our wide-eyed audience surrogate, watches all this unfold from the margins. She’s learning that the ad game isn’t about big ideas…it’s about survival. Men here would rather lie, cheat, or fake their own deaths than admit vulnerability. But Peggy’s no pushover. She’s taking notes, filing away every lesson in how to navigate a world where talent is secondary to name and pedigree.
And that’s Episode 5…another dysfunctional slice of 1960s life where secrets are currency, ambition is in demand, and everyone is performing some version of themselves. See you next time for more Draper deception, office politics, and the slow but inevitable rise of Peggy Olson.
Key Takeaways:
Don Draper’s “Past? What Past?” Strategy Is Cracking
Pete Campbell Is the OG “Main Character Energy” Guy
Betty Draper Needs a Hobby…or maybe just a normal conversation and the ability to leave the house
Joan Holloway, Our Favorite Red-Haired HR Violation Waiting to Happen Plays Chess While Others Play Checkers
In the 1960s, You Could Buy Someone’s Silence for $5,000
See you all next week!