Meditations in an Emergency (Mad Men)
"Meditations in an Emergency" is the final episode in the second season of the American television show Mad Men. This episode was written by Matthew Weiner, Kater Gordon and Robin Veith and directed by Matthew Weiner. The episode originally aired October 26, 2008, on the AMC network.
| "Meditations in an Emergency" | |
|---|---|
| Mad Men episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 13 |
| Directed by | Mattew Weiner |
| Written by | Matthew Weiner, Kater Gordon, and Robin Veith |
| Featured music | "A Beautiful Mine" by RJD2 "Stranger On The Shore" by Acker Bilk |
| Original air date | October 26, 2008 |
| Running time | 48 minutes |
Plot
The opening scene starts with Betty's doctor informing her that she is due for a baby. Betty however is confused and in disbelief. She believes that she 'cannot have a baby right now' due to underlying circumstances expressed in previous episodes. The following scene the mid-level executives Harry, Ken, Paul, and Peggy gossip about why Don is out of work practically disappeared from the workplace. Pete rationalizes that there is an aerospace gold rush. After this discussion, Peggy enters Pete’s office because she is concerned why Clearasil is not a part of the portfolio for ad revenue.
Don shows up to see Betty at the ranch. Don pours his heart out to Betty trying to repair what is left of their relationship.
Pete enters Duck’s office, they discuss why Clearasil is not working with Sterling Cooper. Duck then informs Pete about the merger that is happening between Sterling Cooper with Putnam, Powell and Lowe (PPL), since Duck arranged the deal he is expecting to be the president of Sterling Cooper.
As Don enters the office the workers are listening to the Cuban missile crisis on the radio. Joan discusses with Don about a civil safety protocol in case anything happens. Pete then confronts Don for ditching him whilst on their business trip in California. Don enters Roger's office to catch up and is informed of the merger with PPL.
The following scene shows the Priest leading prayer in a church. Peggy is with her mom with her head down.
The ladies in the salon are discussing the Cuban missile crisis in a frantic manner, saying things like "I'm going to chew my nails off". Betty discusses with one of the ladies that now is "not a good time" for her to bear a child.
The mid-level executives are frantic and are concerned about these reports that they're giving. So they pull one of the phone operators. The operator informs them of the merger with Putnam, Powell, and Lowe.
The following scene is when Betty enters the hotel room with the children so that Don can spend time with them, and just with them. Betty roams the streets fantasizing about a mannequin when she was young and ‘beautiful’. She then entered a bar only for her to meet a stranger and to then have an affair.
Later on, the high-level executives of Sterling Cooper meet with the representatives of PPL to discuss the logistics of the company moving forward. Duck has a tantrum and storms out due to the back and forth between Don and himself.
Lastly, Pete and Peggy sit down in his office and Pete tells Peggy how he is in love with her. Only for Peggy to tell him that she had their baby but gave the baby away.
Cultural references
Cuban Missile Crisis
The episode occurs during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, a nuclear weapons standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union. The severity of the crisis causes immense stress among Sterling Cooper’s staff and directly results in the gradual evacuation of the office. Numerous references to the crisis are made throughout the episode, such as: the employees of Sterling Cooper watching a televised speech from POTUS John F. Kennedy regarding the crisis, Roger’s newspaper referencing the United States arms blockade on Cuba, Father John’s sermon regarding unity in the face of the crisis, Francine’s discussion with Betty about nuclear shelters, and another newspaper in Don’s office discussing the progression of the Cuban blockade.
Other references
After confronting Don about his disappearance in California, Pete discusses his progress with aerospace manufacturer North American Aviation. Furthermore, while in the salon, Francine offers a stressed Betty a Miltown. Miltown was popularly used at the time to treat anxiety, although it has since fallen off in usage due to the rise of more effective alternatives.[1] Lastly, after Paul receives numerous looks while out on the streets, Ken notes the similarity between Paul’s facial hair and Fidel Castro’s beard, claiming that to be the reason for Paul’s plight.
Production
"Meditations in an Emergency" was directed and written by Matthew Weiner and written by Kater Gordon and Robin Veith
Matthew Weiner was centering this episode around the crisis of the Cuban Missile Crisis intentionally. The possibility of doom weighed heavy on those characters as well as a parallel to the smaller crisis happening within each character: Don returning home and the effects of that on the Draper family and the pregnancy Betty is struggling with. Another crisis that is outlined is Peggy’s internal crisis of having given birth to Pete’s child and him not knowing. A third crisis that is happening was the unknowingness of what is happening to Sterling Cooper and the merger with PPL. Almost the entire Sterling Cooper staff is unaware of this and the details which can relate to the chaos that the Cuban Missile Crisis bestowed on those in the United States. Weiner states “This was an opportunity to show that in a crisis it can be an excuse to behave badly but it can also be a moment to face the truth.”[2]
Reception
This episode is rated 9 out of 10 stars by users of all demographics on IMDb. This external review by a blogger “ there is a great sense of continuity in the second season; it picks up where the first one left off (not necessarily in the plot, but in the spirit and mood). It retains everything, either bad (the art direction, too pristine, bothers; there is, at least, a reason for it to be so, as it fits the subject of the show) or good (pretty much everything else: writing and acting, in particular, remain top-notch; Jon Hamm and Vincent Kartheiser are very solid, in particular). The characters and their stories evolve in an engaging way. Interestingly, even though the series avoids the traditional cliffhangers, the tense serenity at the end of each episode works as effectively, if not even more so.”[3]
References
- Kocsis, James H. (2009-07-01). "Happy pills in America: From Miltown to Prozac". The Journal of Clinical Investigation. 119 (7): 1744–1744. doi:10.1172/JCI39766. ISSN 0021-9738.
- Inside Episode 213 Mad Men: Meditations In An Emergency | Watch Mad Men Video Extras | AMC, retrieved 2021-11-20
- "Mad Men – Season 2". Fifth about The Seventh. 2014-04-13. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
