Mad Men Season 4

Which is why I still stick with my VCR for all taping needs. Just don't mess up the EP/SP setting or you'll lose the last hour of a game.

Now back to my typewriter.

 

Pica or elite?

 

Just caught up on season 4, with the notable exception of episode nine, which was apparently the best one -- death of secretary, Roger/Joan, etc.

The local station where I am is re-running seasons 1-3. I'm watching S1 now, and in it, there's an episode where Peggy, still a secretary, asks Don for a $5-a-week raise because she's started copywriting.

He asks how much she makes and Peggy tells him $35 a week.

How much time elapsed between S1 and S4? In the whole Megan-bonding-at-Disney show, Don asks her how much she makes a week and she says $70.

That's a huge increase, and it sure didn't seem that Megan had a lot of experience. SDCP is also smaller than the original firm. I wouldn't think they'd be paying high salaries, especially to "the girls." It just seemed unlikely that a secretary's starting salary would increase 100 percent in four years.

 

Was Don a partner yet at the point he was paying Peggy $35 a week?

 

No. But who pays the salary? Joan hired both. I thought it would come from the firm.

 

Right, but my point was a partner's secretary would have more responsibility and make more money than that of a mid-level executive.

 

I get it, but 100 percent?

How long had Don worked at SC? I'm trying to figure out where he got all his money. He put in Pete's $50k? Even after a divorce and three kids, he still has that kind of money to drop?

 

Dialog made it quite clear that Betty asked ZERO alimony from Don at any point.

 

I find it interesting on the cast cuts because there are two levels of cast members. There's a second level who you don't see every week (most notably, Pete). They only work a part of the season, which is why it's not uncommon for Pete to be completely MIA in several episodes.

Weiner took a nice page from The Sopranos playbook by making the most out of the second tier with strong writing and character development. Uncle June, when he was on, would steal pretty much every scene. Characters like he and Pete would possibly have less impact if they were on weekly.