Mad Cap: "Six Month Leave"

Left to right: John Slattery, Jon Hamm, and Joel Murray

Welcome to Mad Cap: a daily rundown of every episode of the acclaimed AMC series Mad Men. During this time, I will be compiling my thoughts and highlights as we travel through every moment and season of the Emmy-award winning drama that has come to define modern TV. The goal is to be a refresher on every moment for Don Draper and his band of advertisement executives leading up to the final season. Stay for all of the shocking moments and the brilliant acting performances, and make sure to chime in with your thoughts and criticisms on why the show means something to you.

Season 2, Episode 9
"Six Month Leave"

"Your loyalty is becoming a liability."

- Roger Sterling (John Slattery)

Plot:

With Don Draper (Jon Hamm) staying at the Roosevelt and Betty Draper (January Jones) doing her best to hide their separation from their parents, things start to seep into their work. Don is becoming more sympathetic and downtrodden while everyone is cracking jokes. Before a big meeting, Fred Rumsen (Joel Murray) pees his pants, which causes quite an uproar and leads to Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser) to tell Don about it. Don talks to Roger Sterling (John Slattery) who agrees that Fred must be fired. They hold a blood drive and it is successful. Roger and Don decide to give Fred a "six month leave"  instead of firing him. They also treat him to a night of gambling and drinks to make up for it. Fred is worried as he is brisked away. Don finds Jimmy Barrett (Patrick Fischler) and decides to punch him. While drinking with Roger, Don discusses his state of affairs and he insists that Roger "move on with his life" as in keep finding new things to do and not let old ones keep you down. This backfires, as his wife Mona Sterling (Talia Balsam) bolts into Don's office frustrated by his advice. Roger took it too literally. Don also promotes Peggy Olsen (Elisabeth Moss) to Fred's old position. When she finds out why, she yells at Pete, who doesn't care. Betty decides to have lunch with Arthur Case (Gabriel Mann), who drags along his wife to make things more awkward.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Joel Murray

MVP:

Fred Rumsen (Joel Murray)

Poor Fred. He was simply having a bad day and the next thing he knew, he was fired because of his blabbermouth employees. He embodies the lowest rung of the ladder here and is only being assaulted because everyone else can't face their problems. Don is heartbroken to give him the six month leave, yet he also feels like he has to as a boss. He embodies the sympathetic third party that only experienced backlash because he maybe was a little tipsy and did something embarrassing and got caught. Everyone in that office has had that moment. Even employees have been fired only to come back the next day. While Fred is technically not fired, he still has quite a gap in employment. Even if the conversations between Roger and Don are more cathartic for the episode, Fred's innocence in a debauched workplace seems to ring louder because of everything else that is going on. He doesn't know about Don's separation. All he knows is that he made an accident and is paying big time. We'll miss you Fred, even if you weren't nearly as interesting as a lot of the other people there.

Left to right: Slattery and Hamm

Best Scene

With Fred out of the picture, it is left to two men who each uniquely self destructive. Don has his failing marriage while Sterling has his health. Even if the beat down of Barrett deserves special mention, it is the conversation following it that gives it heart. As Don and Sterling sit down for drinks, they discuss their own problems in ways that Fred was never allowed to. Both have the clout and ego to make them feel superior. However, it is also what is leading them down a destructive path. If Don hadn't learned anything from his marriage, it shows when he tells Sterling to move on with his life. It is a simple gesture that reflects the bond that the two men have. Everything that followed is predicated on Sterling trusting Don's opinion. As a result, two of the most powerful men at Sterling Cooper are in the midst of separations of drastic kinds. They feel like partners in a losing game. They may have everyone fooled with their good looks and suave selling skills, but deep down, they are flawed individuals. It is why they make such great friends.

UP NEXT: "The Inheritance"