Mad Cap: "Wee Small Hours"

Left to right: Jon Hamm and Abigail Spencer

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 3, Episode 9

"Wee Small Hours"

"What do you want from me, love? 
Your work is good. But when I say I 
want the moon, I expect the moon."

- Conrad Hilton (Chelcie Ross)

Plot:

Conrad Hilton (Chelcie Ross) is having issues with Don Draper's (Jon Hamm) production for his Hilton campaign. He calls in the middle of the night to talk, which causes him to wander the streets in his car. He runs into Suzanne Ferrell (Abigail Spencer), whom he begins flirting with and having a good time. At work, Salvatore Romano (Bryan Batt) gets involved with commercials for Lucky Strike and when Harry Crane (Rich Sommer) is gone, he gets harassed by a Lucky Strike representative because Salvatore is assumed to be gay. As a result, he gets fired. Conrad isn't happy with Don's production because it doesn't feature anything about the moon. Betty Draper (January Jones) gets involved with Henry Francis (Christopher Stanley) and uses a get together for a campaign as an excuse to see him. This backfires and she gets mad at him. When Harry fires Salvatore and forces Don to work it out, things begin to crumble as both Hilton and Lucky Strike back out and make Roger Sterling (John Slattery) very cautious of his work. Don decides to see Suzanne when he is under strong emotional stress.

Rating: 4 out of 5

MVP:

Don Draper (Jon Hamm)

This was not an easy episode for Don. For starters, he is on the verge of losing two very big clients for Sterling Cooper. He has been working hard to impress Hilton, but that ends up backfiring when he misunderstands his requests. He then has to say goodbye to Salvatore, who is for better or worse one of the more memorable supporting characters. He is also on the verge of starting another affair, which only seems fine because Betty and Henry are clearly starting to become a thing. The marriage is crumbling and nobody is satisfying anyone else, an ironic parallel to the Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream Speech" that plays on the radio towards the start of the episode. It is a wonderful performance of having to take some hard blows for the company even if there's a chance that you royally screwed it over. He kind of plays the villain in this episode.

Bryan Batt

Best Scene

Here's the thing about the supporting players at Sterling Cooper. Outside of Don and Pete, the average male character isn't central enough. They almost exist as an excuse for comical fodder. Among the more beloved was Salvatore, who was a closeted gay, but someone who had charm and could be counted on for hard work. However, when he gets accused of some homophobic treatment, it is all over. He is ruined because he refuses to have his way with Lucky Strike, which could cost the company $25 million. In a move that is definitely harder than any firing before, Don has to say goodbye to Salvatore, whose involvement in the first three seasons remain some of the most delightful. Watching the two say goodbye is hard, even if it makes sense from a business standpoint. To make matters worse, Sterling Cooper is on the verge of some major losses financially. It is not a happy episode.

UP NEXT: "The Color Blue"