1. Plot

2. Cultural references

3. Reception

4. References

5. External links

"The Wheel" is the thirteenth episode of the first season of the American television drama series Mad Men. This episode was written by Matthew Weiner and Robin Veith, and directed by Matthew Weiner. The episode originally aired on the AMC channel in the United States on October 18, 2007.

Plot

The episode begins on the same week of Thanksgiving. Pete Campbell is in the middle of a conversation with Tom Vogel, his father-in-law, comparing the Browns vs Redskins to the presidential campaign. Tom feels that Pete should take his focus off of work. He tells Pete "The only family and business you should be mixing is the production of a child."

As Betty Draper is jotting down the list of things she needs for Thanksgiving, she asks Don Draper why he does not want to go her and the children to visit her father. The excuse he gives is about the amount of work he has to do as partner at Sterling Cooper. Betty is concerned to why Don won't get close to her family.

That same night, Harry is begging his wife, Jennifer to come home. She was already informed about Harry's infidelity with Hildy, Pete's secretary. Jennifer says no, making Harry spend the night in his own office.

Francine Hanson shows up to the Draper residence, very upset. Francine found out about Carlton's infidelity through the phone bill and his weekly visits to the Waldorf, two nights a week. Betty tries to make her feel better by saying it could be some caterer. Feeling very suspicious, Betty goes to Don's desk to look for his phone bill.

Back at Sterling Cooper, Herman Phillips discusses in the meeting that they're in the need for new clientele. He is unhappy with the clientele Sterling Cooper has now. In the meeting, he mentions that Kodak is not happy with their current ad campaign.

As Don sits at his desk looking at old photos, he decides to give a call to the Brighton Hotel to search for his brother. Over the phone, Don finds out that Adam committed suicide. Not too long after, Betty wakes up in the middle of the night to take a look at the phone bill she picked up earlier from Don's desk. It is revealed that Don has been talking to a therapist, and Betty feels distraught about it.

The clients from Kodak arrive to Sterling Cooper to see how "The Wheel" can be added to the ad campaign. Don uses nostalgia as a concept. While showing pictures of memories he has with his family, he states that it is called "The Carousel" instead. So much emotion is brought into this pitch that Harry walks out of the meeting room with tears coming down his face.

Cultural references

When Tom Vogel mentions a "surge in adolescence", he is referring to the Baby boomers. Even though the baby boom started right after World War II, it wasn't a known demographic until the war was almost over.

This episode also ties with having Clearasil and Vicks Chemical Company as a potential account.

Tom Vogel brings up a theory that compares the Cleveland Browns versus the Washington Redskins game with the presidential election.

When Cooper asked Don to read Ayn Rand, it's his way of saying that someone is "in."

In the spring of 1962, the ad campaign for the Kodak Carousel Slide Projector is released.

Reception

The episode received mixed results from several different critics. Alan Sepinwall, from the The Star-Ledger, was greatly impressed by Don's pitch ^[1]. However, he found Peggy's pregnancy to be a disappointment for him. He is satisfied with the character development of Don, Betty, and Peggy. Andrew Johnston, from Slant Magazine, was impressed by how the season ended^[2]. Johnston focuses more on Betty and her struggles. He was also critical with the fact that Peggy was pregnant. He also discussed his interest with Duck and the flaws of his character. Todd VanDerWerff, of the The A.V. Club believed that this episode was a masterpiece^[3]. Unsurprisingly, he also was disappointed to find out that Peggy was pregnant. VanDerWerff praises director Weiner for making this episode so effective.

References

External links

• "The Wheel" at AMC
• {{IMDb episode|1105057|The Wheel}}
• {{tv.com episode|mad-men/the-wheel-1139915|The Wheel}}

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