Mad Men (TV Series) The Rejected (2010) User Reviews

Hints of Things To Come

[DKosty123 · 9/10 · 6 June 2011]

First, there is a focus group run in Don's office with a group of the young secretaries including Don's about Ponds Cold Cream. As the group goes along, Don's Christmas Present comes unwrapped as she breaks down and starts crying in the group and has to leave. It seems Don enjoyed the recreation with her on Christmas Eve but she was in love with Don and wanted much more the the exercise.

By the time this episode is over, Don has lost a secretary and has an old lady wearing a terrible wig in her place who yells everything at everybody because she can't hear well.

Peggy, who always seems to be turning on guys, first finds out about Pete's wife being pregnant and then gets angry pounding her head on the desk. Then, Peggy goes to a party where a girlfriend tries to hit on her. The only thing that stops this is there is lots of grass at the party and after Peggy gets high, the cops show up too soon for anything to happen. While hiding on the cops in a closet with a guy, the guy starts hitting on her too. A busy party to be sure.

Pete finds out about his wife being pregnant from his father-in-law, and then finally manages to turn the situation to his advantage by asking him for the entire Vicks account to try and help the struggling firm he is now a partner in after having to give up Clearasil because of the Ponds account coming in which is a bigger account for the same money.

There are some major emotions for Don with his secretary blowing up and throwing something at him in the office after her breakdown in the group. Between that and all his other events lately, he is on a tight rope.

Did you get the pears?

[toadwriter · 10/10 · 15 August 2010]

I may not like everything about every episode of Mad Men, but only because I feel some parts are unnecessary. Or maybe I just don't care about those aspects. On the whole, I think Mad Men is a beautiful show with many layers. Some of the best moments in the show are the simple statements, the looks, and glares. More is said with a glance, than words, and that's what I truly appreciate about this show... they let you enter their minds and extrapolate what you feel they're thinking.

The Rejected is an episode about relationships, and it had a real deep, desirable feel to it.

There may be a couple of parts here referenced in the show, but I don't consider them to be spoilers.

Peggy is mad at Pete for finding out from another secretary that Pete's wife is pregnant. She confronts Pete without saying how she feels, but a feeling of rejection is sensed. Later the music queue's when they change a hard look in the lobby. Very intriguing moment. I felt bad for the loss of what could have been between the two of them; and I felt a sense of the door shutting on their past.

That moment was followed up with an equally captivating moment when an elderly gentleman repeatedly asks his apparent wife (who's walking down the hallway after returning from the store) if she got the pears... Draper is opening the door to his apartment and he pauses to look at them as they go into their apartment.

"We'll discuss it inside", the man's wife says.

Don is choking on multiple emotions. I feel bad for how lonely and desperate his life has become. Earlier he wanted to write a note to his secretary, but he's above that, so he disregards it... more repressed feelings. Is he really the man he thinks he is, where is he going, where will he end up? Will he ever grow old with someone, like his neighbors have, and will he ever care about anything the way that old man seems to care about his pears.

There's a subtle beauty in the simple, brief moment we see that elderly couple. She may go to the store daily, and he may ask that same question repeatedly every time she returns, but where would their lives be without those simple moments? I feel that's what's going through Don Draper's mind. He feels the old man is annoying, but at the same time he is envious because the old man has someone and has been able to hold onto that special someone for a long time. Maybe one day he'll treat women decent enough to where he could be the man awaiting his loved one and asking, honey, did you get the pears?

This episode made me cry in the end.

The baby

[jotix100 · 3 May 2011]

Freddie Rumsen who brought the Pond's account to the new agency does not like Pete Campbell, the man responsible for having him fired a few years ago. Freddie thinks Clearisil, that Pete Campbell was instrumental in getting to the agency through Tom, his father-in-law, is in many ways a rival and the agency stands to get more revenue from Pond's. Therefore, it is decided to drop Clearisil, presenting a problem for Pete because it belongs to Pete's father-in-law's. At the same time, the old man owns Vick's a much larger account.

Expecting a show down with his father-in-law, Pete decides to meet the old man for drinks at a cocktail lounge. Not knowing how to approach the situation, Tom believes the meeting is because Pete has decided to announce Trudy's pregnancy. Instead, Tom blurts the news that takes Pete by surprise. Afte all, they had tried so hard to become parents and now it is a reality.

The agency has hired a consultant to try the beauty products on the female staff. Joan takes the women into the room where the executives can see through a two way mirror how the ladies react to the applications they are asked to test. Unfortunately, the session turns into a series of complaints as some secretaries bring out the way they are treated by their men. Allison, Don's assistant, cannot take much of what it is being discussed, leaving the room in tears.

Allison had made the mistake of going to bed with a drunk Don, which has made working for him a living nightmare. Later on, Allison comes into Don's office to inform him she is in a difficult position because of the way she feels about him. Working for him has become too much, so she has decided to leave her job. Don is quite surprised by this outburst, but he figures it is better to let her go. He tells her to type a letter of recommendation which he will sign.

Peggy Olson met a young woman, Joyce, in the elevator. Joyce shows up one day to ask Peggy to go to lunch with her. They fall into an easy friendship. Peggy hears he news about Trudy Campbell expecting, when she is asked to sign a card the agency's workers are sending. Having had her own bad experience, she refuses to sign, but she stops by the office to congratulate Pete.

Joyce invites Peggy to go to a party downtown at some friend's place. Peggy is not prepared for what the party will be like. The mostly beatnik crowd are smoking pot. Joyce offers some to Peggy, who accepts the offer. Joyce has brought Peggy to seduce her, which does not get too far because the police sirens are heard as they raid the place. Joyce and Peggy escape.

The episode was written by Keith Huff and the series' creator, Matthew Weiner. This episode was directed by John Slattery, who plays Roger Sterling. This chapter covers a lot of territory, touching on the themes that have been going on in the series. It is ironic that Pete, having made Peggy pregnant, could not have his own child with his wife. Finally, it is going to become a reality. All the regulars show why "Mad Men" is one of the best series in television.

Back On Track

[TheFearmakers · 10/10 · 7 September 2023]

Back to the basics... no more trips, no more brooding... back in the office and this is one of my favorite episodes, and the best one of the season so far, in the new office with the new company...

The story with the secretary Allison still crazy about Don and angry about it is fantastic... Some of the best scenes on the series happen right in the office and frankly, too much time's spend outside of it lately... there also needs to have more clients and more pitches... I miss that aspect of the show... It's when you get to see the powerful side of Don Draper... It's great seeing the creative process...

As far as characters, Don's future wife is given her most amount of screen-time, and so it's one of those episodes that doesn't look back, really works in the present but is setting up the future as well, all at once.