Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency

"Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency" is the sixth episode of the third season of the American television drama series ''Mad Men'', and the 32nd overall episode of the series. It was written by series creator and executive producer Matthew Weiner and Robin Veith, and directed by Lesli Linka Glatter. It originally aired on the AMC channel in the United States on September 20, 2009.

The employees of Sterling Cooper prepare for an upcoming visit from the British owners of the company. Joan discovers some deeply unsettling news as she prepares for her last day in the office. During the visit, a lawnmower accident changes the life and career of one man forever. Meanwhile, Sally is having trouble adjusting to life with Baby Gene and without her grandfather.

"Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency" is considered by some as one of the best episodes of ''Mad Men''. It was recognized with nominations and wins from industry awards. The director of the episode, Lesli Linka Glatter, won a 2009 Directors Guild Awards for her work on the episode. The episode was also nominated for writing and directing at the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards.

The name of this episode mirrors the name of an episode of ''The Sopranos'', " Guy Walks into a Psychiatrist's Office...", a series on which ''Mad Men'' creator, Matthew Weiner, was a writer.

Plot

On July 1, 1963, the Sterling Cooper employees are dismayed to learn of the imminent arrival of their bosses from London the next day, on Joan's final day in the office. Bert guesses that the bosses may be visiting to meet Don and promote him because of his success. Bert also insists Don and Roger get a shave together to diffuse the lingering tension between them over Roger's marriage to Jane and his selling the company. At the barber's shop, the two agree to put their disagreements behind them.

That night, Joan's husband Greg arrives home after a night of drunken self-loathing. He admits to Joan that he has been rejected for the title of chief resident, and that his boss told him that he would not make a good surgeon. Joan attempts to console him, but he informs Joan that she will have to return to work. After Joan reminds him she already quit Sterling Cooper, Greg demands that she find a new job.

The London-based Putnam, Powell, and Lowe executives arrive at Sterling Cooper. One of the executives is a young, charming, up-and-comer named Guy MacKendrick (Jamie Thomas King). The executives sit down with Lane and tell him he is being reassigned to Mumbai. They display little regard for the effect another move will have on Lane and his family. Guy MacKendrick holds a meeting where he announces that he will be replacing Lane as Chief Operating Manager with a chart clearly positioning him above all Sterling Cooper employees. Don is disappointed that they offer no praise or promotion; Roger is left off the chart altogether. The executives leave the Sterling Cooper employees feeling extremely disgruntled.

Meanwhile, at the Draper house, Sally is having trouble adjusting to the presence of Baby Gene, refusing to go near him or enter his room. Betty believes she is jealous of the attention the baby is getting. She tries to rectify the situation by giving Sally a Barbie doll and claiming it is a gift from Baby Gene. However, Sally remains distressed by his presence and now dislikes the doll.

At Sterling Cooper, a party is held to celebrate the Putnam, Powell, and Lowe visit as well as Joan's last day. When Guy makes a speech thanking Joan for her ten years of work, she becomes emotional. Don receives a request for meeting with Conrad Hilton, a hotel owner, and leaves the party to speak with him. He realizes that Conrad Hilton (Connie) is a man he met previously and to whom he revealed details of his childhood. The two discuss advertising, and Connie expresses interest in hiring Don.

Back at the party, Smitty Smith and the other office employees get up to hijinks with a John Deere riding mower that Ken received as a gift for signing their account. Office secretary Lois tries to drive the machine, but suddenly runs it over Guy's foot, severely lacerating it and spraying blood all over the employees and the office. As everyone gives way to hysteria, Joan calmly attends to Guy- applying a tourniquet and ordering everyone around. After Guy is taken away to the hospital, only Harry Crane remains horrified by the events. Roger is especially amused and smug given Putnam, Powell, and Lowe's treatment of him.

Don visits the hospital, having missed what happened. While sitting in the waiting room, Don and Joan share kind words, and a laugh over the chaotic events. Don assures her she will be missed. Lane and the British executives arrive and mourn over the young Guy's career, lamenting that he can no longer work with a missing foot. Don is aghast at how quickly the executives dismiss Guy's career. It is decided that Lane will retain his position at Chief Operating Manager. While talking to Don, Lane hints at his displeasure with Putnam, Powell, and Lowe.

Don returns home and finds Sally's doll in the bushes. He returns it to her room, causing her to wake up screaming at its reappearance. She confesses to Don that she believes Baby Gene is the ghost of Grandpa Gene. Don implores Betty to change the name, because of both Sally's discomfort and his poor relationship with her father, but Betty refuses. Don then comforts Sally, and tells her that Baby Gene has a clean slate in life and is not anyone yet.

Reception

Critical reception

The episode received critical acclaim from television journalists and critics. Alan Sepinwall, writing for New Jersey's ''The Star-Ledger'', called it "one of the best ''Mad Men'' episodes ever" and the "highlight of Season 3 to date". Sepinwall also opined that it was one of the series' funniest episodes yet, while also working as a "dramatic marvel" and having considerable shock value through the lawn mower accident. Maureen Ryan of the ''Chicago Tribune'' exalted the hour as "jaw-dropping awesomeness" and expected Emmy wins for the writers and director, while praising both Christina Hendricks and Jon Hamm's performances. She directed special praise for Lesli Linka Glatter, saying that "the way she staged the 'fete' at SC, the injury of Guy, and especially that scene in Kinsey's office was just right. The lawnmower was threaded through the episode perfectly, and once we saw it emerge at the party, we thought typical SC party high jinks were, er, afoot. But suddenly, there's that arc of blood and that spatter across several partygoers. It was truly one of ''Mad Men'' Most. Shocking. Moments."

''Time'' magazine writer James Poniewozik said the episode was a "sufficiently stunningly bloody episode to make up for several episodes of smoke exhalations and brooding looks." Poniewozik, however, criticized the "dropped-like-a-brick mention of Vietnam in the office conversation. It's plausible that people were starting to talk about Vietnam in 1963, but there are better ways than by kicking off a dialogue, 'My dad keeps talking about Vietnam'." Tim Goodman of the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' wasn't sure if it was a "pivotal episode of ''Mad Men''", but that "if this episode isn't bound to be a classic, who cares – ''Mad Men'' certainly is."

Ratings

On its original American broadcast on September 20, 2009, on AMC, the episode was viewed by 1.57 million people.

Accolades

At the 62nd Directors Guild of America Awards, episode director Lesli Linka Glatter won the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Drama Series. The episode was also nominated for the Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Episodic Drama at the 62nd Writers Guild of America Awards.

For the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards, the episode received two nominations – Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (Robin Veith and Matthew Weiner) and Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (Lesli Linka Glatter).

References

External links

"Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency"
at AMC
*

{{DirectorsGuildofAmericaOutstandingDirectingDramaSeries 1990–2009

2009 American television episodes
Mad Men (season 3) episodes
Television episodes directed by Lesli Linka Glatter