Public Relations (Mad Men)
"Public Relations" | |
---|---|
Mad Men episode | |
Episode no. | Season 4 Episode 1 |
Directed by | Phil Abraham |
Written by | Matthew Weiner |
Featured music | "Tobacco Road" by The Nashville Teens |
Original air date | July 25, 2010 |
Running time | 48 minutes |
Guest appearances | |
| |
"Public Relations" is the
"Public Relations" was heavily promoted in the weeks leading up to its airing, with an endorsement by President
Plot
In November 1964,
Don settles in as a bachelor after his divorce from
A different client, Jantzen swimwear, asks for help to maintain a family-friendly image in a field where bikinis are becoming more common and more revealing. They insist they do not sell "bikinis" (which they liken to underwear) but rather two-piece bathing suits. Don tries to sell a pitch wherein the model's breasts are obscured by the slogan, "So well built, we can't show you the second floor". The Jantzen representatives reject the ad as overly risqué, and Don - exasperated by the clients' refusal to acknowledge a changing culture and the realities of their business - ends up throwing the men out of the meeting room. As they leave, he finally agrees to do the interview with The Wall Street Journal. As the episode ends, Don is seen telling the journalist the swashbuckling story of how he instigated the formation of SCDP by having Lane Pryce (Jared Harris) fire them.
Production
"Public Relations" was heavily advertised in the weeks prior to its broadcasting.
Screenings for the episode were shown in
The press were given advanced copies of the episode. Matthew Weiner pronounced himself shocked by what he considered spoilers in the review. Weiner criticized the episode's review by Alessandra Stanley of the New York Times, expressing that the publication revealed too much information.[11][12] He continued: "I'm kind of powerless. It's the bargain you make. I wanted to have press, and it was nice to get that kind of space with those pictures. The alternative is not to share these things with the press any more – but how can you expect journalists to write about the show if you don’t? It was all very disappointing to me.[11]
"Public Relations" features several references to media, music, film, and other pop culture phenomena. Peggy and a coworker engage in a humorous conversation, in which they subsequently refer to "A Dear John and Marsha Letter" by Stan Freberg.[13] The episode depicts the growing acceptance of the bikini in mainstream popular culture in the United States during the 1960s.[14]
Reception
"Public Relations" first aired in the United States on July 25, 2010, on AMC. It was watched by 2.92 million viewers, and attained a 0.9 rating in the 18-49 demographic, according to
The episode was critically acclaimed by television critics. Alessandra Stanley of The New York Times opined, "Those cues also hold out the promise that the coming season will once again pivot the story on the workplace. It’s where Mad Men started and where it was best. A fresh start at the rat race is just what the series needs."[13] Eric Goldman of IGN gave the episode a nine out of ten, signifying an "amazing" rating. Goldman felt that it started the season on a strong note, writing, "It's a clever beat to start out with, leading into a strong premiere that quickly drops us into what can be described as Mad Men 2.0."[19] Praise was also directed to the musical selection of the episode, which Goldman described as excellent.[19] In concurrence, Keith Phipps of The A.V. Club gave the episode an 'A' grade, praising the character development of Don Draper and Peggy Olson.[20] Expressing that she had more confidence, Phipps said of Peggy: "[She's] the person who's changed most notably over the last year. She drinks at work like the boys and [...] goes into a Don-like trance as she searches for inspiration. She bosses Joey around and tells him when he’s gone too far. And she’s not afraid to get creative to sell ham and wants credit for her idea, even if it encounters a minor disaster along the way. Most significantly, she’s standing up to Don at every turn now. He bullies her in front of her fiancé but hears about it later. And she provides a devastating mixture of admiration and chiding when she reminds Don that everyone at SCDP is there because of him and out of a desire to make him happy."[20] Similarly, James Poniewozik of Time praised the performance of Elisabeth Moss, exclaiming that "she has come a long way."[21]
TV Fanatic's Dan Forcella felt that "Public Relations" was a fantastic episode, and asserted: "All in all it was a great start to the fourth season of Mad Men."[22] In conclusion, Forcella gave the episode a 4.5 out of 5 stars.[22] The Wall Street Journal journalist Cheryl Berman opined that the episode had a "little bit of everything we love about Mad Men."[23] William Bradley wrote in The Huffington Post that the series got off to "a cracking start" with "Public Relations".[24] Similarly, Scott D. Pierce of the Deseret News found it to be "a very good episode and a very promising restart", after what he considered a disappointing third season.[25]
References
- ^ Barnhart, Aaron (July 24, 2010). "'Mad Men' returns for fourth season, starting on another high note". The Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on July 28, 2010. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
- ^ Brioux, Bill (July 24, 2010). "Mad Men: Mad all over again". Toronto Star. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
- ^ Hintz-Zambrano, Katie (July 21, 2010). "'Mad Men' Season 4 Premiere Party: Christina Hendricks and Elisabeth Moss Go '80s Prom". Stylelist. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
- ^ Marsh, Lisa (July 12, 2010). "'Mad Men' Costume Designer Janie Bryant Launching Mod Collection for QVC". Stylelist. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
- ^ "'Mad Men' cast proud President Obama is a fan". USA Today. July 21, 2010. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
- Fox News Channel. July 26, 2010. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
- ^ Thomas, Devon (July 20, 2010). "Crista Flanagan Heats Up The Pages of Playboy As "Mad Men" Kicks Off Season 4". CBS News. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
- The Huffington Post. Arianna Huffington. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
- ^ Itzkoff, Dave (July 24, 2010). "ARTS, BRIEFLY; 'Mad Men' Premiere Is Set For Times Square". The New York Times. p. 2. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
- ^ Rubin, Sylvia (July 25, 2010). "Changes on 'Mad Men' reflected in show's styles". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
- ^ a b Dawn, Randee (July 23, 2010). "'Mad Men' creator 'shocked' by spoilers". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 25, 2010. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
- ^ Brown, Lane (July 23, 2010). "Matthew Weiner Furious About Mad Men Spoiler He May Have Already Spoiled". New York. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
- ^ a b Stanley, Alessandra (July 18, 2010). "TELEVISION; Back to Work". The New York Times. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
- ^ Turner, Julia (July 26, 2010). "Mad Men, Season 4: Vomiting in the trash can. (3)". Slate. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
Meanwhile, Peggy Olson and Pete Campbell are in cahoots, launching a viral marketing campaign for canned ham
- ^ Seidman, Robert (July 27, 2010). "Sunday Cable Ratings: True Blood, Entourage, The Glades, Kourtney & Khloe & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on July 29, 2010. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
- ^ Seidman, Robert (August 17, 2009). "Updated - Mad Men season 3 premiere snares series-highs". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on January 31, 2012. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
- ^ Seidman, Robert (July 27, 2010). "'Mad Men' Still The Most-Heralded Show To Never Achieve a 1.0 Adults 18-49 Rating". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on July 31, 2010. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
- ^ Seidman, Robert (November 10, 2009). "Sons of Anarchy still riding high; SOA beats "FOA" episode of South Park; crushes Mad Men season finale with adults 18-49". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on February 3, 2012. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
- ^ a b Goldman, Eric (July 26, 2010). "Mad Men: "Public Relations" Review". IGN. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
- ^ a b Phipps, Keith (July 26, 2010). "Public Relations". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
- ^ Poniewozik, James (July 23, 2010). "Dead Tree Alert: Mad Men Returns; Plus, What Is a Spoiler?". Time. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
- ^ a b Forcella, Dan (July 26, 2010). "Mad Men Review: "Public Relations"". TV Fanatic. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
- ^ Berman, Cheryl (July 26, 2010). "'Mad Men,' Season 4, Episode 1, 'Public Relations': TV Recap (Premiere)". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
- ^ Bradley, William (July 26, 2010). "William Bradley: Mad Men Returns With "Public Relations" in More Ways Than One: Who IS Don Draper?". The Huffington Post. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
- ^ Pierce, Scott D. (July 22, 2010). "'Mad Men' is back in more ways than one". Deseret News. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
External links
- "Public Relations" at AMC
- "Public Relations" at IMDb