Mad Men 7.11

Time & Life

- Word comes down that McCann Erickson is going to absorb Sterling Cooper
- before meeting with their corporate overlords and after getting bummed out about it, Dom suggests they move to the west coast office
- so they drum up some new business to pitch to McCann Erickson only to discover that McCann Erickson doesn't want to discuss it and they promise all the top people (Roger, Don, Pete, Ted) top accounts; Joan is overlooked in this pitch
- Pete tells Peggy about the impending move to absorb Sterling Cooper; Peggy stews over Pete's news for a while; at first she thinks about leaving but a headhunter advises her that her best move is to stay for a few years and after mulling it over that's what she decides to do
- Peggy tells Stan about what Pete told her; she and Stan have an interesting chat in which she reveals that she had a baby who she gave away
- at first the top management at Sterling Cooper are knocked for a loop by McCann Erickson's statement, then they celebrate but then rumors start flying around the office and they have to say something to the staff, who don't take the news very well, which is where the episode ends

- another damn good episode
- I think this may have been the first time Peggy has admitted that she had a baby on screen; I found it to be very moving
- I noticed this one was directed by Jared Harris who was part of the cast for 35 episodes from 2009 to 2012 and played the part of the British CFO, Lane Pryce; not only is this the only episode of Mad Men he directed, according to IMdb it is his only directorial credit