New Amsterdam (Mad Men)
| "New Amsterdam" | |
|---|---|
| Mad Men episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 4 |
| Directed by | Tim Hunter |
| Written by | Lisa Albert |
| Original air date | August 9, 2007 |
"New Amsterdam" is the fourth episode of the first season of the American television drama series Mad Men. It was written by Lisa Albert and directed by Tim Hunter. The episode originally aired on the AMC channel in the United States on August 9, 2007.
Pete's new wife Trudy surprises him with a visit to the office for lunch, and she then surprises him again by taking him to see an apartment she wants to buy. The one she takes him to is far too expensive for Pete's salary of $75 per week, at $32,000. Trudy wishes to ask her father for the money, but Pete rejects the idea.
Pete has drinks with his parents, providing a view into his privileged, elite upbringing, where his family live a life of leisure with clubs, yachts, and summer homes on Fishers Island. Pete's father looks down on Peter for his job, saying he's "taking people out to dinner, wining and whoring" and "that's no job for a white man." Pete's father criticizes everything about Peter, including his choice of profession, Trudy and the neighborhood (83rd and Park) where Trudy would like to live. The purpose of Pete's visit becomes clear—despite his misgivings, he is there to ask his father for money for a down payment. His father rejects it, saying it's "not a good idea." He also tells Peter, "we gave you everything. We gave you your name, and what have you done with it?"
In the office, Pete, Don, and Sal meet with a prospective client, Bethlehem Steel, to pitch a new idea. He doesn't like their idea, and Don blames Pete for not properly preparing the client for liking the idea and convincing him of it. Echoing Pete's father, Don denigrates Pete's contributions. Pete feels unappreciated and insists he has good ideas. Don says "I'm sure you do. Sterling Cooper has more failed artists and intellectuals than the Third Reich."
Pete and Trudy have dinner with Trudy's parents, and Trudy goes against Pete's wishes and asks her father for the money, which, in sharp contrast to Pete's father, he proudly agrees to give them. Pete seethes impotently, to which Trudy is oblivious. After dinner, the two quarrel in the taxi and Trudy, again obliviously, redirects the cab to a new route, ignoring Pete's desire to go directly to meet with his client.
Meanwhile, Betty begins a tentative friendship with Helen Bishop after helping Helen to evade her ex-husband. Helen asks Betty to babysit her kids while she is gone for the evening working for the Kennedy campaign. Betty is shocked when Helen's son Glen Bishop deliberately walks in on her in the bathroom. Later, he asks her for a lock of her hair, which she gives him.
...
Wikipedia