Signal 30 (Mad Men)
| "Signal 30" | |
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| Mad Men episode | |
Lane Pryce (Jared Harris) and Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser) prepare to fight as Bertram (Robert Morse), Roger (John Slattery), and Don (Jon Hamm) look on during the climax of "Signal 30".
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| Episode no. | Season 5 Episode 5 |
| Directed by | John Slattery |
| Written by |
Frank Pierson Matthew Weiner |
| Featured music | "Ode to Joy," Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 |
| Original air date | April 15, 2012 |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
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"Signal 30" is the fifth episode of the fifth season of the American television drama series Mad Men and the 57th episode of the series overall. It was written by series creator and executive producer Matthew Weiner and writer Frank Pierson, and directed by main cast member John Slattery. It originally aired on the AMC channel in the United States on April 15, 2012.
The episode takes place between July 1966 and August 1966, with references to the 1966 World Cup Final, the Charles Whitman shooting rampage, and the crash of Braniff Flight 250. Business and pleasure converge on each other at both a dinner party thrown by the Campbells and a misguided whorehouse visit intended to woo a client. Pete discovers that Ken is writing science fiction under a pseudonym, which angers Roger Sterling. Pete's emasculation continues after a routine office meeting ends in fisticuffs.
The episode's title is derived from the infamous 1959 driving safety film of the same name, which Pete Campbell is required to watch as part of his driver's education class. The film, shown widely to high school students across the country during the 1960s, was produced by the Ohio State Highway Patrol and takes its name from the radio code used by that agency for a fatal traffic accident.
"Signal 30" received 2.69 million viewers and a 1.0 in the coveted 18-49 demographic. It was met with rave reviews, with many commentators calling it the best episode of the season so far. Critics commended John Slattery for his directing work. Matthew Weiner and his Academy Award-winning co-writer Frank Pierson were also praised for the symbolism of the leaking faucet and the character study of Pete Campbell.
Pete is being kept awake by a leaking faucet in the kitchen. He eventually goes to fix it, doing so effectively and with self-satisfaction. He is later shown attending a driver's education class, where he flirts with a teenage girl about to go off to college.
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