Field Trip (S7x03)
Airdate: 27 April 2014
Written by: Matthew Weiner, Heather Jeng-Bladt
Directed by: Scott Hornbacher
Running Time: 47 minutes
Bringing a long-running, critically acclaimed television series to a close is an undertaking fraught with peril, but the challenge becomes exponentially more difficult when the protagonist finds themselves at the absolute nadir of their existence. By the end of the penultimate season, Don Draper had lost his job, his wife, and his family. He was a hollowed-out figure, drifting through life with little purpose or direction. Matthew Weiner faced a critical decision: he could have allowed Don to sink even deeper, transforming the series into a tragic portrait of a pathetic homeless drunk wandering the dysfunctional streets of late 1960s and 1970s New York City. However, audiences would likely have found fourteen hours of such degradation tedious and unengaging. Therefore, the series had to take a different route, one that would, whether temporarily or permanently, alter the trajectory of its leading man. This narrative pivot is achieved decisively in the third episode of the final season, Field Trip.
Don’s professional situation remains a source of deep embarrassment and practical difficulty. Although he remains a formally listed partner and continues to receive his salary, he has been effectively ousted from Sterling Cooper & Partners. He attempts to maintain the illusion of normalcy, hiding his suspended status from those closest to him. The practical consequences are mounting, particularly concerning his secretary Dawn, who has been promoted to office manager and now possesses little time to field calls directed at Don. One such call comes from Alan Silver (Jonathan McClain), Megan’s agent in Los Angeles, who informs Don that Megan does not take rejection well and that her unprofessional behaviour requires intervention. Consequently, Don agrees to fly to California to smooth things over. His surprise reunion with his wife is, at first, joyous; the two immediately engage in sex, reconnecting in a physical intimacy that suggests their bond remains potent. However, the reunion is short-lived. When Megan learns of the true purpose of his visit—that he is there to save her career rather than simply be with her—she becomes angry. She mentions that she never hears office sounds when she speaks to him on the phone, a small detail that convinces her she is being cheated on. Don comes clean about his suspension, but Megan remains furious. She tells him to leave, making it clear that their marriage might indeed be over. The episode treats this breakup with a brutal honesty, stripping away the romanticised notion of reconciliation that many viewers had hoped for.
In another storyline, Bobby Draper is happy to go on a school field trip to a farm upstate. Betty agrees to chaperon him, and the trip is portrayed as pleasant and wholesome. However, the dynamic shifts when Bobby, without her knowledge, trades both of their lunches with a girl for a piece of candy. Upon returning home, Betty becomes angry and brooding. This incident triggers a deep-seated anxiety in her; she begins to fear that she is alienating Bobby just as she had alienated Sally when they were younger. It is a poignant exploration of Betty’s insecurities as a mother, highlighting her fear that her own failings are repeating themselves in the next generation.
Within the office, the friction caused by Don’s absence continues to fester. Lou Avery, as Don’s replacement, continues to alienate the staff. He dismisses the significance of the Clio Awards, noting that only one entry—made by Ginsberg—has been submitted for nomination. An ad Peggy produced for St. Joseph’s pain reliever is not submitted, yet Avery does not care. Meanwhile, Harry Crane shamelessly lies to a client, claiming that the company has conducted research via computer when the company does not possess such a facility. These moments underscore the chaotic and inept management style that has taken over Sterling Cooper in Don’s absence.
Upon his return to New York, Don decides to act decisively to resolve his limbo-like situation. He first meets with Dave Wooster and a colleague from a new and powerful advertising agency, Wells Rich Greene. They offer him an envelope containing a job offer. In that moment, an attractive blonde named Emily Arnett (Brandi Burkhardt) appears at the table, claiming to know Don from somewhere, and offers to meet him in her penthouse. Don is all but certain that the woman was brought there by the agency executives specifically to "sweeten the deal." This cynical assessment makes him reach a different decision than the Greene executives likely hoped for. Instead of pursuing the lucrative offer, he goes directly to Roger’s hotel room. He shows him the envelope, using it as leverage. He demands that he be reinstated at his job, arguing that he cannot work for the competition. Roger agrees to the demand and tells Don to come to the office on Monday.
Don’s return causes immediate attention and confusion. Everyone is surprised to see him, and Roger, who apparently failed to inform anyone of his decision, is late for work. This creates a lot of tension, as most of Roger’s partners want Don permanently gone. A tense partner’s meeting is called to address the situation. Roger argues that Don cannot be fired and that buying him out would financially cripple the company. The partners reluctantly accept his reasoning, though they are not happy about it. Don is told that he can return only under strict new conditions, which he agrees to without complaint.
The episode, co-written by Matthew Weiner and Heather Jeng-Bladt—who would later work on Orange Is the New Black—resolves the issue of Don’s suspended status in an elegant and realistic manner. On a purely practical level, Don Draper is an advertising genius. Having him work for a rival agency would make things significantly more difficult for SC&P and would be devastating if his shares of the company were bought off. This cold financial argument, combined with obvious personnel problems in the post-Don company, ultimately wins over the partners who otherwise could not have tolerated his presence for personal reasons. The strict conditions of his re-employment, which appear to be designed to be breeched, suggest a great deal of suspense and drama for the next episodes.
While Betty was much sidelined in the latter seasons, her storyline in Field Trip is interesting. It serves as an opportunity to explore still conflicting social mores in late 1960s America. Betty, who has already broken with tradition by getting a divorce, is now chastising Francine for taking part-time work in a real estate agency as a source of supplemental income and an escape from domestic boredom. This interaction highlights Betty's internalised class anxieties and her discomfort with the changing roles of women, even as she herself walks through non-traditional life.
The episode is also notable for its attention to detail regarding what characters watch in cinemas during this period. When Don makes another visit to the cinema, his choice is Model Shop, a relatively obscure 1969 film directed by the French filmmaker Jacques Demy. The film, set in Los Angeles, is a visual ode to romantic longing and urban loneliness, a theme that resonates deeply with Don's current situation. By choosing such an obscure and emotionally complex film rather than a blockbuster or a traditional classic, Weiner reinforces the artistic integrity of the show and Don's own sophisticated, if tortured, sensibility.
At the end, Field Trip successfully navigates the difficult waters of the series finale by providing a logical, if somewhat cynical, resolution to Don's professional limbo. It balances the personal drama of his marriage with Megan and Bobby with the institutional politics of Sterling Cooper. While it does not shy away from the harsh realities of Don's past and present, it sets the stage for the final chapter with the necessary tension and character depth that Mad Men has always commanded.
RATING: 7/10 (+++)
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