History Recap / MadMenS4E12BlowingSmoke

Don runs into Midge, who is now married. Sadly, she and her husband are both junkies, and she was looking for him to buy one of her paintings. When he asks her why she doesn't quit, she says [[CaptainObvious it's heroin and she just can't stop]]. He buys a painting and, on the verge of discarding it, he's inspired. After consulting no one, he takes out a full page ad in the ''New York Times'' turning the agency's failure into a principled stance against the tobacco industry. The staff are impressed, the partners are horrified, Cooper quits, and Ted Chaough is thrilled.

But they're not out of the woods yet.

To keep the company afloat, the partners have to put up a huge amount of collateral ($400,000, in the neighborhood of $3 million today) for a loan. Pete doesn't have that kind of money, and when he applies for a loan himself, Trudy think's he's looking for a house in the suburbs. When he explains himself, she forbids him from giving them anything. This mysteriously turns out not to be a problem, as Lane reveals that Don paid for him as payback for keeping is identity safe.

Don runs into Midge, who is now married. Sadly they are both junkies, and she was looking for him to buy one of her paintings. When he asks her why she doesn't quit, she says [[CaptainObvious it's heroin and she just can't stop]]. He buys a painting and, on the verge of discarding it, he's inspired. After consulting no one, he takes out a full page ad in the ''New York Times'' turning the agency's failure into a principled stance against the tobacco industry. The staff are impressed, the partners are horrified, Cooper quits, and Ted Chaough is thrilled.

Don has a meeting with Heinz' vinegar and beans representative (a lead he got from Faye in [[{{Recap/MadMenS4E11ChineseWall}} Chinese Wall]]) who is open to ideas but afraid that Don's agency won't be around much longer.

** Also, when Don asks Peggy what she thought of his ad, Peggy replies, "[[Recap/MadMenS3E1PublicRelations I thought you didn't go for those types of shenanigans]].", [[ActuallyPrettyFunny which Don chuckles at]].

* CompletelyMissingThePoint: With regards to Don's advert.

--> So as of today, Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce will no longer take tobacco accounts. We know it’s going to be hard. If you’re interested in cigarette work, here’s a list of agencies that do it well: BBDO, Leo Burnett, McCann Erickson, Cutler Gleason & Chaough, and Benton & Bowles.

* TakeThat: To the tobacco industry, courtesy of ''that'' ad.
--> '''Don:''' For over 25 years we devoted ourselves to peddling a product for which good work is irrelevant, because people can't stop themselves from buying it. A product that never improves, that causes illness, and makes people unhappy.

''Great, Don saved the company. Now let's get rid of half of it.''

->''"Great, Don saved the company. Now let's get rid of half of it."''

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: Among the people who have been trying to call Don is Emerson Foote -- a real-life ad man who quit [=McCann=] Ericson in 1965 because he didn't want to represent the tobacco industry any more.

* DeadpanSnarker: A good one from Stan, after speculation about redundancies is interrupted by Bert telling the employees that he's leaving.
-->'''Stan:''' I didn't think they'd start with him.

Don runs into Midge, who is now married. Sadly they are both junkies, and she was looking for him to buy one of her paintings. When he asks her why she doesn't quit, she says [[CaptainObvious it's heroin and she just can't stop]]. He buys a painting and, on the verge of discarding it, he's inspired. After consulting no one, he takes out a full page ad in the ''New York Times'' turning the agency's failure into a principled stance against the tobacco industry. The staff ar impressed, the partners are horrified, Cooper quits, and Ted Chaough is thrilled.

* PutOnABus: Danny is one of the employees fired by Don at the end of the episode.

* DrosteImage: Discussed by Sally, who describes the image of a woman holding a butter box on the Land O'Lakes butter packaging.

* CompletelyMissingThePoint

* CallBack
-->'''Peggy:''' [[{{Recap/MadMenS3E11TheGypsyAndTheHobo}} If this was a dog food, we'd change our name.]]

* ScrewThisImOutOfHere: Cooper quits the firm after Don takes out a full page ad in the ''New York Times'' without consulting the other partners.

Don runs into Midge, who is now married. Sadly they are both junkies, and she was looking for him to buy one of her paintings. When he asks her why she doesn't quit, she says [[CaptainObvious it's heroin and she just can't stop]]. He buys a painting and, on the verge of discarding it, he's inspired. After consulting no one, he takes out a ''full page ad in the New York Times'' turning the agency's failure into a principled stance against the tobacco industry. The staff is impressed, the partners are horrified, Cooper quits, and Ted Chaough is thrilled.

* ScrewThisImOutOfHere: Cooper quits the firm after Don takes out a ''full page ad in the New York Times'' without consulting the other partners.

* CrowningMomentOfFunny
-->'''Harry:''' They're gonna fire everybody. Or worse, make ''me'' fire everybody.
-->'''Cooper:''' It's been a pleasure working with you all, I wish you the best of luck.
-->'''Stan:''' I didn't think they'd start with ''him.''
* FridgeHorror: Pete says Central Park was good enough for him growing up. Now imagine a teenaged girl running around Upper Manhattan in the late '70s-early '80s.

Dr. Atherton sets the agency up with Phillip Morris, who's developing a new brand of cigarettes[[hottip:*:Though not mentioned by name onscreen, he's referring to Virginia Slims]]. Since [=SCDP=] has a longstanding history with tobacco, it's seen to be their best bet. As it turns out, Phillip Morris was just using them as leverage to get a better deal with Leo Burnett.