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I can understand how Harry felt, instead of coming to him to talk about what his secretary did, Joan just fires her. What the secretary did was very wrong but Joan's actions reminded me of a person who has finally been given a little bit of authority and we know how she got it.
I personally loved last night's episode though Harry did not need to burst like that. I understand he has worked very hard but how Joan became partner is none of his business and she did technically bring in the jaguar account (she was also put in that position by the other partners and the only one who objected to it was Don--in fact they wanted to just pay her off but Lane suggested she ask for partnership, if she had said no they likely would have fired her and then she would have been an unemployed single mother. She needed to do what she did for the benefit of her son). By having an outburst like that he came off childish and immature and definitely not partner material. He also forgets that Joan helped him build that department (she was reading scripts for him when the workload got too heavy) and he dismissed her like she didn't do anything and hired a man of course to do what she was doing so well.
The other partners brushed him off and laughed at him because they thought he was ridiculous. If he had approached the partners in a better way they likely would take his partnership into consideration. Now it's just a joke to them.
Also, his outburst came because Joan fired his secretary who was technically stealing from the company by leaving early and having Dawn clock her out later and then lying about it. She almost got Dawn fired. Dawn at least approached Joan and appologized for what she did, even thought she was put in an akward position to do it in the first place.
And to phonelady--Don did defend his secretary, but I don't think he would have thrown a fit over it like Harry did.
Joan was not b*tchy. She was doing her job as the office manager and partner of SCDP. In any job that I have ever worked if I did what the secretary did, I would expect to be fired as well. She deserved it and if Harry had an issue with it he should have talked to Joan privetly about it.
Harry is a giant man child who needs to grow up. You want a partnership, stop acting like a child and throwing fits all the time.
Thanks for reminding me that Joan did help out Harry and was hurt when he just dropped her out of that job. Harry only went into the meeting because he thought Joan was talking about him! He just assumed something and went storming in all emotional and out of control. I wish Harry would move onto another agency.
Thanks for reminding me that Joan did help out Harry and was hurt when he just dropped her out of that job. Harry only went into the meeting because he thought Joan was talking about him! He just assumed something and went storming in all emotional and out of control. I wish Harry would move onto another agency.
I agree. No one was even talking about him. They were talking about Project K. He made an assumption and blew up. The partners don't take him seriously because of that. If he had approached the senior partners in appropriate manner, I'm sure they would have at least thought about making him partner at some point.
Don lost respect for Joan, but he understands why she did what she did. They will always be kindred spirits.
Joan is my most despised character because she is smart, but her brain is in her breasts. I don't blame folks like Ken and Harry for being hacked that she gets a partnership and brings in zero business. Harry blowing his stack was Joan lying in the bed of her own making.
I don't agree at all. Don respects Joan. He respects her far more than any of the other partners. Roger sees her as his ex-mistress. Cooper sees her as just a female, his inclination is to pat her on the head. Pete sees her as a tool that he can again to land another account, he only has to find a way to manipulate her. Don values her intelligence and her loyalty to the company. Given his background, growing up in a whorehouse, he knows that women use sex for economic gain, and he, more than anyone, understands that Joan's choice was about providing for herself and her son.
I don't think that Ken is "hacked" by Joan's standing in the company. Harry is jealous. And Harry's contributions are undervalued, but the honest truth is that Harry isn't partner material. He plants his foot into his mouth too often and too deeply. He's petulant. And he's not vested in the company. He's there to collect his paycheck, and every week he gets that paycheck, he feels less appreciated. If he had any real fortitude, he's move to another company.
It was, and always has been Joan's job to manage the staff. She was hiring and firing the secretaries in season 1. And if the secretary who'd gotten Dawn to clock her out had shown an iota of character, had owned her actions, Joan would probably have simply docked her pay. But she lied to Joan, and tried to get another employee to be complicit in that lie. That was why Joan fired her AFTER confirming her suspicions with Dawn. Because she LIED to Joan, and tried to get Dawn to LIE to Joan. Since Dawn didn't LIE to Joan, and owned her actions, Joan determined that appropriate punishment. To let Dawn understand the responsibility that Joan has.
I thought when Stan gave Peggy the finger, it wasn't just an insult, it was also a salute. Disrespect and respect all tied together.
*No need to; my fingers go a lot faster than my brain too.
I had forgotten about Don bonding with Joan back then; I wonder what stopped him from propositioning her at the time. Certainly not a conscience.
I'm thinking that the idea of Joan being Roger's "ex" is what stopped him. Bro-Code and all that. It's as old as time immortal.
Also a case of, "it's good too be smart, but it's smart to be good" Could you imagine what kind of political firestorm that could start at the office? Roger is already a little bit insecure. It shows through from time to time. Mentally comparing his skills to Don's skills. Ugly business. And bad for business.
Joan has been down this road before. She fired Jane. Then Jane told Roger and he reinstated her, going over Joan's head. And of course, Jane eventually marries Roger and started all of that trouble.
Something here doesn't wash and perhaps I don't understand because of a lack of business experience. Lane was like a CFO or Comptroller. Joan is his replacement. Joan is a great organizer and we can assume through Lane, he mentored her and taught her a lot about finance. However, even with Lane's tutoring, I don't see how she could have enough knowledge about accounting, taxation, and finance. There's only so much that she can do without being a CPA, or taken college accounting and finance classes for this type of job. Sure, she can understand billing, accounts payable, and receivables. But can she prepare a balance sheet or a general ledger? Assuming they hire an outside accounting firm to do that, you still have to have a thorough background in accounting/finance to work with the accountants in prepartion of the documents and understanding them. You would think that at least one of the partners would have to have a very strong background in money management and taxation and I can't see how Joan would qualify. The person who is in charge of setting up loans for the company and dealing with the IRS is rarely the same person in charge of time sheets and supply closets.
Joan has been down this road before. She fired Jane. Then Jane told Roger and he reinstated her, going over Joan's head. And of course, Jane eventually marries Roger and started all of that trouble.
That's what was symbolic about Joan handing over the keys to the supply closet and time cards to Dawn. She doesn't want to be treated like a secretary, so she rid herself of the last trappings of that job. Those were still the days when people could learn on the job (see: Don) so Joan's background and experience in the firm might just be enough.
Since we're talking "whatever happened to?" I miss Sal. I wish he'd pop up working for Peggy or something.
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*No need to; my fingers go a lot faster than my brain too. 
And bad for business.
