The True Meaning Of Mad Men's Famous "Signal 30" Episode

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Mad Men fills its episodes to the brim with details that require multiple viewings to understand their true meaning, and Mad Men season 5, episode 5 “Signal 30,” is a great example of this. Mad Men's “Signal 30” is a rare episode that does not focus on Don Draper, but instead on Pete Campbell and his difficulty adjusting to life both as a family man and someone who lives in the suburbs. Although Pete appears to have everything on the surface, the end of “Signal 30” reveals the true extent of his unhappiness.

The true meaning of “Signal 30” is linked to a dinner party hosted by the Campbells, attended by both the Cosgroves and the Drapers. It begins with Pete marveling over his stereo with Ken when Don and Megan arrive at the party, immediately becoming the new centers of attention. The dinner itself is filled with seemingly meaningless talk, such as the origin of the name “Cos Cob” and Ken’s side gig as an author. Pete and Trudy’s dinner party is almost derailed when the kitchen sink malfunctions, showering water everywhere, but luckily, Don knows exactly what to do and is able to fix the issue, thus saving the evening, before Pete is even able to pick out the right tool.

Related: Mad Men Theory: What REALLY Happened To Peggy and Pete's Baby (& Why)

Ken’s writerly pursuits discussed in “Signal 30” are interrupted when Pete, feeling insecure, tells Roger about Ken’s extracurricular activities, who orders Ken to stop writing. Pete has a rough day at the office after a meeting with Lane Pryce where Pryce beats him up. Ken later uses this incident to reveal his anger at Pete to Peggy, saying he is jealous Lane beat him to it. Ken makes it seem to Peggy that he truly is giving up writing and taking the high road with Pete.