I can’t forgive Herman “Duck” Phillips (Mark Moses) for one thing he did inMad Menseason 2, and I’ll always hate him for it. Duck was recruited by Don Draper (Jon Hamm) as the new head of accounts services for Sterling Cooper, replacingRoger Sterling (John Slattery)after he suffered double coronaries. Duck was highly touted as an ad man working in England, but Phillips was plagued by bad luck, and he failed to deliver the accounts he promised, like American Airlines.
Duck Phillips was also a recovering alcoholic, and he was initially careful not to indulge in Sterling Cooper’s culture of constant drinking duringMad Menseason 2. Duck was also under enormous personal pressures that he didn’t disclose to his coworkers. Duck was estranged from his wife, Pauline (Alexandra Paul), son Mark (Darian Weiss), and daughter Patricia (Gina DeVivio). However,one member of the Phillips family still loved Duck unconditionally: Chauncey, their Irish Setter. What Duck did to Chauncey inMad Menseason 2 still sickens me.
We Don’t Know What Happened To Chauncey
Mad Menseason 2, episode 6, “Maidenform,” introduces Duck Phillips' family, including Chauncey. The Phillips clan visits Sterling Cooper so that Duck’s children can spend Memorial Weekend with him, but they were really there to inform their father that Pauline was marrying someone else. Pauline was leaving Chauncey with Duck because he was his dog. Although Duck restrained his emotions,he took out his frustrations on Chauncey, and what he did was despicable.
Duck callously led Chauncey to the lobby of Sterling Cooper, left the poor dog outside, and walked away. The abandoned pet waited for his owner for a while before wandering off into the New York City streets.Mad Mennever revealed what happened to Chauncey, and it would be nice to think he was found and adopted by a loving new owner or family.
Chauncey was innocent, and I will always despise Duck for what he did to his dog.
As a dog owner for decades,I would never treat a dog the way Duck treated Chauncey.RewatchingMad Mentoday, I try to be sympathetic towards Duck, who faced an uphill battle in Sterling Cooper’s culture, where Creative Director Don Draper had so much power and esteem. I can understand why Duck was frustrated with his failures, both at work and in his family life. But Chauncey was innocent, and I will always despise Duck for what he did to his dog.
What Duck Did Was Unforgivable
Mad Menis remembered for the constant drinking andDon Draper’s womanizingin the series.Mad Men’s depiction of how people behaved in the 1960s, especially their bad behavior,almost feels like Matthew Weiner’s Emmy-winning historical drama is set on another planet. Characters onMad Menhave done shocking things, from the Drapers simply leaving their garbage behind them after a picnic, to Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser) throwing his roast chicken off his Manhattan high-rise balcony in anger.
Yet Duck Phillips abandoning his poor dog stands out as an irredeemable act. If Duck didn’t want the responsibility of caring for Chauncey any longer,he had several options.He could have put Chauncey up for adoption, or he could have given him to someone at Sterling Cooper.
There’s no excuse for what Duck Phillips did to Chauncey.
At this point inMad Menseason 2, Duck hasn’t yet resumed drinking, so he can’t blame his alcoholism for his actions, like when he’s an embarrassing drunk inMad Menseason 4. There’s no excuse for what Duck Phillips did to Chauncey, and it’s one of the worst things anyone did onMad Men.
