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=The New Girl (Mad Men)= "The New Girl" is the fifth episode in the second season of the American television series Mad Men. This episode was written by Robin Veith who was an assistant writer for the series, and directed by Jennifer Getzinger. The show originally aired on AMC in the United States on August 24th, 2008.

Plot
At a fertility consultation, Pete and Trudy attempt to get to the root of their conception problems. Pete exhibits discomfort with the possibility of him being sterile and admits to the doctor the idea of having kids “in this world” concerns him.

Elsewhere, the office is abuzz with news of Joan's engagement to Dr. Greg Harris. Don ducks out early to meet Bobbie Barrett, who is celebrating the pilot her husband has landed.

At Sardi's, a tense encounter occurs between Don and his ex-fling Rachel Menken, who has recently wed. After, Bobbie and Don eat, drink, and discuss work. Bobbie probes Don for information on things he enjoys, but he refuses to answer. The pair head to the Barrett’s beach house in Stony Brook to spend the night together. On the way, Bobbie and Don share a bottle of Jack Daniel's and discuss things they enjoy. Bobbie expresses how good she feels and Don retorts that “[he] feels nothing”. As Bobbie kisses his ear, a drunk Don closes his eyes and crashes the car to avoid oncoming traffic.

Don is arrested for driving with a BAC above the legal limit and must call someone to bail him out. Peggy posts Don’s bail and drives the pair back to the city. As Don explains an edited version of the story to a concerned Betty, Bobbie crashes at Peggy’s apartment. She seeks to find out the relationship dynamic between Don and Peggy, believing Peggy is in love with Don. Peggy explains that he has just done a lot for her. After Peggy explains she is “not [Bobbie’s] competition”, the businesswoman encourages her to “be a woman” and “treat Don like an equal”.

The show transitions into a flashback of Peggy’s postpartum stay in the hospital. It is revealed that Don visited her and encouraged her to move forward and leave the negative experience behind her.

Back at the office, Don’s young new secretary attracts the attention of the men. A disappointed and jealous Joan scolds her for dressing promiscuously. Later, Roger and Joan discuss her engagement. Following Bobbie’s advice Peggy asserts herself and demands the bail money back from Don. Jimmy comes in to thank Don for helping him land a pilot after he had behaved so poorly.

Pete finds out he is not sterile. An upset Trudy accuses him of lacking sympathy and they fight over the idea of having children. Don comes home to eat dinner with Betty and the kids. After learning of his high cholesterol, Betty removes salt from the table and tells Sally it is because “[they] love him”.

Production
The episode was viewed by 1.47 million people on its initial aired date, which surpassed the previous weeks episode "Three Sundays" viewings of 1.07 million. On Reddit, it's said that it isn't explicitly stated but a lot of the commentators have stated that the production of this episode was on a tighter schedule than most. It is said that they may have been behind in shooting at this point in the season. On Reddit there was some information from commentaries of interviews with the writers and producers of this episode. One thing that stood out in the interview notes was that the title of the episode "The New Girl", tied in with more than what was just in the episode but also that it was the first time Jennifer Getzinger directed an episode and also the first time Robin Veith wrote an episode solo.

Cultural References
Freddy Rumsen references De Beers, a popular diamond manufacturer, as news of Joan’s engagement breaks. Bobbie and Don meet up at Sardis, a restaurant famous for the caricatures of celebs that adorn its walls. Bobbie mentions popular comedians Buddy Hackett and Jackie Gleason. Don encounters ex-fling Rachel Menken and her new husband, Tilden Katz, on their way to see “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum”. 1960’s Spartacus and 1961’s La Notte are referenced during Don and Bobbie’s conversation about good movies. “Theme from A Summer Place” plays in the background as Don and Bobbie drive. At the police station, the officer tells Don he is at the legal limit, which was .15% in the 1960s. Bobbie worries that she’ll miss the fundraiser for President JFK's 45th birthday at Madison Square Garden, as it is rumored Marilyn Monroe will be in attendance. This iconic moment in history spawned rumors of Marilyn and Kennedy’s affair after she seductively sang him “Happy Birthday, Mr. President”. Roger plays paddle ball in his office before Joan comes to see him. Trudy mentions the 1962 thriller Cape Fear, which Pete has seen multiple times.

Reception
This episode was received fairly from most critics. Noel Murray, writing for The A.V. Club, wasn't as satisfied with the episode as she had hoped. She expressed how it was hard for her to critic "The New Girl" in comparison to the previous weeks episode "Three Sundays". Murray states, "Frankly, I'm a tad hesitant on "The New Girl" in comparison to last week's masterpiece "Three Sundays," in part because I'm not sure all the elements of the episode are especially well-integrated, or that the presentation of different aspects of womanhood–revolving around Bobbie–really comes to much." Over all, The A.V. Club gave this episode a B+. Another reviewer Will Dean, writer for The Guardian, had similar feelings towards this episode as Murray did. Dean states, "A colleague suggested that this episode marked the beginning of a mid-season lull. I'm not sure I agree. It was still strong television, as you'd expect from a show with the depth of Mad Men. But it was definitely weaker than the last few weeks' episodes, even if the interplay between Don and Peggy was deliciously well written and acted." Over all IMDb gave this episode a 8.6 out of 10 rating.