What is the 5:31 referring to in Mad Men?
In season 1 episode 7: Red in the Face, there was this exchange:
Roger: What are you up to tonight?
Don: I'm on the 5:31.
Roger: Reservations at home. I've had those.
What does the 5:31 refer to? I tried to search its meaning and the closest thing I could find was maybe a reference to Matthew 5:31. I assume it just means what Rogers replied: "Reservations at home", but where did this saying come from and was it used frequently back in the 1960s?
Best Answer
It's a train route.
Handy notes that Weiner had his writers research the train schedules in 1960, so when Don says he’s taking the 5:31 to Ossining, that means there really was a 5:31 to Ossining that day. Slate magazine, AUG 13, 2009
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What is the message in Mad Men?
It exposes the differing pressures men and women face daily due to their gender in the 60s and illustrates the difficulty the older generation faced in adapting to a seemingly youthful and volatile society. As well as demonstrating the power of acceptance be it in oneself or in one's circumstance.Why did Roger sell to McCann?
The sale was meant as a play by Roger to save Don's job and get rid of Jim Cutler, however after several months it was discovered by the partners, that as a subsidiary of McCann it cost too much to remain independent and would be dissolved into their parent company.Where was Mad Men filmed?
The Emmy\xae and Golden Globe\xae Award-winning AMC TV series Mad Men takes place in the high-powered advertising world of 1960s Manhattan and in later seasons the bohemian vibe of Los Angeles as well. The show's main sets were located in Los Angeles and many of the on-location scenes were filmed in the L.A. area.Does Don leave McCann?
And the fact that Don is able to go on a walkabout because he feels like it contrasts him almost perfectly with the other character who finally leaves McCann: Joan.Mad Men: 5 tips by Don Draper for marketers
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Answer 2
The 5:31 train is probably the first commuter train that you could catch if you left the office at 5:00. It indicates that he intends to leave the office exactly at "quitting time" and head home, which was really frowned upon at the time if you were trying to be upwardly mobile (i.e. get promoted). Most companies expected you to put in extra time, to show dedication.
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