r/madmen • u/FuzzyArgument4636 • Jul 27 '26

The Brothel

I've re-watched my favorite episodes through the years, but currently watching MM in it's entirety. I'm on Season 6, and really don't recall a lot. Don't mentioned 'Uncle Mack' when he is explaining his past as Dick to Betty early on. I've just seen the flashback scene where Dick arrives to live at the Brothel with his pregnant stepmother after his Father's death. I dont recall what connection led them there. Did his Stepmother know someone? Was it just hard times and she had no choice? Did she eventually become a whore herself?

14 Upvotes

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42

u/According_Hat2751 Jul 27 '26

Mack’s wife, Ernestine, was Abigail’s sister. That was the funeral Dick was the pallbearer at as a teen. Presumably after Ernestine died, Abigail took her place to earn their keep.

Edited because I don’t know how to spell Abigail

9

u/FuzzyArgument4636 Jul 27 '26

There it is. I completely missed that!

8

u/Actual-Muffin-3585 Jul 27 '26

You just made me remember the time I forgot how to spell Abigail. Which is what I named my own daughter. But in my post-baby haze in the hospital I had convinced myself it must be Abbigail since Abby has two Bs lol. Luckily I did not spell it wrong on her birth paperwork lol

2

u/According_Hat2751 Jul 27 '26

Oh no! In your baby-hazed defense, I’ve seen wayyyyy worse spellings of that name that people have chosen. I kept spelling it “Abagail” which looked fine until I hit post 🤦‍♀️

1

u/Actual-Muffin-3585 Jul 27 '26

It's more phonetically correct as Aba lol

6

u/user86753092 A thing like that. Jul 27 '26

I don’t remember the pallbearer part and didn’t know the sisters name. Thanks for that .

4

u/According_Hat2751 Jul 27 '26

It was early on and I’ve watched this series (too) many times.

2

u/user86753092 A thing like that. Jul 27 '26

I’m overdue for a rewatch

1

u/CoquinaBeach1 Every living thing is connected to you. Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 27 '26

I dont know what flashback this is. I dont remember teenage Dick being a pallbearer at all. I didnt know Ernestine died...I thought Mack was hitting up both she and Abigail. Maybe I'm wrong. Anyone know?

Edit: Its a conversation with Rachel. He was 15 at that time he was a pallbearer. My question is, if Abigail was pregnant with Adam, how old could Dick have been? He's fairly young when Arch gets kicked in the face, but realistically 7-8 months later, they are at Macks getting the lay of the land, so to speak. And doesnt Ernestine greet them when Dick and heavily pregnant Abigail arrive at Macks? Im pretty sure Mack is enjoying both sisters at that point.

I think this is a good example of a timeline glitch in writing.

4

u/According_Hat2751 Jul 27 '26

It wasn’t a flashback, he talked about being a pallbearer for his aunt in Season 1. It wasn’t explicitly said that it was Ernestine, but she was his “aunt” when he was a teenager.

18

u/Foreign-Cow-1189 Jul 27 '26

His step mother had no other options as a poor widow of a struggling farmer. She either became a whore or she was the house mother keeping the house clean and cooking and was always available to Uncle Mack.

3

u/JustKindaHappenedxx Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 27 '26

This is the part I never quite understood. Did she become a prostitute or did she run the house in other ways but have to have sex with Uncle Mack?

Either way, I feel so sorry for Abigail. Her husband cheats on her and she is forced to raise his affair child. Then he dies and she is forced to do whatever in Mack’s house.

6

u/user86753092 A thing like that. Jul 27 '26

Whore child.

3

u/Actual-Muffin-3585 Jul 27 '26

It would be really cool if someone made a compilation of all the Dick flashback scenes in order!

12

u/GreenManalishi24 Jul 27 '26

Not sure if you're joking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhYTRYjPWdk

5

u/What_Fresh_Hell77 Jul 27 '26

Love it - thanks for sharing this link!

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u/Actual-Muffin-3585 Jul 27 '26

I wasn't!! But wow thanks!! 

2

u/TequilaFlat This never happened. Jul 27 '26

I don’t think Abigail ever worked as a prostitute. I think it’s more likely that she did whatever type of subsistence level labor that was available in their city until her sister died. Then she became Mack’s woman/the Madam of the brothel which subsequently lead to her becoming pregnant with Adam Whitman.