Episode Report Card Couch Baron: A- | 435 USERS: A- YOU GRADE IT All the Real Girls
By Couch Baron | Season 4 | Episode 9 | Aired on 2010.09.19
Joan comes in, and after enduring Roger hitting on her in his usual gross yet witty way ("I was just giving her a hard time. Can I interest you in the same?"), Joan informs him that she was instructed to tell him in person that Pryce is taking the last two weeks in August off for his son's visit. Roger wonders why Joan had to run this information to him, and she explains that Pryce didn't want a memo going around, as he was afraid people would stop working. Well, it's an understandable sentiment, but unless you're going to have a Pryce-shaped mannequin sitting in his office while he's away while a recording of stock British-isms plays, I'm guessing people will catch on. I do like the idea that Pryce is obsessed with making sure people are working, though. I wonder if he hides around corners and times people's trips to the restroom. Roger returns to hitting on Joan, and she leaves, but not before telling him his behavior isn't cute, like, at all. Roger calls after her that he's sorry, prompting Caroline to come in and chew him out, as they just got the news that Greg is going to Vietnam straight from basic training. Roger: "Vietnam. That's not good." Indeed. Caroline adds that they've all been walking on eggshells, declining to add that his come-ons would have been exceptionally ill-timed even if they were possessed of any subtlety. However, the chastened look on Roger's face indicates that message was received regardless.
When Don returns, Peggy accosts him in front of his office and tells him that Fillmore and Secor are both coming in the next day, and she worked through lunch on stuff for both that she needs him to sign off on before she can do anything else. Hilariously, Don's like, come back in an hour because I'm taking a nap now, and I probably should have quoted him directly to make it clear that I wasn't engaging in hyperbole there. Peggy understandably gapes at how preposterous that was, but Miss Blankenship has words for the situation: "It's a business of sadists and masochists, and you know which one you are." I was hoping the Queen of Perversions would mention S&M before she kicked off! Peggy stomps away...
...but her mood improves when she finds Joyce waiting for her. As they hug, Stan, who's working in Peggy's office, announces, "Your boyfriend's here!" It's not the same without Joey around, is it, Stan? Joyce invites her for a drink that night while Stan continues to make an ass of himself, and after Peggy accepts Joyce's invitation, Stan amusedly says he's fine with Joyce's "lesbian hijinx," but she can never do what a man can do. In response, Joyce licks Peggy's cheek, which causes a smile to appear on her face as quickly as it wipes Stan's off. Joyce then leaves, and Peggy gets back to business as she tells Stan there's bad news -- Don showed up. "We're on at four." And Faye has a meeting that time as well, so we know Don's not going to leave unexpectedly!