Episode Report Card Couch Baron: B+ | 1 USERS: A+ YOU GRADE IT Goodbye, Norma Jean
By Couch Baron | Season 2 | Episode 9 | Aired on 09.28.2008
...into Pete's office. She finds him on the couch, and tells him off for tattling on Freddy. Hildy is shocked that Pete blabbed, but Pete kicks her out, and -- rather blithely, considering how upset Peggy is -- tells her that Freddy did it to himself, and "those people" have no self-control. Peggy, losing ground, says that if it weren't for Freddy, she'd still be a secretary, but Pete counters, "If it wasn't for me, you'd still be a junior copywriter." He says they're both going to be better off, and that he'll go first. "Congratulations, Peggy." Peggy, as she always does, adapts to the situation, and returns terse congratulations before hastily exiting. I hope Hildy puts a laxative in his coffee.
Sarah Beth is waiting for Betty, and is instead surprised and pleased that Arthur shows up. They both still think Betty will be joining them, but that doesn't stop them from engaging in some veiled flirting...
...which is just as well, because Betty's not coming. She's home with the kids supervising some baking, but in a moment that you could probably miss if you're not paying attention, she takes the phone off the hook, presumably in case Sarah Beth calls wondering where she is. Marriage, you have an enemy, and her name is Betty Draper.
In the conference room, Paul is wrapping up a proposal about a cartoon turtle or some such to Duck. In attendance are Sal and Pete, but it's to Peggy that Duck turns for an opinion. She affirms her turtle support, so Duck leaves, and it's just like Freddy never existed...
...but someone who surely still exists is Mona, who comes tearing into Don's office like a house on fire. I honestly had no idea what she could have been on about, even though it seems obvious in retrospect and was foreshadowed more than once, so great work from the show. She finds Don on his couch (lots of couch shots this episode -- shout-out? KIDDING), who sits up and tells Jane it's okay. She leaves, and Mona tells him she doesn't even know what to say to him, because Roger is leaving her -- he's in love with a secretary, and her understanding is that Don said it was great. She quotes his line about it being your life and having to move forward, and Don looks chagrined as he says he didn't mean it that way. The thing is, though, he kind of totally did. After mentioning that they've been married for 25 years, she heads out -- only to find Roger waiting for her. She tells him not to make her make a scene, and when he says they should talk about it, she bites out, "You can talk to Margaret." Well, this will make her decision to elope that much easier. Mona stalks out, and then, as Don watches, Roger puts his hand on Jane's shoulder, who's overcome with emotion and runs away. Roger then turns to Don, who's shocked and disgusted for reasons too numerous to list, and tells him he can explain, but Don's reply says it all: "I want her off my desk." I have nothing to add to that except that I'll see you next week.