Episode Report Card Couch Baron: A- | 893 USERS: A YOU GRADE IT Company Woman
By Couch Baron | Season 5 | Episode 11 | Aired on 2012.05.27
In the conference room, Don is lost in thought and then he makes a decision -- he gets to his feet and proclaims the mistress angle "vulgar," adding that they're "going back to racing heritage." When Ginzo asks why, Don snaps that they're all just sitting around goofing off, so they'd better come up with some lines. He then storms out, presumably to cancel the filet mignon lunch order for his team.
Don's retired to his office and poured himself a drink and he's so worked up I'm surprised steam isn't coming out of his mouth as he sips it. Ken, Harry and Peggy then enter with good news and terrible timing, as Don hardly hears the boys' praise of Peggy's single-handed rescue of the account. When she's done telling him about how it'll be filmed in Paris, Don distractedly orders them to bid it out adding that Ginzo should be free by then. Peggy points out that she came up with the idea and when Don counters that it's Ginzo's account, Peggy calls back Don's earlier impatience and asks if this means she isn't in charge of everything outside of Jaguar. In response, Don takes some bills out of his pocket and literally chucks them in her face, disgustedly adding that if she wants to go to Paris, she should go. Like so many things in this episode, this falls into the "Where To Start" category, but it's not just the casual dismissal of her heroic work or the bald rudeness in front of her co-workers -- it's the broader representation of throwing money at her, like that's all that matters in life. "That's what the money is for!" was a great line from Don, but it cuts both ways -- when people pass the point at work where money ceases to be enough, the line throws the idea that the job no longer satisfies into sharp relief. Ken -- one of the few people too nice for this episode -- doesn't bother to hide his disgust as he exits, while Harry takes a moment and looks like he might say something before sheepishly withdrawing. I'm shocked that no one, in the interest of simple humanism if nothing else, thought to close the door on the way out...