Episode Report Card Couch Baron: B+ | 497 USERS: A- YOU GRADE IT Half the Battle
By Couch Baron | Season 4 | Episode 8 | Aired on 2010.09.12
In her office, Joan tells Joey that as a freelancer, she knows he spends time in other work environments, but the way he's behaving won't be tolerated here. "I should let you know that there's a problem now between us." I hope I transcribed that correctly; I can't bring myself to watch it again, given that those words coming from Joan make up the scariest sentence in the universe. Joey wonders why she's always on his case, given that Stan is worse than he is, and hilariously, Joan considers that for a moment like she knows it's absolutely true, but offers that perhaps Stan is better at his job. Not that I'm not on her side, but that does seem like the kind of response that's designed to escalate things, but after Joey laughs and she calls him arrogant, he asks, "Me? What do you do around here besides walking around like you're trying to get raped?" Oh, Joey, I didn't think you could make my Dead To Me folder, but that was offensive enough to skip any deliberation about it, even without knowing about the incident from two seasons ago. The only good thing about that comment is that if Joan wanted to, she could tell Roger about it and he'd eviscerate you with his bare hands.
On his way out, Joey sneers that he's not some wide-eyed young girl and as such doesn't need "some madam from a Shanghai whorehouse to show me the ropes," and I will say that at least when this kid burns a bridge, he doesn't half-ass the job. It's intriguing and terrifying to see Joan, always a master of getting both fascination and respect from men, being given neither from this new generation of men, and it obviously is difficult for her even to grasp what just happened, so when Peggy comes in the other door, Joan impotently tells her this is her office, "not a thoroughfare. Take the extra steps -- you could use them." Unjustifiedly nasty, certainly, but Peggy at least brings it down by saying that Joan's right, at least about the part where she shouldn't be barging in, and Joan's anger deflates and she tells Peggy to go ahead -- she's leaving anyway. Peggy wisely still withdraws the way she came, and as Joan gets ready, she hears and sees the boys laughing in the other room. Whatever it is, Joan, you don't want to know, and having seen the episode once already, I know of what I speak.