Episode Report Card Couch Baron: A- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT California, Here I Come…
By Couch Baron | Season 2 | Episode 10 | Aired on 10.05.2008
Peggy's telling the dregs of the party that she hears it's hard to get anything done in California, "because of the weather, you know. People don't work." Having just moved here, I will opine that she's not completely wrong. Harry drunkenly biffs a word as he says he'll probably be heading out there at some point to meet with the network people with whom he does business, causing Sal to ask, "You're just going to fly off and leave your wife and newborn?" I don't think Sal's being disbelieving here -- just pondering exit strategies. Hildy then staggers up (girl is lit) and spews goodwill all over Harry before giving him a big hug. It's pretty sweet, and I love Hildy, but Harry looks like that just sobered him up for life. Joan then returns, and as the boys almost unconsciously gather around her (it's awesome how that always happens) she informs Paul that Don will be going to the convention. Paul chooses not to Get It even though Joan directed the message only to him instead of to him and Pete, so when he makes a dumb comment about being able to fly first class now, Joan ever-so-politely informs him that it will just be Don and Pete going. We don't actually get to see Pete's orgasm face at this news, which given the man-crush he's had on Don for the run of the series seems kind of a shame. But instead, we get something much better, as Paul's face becomes entirely lower lip as the boys openly laugh at him while Joan silkily continues, "I'm sure it must be disappointing. I'll need your tickets and your badges." Paul tries whining, to no avail, and leaves with his tail between his legs. Joan watches him go, and then turns brightly to Peggy: "Is there any cake left?" Awesome.
Paul, while sadly (ha ha ha!) packing up his tickets and badges, is telling Sheila on the phone that he's thought about it, and he wants to go with her. I'll give him a pass for taking advantage of his defeat in this way if that means I can keep laughing at him.
Peggy's on her way out when Pete drunkenly gets her attention and asks if he can speak to her for a moment. She obliges him, and he tells her that he's going away on a plane. She misses the intent behind this statement, wondering if he wants to hear that she wishes she were going? "Everybody does. I've never even been on a plane." Pete, however, makes himself clear -- he hasn't been on a plane since his father died. Peggy apologizes, and Pete goes on that he's not scared. "It just seemed significant, is all." Peggy tries to tell him how unlikely it would be for a second Campbell to die in a plane crash, and Pete concedes that that's true before adding that it wouldn't be the worst thing. Peggy's startled, and Pete unhappily goes on that he hates his mother. "What do you think of that?" Peggy is taken aback by how real Pete just got with her, although it seems like she's the only person in the office he's ever really opened up to, and says she doesn't know the circumstances. Pete starts wallowing, saying maybe he shouldn't expect that much from his mother, and it's not like he and Bud turned out so great. He brings it around to the adoption idea: "Who's to say it wouldn't be better? So it's not yours -- that could be good!" Needless to say, he's completely lost Peggy at this point, who offers that she doesn't know what he's talking about, but she thinks his flight will be fine. He pulls his focus back and somewhat bitterly opines that everything is so easy for her, and Peggy doesn't laugh in his face, slap him, or, by far the best option, both. Instead, she does the conversational equivalent: "It's not easy for anyone, Pete." He nods in acceptance of this sentiment, and after a moment, Peggy tells him to have a great trip, and leaves.