Episode Report Card Couch Baron: A- | 3 USERS: A YOU GRADE IT It's A Man's World
By Couch Baron | Season 1 | Episode 2 | Aired on 2007.07.26
Sal comes to ask Peggy if Don is in yet, but when she tells him he's sick, Sal says he's leaving. "Don't tell anyone I was here." This reminds Peggy of something...
...and then she's knocking on Paul's door, who calls from inside, "Bienvenue!" Peggy: "No, it's Peggy!" Hee. Inside, she tells him that since Don's not in, she can't go out to lunch. Paul duhs that that actually means she can, but Peggy's worried that Don will call, and since it's only her second week, she'd like to reschedule. Paul gets up and goes to the door, and before Peggy really has a chance to process what he's doing, he's closed the door and is kissing her. She doesn't stop him at first, merely asking if he wants something from the cart, but when he kisses her again, she mildly discourages it. When he blatantly propositions her, however, she makes it clear that that's not cool, and he thinks it's because she already belongs to someone else. "I don't even like to sit in Don's chair." And I'm sure he'd be just heartbroken to hear that. Peggy says she thinks they've misunderstood each other, and Paul nods, but before she goes, he asks for confirmation that there is someone else. Peggy, given a variation on the Bitch Or Slut choice that has been infuriating women time out of mind, goes with the proffered option and tells him yes before leaving.
Later, Peggy is typing away when she looks at the clock and sees it's just past 4:30. We cut to her starting to close down her station, but Joan comes over with "nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh" written all over her face, and despite Peggy's assertion that she's not feeling so great, Joan produces some letters that Peggy typed after lunch that apparently would make the founder of Reading Is Fundamental cringe. Peggy says she'll redo them, but Joan catches the edge in her tone and lingers. Peggy snappishly asks if Joan is going to watch her, but Joan doesn't know what it is to be intimidated, and forcefully asks what's wrong with her. Peggy takes a moment and then asks why it is that whenever a man takes you to lunch around there, you're the dessert. Joan softens like the strawberry shortcake she so often is and says that's terrible. Peggy says it's constant, from all sides. "I'm from Bay Ridge. We have manners!" Aw. Her Brooklyn pride is so cute! Joan's sympathy only goes so far, though, saying that she doesn't know Peggy that well, but she's the new girl. "And you're not much, so you might as well enjoy it while it lasts!" Peggy looks back down, but Joan's trying to be nice, saying she's just offering some perspective. And as awful a truth it is, it's valid -- she's basically telling Peggy to imagine how she's going to feel when the men don't pay attention to her. Peggy swallows and thanks Joan, but Joan doesn't let her forget about correcting her typos.