Episode Report Card Couch Baron: B | 3 USERS: A YOU GRADE IT Love And Marriage
By Couch Baron | Season 1 | Episode 3 | Aired on 2007.08.02
Don, cake on the front seat next to him, slows down in front of his house, but then speeds up again and takes off. Dude, not cool. I mean, blowing off the boring party is one thing, but depriving kids of birthday cake is quite another.
It's now just after four (the party started at two) and Betty hangs up the phone and tells everyone that according to the woman at the bakery, Don picked up the cake almost an hour earlier. No one knows what to say, and then the jerky guy Chet who told the nasty "joke" earlier comes in, crowing about how they're leaving and how there's not going to be a cake. "Don Draper, you are a first-class heel and I salute you." I think I prefer Carlton and Slappy Jack, so far down the list is this asshole. Once they're gone, Helen offers that she might have a Sara Lee in her freezer, and Francine isn't too proud to ask if she could go get it. It's a nice little point, because Francine has obviously been a huge bitch to Helen, so I take this shift as an indication of how much Francine cares about Betty. Helen takes her leave...
...and shortly thereafter, Sally is blowing out her candles. The adults sing that Sally is a jolly good fellow, but Betty looks worried and annoyed.
It's now night, and Don, apparently having passed out for a time, comes to in his front seat. He lights a cigarette, and in front of him, a train passes, which we see reflected in his windshield. Yup, the machine of suburbia keeps chugging along even when you take a nap, Don.
Betty, rubber gloves on, is doing dishes and smoking as a Cheerios commercial plays on the radio. She hears a car pull in, and tries to take her gloves off, but her hands are shaking again, so she abandons the effort. Sally happily greets Don, and I was joking about the slow thing before, but...she didn't notice that her dad semi-ruined her party? Betty hears barking, and comes into the living room to see Don sitting with the kids and a golden retriever he apparently picked up from the all-night pound over in Chappaqua. Betty somberly admits she doesn't even know what to say, and Sally names the dog "Polly." Given her attitude, she just needs another one to call "Anna." Betty walks out in disgust as Don drunkenly wishes Sally a happy birthday, and then he rests his head on the couch as Bobby Vinton's "PS I Love You" plays into the closing credits.