Episode Report Card Couch Baron: B+ | 3 USERS: B- YOU GRADE IT Surprise?
By Couch Baron | Season 5 | Episode 1 | Aired on 03.25.2012
...while elsewhere, Bertram is arguing about Vietnam with... hey, it's that beatnik reporter who always got under Peggy's skin and who you knew was completely perfect for her! I'm so happy they're together, although that does mean I'm going to have to look up his name again. Ah, Abe, that's it. Stan involves himself in the conversation (on Abe's side) as his presumed cousin (in a naval uniform) watches bemusedly before offering, "I thought there were gonna be girls here." Wait until the singing starts, kiddo.
At the bar, Don joins Roger, who thanks him for not inviting Joan, as he would have gotten an earful and a half on the ride home. Don disclaims any responsibility, obviously, and then looks at Megan giggling on the couch in the -- of course -- sunken living room before Harry accosts them with a gift for Don. The "I hate this guy" side-eye between Don and Roger is awesome even before Don opens the gift -- a silver-handled Steinway walking stick. Roger: "You could stick it up your ass and have a concert." Hee. Harry then goes to join Megan and her fabulous friends, and Roger, no stranger to generation gaps in marriage, supportively tells him that he shouldn't worry -- they're not laughing at him. Don does look rather perplexed, but that could be due to any or all of the evening's events.
Sometime later, the band is playing, Peggy and Abe are dancing and Don and Megan are sitting on the floor (!) with Pryce and Rebecca (!!). Pryce tells a tame off-color joke, and then the camera pans over to Pete, who greets Roger with this: "I didn't know you were invited! Or did you just hear I was coming and show up?" When he's gone, Jane asks, "Is he going bald?" This is shaping up to be the best party ever. Peggy and Abe join the Campbells and Peggy notes the extreme size of the place. Trudy agrees, but points out how loud it is, adding that you can hear the traffic over the party noise, which gets a longing "I know" from her husband. Aw. Abe slurs that he wants to take off his pants and slide his ass on the carpet, which -- again indicative of the times -- does not receive any raised eyebrows. He goes on that work (he's a journalist, remember) has been good because things have been bad, with the riots and all. Pete tells them he was raised that party talk shouldn't include sex, politics, or religion, but rather than point out that Pete had as low an opinion of his parents as he does of that support beam, Trudy merely asks what that leaves and Peggy offers, "Alcohol and work?" No need for the party then, it seems to me. Ken and his wife Cynthia join them and Cynthia asks "Trudes" (you might remember that they know each other from the garden club) which one Jane is again. Trudy: "Glamour puss with the tan?" I love Bitchy Trudy, although Cynthia's raised-eyebrow response of "Marry early and often!" is right on par. The Cosgroves then declare their intention to smoke some tea with Megan's friends on the balcony, and even though it's not that kind of show those sure sound like potential last words to me.