Episode Report Card Couch Baron: A | 3 USERS: A YOU GRADE IT A Lucky Strike
By Couch Baron | Season 1 | Episode 1 | Aired on 2007.07.19
Sometime later, Don lies down on his couch. He regards a fly crawling behind the translucent panel in the ceiling before closing his eyes. We hear the faint sound of bombs exploding, which is a nice, quick touch that I had completely forgotten about, before Peggy insistently whispers his name offscreen. Don slowly opens his eyes, and Peggy tells him that Pete is outside. At least she stopped him from barging in. Don's relieved to learn that Pete doesn't know about his little nap, and then asks Peggy who she is. She introduces herself ("Olson" is her surname), and Don gets to his feet and asks her to go entertain Pete. In front of the entire office? Peggy asks if she really has to, and Don wryly acknowledges her unspoken point that Pete is a douchebag; Peggy then gives Don some aspirin and water, and Don steels himself and tells her to send Pete in, which is just as well, because Pete opens the door himself and comments, "You look like a hundred bucks." Okay, I just got over that expression. It's pretty clear from the get-go that Pete is trying to bond with Don as an equal, and it's even clearer that Don is so very much not having it. Pete then gets disgusting with Peggy; after learning that she went to a very good secretarial school, he gets her to tell him she's from Brooklyn, and then suggests she show off her legs and pull her waist in. Peggy asks Don if that's all she needs, but Pete cuts in that he's not done. "I'm workin' my way up." There are many ways that comment can be read, each grosser than the last. When you get to the one involving Pete Jr., it's time to throw up and move on. Don gives Peggy leave to go, apologizing for Pete to boot, and Peggy tells him it's time for the Menken meeting.