Episode Report Card Couch Baron: A | 491 USERS: A- YOU GRADE IT A Change Is Gonna Come
By Couch Baron | Season 3 | Episode 12 | Aired on 2009.11.01
Harry's moving the pity party along by complaining about his own situation when a bunch of employees file in and commandeer his TV, switching it to the news report, and way to be on the ball, CBS. Everyone watches in horror...
...and as Don comes out of Pryce's office, he sees a sea of ringing phones and no one to answer them...and then, as one, they all stop. That got me right in the gut, I'll tell you, having lived through the same thing on 9/11 as all of you no doubt did as well. Don sees a group of people gathered around the entrance to Harry's office and wonders aloud what the hell is going on...
...while Betty's at home watching. She leans forward when an update comes in...and the word is given that JFK has died just as Carla enters from the back door. Carla and Betty sit and cry together as the kids come in uncertainly, and then Carla lights a cigarette, another touch I loved. Sally puts a consoling arm around Betty's shoulders...
...and now that they've, um, returned, after some discussion of hickeys, Duck tells Peggy there was a news story on before she arrived that's been on his mind, so he plugs the TV back in and sees Walter Cronkite giving the official announcement (CBS has caught up, finally), and his voice breaks a little as he gives the details. As Peggy gapes in shock, Duck rushes to call his kids. We don't get to see if he connects, and you'll pardon me for not really giving a shit.
Margaret, in her wedding dress, is inconsolable as Mona tries to comfort her. I'd feel sorrier for her if she hadn't bugged the crap out of me earlier, but it does kind of suck for her, with the upcoming immolation and all.
Don arrives home, not looking particularly affected, and calls for Betty. When she doesn't answer, he asks the kids, who are still in front of the TV, where she is, and Sally tells him she's not feeling well. She then appears, though, and as Don pulls her into a long embrace, she tells him she can't stop crying. After they disengage, he asks why the kids are watching the coverage, and she disbelievingly asks if she's supposed to keep it from them, which is the beginning of the end for him, although I didn't really grasp that on first viewing. He tells her to take a pill and lie down while he tends to the kids, and she looks like she wants to argue the point but eventually decides to leave the room without another word. Don tells the kids to turn the TV off, but they're transfixed, as you'd expect, so he sits on the couch and tells them everything will be okay -- they're getting a new President, and they'll all be sad for a bit. They keep the TV on...