Episode Report Card Couch Baron: B+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Good Night and Good Luck
By Couch Baron | Season 1 | Episode 5 | Aired on 08.16.2007
Speaking of which, Adam asks where Don was all this time -- not that he's mad, he just wants to know. My God, this actor is killing me, because Adam is so desperately, twitchily in need of some connection with his brother that it's completely heartbreaking. Adam asks if he has a wife or kids, but that's closer than Don will allow, so he says he's going to go. Adam, abandoning any solicitousness, says he doesn't understand why Don is being like this, and that, as family, he just wants to be a part of Don's life. Don stands and tells Adam that's not going to happen. "I'm not buying your lunch, because this never happened." I'll have to remember that one next time I'm broke. Don leaves.
Peggy is following Joan's advice to the letter, and Betty engages her in small talk about her social life until she's rescued by a phone call. But it's just Joan, who mischievously asks how things are going. Peggy: "No thank you! I'm staying in." Heh. Betty asks Peggy if Don is treating her well, and Peggy smiles and says yes, and that Don has been very patient while she's learned the ropes. Betty tries a joke about how Don's such a chatterbox, but Peggy's too nervous to get it, so Betty has to explain herself. "You probably know more about him than I do." Peggy, recognizing this as dangerous ground, deftly shifts the subject to how beautiful Betty looks in the light in which she's currently sitting. Betty's touched, and if past occurrences are any indication, Peggy, this would be a good time to ask her for a bit of her hair. Don returns at that moment, though, and realizes his forgetfulness. Peggy gives a canned bit about how she's so embarrassed that she forgot to remind him, but Don picks up the cue, saying he forgot to check in before he went to the printer. The Drapers leave, with Don giving Peggy a generous "Don't worry about it" on his way out. Well, he's crushed someone else today, so I suppose his quota is filled. Peggy takes a ragged breath.
Betty looks at the pictures and pronounces them terrible. Francine (yay!) disagrees, but Betty bitches that Don was late, and it ruined the whole thing. Francine offhandedly says that Carlton is always late, and I don't suppose Helen Bishop, for one, would be surprised. Speaking of whom, Francine tries to cheer Betty up by pointing out that Helen has a big hole in her family portrait, so they should count their blessings. Betty says she's going to take them again anyway, as Sally looks fat. Checked into a mother/daughter rate on therapy, Betty? Betty uncharacteristically continues complaining, saying she expects the royal treatment when she goes to Don's office, but she rarely gets it. Francine admits that she feels the same way, and Betty concludes the men-bashing with "Our husbands. They are better out here, aren't they?" Francine: "Infinitely."