Episode Report Card Couch Baron: B+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT It's A Man's World
By Couch Baron | Season 1 | Episode 2 | Aired on 07.25.2007
Betty's driving back home, and as the kids horse around in the back, the car passes the ostensible Helen Bishop, who's trying to wrangle some boxes out on the front lawn. After they've passed, Betty's hands start shaking, so we're probably meant to think that some anxiety about losing Don and being on her own is manifesting itself here. Before she knows it, she's lost control of the car and it runs up onto another lawn before stopping. Betty stares in shock at her trembling hands for a moment before rushing to the back seat and finding the kids unharmed and giggling down on the floor. She closes the door and sinks down to the ground...
...and we get further evidence that her vague fears aren't groundless, as Don is just finishing up in bed with Midge. He rolls off her and, noticing that she's got a television, asks about it, noting that she recently went off on a diatribe against the things. He gets her to admit that someone gave it to her, and the tone of the conversation, coupled with what we know about her, is enough to suggest that she doesn't have a policy against refusing gifts from gentleman callers. She tries to ask him if he's seen a show called People Are Funny, but Don's clearly kind of jealous, so Midge unceremoniously takes the TV, throws it out the window, and asks, "All better?" That depends, Midge -- did you hit any passers-by? And if not, why not? Don smiles and says yes, and Midge kind of endearingly drops the bravado and rushes to the window to see if she at least squashed a rat.
At home, Betty serves the kids dinner and sits down with them just as Don arrives home. Sally announces to him that they went to the hospital and got lollipops. Betty does not say, "Which you really should be sucking on right now instead of shooting off your big mouth," but Don seemingly already knows about it, as he asks no questions, just looks at Betty, who tells him they're fine. He asks about her, and she admits that she's a little sore and embarrassed. That must just remind her of her first sexual relationship. After a little talk about how she was only going twenty-five and how Don hates the way she drives, the kids leave the table, and Don asks what happened. Betty eventually admits that the thing with her hands happened "again," and Don urgently tells her she needs to get the problem taken care of, although it does sound like he wants that primarily so he won't have to hear about it anymore. Betty reluctantly tells him that she's been thoroughly checked out by multiple doctors, and there's nothing physically wrong with her, but she's been told that she should see a psychiatrist. This of course goes over about as well as one of Pete Campbell's typical pickup lines, and Don heatedly tells Betty that he'll get her to a specialist, and by the way, she should leave the dishes "for the girl."