Episode Report Card Couch Baron: B+ | 317 USERS: A- YOU GRADE IT Did You Hear?
By Couch Baron | Season 2 | Episode 4 | Aired on 2008.08.17
...and then we're back at SC, where people file out of the meeting until it's just Don, Duck, and Roger. Don sardonically slides a copy of the presentation over to Duck, which bears the American logo and the name of the axed contact. Duck and Don look long and hard at each other, but Roger breaks up the silent argument by saying that they should have no regrets, as they were in the hunt, and that's what matters. Duck takes this as his cue to withdraw, and then Don points out that they hired Duck to bring in new clients, not to lose existing business. Roger, however, thinks it's all about the thrill of the chase, and waxes poetic at length in aid of that sentiment, but coming from a man who just paid more for a kiss than most people would for a vacation, it's not especially convincing, and Don's face agrees with me.
Don arrives home, and Betty brightly notes he's early, and asks how it went. He replies that it didn't, so without any further inquiry, she slides her glass of wine over to him. She probably would have done the same had it been good news, but it's a nice sentiment nonetheless. Betty tells Bobby to stop playing with the toy robot in his hand, but after she and Don exchange a little small talk, Bobby knocks over Sally's drink. Betty gets annoyed and tells Don to do something, so Don picks up the robot and throws it into the wall, smashing it to bits. He stomps out, on the way asking Betty, "Is that what you wanted?" Well, she wouldn't admit it, but seeing that damn toy get pulverized probably did give her the teensiest bit of satisfaction. She follows Don out...
...and up the stairs, telling Don he takes no responsibility for what happens in the house. Don asks about Carla, but Betty yells that it's not Carla's job to raise their children, and she's there all day until Don comes home and gets to be the hero. Betty may not be all that likable, but January Jones is kicking the shit out of this season, I tell you what. Heartbreakingly, the kids are at the bottom of the stairs listening to all this, as Don seethes that if he brought his experiences at the office home with him, he'd put Betty through a window. Betty shoves Don and gets shoved back twice as hard in response, and fixes him with a look that's anything but surprised before she goes and tells the kids to brush their teeth and go to bed. Don closes his eyes in dismay and sits down on the bed to contemplate his loss of control, but surprisingly, we don't leave the scene here, as Bobby enters and tells Don he's sorry. Don, disarmed, says it's okay, and that dads get mad sometimes. Bobby: "Did your daddy get mad?" Oh, boy. Don says he did, and when Bobby asks what he looked like, Don answers, "Like me, but bigger." Bobby asks what he liked to eat, and Don recalls, "Ham. And this candy, that tasted like violets, in a beautiful purple-and-silver package." The scene goes on like this for a bit more, and then Bobby offers, "We have to get you a new daddy." Don has Bobby come to him and give him a big hug, as if they weren't already KILLING ME HERE.