Episode Report Card Couch Baron: A | 13 USERS: A YOU GRADE IT The Dark Side Of The Closet
By Couch Baron | Season 1 | Episode 8 | Aired on 2007.09.06
Presumably in the lounge of the Roosevelt, Salvatore finds the Mitchum Man (we don't get his name for a while, so that seems as good a choice as any), who's happy to see him; they make subtle comments about the architecture and Mitchum Man's attire before Mitchum Man (he's MM from here on out) says he's normally a homebody (and implies that he's married with kids), but when he comes to New York, his heart pounds. Make your own joke about other types of pounding here. Salvatore muses that he takes New York for granted, and MM waxes poetic about how wonderful it is. After a stalled moment involving 42nd Street, MM says he's got to eat something, and references his expense account by way of offering to take Salvatore to dinner. Salvatore regards MM somewhat warily. Just don't get the oysters and you'll be fine.
At P.J. O'Hanley's, pretty much everyone else is in attendance, and Peggy is dancing with Freddy. Joan tells Lois that while Peggy may have something upstairs, at Sterling Cooper, things are usually happening downstairs. Lois, hilariously bemusedly: "I didn't know that." Now you do! After Lois notes that Salvatore isn't there, she claims to have had too much to drink, and Joan observes with mild disdain, "You are very petite." As if to emphasize her point, she goes to dance with Paul and shakes things in a way that emphasizes her ample assets. Poor Lois, although I suppose you could argue that if you're trying to hook a gay man, huge breasts aren't necessarily your best friend. Elsewhere, Pete balefully watches Peggy celebrate. It has been quite a long day already, no? Chubby Checker's "The Twist" comes on, causing all the women to squeal excitedly, and no one's having a better time than Peggy until she sees Pete sitting all by his lonesome with a look that could hose down weasels in heat. Peggy commits a miscue when she shakes her way over to Pete and asks him to dance, allowing him to coldly tell her, "I don't like you like this." Dude, you're the one that ripped her blouse! Peggy looks like she's been stabbed as she stares at him and then walks away almost in disbelief, and Pete takes the opportunity to beat a hasty retreat as Peggy tries in vain to hold back a few tears. Honey, the guy is a douche! You and your huge rack can do so much better!
We get a lovely overhead shot of the dining room, and then Salvatore receives a Sambuca from the waiter. Salvatore says an addendum to the name translates to "with flies," whereas I always thought it was "severe trouble." Talk turns to whether Salvatore is happy; he, showing some vulnerability, confesses he isn't, and MM pegs him as "loud, but shy." After some misinterpretation where Salvatore says he'd like to break off from SC and do his own thing, MM invites Salvatore up to his room to "see the view," and swigs some Sambuca from Salvatore's glass. There's some excellent work here as Salvatore struggles with the moment, made all the more impressive by the fact that Bryan Batt on-screen is usually gayer than a picnic basket. Salvatore wistfully tells MM (he finally gives up his name as "Elliott," but it's too late for that now) that he has thought about, um, "seeing the view" before; he knows what he wants, but he can't go through with it. MM asks what he's afraid of, and Salvatore asks him if he's joking before stiffly getting up and bidding MM farewell with a handshake. Powerful, understated scene, and as much as I've enjoyed the comic relief, I'm glad they're giving Salvatore more depth.