Episode Report Card Couch Baron: A- | 893 USERS: A YOU GRADE IT Company Woman
By Couch Baron | Season 5 | Episode 11 | Aired on 2012.05.27
...while across town, Megan walks into her callback in front of three guys. One of them immediately has her do a spin so he can check out her ass. He could be checking to see if she fits his image of the part, but while it may be clinical it's still gross; still, the way she flinches upon being asked makes me think that her audition dress hasn't seen as much action as she claims.
Peggy's back in the diner dressed a bit more saucily than usual, when her date joins her -- TED CHAOUGH. Oh shit! He gets right into it, saying Freddy and also Tom Vogel (Pete's father-in-law from Clearasil/Vick Chemical, you'll remember) have sung her praises. Peggy fondly remembers that Clearasil was her first account and Chaough goes on that while other people she might talk to will want to know (a) if she's going to have a baby and (b) how much she wants to be paid, what he's interested in is this: Why would she want to work for him, given that her mentor is his mortal business enemy? Peggy simply tells him that her career isn't a game, so Chaough goes on that he does need a writer and he's tired of people who treat what they do like math. "I looked at your book and I saw somebody who was writing like every product was for them. No clichés, no homilies, no formula." This being more praise that Peggy's gotten from Don in almost five seasons, she stammers that she had a lot of help, but Chaough points out that everyone does and indeed, I'll add that there's plenty of great work she must have done that's reflected in someone else's book so it goes both ways. He then admits he lied before, asking what she would want to get paid and, visibly swallowing, she gets out a pad and writes down a number as Chaough, amused, wonders if Freddy told her to do that. Heh. When he looks down, he tells her that she knows she wants to go, she knows her price and she didn't make him wait -- all good things, so he's going to return them in kind. He slides the pad over to her and it has her title request of "Copy Chief" checked, but the salary of $18,000 a year crossed out and replaced... with $19,000. (Also, in a nice Chaoughian touch, the SCDP name on the stationery is crossed out too.) Peggy does her best large-mouthed bass imitation, but Chaough tells her there's one catch -- this has to be her last meeting. Peggy gasps that she needs a chocolate shake and Chaough gives her a kind smile: "First day of work ends with you and me at La Caravelle." I mean, I want this so bad for her, but there's no way it can work out... right?