Episode Report Card Couch Baron: A | 3 USERS: A YOU GRADE IT A Lucky Strike
By Couch Baron | Season 1 | Episode 1 | Aired on 2007.07.19
...and then she's telling Peggy not to be overwhelmed by the technology, as she uncovers an automatic typewriter. Hey, it may be antiquated now, but in junior high I took a typing class in which we learned on manual jobs, and I can tell you that any secretary that could churn out more than sixty words a minute on one of those clunkers deserved a medal. Although I would have been scared to shake her hand. Joan then says at lunch, Peggy needs to pick up some chocolates, carnations, and bath salts. "I'll explain later." I damn sure hope so. Peggy gratefully thanks Joan, who hesitates for a second, but then tells Peggy not to take this the wrong way, but "a girl like you with those darling little ankles? I'd find a way to make them sing." She adds that men love scarves (on women, I'm assuming she meant) and then Don and Roger (John Slattery) blow by as Joan greets them both warmly. Don does spare them a "Morning, girls," so at least he notices Peggy's existence, although whether he realizes she's new is another question entirely.
Inside, Roger tells Don, "You look like a hundred bucks." Hee. That one never gets old for me. Now that we've got most of the major players here, I suppose I should give a rundown of what everyone does. Skip this if you want to find out organically. Roger's last name is Sterling, and he is a co-owner of the advertising company, which is called Sterling Cooper. Bertram Cooper (Robert Morse) is Roger's partner, whom we haven't met yet. Don is the creative head, Pete is an account exec, Harry is a media buyer, Ken is an accounts underling, and Paul is a copywriter/creative underling. Salvatore (Bryan Batt) heads the art department, and Joan is the office manager and liaison between the men and the girls. Anyone else that shows up, I'll cover as it happens. So, Roger asks Don if he had a long night because of the cigarette campaign, and Don admits it was on his mind. Roger says he hopes so, as "Lee Garner," his dad, and the whole Lucky Strike family will be there at four. Don grabs one of several extra shirts (all white, you'll notice; colors were for fags back then) out of one of his desk drawers as he asks if Roger is worried, but Roger parries by saying that if he were, he'd ask Don what he had, but he's not going to do that, which means Don should be worried, because he'd better have something. For two straight guys in a business relationship, this sounds a lot like the conversational equivalent of a mating dance. Don turns his attention to treating his apparently raging hangover, and Roger turns to go, but then asks, "How do I put this. Have we ever hired any Jews?" So the answer to your first question is "tactlessly," then. Don half-jokes (See? SEE?), "Not on my watch," but Roger says they have an 11:00 with "Menken's Department Store," and he wouldn't mind having someone there to make "them" feel comfortable. Don: "You want me to run down to the deli, grab somebody?" Heh. Roger counters that Don missed a button, and leaves.