Episode Report Card Couch Baron: A+ | 1246 USERS: A+ YOU GRADE IT Draper's Eight
By Couch Baron | Season 3 | Episode 13 | Aired on 2009.11.08
Back at SC, there's a cluster of people around a distraught Allison: "He didn't leave a note. Nothing." Ken then joins them and says he talked to John Deere, and Pete tried to poach them Saturday. Surprising to hear that Pete went after one of Ken's clients, given that that could have blown up the secret operation, but he must have been desperate to get to that magic number. I smell a Campbell of unknown ethnic origin on the way! Also, is Ken that highest-ranking person left at the company? That's going to be some cold water for PPL. When Ken adds that Pete must have gone with Don (presumably they don't even know about Bertram and Roger yet), Paul gets a horrible thought and opens the door to Peggy's office to find it in the same state as Don's. He seethes, "Dammit!" If this is the end for this character, I will miss Michael Gladis. Still: HA!
The office is set up and working away, as Don's typing something himself and Pete is on the phone with one of the accounts talking logistics. This makes me realize another irony -- after PPL employed all these cost-cutting measures to streamline SC for the big sale, the core bunch ended up defecting to run an operation that could only be cheaper were it run out of a cardboard box. But one other thought: I mentioned in the recaplet that the new firm will need an art director, hoping that could be the way they get Sal back, but one of my clearer-thinking friend pointed out that they'll never be able to do that as long as they're linked to American Tobacco and Lee Garner Jr. Sigh. Anyway, Trudy then bustles in with a large box containing lunch for everyone, and probably not coincidentally, they're all thrilled to see her. Don gets a look on his face...
...and goes in to tell Harry about lunch being delivered. Once he scampers off, though, we get the real reason for Don's pensive face, as he closes the door...
...and calls Betty. He takes a long moment to identify himself, and she in turn is silent, so he goes on that he's not sure where he's staying, but he's working out of the Pierre. He then tells her that he's not going to fight her, and this causes her face to twitch a little before she thanks him. He adds, without venom, that he hopes she gets what she always wanted, and she in turn tells him that he'll always be the kids' father. The pain of the end plays over his face for another long moment before he softly says okay, and then they each say the word "Goodbye," which they seem to mean in the permanent sense. Of course, as amazing as she's been I can't really see January Jones being written off, and the kids provide a link between them, but obviously the story doesn't support Betty being a day-to-day part of the show at the moment. We'll see where things are when they start the fourth season. Don hangs up and stares at the phone for a moment...