Episode Report Card Joe R: A | 701 USERS: A- YOU GRADE IT The Winner of the Ham Battle is You
By Joe R | Season 4 | Episode 1 | Aired on 2010.07.25
Speaking of the man who dines alone, Don's meeting with his accountant, who tries to press the idea of selling his old house. Betty was supposed to be out by October 1st, after all. "You're carrying a mortgage, plus insurance, plus taxes on a house you don't live in." But clearly Don is reluctant to cut the last tie to Betty. Accountant then changes the subject: "So how are your balls? Are you enjoying yourself?" I love how this episode is taking on the Myth of Don Draper and basically all the ways the fans of Mad Men have been hero-worshipping the guy for three seasons. Aren't these the questions the fanboys would be asking if they could? "Why are you so awesome?" and "How much pussy do you get anyway?" The whole point of the show used to be that these things made Don blend in to his era. Suddenly, they're making him stand out.
Back to Peggy and the Sugarberry Gang. They're sharing some booze and bitching about the client. "Two of their test markets were in Jewish neighborhoods," Pete kvetches. "They're idiots." Peggy starts her mind rolling on ideas for a P.R. stunt. Buying out the entire ham supply, or paying 100 women to line up for Sugarberry hams. A stunt like this is risky -- you can't bill for it, for one thing. But Peggy's got something here: They pay two women to get into a fight at a local supermarket over a Sugarberry ham. "They have to really fight," she stresses, "and get arrested." "Because it's the last ham," Joey interjects. Peggy: "We don't have to write a play. It's Thanksgiving, they're shopping, the stakes are very high." She's very excited about this. They can ply a Daily News reporter to write about it for a case of liquor. They could get that actress Gladys that they like. Pete offers that he could get it expensed if he says the women are whores. Pete! Contributing in the ways he knows how! "Should we run it by Don?" Peggy asks. Pete and Joey both kind of downplay that angle. But Pete's going to call casting.