Episode Report Card Couch Baron: A- | 415 USERS: A- YOU GRADE IT There's That Past, Informing the Present Again
By Couch Baron | Season 4 | Episode 5 | Aired on 2010.08.22
Later, the group is in the conference room, and Kamura is giving his broken English a try in saying that they're looking forward to SCDP's presentation, and they definitely are interested in more drivers for their motorcycles. Bertram then directs Pete to give out some gifts to their guests, and Pete gives the protocol the old college try but still manages to make something of a mess of it. Still, everything has gone well enough until Roger enters in a cloud of righteous anger, both at the meeting having happened and at the attempted deception -- Pete sent him on a long lunch with a client that apparently was not quite long enough. Roger references the H-bomb attacks of World War II, which is an awfully quick way to go too far, but the two elder guys seem not to get it, and the interpreter stays wisely silent, instead saying the meeting's not quite done, as they have yet to present their rules. Roger: "So now you're dictating terms." Wow. John Slattery is really acting the hell out of this episode, showing us the depths of the usually uncomplicated Roger in stark relief, but it is difficult to watch, and the horrified look on Bertram's face agrees with me. The language barrier still seems to be working in SCDP's favor, though, as Don warily introduces Roger; the elder statesman then explains that all the firms will be given three thousand dollars for a "competitive presentation," and the interpreter then informs them there will be conditions of contest. Roger, however, pipes up that they want it to be "unconditional," and despite Bertram's efforts to shut him up, he goes off, telling them that they don't want any of their "Jap crap" before bidding them sayonara and stalking out. Bertram tries to apologize, and Pete phonies up an excuse for Roger's behavior, but the damage is clearly done even as the Saito instructs Takahashi to inform their hosts that they look forward to SCDP's presentation. They stand for a round of awkward bows, and then we get a close-up on war veteran Don's rather conflicted-looking face...
...but when he storms into Roger's office, he's baldly angry, and seethes that Roger doesn't get to kill this account. Roger: "Well, you know how they are. Maybe it'll kill itself." Sparkling wit even when drunk, angry, and mean? Why is he on the Accounts side again? Don plows on that it's not just about the money -- they could do amazing work on behalf of Honda -- but Roger tells him he does in fact get to decide who they do business with, and reminds Don of his own blow-up with Jantzen. Before Don can do more than counter that Jantzen was "over," though, Pete bursts in and accuses Roger of "wrapping [himself] in the flag" so he can keep Pete from bringing in an account that will make the firm less dependent on Lucky Strike, "and therefore less dependent on you." I think the phrase "them's fighting words" was coined for moments such as this, no? Because seriously, Roger charges at Pete like he's in the middle of a street in Pamplona, even adding an un-ironic "Why, you little..." for good measure, and Don has to get in his way. Roger half-chokes for Don to get Pete out of there, and Pete takes his leave, but not before telling Roger that the rest of them are trying to build something here. When Pete's gone, Don takes a long moment to give Roger's sensitivities some respect, but finally tells him, "He's right." He walks out into a commercial break, which is nice timing, given how intense that scene was. I'm sure the next one is going to be a lot easier to watch, right?