Episode Report Card Couch Baron: B+ | 490 USERS: B YOU GRADE IT Giving Up The Ghost
By Couch Baron | Season 5 | Episode 13 | Aired on 2012.06.10
Don enters a movie theater, pauses for a moment in recognition and then gets the attention of a woman sitting by herself -- Peggy, who is definitely "not smoking" her way through that carton. She can't believe it and jumps up so they can exchange a warm hug, which was expected but, given the last scene we saw of theirs, not assumed. After establishing that she's not expecting anyone else, they sit together and among the pleasantries, he jokes that she hasn't been at the new place very long to be avoiding it, but she replies that she's "just knocking out the cobwebs. Someone told me this works." With only ten or so minutes left in the season, it's nice of them to give us a genuine "awwww" moment. He asks if it's going well, and she tells him yes. "Is that okay?" Filled with nostalgia and you can bet Don's thinking of the Greek definition as he says this, he smiles that it's the natural result of helping someone that they succeed and move on. "I'm proud of you. I just didn't know it would be without me." Peggy smiles that he should put her on his call list and then the conversation normalizes as they talk about the cigarette account Peggy's after -- she's even taking a plane (for the first time, it's heavily implied) down to Richmond to tour the factory. The movie starts, so Peggy quickly asks Don to give her love to Megan, adding that they should all get together. And look, I think Don has the most genuine of love for both women, but the thought of getting together with both of them at the moment is probably making him long for his tooth back as a distraction.
Pete's asleep on the train when Howard, obviously lubricated, finds him and suggests they head back to the city and get into some trouble. Pete, of course, thinks he's disgusting and tells him so, but when he starts talking about the electroshock treatments, realization dawns: "It's you? She always spreads her legs for the first chump she can find." After certain events this season, it's odd enough to see Pete Campbell defending a woman's honor, but here he is lunging at Howard; eventually, they fall into the aisle, with Howard getting in a punch I'm not sure was entirely intentional before they're broken up. After the conductor sends Howard away having heard that Pete started it, he tells Pete that after he cools off, he needs to go apologize to Howard. Pete, however, isn't calming down for anyone in a uniform and he snips and snaps at the guy until he kicks him off the train and when Pete gets on about that, the guy pops him in the face, which, if you'll excuse me, is a punch too far. But honestly, Pete, you really need to start picking on people your own size. Might I suggest Ginzo? He's been in a fighting mood lately. Pete literally is like, "You can't do that!" but the guy is unimpressed, telling him to disembark, as they're pulling into Harrison. Hopefully he can manage that without getting punched again.