Episode Report Card Couch Baron: A- | 450 USERS: A- YOU GRADE IT All the Real Girls
By Couch Baron | Season 4 | Episode 9 | Aired on 2010.09.19
Joan, Peggy, and Faye watch silently as Megan tells Sally she falls all the time, and it's a really poignant scene, because obviously Megan must know that that isn't what Sally's upset about, but what she is upset about is something they can't discuss now, and the way she's being forced to endure the situation strikes an awfully resonant chord with the women. I've been hard on the show a couple times this season for reaching too hard to make an episodic theme work, so I think it's only fair to hold this up as an example of such a theme coming together without any of the characters' actions seeming inorganic or feeling like the show is hitting us over the head. Megan tells Don that she was on her way to see him because Betty has arrived, so Sally, the fight gone from her, walks out with Don...
...to Reception, in which Betty is waiting, and they must have some decent soundproofing for her not to have heard anything from within. Betty rubs Sally's chin and says she was worried about her, and Joan, Peggy, and Faye can't help coming out to see if everything's all right, although Joan characteristically quickly recovers herself and tells the others they should go. After Betty mildly complains that they've made her late, she tells Sally to say goodbye to Don, and I expected Sally to give him the silent treatment as punishment for not letting her stay, but somehow the flat "Goodbye" she gives him is orders of magnitude worse. Kid's a pro, I'm telling you. Betty and Sally cross paths with Joyce on their way out, and Don at least takes the time to thank Megan, who I don't want to forget has had something of a rough couple of days herself. When he's gone, Megan definitely seems a little sniffly, and I have to say, Jessica Paré is doing quite a bit with the little they've given her so far. She pulls it together to give Joyce a smile and ask if she's there to see Peggy...
...while inside, Don comes back into his office to find Faye sipping a drink. He asks if she can make him one of those, and he's probably wrestling with sobriety issues so it's not surprising it wouldn't occur to him that that's perhaps the Wrong Thing To Say, but she turns to tell him no, she can't -- in fact, she won't do anything for him, because he shouldn't have put her in that position with Sally. Don blurts that there was no one else to watch her, and it's not like he wasn't in a shitty position but he's not grasping the fact that it still wasn't her responsibility, not to mention the fact, as she puts it, that she's not good with kids, and the fact that Sally flipped out after she tried to talk to her makes it feel "like there was a test and I failed it." She goes on that sure, it occurred to her that she might someday meet his children, but she doesn't have any, and he bows his head, finally getting what she's saying, before coming to her and whispering that he's sorry. Faye clarifies further that she loves kids, but she chose to be where she is, and she doesn't view being childless as a failure. He tells her it doesn't matter, meaning I guess that he's admitting he screwed up here and she doesn't need to be anyone other than who she is, and then pulls her into an embrace as he mutters about what a mess the whole situation has been. She hopefully offers, however, that part of it has been good, and after he sincerely agrees, they kiss briefly. Things aren't completely fixed yet, though, as she tells him she's going to go home because she didn't really sleep, which sounds to me like she was stressing over Don and Sally, and says that they can have dinner on the weekend. He agrees, and she leaves, giving him a somewhat watery smile on the way. When she's gone, he picks up the drink she left and takes a sip, and considering how much I wanted some booze just watching this episode, it's hard to blame him.