Episode Report Card Couch Baron: A- | 2 USERS: C+ YOU GRADE IT Smoke Does Not Get In Your Eyes…
By Couch Baron | Season 4 | Episode 12 | Aired on 10.10.2010
She goes on that she feels Betty should have her own time, where she gets to say everything she wants to say, and adds that she has a very talented colleague, "Dr. Evelyn Shapiro," whom she would recommend. Betty asks why she can't talk to Dr. Edna, and Dr. Edna tells her she can, but reminds her that she's a child psychiatrist. And that's maybe her one tactical mistake, as Betty seizes on the word "psychiatrist" and says she doesn't need one; however, she does add that she's willing to do whatever Dr. Edna recommends in regard to Sally. "And I would hope, of course, that if she continues to make progress, that... we could continue to discuss that." Dr. Edna takes a long moment to consider the implications of that statement, but apparently decides she can take on a child-like adult for now as she smiles and tells Betty she'll keep her on the books for next month. Betty tells her that's fine if she thinks it's best, and after all the dancing she's done to get what she wanted without having to admit it, I'm betting someone's ready for a nap.
In his office, Don is nervously running through some speech warmups (if you're interested, he favors "Peter Piper" and "Red leather, yellow leather") when Peggy enters. Don asks her for her opinion on what the Phillip Morris people think is the strength of the new product, and Peggy replies that as he knows, women never actually switch from men's brands, so they're "probably looking for a new way to give them out for free." Don looks like he was hoping more, and I really hope you'll forgive me, for some smoke to be blown up his ass, but he nods, and then Megan interrupts to tell them that Geoff is on his way up, and the partners are gathering in Reception. After she leaves, Peggy tells Don he's going to do great...
...but her optimism is sadly misplaced, as after Don joins the nervous partners, Geoff gets off the elevator and has to break the news that Morris canceled the meeting -- they decided to give the account to Leo Burnett. Pete spits that Burnett already has Marlboro, so what happened to the idea of a fresh start? Geoff can only tell them that Morris is "excited" to see where they are in six months, and given that that's the most exceptionally wrong thing he could have said at the moment, you'll imagine that I consider his follow-up of "there's no reason to be discouraged" also to be exceedingly ill-advised. And thankfully, I have Roger to make the same point for me in far fewer words: "You're an asshole, you know that?" Hee, but less hilarious is the part where Stan, Ken, Danny, and some others silently observe the partners storming back into the conference room. Don't go out of business, you guys! I don't want Season Five to take place over at CGC! Most awesomely, Bertram kicks non-partner Harry out of there, and then Don bites out that Morris didn't even bother to give a reason for canceling the meeting because SCDP is so obviously desperate. "They can smell it on us. We reek of it, like some sweaty salesman knocking on his last door!" I deem it quite chivalrous that his analogy didn't call on heroin addicts trying to sell paintings instead.