Episode Report Card Couch Baron: A- | 762 USERS: A YOU GRADE IT The Cat is Out of the Bag…
By Couch Baron | Season 3 | Episode 11 | Aired on 2009.10.25
Still in the office, late at night, Roger makes a call to an unidentified presumed business associate on Joan's behalf, saying how great she is and how he wants to help her out. It's a nice contrast to the stuff with Annabelle -- he may think of Joan as his One That Got Away, but he's letting go with goodwill and no regrets. Really nice week for Roger Sterling, even while sucking down enough vermouth to, if certain focus group members won't cry at the expression, kill a horse.
Joan's setting the table when Greg comes home and unexpectedly apologizes, even bringing flowers and saying he's going to buy her another vase to put them in. He doesn't seem like he's got a concussion, but just you wait. Joan just looks sad, saying buying things isn't really the issue, but Greg tells her he's just been feeling sorry for himself because he couldn't "solve this problem," but he figured out the solution -- he joined the Army. As Joan takes this in, he explains that not only will she be taken care of, he'll also get to be a surgeon again -- the Army's desperate for them. Well, I can imagine that the kind of surgery regularly needed in the Army is possibly not going to be as delicate, on average, as in a hospital, but I suppose the more salient point is that servicemen aren't known for suing the medics for malpractice. He says he'll just have to do six weeks of basic training and then will be able to complete his residency in New York, after which he thinks they'll send him somewhere, "maybe Vietnam if that's still going on." Can't remotely laugh at his lack of foresight given where we are in the Middle East, but I can allow myself a smile at the idea of never having to see Greg again. Except for those times in the future I replay Joan breaking the vase over his head, which will be numerous and frequent. Greg tells Joan that he'll be going in as a captain, and that means he'll get paid enough that Joan won't have to work. Overwhelmed by the mixed emotions, Joan says she doesn't know what to say, but he happily asks her to please tell him she's glad for the news, because it makes him happy to think of providing for her. She finally smiles through her tears and tells him it's wonderful, and he suggests they should go out. She agrees, but when she walks forward, the look on her face suggests anything but joy. Hate to tell her, but she's pretty much alone on this one.