Episode Report Card Couch Baron: A | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Coming To A Boil
By Couch Baron | Season 1 | Episode 11 | Aired on 10.03.2007
In a hurry? Read the recaplet for a nutshell description! Finished? Click here to close.Adam Whitman returns -- to hang himself in the first minute. Goody, an upbeat episode! He sends Don a package before he goes. But before we get to that, Don and the boys are working on an ad campaign for some belt that's supposed to help with losing weight. Peggy then chooses the wrong moment to bring her hips into the room, and Don and Freddy ask her for her thoughts on it. She's a little wary, being sensitive about her weight, but she takes the assignment anyway. She gets more than she bargained for, though, when the she realizes that the belt actually is a fancy vibrator. She haltingly explains the true appeal of the belt to Don, and he gives her some advice about how to put that into words. Also, she goes on a disastrous date that makes it clear she wants to get out of Brooklyn and into the city. She then gives a presentation to Don and the boys, and although Don gives her some notes, she's pretty much a big hit again.
Don is still sleeping with Rachel, and it seems pretty clear that they regard each other as The One. Meanwhile, Betty is alone again, only not for long, as an air-conditioner salesman in the form of Adam Kaufman comes to the door. You can be forgiven for not recognizing him with his massive hair slicked down. Betty's pleasant enough until she starts to have stirrings Down There, whereupon she abruptly kicks him out. When Don hears that a stranger was in "his" house, he picks a fight about it. The next day, Betty tells Francine about it, and notes Don is very protective. That's one word for it. Don calls Betty's shrink and chews him out for Betty's apparent backward progress. Betty then improvises her own version of the vibrator belt by making love to the washing machine while fantasizing about Adam Kaufman.
Roger returns to the office for a quick visit, and everyone notices his pallor, so Don and Bertram get Joan to touch him up for a meeting with the Lucky Strike people, who are worried about having lost their first lawsuit. When they're alone, Roger gives Joan some heartfelt compliments in his usual misogynistic, narcissistic way, and she's overwhelmed, at least for her. The meeting is going great until Roger keels over again, for which Mona chews Bertram out. The elder Lucky Strike guy obliquely suggests Don should be made a partner to reassure the clients, an assessment with which the boys, except for Pete of course, openly concur. And regardless of Pete's contrariness, Bertram makes Don the offer, which he accepts. And again regardless of Pete's contrariness, he's the first one to kiss Don's newly-minted partner ass. Don's in a jaunty mood on his way out, as he gives Peggy her requested raise and sends her home early. A half-in-the-bag Pete goes into Don's office and pretends that he'll ever belong there; just then, Adam's package arrives, and Pete snags it. Don comes home, and he and Betty attempt to normalize, but it doesn't come off, quite. And Peggy decides to do some more research on the belt. It's several steps up from Pete Campbell, at least. Want more? The full recap starts right below!
A longer-haired and suit-wearing Adam Whitman appears in the lobby of a seedy-looking transient building; I'd guess that, despite his assertion that it was temporary and all the money Don gave him, Adam hasn't left the place in which we last saw him in "5G." He gives the lobby guy a package and asks if he can mail it for him, and we can see it's addressed to "Donild Draper." I know they're making the point that to Adam, Don's new name is still unfamiliar, but it seems a little heavy-handed, given that he's seen the name in print. Unless Advertising Age really needs to up the quality of their copy-editors. The guy takes some money from Adam for the postage, and then Adam irresolutely walks away, keeping his eyes on the guy the whole time.
Cut to a close-up of Adam tossing a stack of twenties (although nowhere near five grand's worth) on a table; next to it is a pencil and some hotel stationery, and if you don't know where this is going yet, I'd suggest you, um, brace yourself. Adam then throws down a lot more cash, so maybe it is most or all of the five grand after all. He picks up the pencil and writes something, and then looks like he's unfastening his belt; next thing you know, he's climbing up on a chair, and as we fade down, he's presumably putting the makeshift noose around his neck, and then he kicks the chair away and does the Times Square version of the Spandau Ballet. Don, if you hurry, you'll be able to afford that house in Cape May after all! What? Too soon? Seriously, this is so brutally bleak I don't even know what to say about it. Other than to wonder if this will be enough to make Don flinch.
Nice closeup of Peggy picking at a muffin; if they're going to stuff Elisabeth Moss into a fat suit every week now, we might as well be reminded of the reason why. She's on the phone with her mother; from what we can infer, some "busybody" named "Mrs. Winter" wants to fix Peggy up with her son. Peggy looks up and sees Joan standing over her, so she gets off the phone; they trade smiles that go on a little too long, which prompts Peggy to ask if Joan was listening to her phone call. Joan: "You mean your personal phone call?" Heh. Don makes his entrance and asks Peggy to get him a glass of ice water. "Someone hasn't told the sun it's October." As I write this, it's eighty-three degrees outside. Don, mind if I steal that one? Joan informs Don that they have a client luncheon the next day, and Bertram told her that Don is responsible for it with Roger out. Don gives Joan the authority to handle any catering questions, and then Joan asks after Roger, whom Don describes as "less sickly." Jeez, Don, the heat must really be affecting you -- that doesn't paint a positive picture at all. You'll want to get your skills as a wordsmith back for the luncheon, so where is Peggy with that water? Joan typical smooth efficiency cracks a bit as she tells Don she hopes Roger knows how concerned "we all" are. Before Don can come up with an appropriately coded reply, though, Freddy, Pete, Harry, Ken, and Salvatore appear; Joan beats a hasty retreat as the men head into Don's office. Pete announces that Joan's "been a bitch" lately; everyone concurs, with Salvatore piping up, "I like it!" Salvatore going to die from ecstasy when What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? comes out.