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Trudy wants to adopt a child, but Pete won't hear of it -- until Pete and his brother go to see their mother on some legal errand and she registers her rather bigoted distaste to the idea. Pete rather gleefully tells her about her financial straits, but later, he drunkenly wonders aloud to Peggy if it might be better if he died. This maudlin line of thinking comes about because Pete and Paul are taking a business trip to California, and he'll be flying on a jet plane for the first time since his dad went down.
Meanwhile, Betty calls Don with the news that her father had a stroke. Don accompanies Betty down to see him, where we meet Betty's brother William for the first time. While Gloria insists that the stroke was nothing serious, Betty's chagrined when her father confuses her with her dead mother, and also tells her that this isn't the first event he's suffered. In addition, her dad makes it clear that he doesn't trust Don. Don and Betty have to pretend that their marriage isn't in jeopardy, but when the guest room door closes, Don sleeps on the floor -- until Betty wakes him in the night and they totally do it right there. Betty then learns from her family maid that her father is only going to get worse, which seems like about all she can handle -- but she still won't take Don back, looking even more resolved that she's doing the right thing on that front than before.
Things take a turn, though, when Helen's son Glen, the one who took a lock of Betty's hair, shows up again, having run away from home. Glen clearly wants to stay with Betty, both because his home life is miserable now and because he's inappropriately drawn to her, but Betty betrays him by calling his mother to come get him. Helen comes by to give Betty a talking-to, only to have Betty be the one to tell her exactly how things are. Betty then confesses that she might be on her way to sharing Helen's divorcee status, and Helen sympathizes, saying that the hardest part of the whole thing is realizing you're in charge. And it does look like that's going to be the case, as Don takes Paul's place on the trip to California, seemingly resigned to his marriage being over. If only he didn't hate Pete so much, he'd probably have a really good time.
Want more? The full recap starts right below!In Don's office and in front of the whole Creative team, Pete reads from a long list of companies, all of whom will apparently be represented at an upcoming aerospace conference in Santa Monica. Paul, who's going on the trip with Pete, is excited that they'll be so close to Pasadena, despite Pete's assertion that its residents are "just people with TB," because it has "jet propulsion laboratories. And Ray Bradbury." Paul does strike me as a Fahrenheit 451 kind of guy. I'm just surprised we haven't seen him give Harry more shit about his new involvement with television. Don sternly tells them it's a business trip (although Pete is allowed to play business golf), and Crab Colson guarantees that there will be some astronauts out there. "Every scientist, engineer, and general is trying to figure out a way to put a man on the moon -- or blow up Moscow, whichever one costs more. We have to explain to them how we can help them spend that money." I'd push for the former option as being easier to sell. I mean, everyone with a TV will get to see a moon landing, while if you blow up Moscow, only Alaskans will have a birds-eye view. Paul starts pompously babbling, only to have Don cut him off: "Campbell, you do the talking. Kinsey, you do the listening." Paul looks bummed, as he should, because when Don's using Pete to show you up your stock has plummeted indeed. (Uh, sorry.) Peggy pipes up that Don wanted her to remind them about "the Congressmen," and Pete thinks she's referring to the fact that they control the money, causing Don to correct him with much irritation: "No. They are the customer." He goes on that they want aerospace in their districts, so Pete needs to let them know that SC can bring those contracts to them. At Pete and Paul's uncertain looks, Don snaps, "Did you read anything that [Peggy] prepared?" The answer is clearly "no," so Don adds, "Maybe I should send her." Perhaps, but she doesn't have the golf handicap to replace Pete. And as for Paul, that's going to go down so exquisitely that I will beg you not to screw with it.
Pete's reading a travel guide to LA as Trudy comes to bed and solicitously angles for an invitation, promising that she'd stay out of his way. He, however, tells her if she's there, it will make him "look less serious in the office." It's always a challenge to parse the rationalizations upon rationalizations that are 99 percent of what makes up Pete Campbell, but this time I honestly have no idea what he's talking about. Just say "People don't bring their wives to these things," which itself is code for "We're all going to be hitting on stewardesses and waitresses, and I know you don't like/do that" and be done with it! Trudy lets it go easily enough, musing that she could go down to see her parents in Rehoboth, and this paves the way for her to tell Pete that her parents are "concerned." Pete warily asks what about, and Trudy, with that naked sadness she gets whenever her lack of fertility is the subject, answers, "Nothing's happening." Pete asks why she insists on making him angry before he goes to bed, and she doesn't answer but I'd imagine it's because it's fun to get him all steamed when he's wearing those cute little pajamas. Anyway, Trudy is talking about adoption, and says there are some very reputable agencies, but Pete doesn't want to hear about "someone else's child," saying it's not natural. Trudy refuses to give up, saying she felt that way at first too, but she knows that Pete would fall in love with the baby they pick, and by the way, they're ideal candidates. Pete, his resolve starting to weaken, puts an arm around her and asks if her parents think he just says no to everything. Trudy, breaking my heart as no one else on this show seems to be able to: "We're not related by blood, and you love me." She may not be a Joan, or a Peggy, or a Betty, but this season, she's going to get what she wants, I tell you what.
In his room at the Roosevelt, Don's reading some papers that appear work-related and looking kind of sleepy when the phone rings. It's Betty, who tells him that her brother William called, and her father had a stroke. Don sits up, and Betty goes on that his new wife Gloria didn't even call her, and while she said he's up and around and talking (presumably Betty called her after she heard from William), she wouldn't put him on the phone. Don says he's going to come get her, but Betty says she doesn't want to wake the kids (it's ten PM; at least she knows where they are), so Don says he'll be over in the morning. Betty: "God, you know I've been dreaming about a suitcase?" Seemingly taking this as the admission that she's been worried about her father for a while that it seems, Don tells her everything will be okay. Betty: "Sure. Everything's perfect." Don, probably less sure of how Betty feels about him than ever before, doesn't know how to react to that, so he settles for saying he'll be by at eight.
We do not see any of the car ride down, which I choose to believe means that not one word was uttered the entire way, instead cutting to Gloria opening her front door for Betty and Don. Gloria takes Betty's hand and assures her that the doctor says it isn't serious, and then Don offers that he and Betty can get a room down the road, by which he of course means "two rooms," because the Roosevelt has comfortable beds, and sleeping on the floor will be, as it were, a step down. Betty anxiously asks if she can see her father, and Gloria tells her he's just getting dressed. "They said he should do things on his own." After bidding them to sit and to keep the lights low ("We're supposed to keep it dim; I don't know why"), she goes to fetch Gene as William shows up (he was Corporal James Chaffin on Generation Kill, if that means anything to you) and greets them, telling Betty that Gene doesn't seem too bad and his wife Judy will be by later. Gene then appears and jovially greets Betty with "it's an angel," and manages to get in a dig about how the two of them never visit not ten seconds in. The part of the brain that controls parental guilt is always the last to go. William tells Gene about Don's new car, and Gene is duly impressed. Gloria then informs everyone that when she rode with Gene in the ambulance, they were halfway to the hospital before she realized she was in her nightgown. "A woman my age should not travel that way." No doubt she's being self-deprecating, but the implication seems to be that it would be socially acceptable for a younger woman to leave the house in a state of undress. Maidenform will be thrilled to hear it. After William gets in a dig at New York, letting us know that the resentment toward Betty for not staying local doesn't end with their dad, Gene then confuses Betty with her mother Ruth, an occurrence that Betty and Gloria both handle with admirable aplomb but still drives everyone into the sweet, turns-awkward-into-funny arms of alcohol. I have to tell you, though, in a season where she has already rocked it in every way, January Jones gives me my favorite moment of the episode when Don asks Betty if she wants a drink and she responds with a wordless "Girl, please" look. Betty is then angered to learn that this isn't the first stroke Gene has suffered, and casts an accusing look at Gloria over having been kept in the dark, but Gene tells her not to be mad, and it's no big deal. Gloria smiles at him like nothing in the world is wrong, and somewhere, Ruth is looking down and conceding, "She's good."
At SC, Sheila shows up for a lunch date with Paul, who happily greets her. There's a good moment where the receptionist in the background takes this in appraisingly, then runs off to dine out on the salacious news. Paul has Pete and Ken in tow, which allows Pete to crow obliviously about how he and Paul are going to California. Ken, who reads a room slightly better than Pete, that is to say AT ALL, pulls him away: "Come on, Campbell. Time to find something else to put in that mouth." There's another great moment of background business as Joan starts walking toward them and does a course correction as soon as she sees Sheila, as Paul tries to claim he was going to tell Sheila about the trip at lunch. You might not see what the big deal is, as it's a business trip and is only, as Pete told Trudy earlier, for a week, but the thing is Paul apparently promised he'd go to Mississippi with her to register black voters (presumably as part of the effort advanced by the NAACP and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee). He confesses that he finds the prospect scary, for which you can hardly blame him, but tells her the business trip is important. "I'm not allowed to talk about it." She knows something's up now, Paul, because when have you ever heeded that particular directive? But in the broader picture, I certainly admire him for taking part in such an important civil movement, but...how long is he going for? Is it okay with his bosses? Most importantly, is there a decent chance he'll never, ever come back?
We stay with Sheila and Paul as they enter the elevator, and Paul makes a show of telling Hollis to call him by his first name before introducing Sheila as his girlfriend. Sheila, however, is not concerned with appearances at the moment, asking if Paul ever really planned on going down South with her. Paul points out that while they have grocery stores all over the place, he can't just walk into an ad agency, which seems to mean he really is going to quit his job. Wow. Between this development and Joan's pregnancy, I wonder if there's going to be a cast shakeup in Season Three. It's not something I'd want, but I'd respect the show's penchant for organic storylines. Sheila says she can't believe Paul's attitude, as all he does is complain about SC and the people there, and it's not that she shouldn't speak her mind or that she's not in the right, but I still think her point might be better made AFTER THEY GET OFF THE CROWDED ELEVATOR. On the other hand, this is probably the sort of exchange that makes Hollis's day. Sheila tells Paul that regardless of what he does, she's going. "I guess I'll just hop in Billy Kaplan's bus with ten strangers." Not the first or last time someone's going to say that in this decade, I'd imagine. Paul seriously whines as he asks why it can't wait, and if that's his go-to method of persuasion, he probably will get shot down South.
Apparently Pete's dad was even more of a philandering spendthrift than Pete thought, as, with his brother Bud in his office, he's reading documents that show what a thorough job their dad did in burning through the family's money. Bud jokes that he wonders what would have happened if he'd lived, and Pete smiles that he'd be on his knees to them. Then, the most awesome thing happens, as Pete brings up all the money that Andrew gave to Lincoln Center. "Get that back!" The man who couldn't successfully talk a shop girl into anything more than store credit is now suggesting they retrieve a donation, given by someone else, to Lincoln Center. Peter Campbell, ladies and gentlemen! Bud's unhappy with the situation too, as he and his wife were about to buy a place in Millbrook, and Pete wonders how long their mother can afford to live on the money she's got left. Bud straight-facedly suggests they get rid of her that night, and Pete positively giggles: "Remember Rope?" Hee. The boys chuckle heartily, and it manages to be entertaining, true to life, and just the slightest bit oddly touching the way the two brothers lightly bond in discussing how ridiculous their parents are and were. Anyway, Bud says that all they have to do is go over there and get her signature (I suppose they're liquidating what few assets are left), pay lip service to the loss of their birthright, and move on. Pete tells Bud he hates going over there. "The smell." Bud raises a glass to the end of the line, which gives Pete the opening to ask if Bud's wife Judy wants kids. Bud says they have a five-year plan, but confesses that he thinks Judy secretly hopes "that we're that childless couple that people invite over." And surely wishes they were from time to time, like when their kid sticks a pea up her nose and has to go to the emergency room. (My sister does not read these recaps, I certainly hope.) Bud asks about Trudy, and Pete says they've tried, and are now considering adoption. Bud's face is neutral: "People do that." Pete, however, takes this as validation: "They do."
Judy has arrived, and she, Gene, and Don are working on a jigsaw puzzle together. After Gene and Don discuss the Yankees for a moment, we learn that Judy's family guilt trumpet is well-oiled as she says they were "sure" Don and Betty were going to make it to Cape May, although she does soften it by adding that without Betty there, other people had a chance to win at cards. Gene agrees that "Elizabeth" has a mind for cards, which kind of makes me want to see Betty go clean out Vegas and never come back.
But right now, she's too busy staring at a portrait of her mother when her brother pops in through one of the large windows. Betty asks where he was, and he tells her he was hiding in the tree house. Indicating the room in which the jigsaw festivities are occurring, he opines, "It's like a tomb in there. I don't know how Don's standing it." I'd imagine the car ride there had a hand in inuring him to such things. We get a good look at the portrait, in which Ruth looks rather more like a peasant girl than I would have imagined, and then Betty somewhat snappishly asks about some items she can't seem to find, including "the ottoman with the birds," which of course would be important to her given her nickname. William sighs that you can't blame Gloria for getting rid of some stuff. "I wouldn't want to live with Mom's ghost." Betty scornfully says that Gloria is a silly woman. "All that talk about her underthings. Daddy used to fine us for small talk, remember?" Maybe with Gloria, he's just taking it out in trade. William, not overly fondly, does remember: "Conversation is an art," and suddenly Betty's attraction to Don makes a million times more sense. Betty asks bluntly how long Gene has been like this, and William sighs that he was acting "queer" on the golf course a month earlier. William then testily points out that Gloria's presence is a help to him, and he doesn't want to get stuck with Gene just because he didn't move away. Betty shuts down that line of discussion quickly in favor of going back to complaining about all the things that are gone, and when William confesses he has one of those items, she seethes, "Do I have to go around and write my name on all the things that I want?" He accuses her of being drunk, which: Nice work, Sam Spade. Gloria then bustles in and tells them dinner will be ready in a few, and wonders aloud why the window is open. Betty looks at William like, "You see? She's talking about the window! That would have been two bits when we were kids!"
There's some progress on the puzzle, but mostly at Judy's end, which is all Gene needs to perform a character assassination on Don. "Who knows what he does or why he does it. I know more about the kid who fixes my damn car." Don casts a wary side-eye as he realizes that people who are crazy and/or dying often hit the truth without even knowing it, and Gene turns up the volume: "Nobody has what you have. You act like it's nothing. My daughter's a princess, you know that?" The rest of the family pops in for dinner, but Gene isn't done as Betty asks him what's going on: "He has no people! You can't trust a person like that!" I'm assuming he's using "people" to mean "family," as was common in this region at the time (and may still be), and if that's the case, I can only imagine what he'd think if he knew how Don treated poor Adam. Betty warningly calls Gene off, but even though he gets up to go to the dinner table, the look on Judy's face suggests that he merely said what they all think. Everyone heads in, leaving Don and Betty alone for a moment. She says she has no appetite, and when he tries to tell her she should eat (because: drunk) she replies, "Stop it, Don. Nobody's watching." He looks unnerved by the fact that she still won't let him hide in plain sight, and takes off away from the dinner table.
Bud and Dot are already elbow-deep in papers when Pete shows up, and Dot immediately lights into him for missing dinner and letting Bud do all the work, sarcastically thanking him for at least showing up to sign his name. Pete: "Yes, well. Anything I can do." Hee. Pete's blasé reaction to her hostility, and also the fact that we've met her before, suggest this is par for the course, but today there's a specific reason she's being absolutely horrible: Bud blabbed about the adoption idea, a betrayal for which Pete stares daggers at him, and she wants to warn him that going through with it could result in the loss of his inheritance. While Pete knows that the last laugh on that topic, mirthless as it may be, is his, he holds that back for the moment, instead trying to cut off further discussion. Dot, however, blithely goes on that while adoption may be good for some, "you're pulling from the discards," and that's how his father felt as well. While it may be a logical impossibility to prove that that's the most ill-advised thing she could have said, I'd at least be willing to advance it as a postulate. Pete looks her right in the eye and tells her that her husband spent all their money. "Spent it with strangers. All of it." This looks like a genuine surprise to Dot, who, despite Bud suggesting Pete take off and Pete agreeing, asks Bud what her "fiduciary state" is. Bud informs her that they had to liquidate some holdings to ensure her future comfort, which elicits rich-person panic the likes of which I haven't seen since roughly yesterday. Pete leaves with a satisfied smile.
Betty and Don retire to their room, and as they disrobe it should be clear even to the blind and deaf that there is no way Don is getting in that bed, so he takes a blanket and pillow and his rightful place on the floor. Later, though, he's surprised when Betty crawls on top of him, and they have sex without a word. It's not that hard to believe, given her vulnerability both from her father's situation and the fact they're in the place that probably makes her feel least like an adult, but while Don's probably pretty optimistic about this development, you'll notice she still didn't let him in the bed...
...nor does she wait for him in the morning, as when he awakes, she's already gone. Her ability to make it seem like the night before never happened makes me wonder if she's secretly been hanging out with Peggy.
Downstairs, Betty's being upbraided for smoking so much when Don appears and wishes everyone good morning, followed presently by William and Judy, the latter of whom is holding the ceramic jardinière that Betty was on about earlier. Judy says she feels terrible and didn't know Ruth had promised the rather hideous thing to Betty, and Betty, graciously enough, tells her it's fine and that she wishes William hadn't brought it up with her before asking if "Viola" is coming that day. Gloria assures Betty that there's no chance Viola would miss her, and then Gene slides his hand up onto Betty's boob and suggests they go upstairs. I'd suggest she fine him ten bucks if there weren't serious danger of that being misconstrued. Gloria yells Gene's name sharply, but then again tries to smile that everything is okay -- Gene's just so "mixed up." William tells his dad that he has to go back to the doctor, but Gloria tightly cuts in that she's already made an appointment for Monday. Don looks concerned, but Betty has to show her ability to pretend like nothing's wrong is equal to Gloria's, so she sits back down and asks what her father would like to do that day. He suggests going into town, which Gloria thinks is a capital idea. Don, however, is still worried enough to put a sympathetic hand on Betty's back. She doesn't pull away, but whether it's because she needs him or that she can't let her family see that she doesn't is for you to decide.
Later, Betty's making the bed and suffering Don to be in her presence when the aforementioned Viola (Nurse Laverne from Scrubs) enters -- she's apparently the longtime family maid, and she and Betty are obviously very fond of each other. After the initial hellos (Don and Viola have met before, not surprisingly) Don excuses himself, and Betty tells Viola she should be there every day. Viola says that's not up to here, and Betty spits, "Why not? You've been here longer than her!" Viola lets that go, but when Betty chastises her for letting Gloria and Judy "ransack the house," Viola puts a hand on a hip and asks, "You want to give me your temper?" I'll say no, because I'm getting the sense that when Viola fines you, you pay in blood. Betty, playing the part, turns and sits on the bed like a spoiled little girl, and complains that Gene doesn't even know who she is. Viola answers that he's "very very sick," and Betty breathes in this truth like fresh air: "You don't know how nice it is to hear someone say that." Seeing how much she needs her, Viola stops fussing with the bed and sits with Betty, who asks if Gene is dying. Viola tells her that she was at the hospital when the doctors talked to Gloria, and the prognosis is that he's just going to get worse. Betty's face starts to break as she confesses she doesn't know how much more she can take, and leans in as she cries that she's an orphan. Viola tells her that it's time for her to take care of her husband and children now. "You'll see. The minute you leave, you'll remember him exactly the way he used to be. It's all good outside that door." Betty looks like she wishes she didn't know this not to be true.
Later (Betty's wearing the same dress, so it's probably afternoon) she and Don arrive home. Don thinks their little floor-buffing session means they're reconciled, but Betty quickly disabuses him of that notion. He tries to suggest she needs him there because she's upset, but she deftly throws that in his face: "I am. And I know how you feel about grieving." Damn, she really did learn the art of conversation. He tries again, saying he thinks he should be there for her, but in a voice dripping with contempt, she practically laughs: "That's your reason." Flailing, he tries one last time to say he wants to be there, and she needs him there, but she asks, "Why? Nothing's changed. We were just pretending." The implication that their encounter was part of the act leaves him speechless, and unlike the other times when he tried at least not to seem like he was conceding, this time the defeat is naked on his face as he leaves. And no one's even mentioned the word "alimony" to him yet. When he's gone, Betty doesn't even look sad -- just curious as to what's going to happen. Now she knows how the rest of us feel!
Don walks into SC and starts his work day off by getting the receptionist's name wrong. Not that she cares, from the adoring way she checks out his ass as he goes. He's a bit bemused by the sparseness of the office population (it seems like he's coming in late the same day), however, so he looks around, and on someone's desk (Hildy's, I suppose?) comes across the LA travel magazine we saw Pete reading earlier. He then hears a muffled "Surprise!" coming from the conference room, so he heads off to investigate...
...and when he opens the door, he sees most of the office in there throwing a baby shower for Harry. Joan points out all the gifts they "got" him (they raided the storeroom, as Harry somewhat slurrily points out) -- Pampers, Martinson coffee, Clearasil for when he gets older -- and we see Harry's wearing a big baby bonnet. Hee. Ken also, in anticipation of Harry's diminished sex life, got him some Playboys. Don, with his family falling apart, looks understandably uncomfortable as Harry toasts everyone, and then Bertram pokes his head in: "I just wanted to say happy birthday!" HA! He leaves, and everyone's like, "...yeah." Although given that he doesn't really drink, I can see him wanting to beat a hasty retreat. Harry notes that there's a present that was purchased at Tiffany's from Jane, and Paul adds, "And Roger, I'm sure." Joan does not need to hear much more about that, so she hands the cake knife off to a secretary and goes over to Don, saying she wasn't expecting him until the day, and asking how everything is. Don could pretty much address both points by telling her his father-in-law tried to have sex with his wife, but that's not the sort of thing you want to bring up at a party, so he asks if he can borrow Joan for a moment, and the two of them leave the room. Peggy then cuts a piece of cake and hands it to the person who's stepped into the space they just vacated -- Pete, who thanks her rather demurely. I'm not buying -- will someone please chaperone those two?
As they enter Don's office, Joan runs down his upcoming schedule, but Don tells her to clear his week. Roger then enters, and after a minimal exchange about the family emergency, Don tells him he's leaving the day to go to the Rocket Fair, and if he's doing this as an escape it does seem likely that he's given up on Betty taking him back. The crosscurrents in this scene are of course fascinating, what with the Roger and Jane thing out in the open and Roger and Joan's history and Roger knowing about Don's imploding marriage. Joan sits stock still as Roger tells Don that California sounds great for him -- "sunshine, bikinis" -- but aren't they already sending Campbell and Kinsey? Don: "Not yet." Heh. Roger tells him Pete's got to go -- "I've held his hand through thirty phone calls." Don doesn't reply, so Roger tosses Paul to the wolves by bidding Don bon voyage, adding that Joan can hold down the fort. Joan gives him a look that's equal parts anger at his familiarity, bitterness that he took away the one job around here she truly loved without even realizing it, and contempt that he actually went ahead and left his wife of twenty-five years for a woman who's basically her replacement. Don's tuned in and is on Joan's side for reasons plentiful and obvious, and Roger, sensing the chill in the air, takes off. Don then asks Joan to send a memo to Paul explaining the change in plans, and it's all Joan can do not to lick her lips like some fabulous pregnant predator right there. I mean, I have to amend my statement -- this is the job she truly loves. Don is clearly the worse for wear, as he's atypically slugging coffee in the afternoon, and Joan's reward for his generosity is to tell him to lie down and take a nap. "I'll keep the drunks away." If you want to be efficient, I'd just padlock the conference room.
Peggy's telling the dregs of the party that she hears it's hard to get anything done in California, "because of the weather, you know. People don't work." Having just moved here, I will opine that she's not completely wrong. Harry drunkenly biffs a word as he says he'll probably be heading out there at some point to meet with the network people with whom he does business, causing Sal to ask, "You're just going to fly off and leave your wife and newborn?" I don't think Sal's being disbelieving here -- just pondering exit strategies. Hildy then staggers up (girl is lit) and spews goodwill all over Harry before giving him a big hug. It's pretty sweet, and I love Hildy, but Harry looks like that just sobered him up for life. Joan then returns, and as the boys almost unconsciously gather around her (it's awesome how that always happens) she informs Paul that Don will be going to the convention. Paul chooses not to Get It even though Joan directed the message only to him instead of to him and Pete, so when he makes a dumb comment about being able to fly first class now, Joan ever-so-politely informs him that it will just be Don and Pete going. We don't actually get to see Pete's orgasm face at this news, which given the man-crush he's had on Don for the run of the series seems kind of a shame. But instead, we get something much better, as Paul's face becomes entirely lower lip as the boys openly laugh at him while Joan silkily continues, "I'm sure it must be disappointing. I'll need your tickets and your badges." Paul tries whining, to no avail, and leaves with his tail between his legs. Joan watches him go, and then turns brightly to Peggy: "Is there any cake left?" Awesome.
Paul, while sadly (ha ha ha!) packing up his tickets and badges, is telling Sheila on the phone that he's thought about it, and he wants to go with her. I'll give him a pass for taking advantage of his defeat in this way if that means I can keep laughing at him.
Peggy's on her way out when Pete drunkenly gets her attention and asks if he can speak to her for a moment. She obliges him, and he tells her that he's going away on a plane. She misses the intent behind this statement, wondering if he wants to hear that she wishes she were going? "Everybody does. I've never even been on a plane." Pete, however, makes himself clear -- he hasn't been on a plane since his father died. Peggy apologizes, and Pete goes on that he's not scared. "It just seemed significant, is all." Peggy tries to tell him how unlikely it would be for a second Campbell to die in a plane crash, and Pete concedes that that's true before adding that it wouldn't be the worst thing. Peggy's startled, and Pete unhappily goes on that he hates his mother. "What do you think of that?" Peggy is taken aback by how real Pete just got with her, although it seems like she's the only person in the office he's ever really opened up to, and says she doesn't know the circumstances. Pete starts wallowing, saying maybe he shouldn't expect that much from his mother, and it's not like he and Bud turned out so great. He brings it around to the adoption idea: "Who's to say it wouldn't be better? So it's not yours -- that could be good!" Needless to say, he's completely lost Peggy at this point, who offers that she doesn't know what he's talking about, but she thinks his flight will be fine. He pulls his focus back and somewhat bitterly opines that everything is so easy for her, and Peggy doesn't laugh in his face, slap him, or, by far the best option, both. Instead, she does the conversational equivalent: "It's not easy for anyone, Pete." He nods in acceptance of this sentiment, and after a moment, Peggy tells him to have a great trip, and leaves.
Betty's at home, having a glass of wine in her nightgown, when there's a noise from the yard that prompts Polly to whine and a neighbor's dog to bark. Betty gets up, peers out the window, and locks the back door before sitting down again. Honey, didn't you notice your glass is empty? Now you're going to have to get up again!
In the morning, Polly is barking and pawing at the kids' little playhouse in the backyard, so Betty goes to investigate -- and discovers Glen hiding in it. Ah, I was wondering if they'd bring the Bishops back now that Betty's heading for a divorce, and here's our answer. Come to think of it, if Don's going to be single I'd imagine we'll be seeing Rachel again at some point, married or not. (Speaking of which, when is that flashback to that woman who knew Don wasn't Don going to pay off? I know this show moves at its own pace, but that one is KILLING me.) Betty asks what he's doing and how long he's been out there, and the answers are "Nothing" and "A few days." Betty softens and asks what happened, and Glen tells her he didn't know if he'd see her again, and then she wasn't even home. Betty determines that he ran away...
...and in the house, Betty asks him to tell her what happened. He says that his dad wants him and his sister Charlotte to live with him, and his mom doesn't care. "She just wants to be with her boyfriends." Betty asks if she has a lot of boyfriends, but I'm not sure if she's actually surprised that someone would date multiple people at the same time or if she's just gauging the market for when she's out there again. Glen reiterates how he hasn't seen her in so long before asking if he can use the bathroom. Betty offers to wash his clothes, and he hands her his bag before leaving the room.
Later, Betty's flipping through some of Glen's comics when the boy reappears, freshly scrubbed, and starts eating the lunch she's made for him. After a few bites, he asks why she's alone there, and she covers by brightly offering that it's the middle of the day. Glen: "It's lousy." Betty tries to convey that the hair thing was all kinds of wrong by expressing her hope that Glen understands why Helen was mad at her, but Glen's answer is "Yeah. Because she doesn't understand." Betty smiles and agrees. Betty? The kid has problems. Try harder here. He tells her he's not going home, because he's having problems with his parents. "I know I am because they keep saying I'm not." Heh. He says his mom is never home these days, and his dad has another baby. "His wife is pretty mean." He adds, though, that he's responsible -- he brushes his sister's teeth and puts them both to bed. Well, Glen, maybe you should go home. You don't want to be responsible for Charlotte developing gingivitis at such a young age, do you? He asks if she's going to eat, and since he is not her cheating husband, she picks up a sandwich and takes a big bite.
Later, they're sitting on the couch watching cartoons when Glen turns and says he has something to tell her -- he doesn't like ham, or meat of any kind. Presumably, that's what was on the sandwich she gave him earlier, so Betty offers to make him some macaroni and cheese. Aaaand there's my dinner solved, thanks. Glen then reaches over and takes her hand, and while Betty tries to smile this off as something innocent, Glen soon pushes the envelope: "I came to rescue you. We can go anywhere -- I have money." If being propositioned by her addled father was enough to push her to the edge, I'm amazed that having an eight-year-old offer to be her knight in shining armor isn't the last straw. I mean, at some point you have to start thinking God has a sick sense of humor. Carla then returns with the kids, putting an end to the creepy, and after a brief mention of her father, Betty sends Glen off to engage in some thankfully age-appropriate activities with her kids. When they're gone, Carla asks what Glen's doing there, but Betty doesn't take the time to answer, instead looking up a number and picking up the phone.
Sometime later, Sally and Glen are watching TV when Betty opens the front door. She then steps into view and asks Glen to come join her, and it's not like there's more than one likely candidate here so the care in being sure that the blocking doesn't reveal the Mystery Person seems a little extreme. It is, of course, Helen, who looks a mess as she says she was worried sick. Betty chimes in that Glen has to go home, and Glen submits to a hug from Helen but fixes Betty with a baleful look and says he hates her. Helen's horrified and demands he apologize, but he won't, and in fact reiterates his statement. Betty: "I know. I'm sorry." But it's time for her to be the caregiver now, and indulging a little boy's fantasies no longer fits in. It's her time to put away childish things. Helen rushes Glen out of there, and then Sally appears with a sad and questioning look on her face. You can see where she'd be sensitive to a male leaving the house under acrimonious circumstances. Betty, however, merely smiles and suggests they wash up for dinner.
Paul's in the van with Sheila, blathering about advertising and Marxism and how the "consumer has no color." Sheila looks entranced, but the one other white guy is like, "Thanks for making us look like windbags, Whitey."
Betty's working on some laundry when Helen shows up and says they really need to talk. They sit, and she tells Betty that she doesn't know why Glen was there, but "this" has to stop. Betty meets her gaze levelly and says nothing's going on, "except that Glen feels alone. Honestly, I don't blame him." She goes on that it's obvious that Glen depends on Helen for everything, and she's supposed to be taking care of him. "You're his mother, and he gets nothing." Helen looks thunderstruck at the obvious truth to Betty's words, and offers that she thought with Dan (heh, I forgot about the Dan/Don thing; it did end up paying off exactly as you thought it might) out of their lives, things would be different, but Glen is right, and she's not a very good mother anymore. After a long moment, Betty decides that she's found the right person in whom to confide, and tells Helen that Don isn't living there now. Helen's shocked, and after Betty goes on that they haven't told the children, Helen haltingly asks if it's over. Betty says she doesn't even know, and Helen says that's the worst, but I have to say that everything about Betty's rather assured manner says she does know it's done. Helen asks if the kids see Don, and Betty replies, "He takes them to dinner. They don't know what made them so special all of a sudden." Helen confesses that for her, it wasn't that different without Dan around. Betty pauses to consider how that's true for her too, given how absent Don was from their marriage, before saying wistfully, "Sometimes I feel like I'll float away, if Don isn't holding me down." Helen, on the same page, says that the hardest part is realizing you're in charge, and Betty looks at her, knowing that what she says it true but still looking ready to try.
On the plane, a stewardess lets the passengers know that they can smoke, and people light up with relief. We pan back to Pete, who's wearing a sleep mask (and they look like they're in first class -- suck it, Kinsey!) to Don, who's just lit up as well. As we push in on him, he looks out the window at his future, which at the moment does not include his family. On the plus side: bikinis!
time: Roger asks Jane to marry him. Won't Margaret be tickled pink.
John Ramos is a writer and producer living in Los Angeles. You can reach him at couchbaron@gmail.com.
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