By Couch Baron
It's 1963, and as Don heats up some warm milk for a very pregnant Betty, he has visions of both his real and adopted mother and the circumstances in which he passed from the former to the latter, and let's just say I understand him changing his given name a lot more now. Betty's pretty sure she's carrying a girl, who I hope for her sake will be heterosexual, and Don helps her sleep using his way with words.
Peggy's got her own office and secretary, but the latter, "Lola," is too busy swooning over the new English accents in the office to pay her much mind. To be more specific, there's a "Lane Pryce," the new big on-site boss, and his executive secretary, "John Hooker," who hasn't taken long to clash with Joan. Of course, he's rather good-looking, so perhaps their mutual disdain will blossom into something else down the line -- if Joan's still at Sterling Cooper, which is apparently not her current plan. There are still layoffs happening in the wake of the merger, one of which is the axing of the Head of Accounts, and Pryce gives Pete the job -- only to turn around and also promise it to Ken. The two of them have a hilarious elevator conversation in which they each think the other is congratulating him, but Pete's not laughing when he finds out that he and Ken are going to share the title he's coveted for so long and compete with each other for the brass ring, and he basically tells Ken to piss off, while Ken's jazzed about the new responsibility and couldn't care less about Pete's little hissy.
Don and Sal take a business trip together, and before they've even hit the ground they've made a date with some gullible stewardesses, one of whom accompanies Don back to his room. Disappointingly, he takes her to bed, but it is at least his birthday. Meanwhile, in action I approve of a lot more, Sal calls for a guy to come fix his air conditioner and ends up getting his pipes cleaned instead. Well, not quite -- before the deal can actually be sealed in either room, the fire alarm goes off, and not only does Sal not get his rocks off, Don sees him with the hotel staffer on his way down the fire escape. However, as Peggy well knows, if there's someone you can trust with your secrets, it's Don, and Sal's relieved as all get out when Don doesn't make an issue of it. Don ends the episode by assuring Sally he's always come home, but as Betty tells Sally about the day she was born, Don's a million miles away. Here we go again!