Episode Report Card Couch Baron: A | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT My Left Foot…
By Couch Baron | Season 3 | Episode 6 | Aired on 09.20.2009
there as well as he did in New York, but Pryce isn't mollified, sniffing that perhaps he needn't bother finding a place for the gift if he'd just going to be moving again. Ford: "Don't pout. One of your greatest qualities is that you always do what you're told." This moment effectively illustrates a cultural difference between Britain and America, as I think just about all of the latter's males would punch any superior that told him not to pout. In fact, we might still be united with them if George III hadn't told the colonists not to pout over taxation without representation. Pryce feebly tries to argue that his wife and son just got settled in their current locale, but Mr. Sheffield didn't become a big Broadway producer by listening to his underlings' sensitivities, so it's time for Pryce to pack his bags and flute.In the conference room, Ford has just wrapped up whatever it was he was talking about, and he gives the floor to MacEndrick, who first says they'll miss Pryce, but "our loss is India's gain." Powell looks like he's feeling late for the bar, a sentiment which after the day I've had I can get behind, while Don and Roger exchange uncertain side-eyes about the news before joining in the applause. Heh. MacEndrick then puts the new org chart onto the overhead projector, which has Ford as the head of the place (although it's not clear whether they mean him to stay in New York full time), and a "triumvirate" of people just below -- MacEndrick as the COO, Don as the Creative Director, and Bertram the Chairman Emeritus -- who will oversee three "streamlined" departments, Creative/Art/Copy, headed by Don as mentioned, Accounts, still helmed by Pete and Ken jointly, and Television/Media now being its own entity and run by Harry. Before MacEndrick gets any further, though, Bertram barks that Roger is not on the chart at all, and hilariously, MacEndrick takes another look at the chart like that wasn't completely intentional. For his part, Roger pipes up, "It's true!" like he hadn't noticed either until Bertram said something, which suggests to me that if he ever gets in trouble with the law, he shouldn't argue in his own defense. MacEndrick, however, smoothly motors right past the awkward moment and says he likes open communication instead of memos handed down from on high (way to keep jabbing Pryce out the door), and just like that, he leads the Brits and some of the Americans right on out of the meeting to take the news to the people. Left behind are Don, Bertram, Pete, Roger, and Harry, the last of which asks what the hell just happened. Pete: "They reorganized us, and you're the only one in this room who got a promotion." And good for him, but he'll probably figure out how not to get a raise out of the deal. Bertram puts a hand on Don's arm and apologizes for his "wild imagination," and Don really does look quite bummed. On the other hand, this season has been suggesting to me that he might strike out on his own soon, and given that I love being right I'm glad they kept the dream alive.
Betty sits with Sally on her bed and hands a card she says is from her little brother, offering "my new big sister, the best in the world" a present, which turns out to be a Barbie. It's a nice effort from Betty, but given the year I'm still wondering if we're going to be seeing a production of What Ever Happened To Baby Gene? any time soon. Sally reluctantly looks at the card and petulantly declares that baby Gene can't read, but Betty reminds her: "Babies get fairies to do things. You know that." Hee. When she sees the Barbie, Betty tells her Gene wants to be her friend, and she's very important to Betty too. She gives Sally a kiss on top of her head and leaves, but when she's gone, Sally places the doll against her pillow and looks scared as ever. Well, I'm out of ideas.
MacEndrick is addressing the troops from the same spot from which Hooker and Pryce made their earlier announcement, with Roger now conspicuously absent. After MacEndrick gives a toast to Pryce that could charitably be described as "cursory," he busts out the charm in raising a glass to Joan, who can't take all the emotions pulling at her and bursts into tears. MacEndrick softly says her reaction wasn't his intention, and Joan recovers to step forward when Hooker wheels out a rather large cake that reads "Bon Voyage Joan" with a ship on it. Would have been more appropriate for Pryce, especially since his status as cost-cutting guru suggests he wouldn't travel by airline. MacEndrick wraps it up by saying the presentations will wait until the next day, and the afternoon will be dedicated to Joan. Everyone applauds, and through her tears, Joan tells them the celebration wasn't necessary. Hooker, seeming as sincere as he gets, says she'll be sorely missed, but that still prompts Hildy to chime in, "We got you the cake." Heh. Across the room, the core boys wonder what's going to happen, and Ken notes people above them keep getting added in. Pete: "One more promotion and we're going to be answering the phones." He really gets all the best lines, doesn't he? I think I've said this before, but he and Roger should really take it on the road, as long as Roger leaves the blackface act at home. They decide to go schmooze with MacEndrick, which is the best idea they've collectively had in a while. Elsewhere, Peggy awkwardly opines to Don that the champagne is good, but Don, tasting nothing but ash in the wake of the destruction of the London dream that never existed outside his and Bertram's imagination, disagrees. Peggy, understandably given their last interaction, takes this as a comment on his feelings toward her at the moment, leaves him to get something to eat. Geez, Peggy. Don't you know that's the way to not end up embarrassingly yourself horribly at one of these things? Another way to avoid such a fate is to leave early, and along those lines, Don's girl (I hate to keep referring to her in that manner, but have we ever heard her name?) informs him brightly that "Conrad Hilton," the hotel magnate, is on the phone for him...
...and when he picks up, he's informed by a businesslike secretary that Mr. Hilton would like to meet with him. Don's confused, but smartly gets over it and suggests right now as a good time (and he continues to drink the champagne, so maybe it's not so bad after all), and is told to head to the Presidential Suite at the Waldorf immediately. It's not London, but it'll do.
Upstairs, Roger comes in to see Bertram and bitches about the org-chart thing: "I'm being punished for making my job look easy." You just keep telling yourself that, you masculine, well-manicured princess, you. He does admit, however, that MacEndrick has a "spark," and he's a pure account man. Bertram pointedly asks what that job is all about, and then answers his own question: "It's about letting things go so you can get what you want." Roger, not particularly wanting to hear that truth, heads out of the office, but not before Bertram adds some more honesty: "We took their money, and we have to do what they say." And if what they say is that you'll have no responsibilities and can get paid to sit in your office drinking all day without a care in the world? You're just going to have to learn to live with it.
Smitty, Kurt, and that goofball with the thick glasses have an inconsequential talk about the Army, and elsewhere, Peggy pulls Joan aside and endearingly tells her she hopes she doesn't think she never listened to her advice. "It's just...we can't all be you." Aw. Joan smiles and says that she does in fact take some credit for Peggy's success, but their tender moment is interrupted by Smitty taking the Deere out for a spin around the office, Hildy hitching a ride on the back. He pulls it over quickly, and Joan smiles to Peggy that she can't believe she's going to miss this, and in a nice touch, then coughs from the foul exhaust the thing spewed from its pipe. N