Episode Report Card Couch Baron: A | 1 USERS: F YOU GRADE IT Bertram is Evil. Evil!
By Couch Baron | Season 3 | Episode 7 | Aired on 09.27.2009
description. The other woman, roughly old enough to be the mother of any of the other three, opines that the Junior League needs to take over and explain the issues to the community -- to elaborate on the other woman's shorthand, the "natural health" refers to the need for conservation of the environment and the beauty of the Hudson River Valley (she mentions Silent Spring, which had just been published), and "financial health" refers to the fact that there's "worthless real estate on both sides of the river because some industrial park on Route 9 needs our water." The younger woman pipes up that they need to go over the village board's head and appeal to the governor: "The Rockefellers own half the land here." This gets Betty's mind working, and she announces that she knows someone in the Governor's office: Henry Francis, who felt her stomach at Roger's party. Well, she doesn't mention that last bit. The younger woman looks up Francis's name on some handy list and is suitably impressed, and the older woman recalls that he used to be the Republican Party Chairman for Westchester County, and says she knows him. Francine excitedly encourages her to call him, but the older woman, with a crafty look on her face, says she thinks they'll have a better chance if Betty calls. So she really does know him, then. Betty looks down demurely, but Francine will have none of that: "It's not adorable to pretend like you're not adorable." You see why I wish they'd write her in more?In Don's office, the boys are discussing the best way to spend all of Bronzo's money, but their minds are of course still on Connie, and Pete asks Don at least to tell them how he knows him. Don dismissively says they ran into each other at a party, after which we cut to another shot of the boys staring at him, with Pete's expression by far the dreamiest, like he's picturing himself combing Don's hair for him or something else equally intimate and weird. Don, first perhaps allowing himself to enjoy their palpable admiration just a little, dismisses everyone, but Pete lingers to mention that he'd love to do some legwork for Hilton. Don: "Pete, I think you're supposed to bring in the account, and I'm supposed to beg to be on it." He somewhat sternly asks about North American Aviation, and Pete says their business is going very well, and if you're paying attention, he mentions that one particular source of their success at the moment is orders for "jets for Vietnam," which is a subject the show would like you to pay some close attention to for the future, I think. In fact, I didn't mention it at the time, but Smitty and Kurt and that goofball with the glasses mentioned Vietnam last week. Pete adds that he thinks he's convinced them that they're going to have to spend more if they want to "get out of NASA and into the Pentagon," and Don replies that when they do, they can talk about Hilton. Interesting that he gives Pete the carrot and Peggy the stick, no?
Betty's leaving word for Francis, and when she's done, she calls the kids in for lunch. After mere seconds, though, the man himself calls back, and the momentary gleam in Betty's eye when she hears him identify himself is rather telling. She heads for the study, telling Bobby to hang up the phone, but she doesn't specify when so of course when he picks up the extension in the study, she hears a dial tone. Hee. Betty's not nearly as easily amused as I am, but she barely has time to chew Bobby out before Francis calls back. This time, she picks it up in the study to avoid mishap, and after light (but still somewhat charged) talk about the fact that Betty had a little boy and that Francis has at least one of the same, Betty makes her pitch on behalf of the Junior League of Tarrytown, mentioning that the Governor grew up there, and Francis knows the area well, having grown up nearby himself. He says he's heading upstate the next day, and he could probably stop by and take a look at the proposed site. Betty hesitates for a moment, as the next day is Saturday, and it will be harder to keep the visit from her husband. Well, she doesn't say that, but given that she doesn't really say anything, that's the implication. However, she tells him she'll make it work, and they agree to meet at "Swensen's Bakery" for a cup of coffee at three. Funny that Don's study, the place from which he's historically arranged all the business he wanted to keep from Betty, is witness to such a scene. Not funny ha-ha, but funny.
Peggy's just opening a gift in her office when Pete comes barging in: "I can save you the trouble. It's from him, and it's expensive." I'd guess a pony, but it would have to be really small. Actually, it's a scarf, which Pete casually identifies as Hermès. Peggy: "I hope yours is a different color." That's the second time she's casually insulted his masculinity lately. Given that she's been to bed with him twice, I wonder what she knows that we don't. Peggy keeps up the witty pace by reading the card and adding her own editorial commentary: "'Elegance and success. Duck.' I wonder who wrote that for him." Hee. Pete says he doesn't trust him, and when Peggy says it's logical for him to be after them, as they're very important at SC (ahem), Pete asks her if "he" put her on Hilton. She doesn't know anything: "Stop barging in here and infecting me with your anxiety!" We can work on the barging in, but the anxiety's pretty much what he's got to offer. Peggy opines that the scarf is beautiful, and Pete confesses that Duck sent him a box of Cuban cigars. "Although I'm starting to think they're not that hard to come by." Heh. Peggy's brain then finally processes the "Hilton" part of the conversation, and after Pete fills her in a bit on his visit, she tells him her mother gave her his book, adding by way of explanation, "He's Catholic." Awesome. Pete notes that while Hilton isn't as big as Lucky Strike, it would be nice to have a huge account that doesn't necessitate "hiding from the FTC," but Peggy's back to being hypnotized by the scarf, and she says she's keeping it, as Duck said himself that they don't have to be a package deal, so they should just do what they want. Pete, however, stands and points out that Duck isn't at SC anymore because Don forced him out. Peggy doesn't see the issue, as Don's basically got a me-against-the-world attitude anyway (like, no kidding), but Pete, while acknowledging that, says it's Duck who's out for revenge here, and even though Peggy says she's not going anywhere, he counsels her to send the gift back. I think he's looking out for her in his own special Pete Campbell way, but while it's still none of his business, were I in her shoes I'd probably return it for one simple reason: How is she going to explain having such an expensive thing to anyone?
Don enters Bertram's office to find him, Pryce, and Roger having a celebratory drinks party, and given that two of the three of them don't generally knock back the booze like Prohibition is about to return, it's safe to assume they've heard the good news. Indeed, Bertram asks when he was going to tell them, and Don jokes that he thought he'd let the phone call happen and then see who took credit for it. Pryce pours Don a finger or two and says that "despite its modest billings," the London office is thrilled with its potential for international growth. Among the many things that might make Don bristle at the way the Hilton thing plays out, keep in mind that a modest beginning with the potential for astronomical growth was how Don saw, and pitched, the Madison Square Garden situation, and was completely ignored. Or, as Don puts it, "Finally." There's a re