Episode Report Card Couch Baron: A- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT To The Moon, Connie!
By Couch Baron | Season 3 | Episode 9 | Aired on 10.11.2009
d his attitude in the earlier meeting, that he's talking about the Creative people -- in his view, this incident is confirming in his mind that he can't rely on them for anything. Sal, already halfway to Humpty Dumpty territory, quivers that he didn't do anything wrong, but Don, more evenly, says that Lucky Strike could shut off SC's lights, and when he stands, adds that he thinks Sal knows this is the way it has to be. He shakes Sal's hand and, seeming to mean it, says he'll do fine, and Sal, tears in his eyes, manages to nod before making his way out. Absolutely brutal exchange to watch, like getting punched in the gut, and incredibly acted as always. Once Sal's gone, Don tells Allison via intercom to get him Lee Garner Jr., and it would be poetic justice indeed if the client insisted that Don make up for Sal's failure to please him, no?Chez Draper. Carla is serving dinner as Betty keeps a watchful eye on her, wondering what she suspects and how she feels about it. After Bobby addresses Carla with some probably unintentional disrespect, Betty scolds him before telling Carla she can call it a day. Carla uncertainly agrees, and she's on shaky ground too, I'm sure, because she's got to be vaguely afraid that Betty will fire her to cover her own ass, I'm sure. Don arrives home and goes straight to the liquor, and when Betty asks how his day was, he confesses it was not good. Betty's eyes go to Carla, who has her back to her but still almost flinches, and then Betty puts on a show of saying she "didn't want to bother" Don with it, but Francine sent Francis over to the house, and Carla met him. Carla proves to be another person on the show with absolutely no poker face as she looks like she's wishing the ground would open up and take her away from these whiteys and their rich-people problems. Betty brightly continues on about the fundraiser, and Don couldn't give a shit if she wants to host it as long as he doesn't have to go. Carla moves to get her coat, continuing to do a fair impression of someone walking on eggshells, and Betty's eyes follow her appraisingly for a moment before finishing up telling Don about the shindig. Don goes upstairs to lie down, and then Carla leaves, uncertainly wishing a good night to Betty, who doesn't return the sentiment. If Carla's not a drinker, I bet she's going to start awfully soon, because how else do you survive in an atmosphere like this?
Sal's still in the office, possibly to get his portfolio together, but after an underling wishes him good night, he breaks down and covers his eyes. Not on the sketches, Sal! I laugh so as not to cry myself. I just want to see this character happy, and it is so never going to happen. At least he's in good company on this show, though.
Speaking of people who are working late, here's Francis, who gets a call from Betty informing him they're on for the fundraiser. After catching on that Betty is not talking freely, Francis asks if she really wants to go through with it, but Betty, within earshot of Don, who's on the couch in the other room, drops her voice and says she had to. Because she...needed to make a vain attempt to convince her maid that she's not having an affair? I mean, that is the reason, but it sounds silly when you say it out loud.
Don is giving his pitch to Connie and two of his underlings. The basic idea is that in luring Americans abroad, they have to remember that they enjoy day-to-day luxuries on a scale greater than just about anywhere in the world. He continues, "Now there's one word that promises the thrill of international travel with the comfort of home. Hilton." The artwork presses the concept, the first one asking, "How do you say 'ice water' in Italian?" and continuing the idea with fresh towels in Farsi and hamburger in Japanese, and winds up, "Hilton. It's the same in every language." It's a good pitch, but you'll notice that the Music Of Don Draper Casting His Hypnotic Spell is missing, so it's no surprise that Connie's not going to bow down in front of his genius. After nitpicking the hamburger idea, Connie sits back for a long moment during which Don looks like he's getting uncomfortable, and then proclaims it very good -- it's clever, yet friendly, and draws you in. "But what about the moon?" Don's confused at first, and then points out that that's not actually an achievable destination at the moment, but Connie says that's not the point -- he wanted Hilton on the moon, and couldn't have been more clear about it. That's patently untrue -- he said he wanted a Hilton on the moon, which is another thing entirely -- but I think he loves this game of giving with one hand and taking with the other, and is using this as an opportunity to make sure Don still knows who the boss is. Ultimately, Connie wants what he wants when he wants it, and he's saying, whether he believes it or not, that Don has let him down. I think it's a rather poignant parallel to the behavior Francis has exhibited with Betty all along, and what Pete did with Gudrun as well -- there are few better ways to make people feel powerless than to change the rules of the game in the middle, and that's really what the whole season is about. Anyway, Don tries to say he misunderstood and that the moon idea can probably be incorporated into the concept, but that's clearly not what Connie wants to hear, and he announces to the room that he'd like to speak with Don in private. To their credit, Smitty, Peggy, and Kurt look at Don for orders, but Don gives them leave to go, if not without irritation at what's to come. As she closes the door, Peggy gives another understanding look Don's way, and then Don tries to defend his work, but Connie cuts him off: "I'm going to speak very honestly with you. I don't think folks do that often." Don is not ready to be lectured, though, as he pointedly shoots back that most ad men believe that clients get in the way of good work. "I've never experienced that." Connie, however, stays on message, and reiterates that Don didn't give him what he wanted. "I'm deeply disappointed, Don." Wow, weaving a twisted father-son dynamic into a business relationship and alliteration too? I can see why he's going to take over the world. Don, sounding more impotent now, repeats that it's a great campaign, but while Connie concedes again that the work is good, he gets the last word: "When I say I want the moon, I expect the moon." I'd imagine Don's going to take everything out of his mouth literally from now on, so I'll be interested to see what will happen should Connie ever tell him to fuck a duck. Connie takes off, and I expect Don's agenda for the rest of the day will be to call Connie's kids and bitch about what Dad did now.
It's fundraiser time, and while there's a decent turnout, Francis isn't there yet -- but just as Francine asks where he is, the doorbell rings. While Carla gets it, Francine says she wants to know how Rockefeller will deal with the South should he be elected, and that other woman from the Junior League who was at the meeting last episode adds that the situation must be bad "for the Negroes to descend on Washington like that, just to be heard." Some other random woman opines that segregation is uncivilized, pure and simple, and then the doorbell-ringer is shown in -- but it's not Francis. Instead, it's a fiftyish woman from his office who says she'll be speaking on Francis's behalf. Betty doesn't even try to hide her disappointment, rather gauchely saying it won't help their fundraising efforts to "promise one thing and deliver another" (or change the rules of the game in the middle, ahem), but the woman takes that in stride and says Francis felt she might be "a better match" for the group, and adds that she's "extremely informed" -- in fact, she's the one that briefs Francis. Misreading Betty's lemon-sucking face, she moves in and conspiratorially assures her she won't embarrass her in front of her friends, which is hilarious given that Betty's behaving like a spoiled child, and Betty, who's in an even worse mood given the mention of Francis and his briefs, rather sullenly invites her to begin wh