Episode Report Card Couch Baron: B+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Betty…Whitman?
By Couch Baron | Season 3 | Episode 10 | Aired on 10.18.2009
...and we cut to Pryce, who's rehearsing his speech for the dinner in front of Hooker. When Hooker toadishly pronounces his effort "very rousing," Pryce asks, "Churchill rousing or Hitler rousing?" Good line, but I doubt that tepid speech is going to incite anyone to war, be it for good or evil. Anyway, the phone thankfully rings before Hooker has to answer the question, and when he gets it, he tells Pryce that it's Ford for him. When Pryce takes the call, Ford tells him he's calling for a status report on the party, and when Ford learns that Bertram won't be attending, he says that won't do, as they've "had interest" in the company for some months now, and the party may be critical to attracting a "second suitor." Pryce, not wanting to hear this, obtusely asks for what purpose, so Ford, after giving the British equivalent of "I can't talk to you when you're like this," hands the phone off to Powell, who lays it out: SC is for sale. Pryce asks why, as they've reduced the staff and significantly increased the revenue, but Powell points out that he's answered his own question before going on that they need the party to encourage interest. This is a little unclear to me -- I know representatives of SC's clients are going to be attending, but it still seems like another ad agency would be the most likely buyer, so are they inviting any targeted potential buyers? If so, wouldn't they want to let the top Americans in on the joke before they figure it out for themselves? Anyway, these details are apparently secondary to the idea that Pryce doesn't want SC to be sold. Not least, I'd imagine, because it could mean a one-way ticket to India in his near future.
Betty calls Francis to see if he was the one who rang earlier in the episode, and while I appreciate the show's need to illustrate Don's and Betty's differing view of the Mystery Hangup, I loathe storylines that simply refuse to be tied up, not to mention the fact that I can't believe she would think for one moment that Francis would call her at night when he's perfectly aware that she's reachable during the day, so this whole effort artificially makes her seem even flightier and more childish than she is (which is very, mind you). So: Francis tells her not to call him again unless she's serious, and they disconnect, leaving us to get on with the storylines that are more important, which is all of them.
Pryce comes in to see Bertram (who's totally watching a soap opera, heh) and says he hears he's not attending the dinner. Bertram: "I wouldn't have told Roger if I planned on it remaining a secret." Nice. I love the idea of Roger being the yenta of the office. He'd probably hang out with the girls a lot more if it weren't for restraining orders. Pryce settles into a chair and offers sympathy, saying he's been to dinners like these before, and the elder members are always equally unenthused about them. "It's painful, I imagine." Bertram archly replies that he didn't get to where he is by dwelling on the past, so Pryce runs with that, saying he should think of the future, and their clients, employees, and the press. "Enjoy the fruit of your longevity." Bertram is unconvinced by this admittedly weak effort, but Pryce shows us he knows what he's doing when he suggests that if Bertram doesn't come, people will think it's because he's ill. Bertram's head swivels at that remark, but upon seeing the lugubrious, laid-on-thick expression on Pryce's face, he chuckles, causing Pryce to break into a grin. Conceding the game, Bertram asks how Pryce knew he was vain, and rather than scoff good-naturedly at how obvious it is, Pryce...oh, wait, that's exactly what he does.
Betty finally hears the damned keys jingling in the dryer, like thanks for finally recovering your ability to hear, hon. She gets them out and, realizing what they are, heads into the study...
...wherein she unlocks the fateful drawer. In it she finds photographs of Don's childhood, including one that's marked "Dick and Adam, 1944," and also a twin sets of dog tags (we know he put his "Dick Whitman" one on the real Don Draper, but according to Wikipedia, at least, you get a second copy), his discharge letter from the Army, the deed to the house in Long Beach in Anna Draper's name, and the certificate of divorce between him and Anna. How clearly she understands what this all means is uncertain, but to say that she's stunned would be quite the understatement. She and Skyler over on Breaking Bad should get together and compare notes sometime. Just then, she hears the back door open and drops Don's Box of Secrets in surprise, and when she hears Sally's and Carla's voices, she gets up and moves to the doorway, from which she tells Carla to take the kids and not come back until dinnertime. If Carla thinks this means Francis is coming over to, er, schedule another fundraiser, she doesn't show it, and Betty closes herself back up in the study to figure out just what will be an appropriate response to this mess.
Don shows up at Suzanne's once again, but after they kiss warmly, he sees that Danny is still there, although his bags are packed. Danny apologizes, saying they were supposed to leave after school, and even without a hint I wonder if the implication is that he had a seizure. Suzanne asks Don if he'd like to wait there for her, as Danny has to be at work the next day, but Don manfully offers to drive him. After Danny says he's going to "Bedford, Mass" (there is a Bedford in Upstate New York, but he specifically says Massachusetts), Suzanne points out that it's a long drive (in the neighborhood of two hundred miles), but he counters that she'd have to come back alone. "Let me do this for you." Of course, they could all go, but it's possible Don's sensing what's really going to go down and wants to spare her, or, given his Adam issues, he just wants to do this kindness to the boy by himself, and Danny runs with the opportunity, saying he'd rather not say goodbye up there. Suzanne lets the boys go, but not before giving Danny three hundred and seventy-five dollars (rather large sum for a teacher to part with) and a big hug. He wonders how many times she's done this, but that's a question neither of them really wants to dwell on, so he disengages and leaves as Suzanne watches him go, tears in her eyes...
...while Betty is sitting on the couch waiting for Don to come home, the box sitting out on the table for him to see as soon as he walks in. She should have known better -- even in her drug-addled state, she reminded us he's never where you expect him to be.
In the car, Danny is making pointed comments about stopping for gas, but when Don doesn't bite, he comes clean and says he's not going to Bedford. Don doesn't look entirely surprised, but replies, "Well, I am. So I guess you kinda have to." I wouldn't have expected him to be so flip with young folk anymore -- they'll knock you on the head first chance they get. Danny asks why he cares, as he's "just gonna go back and screw her," but Don is unappreciative of such language at the moment, and sharply tells him the job he's going to is important. Danny, in turn, does not want to hear a stranger's opinion on his life, and tells Don that Julius Caesar had epilepsy, and he ran Rome, and he, Danny, is twenty-five years old and doesn't want to be cleaning toilets until he dies, the unstated part being that he's relegated to such positions because people can't deal with his condition. He tells Don to pull over, and after a long look at him, the implication that