Don and Betty go to an awards dinner, where Don wins a crummy trophy that falls apart before sunup. They drink heavily, drunk-drive home which seems to be PERFECTLY SAFE in 1960, and wake up the next morning with hangovers.
Ken Cosgrove, a junior executive, has been writing short stories on the side - he just got published in Atlantic Monthly. He's very smug about it; Roger even congratulates him personally. The guys are all jealous of Ken - especially Paul, the aspiring writer, and Pete. Pete gripes about it to Trudy at home that night. Apparently he has written a story of his own; all we're told is that there's a hunter and a bear. Trudy tries to be supportive, but it's clear that she thinks it's crap. He asks her to shop his story to an agent she knows named Charlie Fiddich.
Trudy tries, but Charlie is her ex... in fact, he was her first lover. He's not impressed by the story either. He's seeing someone, but he wants Trudy. Trudy says refuses.
Trudy tells Pete that Charlie will publish the story in Boys' Life - for a $40 fee. (I think Ken received $500 for his story.) Trudy tries to be upbeat about it, but Pete is disgusted - both with Charlie and with Trudy. He says it was a year's work. He's frustrated that no one seems to understand how great his story is.
It seems pretty clear that Pete understands what Trudy would have had to do in order to get a better deal out of Charlie; and evidently he's angry with her for not prostituting herself to advance his ego and an undeserved literary career.
That's the end of this storyline - it doesn't leak over into another episode. It's only there to show us how arrogant, conceited, and insensitive Pete is - just in case you weren't sure before. He has lots of raw talent and occasionally comes up with great ideas, but his privileged childhood, pettiness, inexperience, and lack of humility prevent him from seeing just what an amateur he still is.
Another thought I've had about Pete, which isn't directly related to this or any other specific plot point, is that Pete seems to look up to Don as a father figure. Sad choice, since Don doesn't seem to like Pete any better than Pete's own father does.
Now, on to the fun stuff:
Don wonders why they bother attracting women to banks by giving away free toasters. After all, men make the money and they own the accounts. The men brainstorm for a while and realize that discreet, private accounts - "executive accounts," Don elaborates - could be a great idea.
Midge calls for Don. Peggy overhears some of the conversation by mistake and realizes that Don's got a girlfriend.
The Don gets a visitor named Adam Whitman. He insists on calling Don "Dick" (the name, not the insult). Don plays dumb, but it turns out Adam is the younger half-brother that Don abandoned. (I'm actually not sure how much of the backstory they covered in this episode, so maybe we don't know yet that they're only half-brothers. Not that there's anything wrong with that.) Adam is a janitor at the Empire State building, and in one of the wastebaskets he saw a magazine article with a photo of Don accepting that award.
Adam is visibly delighted to see his brother. He asks Don why he left him. Adam's mom died of stomach cancer. Don says, "Good." Uncle Mac is dead too. Don continues to be reticent. He finally manages to get rid of Adam by agreeing to meet him for lunch at a crummy diner.
A while later, during lunch hour, Betty shows up at the office with Sally and Robert for the family photo. Peggy panics, thinking Don is with Midge; she asks Joan for advice. She lets Joan know a little too much. Joan tells Peggy to keep to keep Betty busy and let Don make up his own excuse when he comes back. Then Peggy can just apologize for being so dumb.
At lunch, Adam is sad, confused, and curious. Don won't tell him anything and discourages him from contacting him again.
Peggy and Betty make small talk in Don's office. Don finally shows up with a great excuse - "I forgot." Peggy apologizes for stupidly forgetting to remind him.
At home later, Betty tells her neighbor Francine that she doesn't like the way the pictures turned out. (Fastest film lab ever!) She think Sally looks fat, and the color is off. She also feels that she wasn't treated like royalty at the office.
The Liberty Capital Bank client shows up for his meeting. Pete flatters Don effusively, but Paul does the pitch. The man will receive his statements at the office instead of at home. Woohoo! "Liberty for the Libertine!"
The client is thrilled. Now he can charge extra for a service that he's been providing anyway!
Speaking of mail that's discreetly sent to the office rather than the home, Adam has sent Don his contact information and some old photos.
Joan tells Peggy to keep Don's private life private and stop judging him.
Betty talks to Don about going to her family's place in Cape May in August. He doesn't like being there; she and the kids will go without him. She also tells him that she likes Peggy, though it's not quite clear that she does...
Don burns the photos that Adam sent. He goes to Adam's place, a dingy little hotel room, and gives him all of his savings - $5,000 - to "leave New York, leave me alone, and make a new life. Pretend I'm dead." Adam's heartbroken, but he doesn't put up a fight. They hug. Don's face is wet.
Later, Betty asks Don if they can get their own summer home, since they had such a good year. Don says they don't have that much money.
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