Mad Men #18 (2.5), 8/24/08: "It will shock you how much it never happened"

Catch this and the other four episodes of the season so far on Sunday, August 31, from 5 to 10 pm.

This is a rant-free recap!

Pete and Trudy go to a fertility specialist. Pete is immature and defensive about some of the questions, but insists he hasn't had any problems. He thinks he wants a child, but sometimes - with the world the way it is - he's not so sure. (He wonders if having a Xerox machine elsewhere in the office interferes with his fertility.) He admits to being insecure about the Bomb, his job, his in-laws, the economy, his father's death... before long it sounds like he needs a psychiatrist. The fertility guy is supportive and reassuring.

At the office, Joan is showing off her engagement ring. She wants to get married around Christmas.

Bobbie calls for Don. "Grin and Bear It," the mean-spirited Candid Camera ripoff, is going to be piloted. Jimmy's gone home in a snit. She wants Don to drink and celebrate with her. He says no. She hangs up on him. He joins her. She orders his drink. Rachel shows up with her husband Tilden Katz. (Evidently, the Menkens eventually took their advertising business to a place called Grey.) Bobbie has to introduce herself. The Katzes excuse themselves. Bobbie notes Don's altered mood.

Bobbie describes her work with Jimmy - she basically does everything for him all the time. She enjoys negotiating. Don doesn't. She asks what does he like, then? Does he like the ocean? She (she doesn't say "we") has a place by the shore. She wants her some sex on the beach.

They head out to the beach. They're drinking straight out of the bottle in the car. She questions him about all the things he likes and doesn't like. He likes the Italian film La Notte (I don't think this was the film he was watching in episode 3 this season). She feels great. Don says he doesn't feel a thing.

She tries to give him something to feel. He closes his eyes. Someone honks. Don swerves to avoid a collision. They skid and flip over.

At the police station, the cop says Don's over the legal limit of 0.15% (the legal limit in most states now is 0.08%). The fine is $150. Don offers $63 cash and promises to mail the rest. Or he could send $500 tomorrow. The cop doesn't bite; the opportunity to nail an overprivileged city boy is worth more than $500 to him.

Don calls Peggy, who shows up with $110. She gives Bobbie a funny look (she is sporting a black eye from the accident) but doesn't say anything. She drives them home in her brother-in-law Gerry's car and gripes about the possibility of having to clean their barf out of it.

They begin planning their alibis; Bobbie will stay with Peggy until her black eye gets better so Jimmy can't see it. They squabble about which airport (for Don to rent a car) is quicker to get to to get to, LaGuardia vs. Idlewild. Peggy will pick up Bobbie's dry cleaning so she'll have something to wear.

Don swears Peggy to silence. "It's business," he explains defensively. She doesn't want him treating her badly because she reminds him of it. "This can be fixed," she says.

Don finally gets home in the wee hours and tells Betty he had an accident and didn't want to call and wake her. He tells her he has high blood pressure, and the pills mixed with the drinks made him lose control of the car. She's upset she didn't tell him. Her father has high blood pressure too.

Bobbie is at Peggy's. She's wearing that dry-cleaned outfit - a red party gown. She tells Jimmy she's at a fat farm because one of his friends made a crack about her. She says she needs to lose weight if she's going to be on TV.

She is trying to be a good houseguest for Peggy. She bemoans Marilyn Monroe's personal problems. Peggy thinks most women would love to have Monroe's problems. Monroe will be singing at the President's birthday party on TV. Peggy wonders if Bobbie has a concussion or worse. Bobbie says she keeps forgetting the accident. The memory keeps getting stranger. Peggy says, "if you're lucky it will disappear."

Don's new secretary, Lois's replacement, went to college, so Joan expects her to be a quick study with her impatient boss Mr. Draper while (Joan casually adds) she's planning her wedding. Joan says she's been offered a few rings, but this one's the best. Jane, the new girl, says she's "a little bit clairvoyant" and that Joan and what's-his-name will be very happy together.

Ken, Paul, and Harry show up to check Jane out. Ken claims he needs to see Don. (He and Jane are making a lot of eye contact.) Don shows up, says "morning," and hands her his hat. He tells Ken he doesn't pay much attention anymore because they don't last very long.

Don's arm is in a sling. He tells Ken he fell on the stairs. Ken says Jimmy wants to come in. Don wants to hold him off. He calls Bobbie. She's mystified - she thought she was covered.

Peggy offers to play cards with Bobbie. Bobbie wants to know why Peggy is doing this for Don. Is she seeing him? Peggy says he made her a copywriter. "I bet you made yourself a copywriter." Bobbie muses ruefully that he's a more decent man than you would expect. Peggy gives a pissy reply and goes to her room for a nap.

Flashback: Peggy's in the hospital. The doctor is telling her pregnant sister and her mother she has a psychoneurotic disorder. Peggy responds to her mother's voice. The doctor sends them out of the room and interviews Peggy. She's doped up and "relaxed" so she'll feel like talking. (She doesn't seem very chatty to me.) She knows what year it is and where she is, but not why she's there. He reminds her she had a baby. She doesn't react.

Pete goes to the fertility clinic and prepares to give his sample. Cut to Roger playing with a rubber ball/elastic/wooden paddle toy. Joan comes in to scold him about the sound, which can be heard in the office. He questions Joan about her engagement. He's snarky and sour. He is not a fan of marriage and he's disappointed she's going for it. She says she's in love and makes it clear that she won't be playing with him. He predicts she'll quit her job. She doesn't think so.

Peggy continues to keep Bobbie company. She's still wearing that same party dress. She used to be a dancer. Does Peggy have a boyfriend? Is she in love with Don? Peggy says no and takes offense at the personal questions. She doesn't want to know personal things about Bobbie either.

Jane seems to be giving a peepshow for her fan club. Joan scatters the crowd and scolds Jane. Jane plays innocent, but Joan tells her to get a sweater at lunch.

Ken comes by to warn Jane about Jimmy's visit. Actually, he's trying very hard to impress her with his celebrity friendship. Jane asks what his title is. "Title? I'm Ken! Cosgrove... Accounts?" She calmly tells him the appointment is already in her book.

He tries to ask her out on a date to see one of Jimmy's shows. The dubious magic of this moment is spoiled when Freddie comes out of his office and plays a Mozart tune on his pants zipper, practically in Jane's face. Neither Ken nor Jane is amused. Ken stalks off, frustrated. Freddie is miffed that his virtuoso performance fell flat.

Bobbie is finally in another dress, getting ready to leave. Her bruise is hidden with makeup. She keeps trying to thank Peggy for letting her stay, and Peggy keeps trying to deflect her thanks. Bobbie doesn't think Peggy is ambitious enough. She advises her to live the life of the person she wants to be, and treat Don only as an equal. Don't try to be a man, but be a woman.

I'm not sure Peggy welcomes the advice. Bobbie arranges to go to the station and pretend she's coming back from the fat farm.

Trudy says the doctor's office said his fish are swimmin'. He's so pleased that he doesn't notice she's upset. Even when she explains why, he still doesn't really get it. He questions why they have to do this at all. They won't be able to travel or go anywhere. She says he's immature. He's angry that she isn't thrilled with his test results and he isn't at all concerned that she may have a health problem. He lets her know she's on her own with this. She apologizes to him. She asks what "all this" (their life together) is for if they don't have a baby. He takes her out to dinner.

Peggy folds the blankets on the sofa where Bobbie slept.

Flashback. Don's visiting Peggy at St. Mary's Hospital. She's surprised to see him. He says she disappeared after she got her promotion, so he called her roommate, who had him call Peg's mom, who said she was quarantined with tuberculosis. "I guess that was supposed to lessen my concern," he jokes wryly. She tells him she doesn't know what's wrong or what she's supposed to do.

"Yes you do. Do it. Do whatever they say." He leans in close. "Peggy, listen to me. Get out of here and move forward. This never happened. It will shock you how much it never happened."

Peggy is finally back in the office. She tells the junior madmen she was "sick." Don makes a big show of giving Peggy a hard time in front of them. He still gives her a hard time about being unprepared when they're alone. She stiffens her spine and asks him to pay back the $110 she gave him. He gives her some of it and promises to have the rest the next day. "I guess when you try to forget something, you have to forget everything." Peggy boldly looks him in the eye and thanks him.

Jimmy and Bobbie Barrett show up. It's hard to tell whether he sees the look Bobbie and Peggy exchange. The Barrett's go into Don's office, where Jimmy seems to express doubt about the origin of Don's injury. He thanks Don for helping him handle Utz to get him the show. He expresses surprise that Don was willing to help, in light of Jimmy's bad behavior.

Is this a sincere thank you? Or is he passively-aggressively hinting that he knows or suspects something? Did someone (Rachel?) tip him off, or is Jimmy smarter than he pretends to be?

Meatloaf for dinner. The kids cheer Don as usual when he gets home. Betty's greeting is much more subdued. He's annoyed there's no salt. She tells the kids it's because they love him.

Closing music: Incidental music, but they were listening to "Theme from 'A Summer Place'" in the car on the way to the beach. End credits are followed with a warning not to drink and drive. Ah, thanks for that, I wasn't sure what you were trying to tell me when the car flipped over. (It might make more sense to show the warning in all the episodes where the car does NOT flip over. They should also warn people not to drive with their eyes closed.)

Quote of the week: "Pick a job and become the person that does it." (Bobbie)