Maybe it’s just the cocktails talking, but since this is the season finale, I don’t think there’s any point in going through the episode scene by scene by scene, so let’s just look at the various events that went down, along with their repercussions:

Don and Fay: I think we all knew they were more or less doomed from the moment Don sexed up Megan in his office, but, man, it just got more and more depressing to watch them interact, especially knowing that Fay had basically betrayed her principles for the sake of their relationship. Her speech to him before she headed off on her flight underlined yet again how much she cared about him. I really do think that Don wanted it to work out between them, but as he proved last week with his letter to The New York Times (and, of course, on probably a hundred more occasions in other episodes), he’s a man who does things on impulse, rarely bothering to concern himself with the possible repercussions. I can’t imagine that their final phone conversation will prove to be the last we see of Fay, but if it is, you can’t say she didn’t get the best possible last word, snapping, “I hope she knows you only like the beginnings of things.”

Don and Megan: As soon I saw Don start talking to Megan, I said to my wife, “Oh, God, don’t tell me he’s going to ask her to watch the kids for him…” But, of course, he did. I knew that the fire between them was destined to be rekindled at some point during the trip to California, but, really, did anyone anticipate that it would all go down so fast? Even when Stephanie gave Don the ring, I couldn’t imagine that he and Fay would ever actually make it to the altar, but, Jesus, it never occurred to me that, before episode’s end, the ring would be on Megan’s finger…and, yet, looking back at the episode, it’s very easy to see how Don got so caught up in it all.

First and foremost, Megan loves the kids and the kids love Megan. Don’s initial line when he walks into the room to a French chorus – “You said you didn’t have any experience, but you’re like Maria von Trapp!” – was hilarious, but it still wasn’t as funny as the expressions on the faces of Sally, Bobby, and Don when Megan kept her cool after Sally’s milkshake spillage. On top of that, she’s gorgeous, smart, and respects what Don does, all of which are important qualities. Still, let’s not kid ourselves: it’s the way she handles the kids that seals the deal.

In the midst of post-coital bliss, Megan tells Don, “I know who you are now.” Except she doesn’t. Not really, anyway. But she’ll no doubt find out at some point in the future. Maybe Betty and Fay can fill her in…?

Daddy’s a Dick: I thought it was pretty bold of Don to admit to Sally that the “Dick” painted on Anna’s wall was actually him, even if he did soften it somewhat by adding, “That’s my nickname sometimes.”

American Cancer Society: The thing that struck me the most about the meeting was that, although Pete’s obviously proven himself as a businessman, he’s still a really shitty wingman. (“I have to say, it’s very interesting!” Gimme a break.) I liked the look of “gee, I never thought of that” which appeared in all of their eyes when Don suggested the idea of playing to the sentimentality and self-obsession inherent in all teenagers.

Joan: I loved her line about being promoted to Director of Agency Operations without being given any sort of raise to go with the title (“Well, it’s almost an honor”), but although I’d wondered about whether or not she might’ve kept the baby, I had to laugh when my wife said, “Her husband’s a doctor! How can he not know from her due date that the baby isn’t his?” Hey, nobody ever said he was a good doctor. Plus, who knows what she’s told him about how far along she is?

Ken: For someone who didn’t seem to be much more than Pete’s nemesis for the past season or two, the dude really came into his own this episode. First, he showed serious cajones by standing up to Don and Roger and basically saying, “My marriage is more important than this company,” and although they might not have been happy about it, you could see from Don’s expression and Roger’s actions (which were partially obscured by his quick jab at Ken’s masculinity) that they both respected his decision. On a related note, he proved during his trip to Topaz with Peggy that, unlike Pete, he’s prone to respect and appreciate his coworkers rather than be jealous of them: she clearly showed him up with her knowledge of pantyhose, but in the end, all that mattered to him was that they got the client.

Peggy: Such a rollercoaster this week for Peggy, winning the client, only to find out that Don was marrying his secretary who…ouch…”reminds me of you.” That has got to hurt. You know it’s bad when she seeks solace in Joan’s office…and, seriously, how funny was Christina Hendricks’ delivery of the line, “Whatever could be on your mind?”

Harry: I don’t even know why Harry’s there anymore. He’s in charge of TV advertising, for Christ’s sake. He should be one of the biggest people in the firm, and yet he was relegated to the kind of comic relief we’d come to expect from the late Ida Blankenship earlier this season. Here’s hoping he makes a comeback in Season 5.

Glen: I secretly call him “Li’l Jackass” and I’m confident that he’s a budding sociopath, but damned if that hug between him and Sally wasn’t the cutest thing ever…and damned if he didn’t give Betty the verbal smackdown she’s deserved all season. (“Just ‘cause you’re sad doesn’t mean everybody has to be.”) I hope Sally ended up buying him something after all.

Carla: Anyone who didn’t yell or at least mutter “that bitch” under their breath when Betty fired Carla just isn’t human. Unbelievable. What do you think the odds are that Don ends up hiring Carla back? (Or will Megan just turn into a happy homemaker?)

Betty: Despite the incredibly bitchy move of firing Carla, lest she continue to “poison the well,” it was hard not to feel at least a slight pang of remorse for Betty when she was lying alone on the mattress. After Glen scored his verbal victory, Henry shot her between the eyes with his one-liner: “No one’s ever on your side, Betty.” By the end of the episode, it had gotten so bad that she was even willing to admit to Don that “things aren’t perfect,” and when she visibly flinched when he said that he’d met someone, I got the feeling that we were seeing the opening moments of what will come to be a downward spiral for Betty in Season 5, much like the one Don dealt with in Season 4. Of course, I could be wrong…but, then, we won’t know for another year, now, will we?

See you in 2011, folks!

So here we are on Monday morning, and although I’m still pretty freaking tired, I’m at least slightly better rested than I was last night.

Guess I picked the right button: it’s another episode directed by John Slattery. Things kick off with Don having an off-the-record meeting with a guy from Heinz, trying to get a feel for whether or not the company might be willing to hook up with Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. It’s clear that he respects Don and his work (though he may just be saying that because Don’s behind his premise that beans don’t have to be funny), but they’re on different timetables. There are two people at that table, but only one of them has any real confidence that SCDP will be around in six to eight months, and, frankly, you can’t blame Heinz for wanting to make sure that they’re working with an ad agency that’s going to have some sort of staying power.

Geoffrey Atherthon lays the state of SCDP on the line, using dating metaphors to make his point, and since “tobacco is your ideal boyfriend,” he’s helped provide the firm with a meeting with Philip Morris about their new cigarette line for women. “We will listen more than we will speak,” says Bert, matter-of-factly. “Like a good girlfriend,” smirks Atherton. Immediately after the meeting, everyone begins to break into small camps: Bert and Roger discussing what sort of clients they should be pursuing, Harry and Ken mostly just trying to figure out where they stand in the firm, and Pete and Lane talking about the state of the office and Don saving the day. Meanwhile, Don and Faye are chatting as well, but it’s work-related, so the conversation ends in a handshake, a decision which clearly bemuses Don. I’m guessing it probably wasn’t a coincidence that the shot was framed in such a way that Megan appeared to be between them.

Not that I want to come across as overly cynical, but when Sally started asking about eating dinner with Henry, my first thought was, “What’s she up to?” Up to this point, all we’ve really seen is tension between Sally and Betty, and now Sally’s trying to suck up…? It just goes against everything we know about her.

Why am I not surprised that Sally’s new boyfriend has some experience with tricking psychiatrist? He’s such a creepy little bugger. He’s also got an ego, first asking her if she thinks he’s smarter than her psychiatrist (wisely, she remains mum on the matter), then wanting to know if she talks to her mom about him. She did, but she doesn’t anymore. Sally’s modus operandi is to just do whatever her mother asks her to do, thereby keeping her off her back. That’s great, but it’s too late: the emotional scars from their mother/daughter relationship are already in place. The poor kid has no concept of a parent or role model who would actually feel a sense of pride from her actions. She doesn’t even believe in Heaven. That’s just sad…

And could Betty possibly have looked more horrified at the news that Sally was all better? “I’m afraid of losing this influence,” Betty says, but it’s clear that what she’s afraid of is losing the chance to talk to a psychiatrist without all that nasty stigma of actually going to one on her own.

I’m pretty sure my expression mirrored Don’s when Midge came onto the screen. Indeed, I actually had to Google her to refresh my memory on exactly who she was…but, in my defense, I wasn’t blogging Season 1, so I wasn’t following the ins and outs of the show quite as diligently at the time. It seemed more than a little bit odd that she’d invite Don, a former lover, over to meet her husband, so I was pretty suspicious about her intentions from the get-go, and once we actually met her husband, I knew something was off-kilter. Not like it was hard to tell, what with the hubby all but pimping out his honey, saying to Don, “She digs you…and I can tell you, she’d do anything if you bought one.” But heroin…? I definitely didn’t see that coming. Her state of affairs is pretty tragic, but it was almost as depressing to see Don twitch when she told him that she was glad he hadn’t changed.

It was a cute little scene with a nervous Don reciting the old “Peter Piper” line, having to get assurance from Peggy that he’s going to do great with the Philip Morris meeting. How depressing, then, to have it turn into the same situation as Heinz: a desire to wait six months and see how things are going with the firm then. I laughed out loud at Harry’s attempt to slip into the gathering of the partners, but there weren’t any smiles being cracked within the office. When Don tossed back his drink and stormed out of the office, I figured he was probably off to beat the bushes and find a new client. Instead, he was actually heading back to his office to have another drink and wallow in self-pity. After his brief rant about the unimportance of creative types, Peggy looked like she was going to cry, “I have no more heroes!”

Tensions are running high outside of the office, too. The way Pete reacted to the news that he – like the rest of the partners – would have to fork out a sizable chunk of dough to keep the firm afloat, I immediately wondered if he even had that much, especially having just had a baby. He didn’t, of course. When he went to Trudy and told her the situation, though, I didn’t expect that kind of reaction, given that she’s always been so supportive of his endeavors in the past. Is it sexist to suggest that maybe it’s at least partially the hormones talking?

For Don, the time has come at last: Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce may be, according to Atherton, “a certain kind of girl,” but that girl is finally giving up cigarettes. It’s arguably the ballsiest move Don’s ever made, putting his thoughts on the matter to paper and running them in The New York Times, but, damn, what a way to make the firm stand out in the crowd. Personally, I thought the move was genius, but everyone else was ready to throttle Don, and I laughed out loud at Roger’s lone positive spin on the situation: “It’s good not to be the reason this place went down anymore.” Be honest: did you really think it was RFK on the phone? I knew it had to be a prank. In fact, my thought was, “Is it Ted Shaw, or is it someone from within SCD&P?” It was the latter, of course, but, really, it could’ve gone either way. The kids in the office have no respect for Don, anyway, and…well, you know things are bad when Bert Cooper takes his shoes and goes home. (Megan’s in his court, at least, but that doesn’t count for a lot at the moment.)

Does Peggy really have so little self-confidence that she thought Don was going to let her go before anyone else? Another chuckle-worthy moment came when she instantly threw Danny to the wolves, but it was really quite sweet when threw his “shenanigans” comment back in his lap. Faye’s support for Don is unyielding: his actions cause her firm to depart from SCD&P, but she’s still ready to spend the evening with him. It’s worth it, she feels, for them to now be able to have a relationship that doesn’t find them working together…but what if work was the only real bond between them? What a great scene between Faye and Peggy at the end, too, revealing the similarities between their characters.

I knew that Sally’s storyline would cross with Betty’s at some point, but I can’t say as I anticipated that Betty would stumble upon Sally’s liaisons with her boyfriend. I feel strange saying this, but…for once, I actually feel comfortable siding with one of Betty’s parental decisions: I know it’s a heartbreaker for Sally, but Betty needed to cut ties with that house, and we know Sally’s boyfriend is a creep, so the idea of moving seems like a no-lose scenario. Still, handling it with that “she’ll get over it” mentality was 100% typical Betty, so it was pretty easy to go right back to disliking her.

The final meeting of the episode held several more funny moments – Lane seconding Joan’s sage wisdom on the matter of making sure that office supplies don’t walk out with the departing employees, the fact that the first significant call after Don’s ad was from the American Cancer Society, Roger saying, “I’ve got to go learn a bunch of people’s names before I fire them” – but it also featured a surprising one, with Lane revealing that Don had paid Pete’s share of the money to keep the firm afloat. Maybe it’s just to keep Pete’s mouth shut (he does still know his secret, after all), but it was still a sweet gesture.

Things aren’t exactly on a positive upswing for next week’s season finale. Will the day yet be saved, or will Season 5 kick off with yet another new firm? We shall see…

If you’re not familiar with the term, it’s an expression which, according to the never-fallible Wikipedia, means “an information barrier implemented within a firm to separate and isolate persons who make investment decisions from persons who are privy to undisclosed material information which may influence those decisions.” In this case, the wall in question has been constructed by Roger, and he’s put everyone else on the other side of it.

And, now, on with the episode!

Hey, look, Peggy’s hanging with the lesbian from Life and her pals, including the guy who pissed her off with his writings a few episodes back. I guess all is forgiven now that he’s asking permission to quote her, since she immediately brings him back to her pad (I was disappointed, though, that Peggy’s reference to her roommate didn’t result in an appearance from Carla Gallo), and a good night evolves into an even better morning. We’re seeing a whole new Peggy, people!

Ray Wise in the house! Ken Cosgrove and his fiancee are having dinner with her parents – yep, Mr. Wise is her dad – when he gets word that Lucky Strike is moving out of business with Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. As you can imagine, this information scares the heck out of him…so much so, in fact, that he rushes out of dinner and into the waiting room at the maternity ward, where Pete is waiting for Trudy to have their baby. Pete’s immediately on the phone to Don, and although he interrupts his makeout session with Faye to take the call, the topic of conversation instantly puts a damper on his libido. The next thing you know, everyone who’s anyone – minus Lane, of course, though it’s acknowledged that he’s been duly informed – is at the office, ready to pounce on Roger the second he walks in. He claims it’s an impossibility and immediately calls Lee, except we know from his comments that he’s clearly not talking to him.

Don heads back to his place and immediately starts drinking, and you know that ain’t a good sign. He acknowledges that he’s more or less dreaded this possibility for quite some time, but although Faye tries to remind him of how valuable a player he is, Don dismisses her level of concern, saying, “I’m not at that point yet.” Clearly, he’s not going to go down without a fight. Pete’s father-in-law, meanwhile, is almost immediately dismissive of any chance of the firm’s survival, basically saying, “Ah, well, you had your fun, now back to the real world.”

Should I feel sympathetic for Roger? Well, I did, at least a little bit. It’s not his fault that Lucky Strike decided to pull out, and I can’t blame him for not wanting to admit the loss to the firm, but at the same time, he’s clearly getting in over his head with this chicanery, getting a highly warranted smackdown from Joan for keeping his mouth shut when something could’ve been done to save the situation. After she once again relents and lets him swing by her pad, they share a sweet embrace, but even though he’s pretty pitiful when he departs from the premises, she’s seriously disappointed the next day by the fact that he’s continuing to weave his web of lies, and the awkwardness between them is palpable. I don’t think she’d betray him to them, mostly because it’s not like they could save the account at this point, anyway, but his actions are putting her job in jeopardy, too, and I think it’s pretty well established how much she enjoys her niche at the firm. For his part, Roger seems to have been temporarily swayed by the arrival of his book. Maybe he’ll be inspired to become the ad man he once was…?

After Bert and Don give the State of the Union address, the feeling on the floor is that everything’s more or less under control, but Don’s not pulling any punches when he sits his team down. The best moment, though, came when it was just him and Peggy. They’ve definitely got their own special relationship now…if, uh, not quite as special as the one she had last night, which has put her in a stellar mood. Unfortunately, it’s pretty transparent to everyone around her, which results in Stan being an Alpha Male to the Nth degree. What a jackass that guy is. Still, even his minor-league attempt at getting revenge on her for her rebuffing of his advances didn’t do any damage: it takes more than a little lipstick on the teeth to stop the creative force that is Peggy Olson!

Don’s pissed about Glo-Coat jumping ship – though he at least has the common sense to forewarn his secretary that she needs to make sure he doesn’t overdo his angry drinking – but he’s taking his anger out on Pete, which may or may not be warranted. Yes, Pete’s mind is elsewhere, but this strikes me as residual anger and Don’s general tendency to view Pete as less competent than himself. Even so, it proves perfectly timed when Ted Shaw shows up at the maternity ward waiting room, unabashedly trying to woo Pete over to the Dark Side.

Don didn’t keep to his three-drink maximum, but at least he didn’t go dramatically overboard. It’s enough for him to upset Faye with his suggestion that she betray her ethics by providing him with inside information about other agencies. To his credit, he looks appropriately guilty as she storms out, but it’s too little and far too late. More on that in a moment, but first let’s look in on the next meeting with the partners. You know things are bad when Don’s defending Pete, but it’s inarguable that Roger wanted the glory but dropped the ball. Bert’s last word was priceless: “Lee Garner, Jr. never took you seriously because you never took yourself seriously.” Ouch…

By the way, I just have to make this observation: I can’t recall hearing the name David Montgomery mentioned before, and it seems a little too convenient that he’s suddenly such a major plot point in the efforts to save the firm.

As soon as Don’s secretary stuck around, I knew it wasn’t going to go well, though I have to be honest and admit that they did keep me guessing throughout the scene. No matter what that guy does, I think we all want to root for him to do the right thing, and it seemed for a moment that he might, with the conversation staying on matters of business much longer than they usually do when he’s in such situations. Heck, I even briefly theorized that his secretary would do the right thing, keeping things strictly business. But despite Don pointedly saying, “I don’t think this is a good idea,” it became a good idea pretty damned quickly. Dammit, Don, you just can’t resist fucking things up, can you? So, of course, he gets home to find that Faye has decided to go all in with their relationship and give him the help he’s asked for. Once again, he looks appropriately guilty at the end…but, once again, it’s too little and much too late.

The mere fact that Roger broached the possibility of Joan keeping the baby made me sure that we were going to spend the rest of the episode playing “will she or won’t she,” and I was right on the money about that. Even now, Joan’s impossible to read. I hate to believe that she actually went through with it ’til we get formal confirmation on the matter, but she probably did, as it would go against standard “Mad Men” storytelling for her to do something as cliched as say, “I changed my mind, I’m keeping the baby.”

Lee Garner, Jr. is back…but not for long. After the Christmas episode, you’d think they’d be glad to see him go away for good, but since Lucky Strike is basically the client that’s keeping Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce afloat, their departure could literally sink the firm. It’s a little disconcerting to see Roger shift from angry into being legitimately upset. Will he be able to save SCDP in 30 days…or before he has another heart attack?

Isn’t it amazing how the promise of a ticket to see the Beatles at Shea Stadium – which dates the events of the episode as taking place near August 15, 1965 – can make up for years of half-assed parenting? But, my God, even Betty’s icy exterior cracked when Don told her where he was taking Sally…and, perhaps even more impressively, mother and daughter actually shared a smile. Unfortunately, the way Don kept having to put pressure on Harry about the tickets, coupled with Harry’s expression while assuring him that he’d get the tickets, had me worried almost immediately that the grand event wouldn’t go off as planned. Little did I know that it’d be the only thing that would pan out.

Poor Lane: he’s expecting to see his son, but instead he finds his father, who’s come to tell him that his wife won’t have anything to do with him, not even a conversation, unless he’s in London. Still, he’s in town, so it’s only polite to at least invite the old man to dinner. Next stop, the Playboy Club! Turns out Lane has more of a stake in the place than making it worth Don’s while to come along: he’s having a bit of a fling with Toni, one of the Bunnies. Except it’s not a fling, is it? It’s a full-fledged relationship. Obviously, Lane would like it if his father would accept his new female companion, but, uh, I think we can safely say that he doesn’t, what with the hitting and all. My God, that was embarrassing. I certainly hope that this isn’t truly going to result in Lane Pryce crossing the pond once more.

Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce’s campaign for North American Aviation, a company heavily invested in the space program, is resulting in Don having to get a security clearance from the Department of Defense. For anyone else, this wouldn’t be such a big deal, but for a man with such a screwed-up history as Don, it’s a living nightmare, especially when part of the process involves a couple of gentlemen from the DOD quizzing Betty about her ex-husband.

Fortunately, Betty backed him up all the way, though her nervousness throughout the conversation can’t have helped her credibility. At first, it was hard to tell if Betty was upset because Don getting busted would screw up her life or if she was legitimately concerned about him, but either way, she wanted to make sure that Henry knew about the DOD guys stopping by, saying that she didn’t want there to be any secrets between them.

Meanwhile, Don’s freaking out (yep, he’s having a drink, though it’s hard to blame him under the circumstances), running to Pete and basically telling him that he’ll do whatever he has to do to avoid screwing up the identity he’s worked so hard to build, up to and including leaving the firm. Who would’ve thought that Pete would be the voice of reason?

loved the short but sweet scene with Don and Pete in the elevator, with Don looking slightly manic and Pete getting progressively more pissed off. “I don’t have to live with your shit over my head,” Pete reminds him, and it’s true: not only are we reminded that Pete and Don are peers at this point, but Don’s attempt to threaten Pete to get him to fix the problem came off as hollow. How intimidating can he possibly be when Pete…or, at least, Pete’s friend…holds his future in his hands? I mean, geez, that’d be like trying not to laugh at the sight of Trudy in her big pink pregnant nightie…

Don’s accountant is understandably concerned about how crazy his client sounds, but you can’t blame him for wanting to make sure that his family is covered. And, now, on top of eveything, he’s sick, too! But Faye can tell there’s more to his odd actions than just illness, and her experiences with her father convince her that it’s not a heart attack. I was thrilled that Don decided to open up to Faye about his past. It may not have been the great catharsis that it would’ve been under different circumstances, but at least it’s out there now, and it increases the chances that their relationship might actually endure for the long haul. The back-and-forth between Don and Pete toward the end of the episode was phenomenal, with Pete demanding to know why he should walk away from an account worth $4 million just because Don can’t be honest about his past, even getting in a jab about his relationship with Faye.

And, thus, we reach the meeting of the partners, a board room full of secrets. Pete pisses everyone off with the news that North American Aviation is out the door, Lane announces his ostensibly-temporary departure, and Roger explodes because of his underlying tension over Lucky Strike, soon descending into laughing like he’s a man on the verge of a nervous breakdown…which he probably is.

Rarely does a basic cable program which opens with the words “the following program contains brief nudity” ever disappoint me, so I was glad to see that particular phrase gracing the beginning of tonight’s episode. Based on Bryan Cranston’s comments about how he hates to direct episodes of “Breaking Bad” without having as much lead time to prepare for them as possible (to date, he’s only helmed season openers), I presumed that seeing John Slattery’s name in the directorial slot meant that we’d see little in the way of Roger Sterling, but damned if he wasn’t the second person to show onscreen. John, don’t work yourself so hard!

The national crackdown on smoking advertisements would seem to be cutting into what SCD&P can accomplish, but, of course, Roger’s telling everyone that “Don doesn’t think there’s a problem.” Meanwhile, there’s clearly a problem with Don, who picks up an empty bottle of Scotch, only to be informed that the reason it’s empty is because he drank it all. The “ladies” are looking for him to make business decisions, but he’s just looking for ice. The poor bastard: with everything going on in his personal life, he’s clearly hovering in the vicinity of a nervous breakdown, but he’s stuck having to be the big man on campus with the new firm. The moment he pulled out the photo out of the letter, there was no question in my mind that it would, by episode’s end, prove to be the straw that broke the camel’s back, and it was only cemented by the bug-eyed look Don gave Allison when she saw the photo and asked if it was from the letter from California.

Pete’s in a grouchy mood from the moment he turns up this week, bitching about not being included in the Lucky Strike call, and things only get worse when Roger tells him that SCD&P is going to have to kick Clearasil to the curb. Lane attempts his version of putting salve on the wound by explaining the mathematics behind the decision, leaving Pete even more upset, but Roger tells him to throw himself on the grenade, as it were, for the good of the company. “This evening, if you can,” adds Lane. What a guy. “I hate this office,” says Pete, as he storms into his office, where he finds…Harry Crane? Yep, dude’s just hanging out, having a snack, and waiting to cheer down Pete even more with the news that his old nemesis, Ken Cosgrove, is marrying the daughter of the CFO of Corning. When Harry says that he’s going to the opera with Ken because they’re friends, Pete sneers, “Friends? Why are you always looking for a job?” Oh, Pete, you’re such an unlikeable little shit. If we’re supposed to feel sorry for him…well, sorry, but I don’t. With an attitude like that, you reap what you sow. But with that said, I did have to smile at his excitement at learning that he was going to be a father, and the scene with him and Trudy was genuinely touching.

After Lane battled back from being a British Businessman to offer Pete legitimate congratulations on his impending child, it seemed as though all was right in Pete’s world, so much so that he even agreed to join Harry for a lunch with Ken. Still, I sensed that something would go wrong at the luncheon. I just didn’t expect that, as soon as Harry went to take a phone call, Ken would be the one who came roaring out of the gate, pissed off at Pete. Not a surprise: Pete flailing to avoid being seen as guilty. Less expected: offering an apology that sounded at least 10% sincere. (I was only expecting 3% sincerity, tops.) Fast forward to Pete’s dinner with the in-laws. The kid’s clearly gotten his second wind with this kid coming, giving Trudy’s dad the smackdown. Calling him a son of a bitch was probably more polite than I would’ve been.

Peggy has an inter-elevator encounter with Joyce, an assistant photo editor for Life. I couldn’t quite tell from the content of the conversation and the look Joyce gave Peggy: was it flirtation, or an instinct for spotting a potential nude model? There was definitely some serious up-and-down action going on when Peggy left. Even after Joyce invited her to the art show in a decidedly date-like fashion, I felt like I might be falling for a red herring. Plus, I’m not even good at picking up on flirty vibes from straight women, so there was really no reason to think I’d be able to accurately identify a lesbian in action. As it turns out, of course, my suspicions were correct…and, surprisingly (if somewhat unrealistically for the era, I’d guess), she declined Joyce’s advances in a calm, polite, and very funny fashion, instead finding favor in a young man named Abe. Will we see him again? I guess that depends on whether or not Joyce is willing to take “no” for an answer and tell him where Peggy works.

Why is it that I hear John Lennon’s “Mind Games” whenever Faye comes onscreen? I thought it was pretty cool to see her playing the squadron of young ladies like each was a prize fiddle. I couldn’t help but notice Freddy Rumsen’s reaction to Don’s belief that his future wasn’t directly connected to how Faye’s experiment went down, just as I caught Freddy’s less-than-subtle comment about not having an office at SCD&P. (What do you want to bet that he has one by the end of next week’s episode?) Faye’s gifts are clearly not lost on Peggy, who’s no doubt getting further vindication of her belief that women can be just as important to the world of business as men, but they’re having a profoundly depressing effect on Allison…which, to bring it full circle, is not lost on Don. Unfortunately, this all leads to a tense discussion between the sobbing Allison and a furious Peggy…not that Faye thought for a moment about the poor girl who ran crying from the conference room.

At last, Allison can take no more: she confronts Don directly about their one-night stand, conceding to its awkwardness and suggesting that “moving on” might be the best course of action. Don plays the “we’re both adults” card, but it’s a no-go. For a moment, it looks like it’s going to be as smooth a departure as could be hoped for under the circumstances, but the discussion hits a wall – ho, ho, and, indeed, ho – with her request for a letter of recommendation: Don, even oblivious to the workings of the female mind, suggests that she simply write whatever she wants and he’ll just sign it. From her perspective, though, it just means that he doesn’t even care enough about their business relationship to write a freaking letter.

Unlike my feelings toward Pete, I feel a little more pity toward Don with each passing episode. Seeing him sitting alone in his office, drinking ’til the wee hours, was bad enough, but then to see him sitting in front of his typewriter, trying to find the right words to explain how much his life sucks, let alone to apologize to Allison…? Kids, remember: if you’re going to drink, don’t type; if you’re going to type, don’t drink.

So Pete’s the new conquering hero of the firm, eh? As I watched that handshake between him and Don, I couldn’t help thinking, “When we look back, this will be the moment that Don and Pete’s lines on the flowchart converge.” Pete’s got Lane singing “We Are the Champions” as they go out to lunch with the clients, Don’s drinking away his respect in the office and going home alone…yeah, I’d say the new guard is definitely showing up the old guard at the moment.

10 random bits I loved:

1. Roger’s instructions to Don’s secretary which began, “Remind me to remind Caroline to tell Lane…” Way to pass the buck, Rog.

2. Harry’s between-the-lines “Honeymooners” reference when, while talking with Pete about Ken’s future father-in-law, he remarks, “My father-in-law’s a bus driver. The only place he can take me is to the moon.”

3. The moment when Pete tells Trudy that finding out about his impending fatherhood feels much different than he expected, to which she replies, “How would you know what this feels like?” Cue everyone’s collective flashback to Pete getting Peggy pregnant.

4. Ken’s description of his firm: “My mother was a nurse at the state hospital in Vermont, and that was the last time I saw so many retarded people in one building.”

5. Peggy’s exchange with Joyce over their shared joint. Peggy: “I have a boyfriend.” Joyce: “He doesn’t own your vagina.” Peggy: “No, but he’s renting it.”

6. The initial shot of Don’s new secretary. Well, that’ll help him keep it in his pants, I reckon.

7. New Boy saying of Trudy, “I would get her so pregnant…”

8. Following the incredibly awkward moment between Pete and Peggy with Peggy banging her head on her desk (a callback to Pete banging his head on the wall earlier in the episode), then later spotlighting the fact that, although they may share a child, they’re walking in two very different worlds.

9. Joan commenting that she’s going to work in Roger’s office because “he won’t be coming,” thereby giving John Slattery a chance to concentrate solely on directing for the majority of the remainder of the episode.

10. Joan walking around the office…which, of course, isn’t something that’s limited strictly to this episode. Christina Hendricks is a solid actress, but, seriously, if Matthew Weiner dropped every other character from “Mad Men” and just gave us a dialogue-free hour of Joan strutting around SCD&P every week, I’d still give it a season pass on the TiVo. I mean, damn…