Mad Men #23 (2.10), 10/5/08: It's not easy for anyone

Paul and Pete will be going to a trade show for engineering companies wanting to join the space race. Peggy has prepared a detailed and helpful report, and Don gets annoyed when it's apparent that they didn't read it. When Paul starts saying something pompous, Don interrupts and specifically says that Pete should do all the talking. Paul should do the listening.

Pete won't let Trudy to go with him, supposedly because he thinks it will make him seem less serious to his coworkers. She'll spend the time with her parents instead, then; they're worried that they haven't had a kid yet. The topic annoys Pete. Trudy tries to talk to him about adoption. He doesn't like the idea, but he's worried her parents think he says no to everything.

Betty calls Don at his hotel. Her father had a stroke three days ago and she only just found out now from her brother because father's wife Gloria didn't bother to tell her. Don wants her to leave the kids with a neighbor now and he'll come over, but she doesn't want to wake the kids. She grumpily agrees to let him come over in the morning.

He and Betty go there the next day. Gloria, who quickly establishes herself as the queen of vapid small talk, insists it was no big deal. Betty's brother William arrives. He expresses envy at the sight of Don's Cadillac. Betty's father seems glad to see them. Betty expresses a wish that Gloria had called sooner, supposedly so they could hook him up with a really good doctor. William makes a snide remark about how she and Don think everything's better in New York.

Dad calls Betty "Ruthie" (his deceased wife). Gloria kindly explains that she's Betty, his daughter, and reminds him that Ruth is dead. He shakes Betty's hand like a stranger. Then he's himself again. He says this stroke was just like last time. Betty is even more upset that no one told her about any previous stroke. It seems that there have been a few.

Sheila meets Paul at the office for lunch. Pete mentions the trip to LA. It's news to her. She's miffed because Paul hadn't mentioned it yet. As far as she knows, they were going to be registering black voters in Mississippi. She's mad that he's put work stuff first. He tells her that she can always get another grocery store job, but his job is harder to replace.

In the elevator, Paul insists that Hollis call him Paul (not "Mr. Kensington") and introduces Sheila. Sheila says she'll go to Mississippi without him. He wants her to wait till after his trip.

Pete meets with his brother Bud, trying to figure out how to get some of their father's money back for their mother, enough for however long she's going to live. Pete jokes about bumping her off, a la the Hitchcock movie Rope. Bud says his wife Judy doesn't seem to want kids, but they do have a five-year plan. Pete admits they've "tried." Bud assures him that adoption is acceptable.

Don makes a jigsaw puzzle with Betty's dad and William's wife Judy (not to be confused with Bud's wife Judy). He claims that he takes Bobby to baseball games "all the time." (Not that we've noticed?) In the next room, Betty stares at a painting of her mother. She's upset that Gloria has gotten rid of her mother's things. She can't stand her. She and William reminisce over Dad fining them for small talk (Gloria's specialty). William reveals that their father's been acting oddly for a while; at least Gloria takes care of him. He's sour that Betty isn't around to take care of him. Betty is sour that he's taken some of Mother's things. He's mad that she's drunk.

Dad starts grumping about Don. He doesn't know anything about Don's past and he accuses him of taking Betty for granted. "He has no people - you can't trust a person like that," he tells Betty. Then he wants to eat. Betty doesn't. Don tries to cheer her up. She's not in the mood.

Bud and Pete sign financial papers with Mother. Mother greets Pete coldly and has already heard about the possibility of Pete and Trudy adopting. She threatens not to let him inherit anything if he doesn't "keep at it." She says Pete's father saw adoption as "pulling from the discards." Pete blurts that Dad spent all of his money with strangers and there's nothing left. Bud tries to send Pete home and smooth things over; Mother asks Bud about her "fiduciary state." He tries to explain it off as bad investments, but she's better-informed than he expects and doesn't believe him. Pete gratefully leaves.

Don and Betty get ready for bed together, awkwardly, in the guest room. He sleeps on the floor - until she joins him there and gets him to perform his husbandly duty.

He wakes alone in the morning. Betty's in the dining room, where her father and Gloria are criticizing her for smoking too much. Judy comes in with the big ugly vase that Betty had been asking about and apologizes and gives it to Betty. Dad mistakes Betty for Ruth again, makes a pass at her in front of everyone, and gropes at her breast. Gloria blandly explains that he's mixed up. "You're mixed up," he retorts wittily.



Gloria blames it on a lack of sleep. William wants him to go to the doctor again. Gloria's already made the appointment. Dad offers to take Betty into town and buy her a milkshake. (It's not clear that he know who she is.) Don rubs her back protectively. Gloria tries to be upbeat.

Viola - evidently Betty's maid/nanny since childhood - comes in and asks how Betty's kids are. Betty wants her to watch over her father, but it seems she's been marginalized by Gloria. Betty is relieved when the maid agrees that he's very sick - no one else has said it aloud. She says she overheard the doctor say it will only get worse. Betty feels like an orphan. The maid says Betty's job is to take care of her husband and children now. As soon as Betty leaves, Viola says, she'll remember her father the way he used to be.

Don takes Betty home. He offers to get the kids; she says Carla will bring them home later tomorrow. He wants to take a shower; she wants him to leave now. He wants to be there for her, but she sarcastically says she knows how he feels about grieving (he doesn't approve). As for last night, nothing has changed; they were "just pretending."

Don goes to the office and finds Harry's baby shower in progress - more like a cross between a baby shower and a bachelor party, actually - everybody's drinking, and many of the "gifts" are samples from their clients.

Cooper pokes his head in and perfunctorily wishes no one in particular a happy birthday. There's a box from Tiffany's, from Jane ("and Roger, I'm sure," Paul laughs).

Don takes Joan aside to catch up on business. Roger interrupts. Don is very chilly with him and announces that he's going to the rocket fair in Paul's place.

Harry's telling the party he hopes to go to CA soon too, to do TV stuff. Hildy, the secretary he boinked on the night of the 1960 presidential election, drunkenly wishes him luck with the baby. Joan happily tells Paul that his trip is getting canceled. The other partygoers snicker.

Paul calls Sheila and grandly informs her that he'll be going to Mississippi with her after all. He'll be at her side and "make a stand."

After the party, Pete nabs Peggy on her way out and tipsily tells her that he's going away - on a plane. He's nervous because it's how his father died. She sensibly tells him that it's unlikely to happen to two people in one family. He blurts that he hates his mother. Peggy doesn't know what he's talking about, but she tries to reassure him about the flight and tells him to go home. "Everything's so easy for you," he says bitterly. Peggy says it's not easy for anyone.

Betty is drinking alone in the kitchen at night. There's a noise outside. Polly whines. Betty locks the door and goes back to her wine.

Polly is still barking the next morning. Betty looks in the playhouse and finds Glen Bishop (neighbor Helen's son) camped out there. He's been there for a few days; he wanted to see Betty and she wasn't home. His father wants him and his sister Charlotte to live with him, and his mother doesn't care because she's more interested in her boyfriends.

They talk about Glen's mother being angry with Betty. He says he's a "problem" for his parents. His father has a new baby and his wife is mean. Glen takes care of his own sister while his mother writes pamphlets and hands them out.

They watch cartoons for a while. Glen confides that he doesn't like ham, or any meat. He keeps looking at her and smiling. He takes her hand. Finally he says he came to rescue her.

Sally and Bobby come home with Carla. Betty sends the kids upstairs to play. Glen reluctantly goes up with them. (Sally seems interested in him.) Betty calls Helen, who comes over to get him right away. Glen tells Betty he hates her. "I know," Betty says. "I'm sorry." Sally watches sympathetically.

Meanwhile, Paul (with pipe in hand) is boring a busload civil rights volunteers, mostly black, with a pompous speech about how advertising is a force of social change and consumers have no color. Sheila smiles proudly at him. One man seems to listen politely. No one else pays much attention.

Helen comes back to Betty's place to scold Betty. Betty says there's nothing going on, but Glen feels alone and she doesn't blame him. She scolds Helen for not taking good care of him when he depends on her for everything. He doesn't get anything from her. Helen ruefully agrees that she's not a good mother.

Betty admits Don isn't living there any more. The kids don't even know yet. Helen asks if it's over. (She seems like she might be interested.) Betty feels like she'll float away without Don there to hold her down. Helen says it's hard when you realize that you're in charge.

Meanwhile, Don and Pete are floating away to Los Angeles on puffy clouds of cigarette smoke.

Closing music: "Telstar" by the Tornados. It was the first single by a British band to reach #1 in the United States.
Quote of the week: "We can go anywhere. I have money." (Glen Bishop)
Next week: Don calls Pete on his slacking. Roger, who supposedly hates marriage, wants to marry Jane. Duck might be in trouble. Kurt and Smitty are going somewhere.