Well, that was quite an eventful episode tonight wasn't it? It almost feels like this was one of those episodes written for the people who say nothing ever happens on Mad Men, because tonight we got a 60's party, a threesome, and even a Game of Thrones-style removal of human body part. Take that, complainers!
We'll start with Don as usual, who's now more or less accustomed to his job working under Peggy, who's continuing to be super smug about the whole thing, condescending to tell him what a nice job he's doing while they're on the elevator. Don doesn't rise to the bait though, preferring to go about his business. Unfortunately, he needs to get off early, because he receives what's kind of a distress call from Stephanie, Anna's niece, who we haven't seen since season 3, I believe. I remember though, when we did see her last, it was 1964 and she was in college, so I predicted at the time if we ever saw her again she'd be a hippie and lo and behold, that's exactly what she is! Stephanie is almost literally barefoot and pregnant, alone and in need of money. Don sends her to to Megan until he can get there, and it appears in this episode that he and Megan are more or less back together, as she doesn't seem to (at least at first) have any problem with taking care of the girl on his behalf.
But at the office he can't get away too smoothly, as Stan and the guys have discovered Lou's secret comic strip lying on the Xerox machine and proceed to heartily make fun of it behind his back (as they would). Don scolds them for doing it, but jokes in the bathroom make their way to Lou hiding in the stall and boy is he pissed. He takes it out on everyone, Don and Peggy included, making himself seem even more of a touchy schoolmarm, which Don warns him of later. Lou doesn't take kindly to his advice and refuses to let him go early, which results in Stephanie having to deal with Megan, who kind of flips out as soon as she sees her. Seemingly threatened by her beauty (even though the girl is 8 months pregnant), and realizing Don's not going to let her leave in such a precarious situation, Megan quickly writes her a check and sends her on her way before Don can arrive. When Don finally gets away from the office and shows up in California he's pretty angry with Megan but she tries to brush the whole thing off by throwing a party for all her new West Coast acting pals. Don's not having a good time at the shindig until Harry of all people shows up with some floozy, and he immediately takes him to a bar to get away from the "fun." Harry's kind of bummed by this, but lets it slip to Don that Cutler and Lou are secretly going after Commander cigarettes and if they land it Don will have to be let go. Don's at turns both annoyed and motivated by the news to figure out an alternate ploy.
When he gets back to the house, Megan and her flirty friend Amy are hanging around drunk and stoned, and even though he's not that into it, Megan decides to win Don's desire back by inviting Amy into bed with them. It's definitely weird and very 60's groovy, but the next morning nothing much has changed as Don just tells Megan he's got to get back to New York and Amy skulks away sheepishly. He's not exactly upset, as Stephanie calls to tell him she's all right, without telling him Megan sent her away, but Megan seems regretful about the night before (and hopefully about her own jealous and insane behavior). Speaking of insane behavior, that brings us to Ginsberg, who's revealed this week to be a genuine schizophrenic, having paranoid delusions about Cutler and Lou meeting late at night in the computer room (although, maybe that was true?) and the whole thing freaks him out. He goes to Peggy's apartment and tries to kiss her in the hopes of "reproducing to save the human race," but of course she pushes him off. The next morning he apologizes but says he has feelings for her and gives her a giftbox, which turns out to contain his actual bloody nipple (uh- holy shit), which he himself sliced off as proof of his devotion. WOW. It's probably the biggest shocker moment since that guy got his foot sawed off with the lawnmower back in the third season. Peggy screams and immediately calls the police- and the next thing we see is poor Ginsberg being hauled off in a straitjacket on a stretcher. So long, Ginsberg. It's been...well, it's been interesting.
There was one more side plot this week in Betty world, as she hosts a party for neighbors and constituents of Henry, but when some of them start talking about Vietnam she expresses her support for the war and against the protesters, which turns out to be the opposite of Henry's position, as he actually favors ending U.S. involvement now. So she storms off of course and Henry's pretty furious, telling her she's not supposed to have any opinions about anything, just let him do the talking and the thinking. Betty throws a fit over this and threatens to run for office herself (HA!) but when Bobby tells a visiting Sally that he's worried they'll get divorced she comforts him that it will never happen. Speaking of Sally, she almost breaks her nose at school and has to come home to face Betty's wrath and more threats to break her arm if she messes her face up again, but Sally gives as good as she gets now, delivering some of the nastiest backtalk you'll ever hear a teenage girl say to her mom. Normally, those bratty TV teens piss me off (see Dana, Homeland), but I love seeing Betty insulted at every turn, so I was all for it this time. Poor Bobby though, as he crawls into bed with Sally and confesses he's so miserable he has a stomachache all the time now. Sally's sympathetic but not too optimistic, telling him his future is pretty set with Betty since he's too young to get out.
Other tidbits:
-At the end of the show, Don barges into one of those "secret meetings" with Cutler, Lou and the cigarette guys and basically offers himself up to them as a chance to get even with him after his infamous editorial from a few years back. He'd be forced to apologize in public and it'd be nothing but good publicity for the company. This hail mary seems to work wonders, as Lou tells Don after the meeting that he's "incredible" (he means it in a bad way) and Don takes it as a compliment, while Cutler kind of obliquely tells him he can't save himself before Don shuts the cab door in his face. I guess this sets up a Don vs. Cutler thing, with Lou as more the henchman than the villain, huh?
-No Roger, Joan or Pete in this episode. They're always missed, but Pete's really been getting the shaft lately, kinda being pushed into comic relief ever since last season. Watch it get even worse now that Ginsberg's gone.
-Harry mentions Ted as being useless and Don would be a lot more help in California. I can't help but think that's where all this is headed eventually. I'm even doubting whether Don and Megan will break up after all- maybe in Matt Weiner's head, Don's redemption will come with his ultimate reconciliation with Megan. I know that'd make for a lot of upset fans, but I don't know- Weiner seems to like Pare a lot more than he likes January Jones, that's for sure.
