- With his personal and professional life crumbling around him, Don positions himself for a change of scenery. Meanwhile, Pete's life is falling apart as well, thanks to the meddling of Bob Benson.
- Sunkist has requested from SC&P a dedicated west coast representative. Despite it being a demotion, Stan asks Don to be that person as Stan has his own ideas of what that west coast position means: the beginning of another advertising firm of his own. Considering Stan's request, Don contemplates his own future based on his recent past behavior, both professionally and personally. He has finally come to the realization of it being destructive and he makes a decision for himself and Megan which would get them away from many of Don's problems, such as Sally's revelation of his affair with Sylvia, and from Sylvia herself. Don's intent of how he will conduct his life is made public during a presentation to a potential lucrative new client, Hershey's. Ted and Peggy also come to decisions of their own with regard to their personal relationship, especially following a series of cat and mouse sexual games, where the role of cat and the role of mouse are not always well defined. Roger, who is on bad terms with his own "legal" family, still wants to build a life of sorts with Joan and Kevin. As such, he doesn't like Bob seemingly infiltrating that territory. And Pete deals with several pieces of news regarding his mother. As Bob is both a part of his professional life and personal life, the latter albeit indirectly, Pete takes his frustrations out on Bob. But an incident concerning the Chevy account leads to a determination of Pete's immediate future.—Huggo
- Things seem to be going from bad to worse for Don. He skips out on a meeting with Sheraton to go to a bar - he's drinking almost continuously, when a fight lands him in the drunk tank for the new life. It seems to have a positive effect on him and he decides to act on Stan's idea to open a branch in Los Angeles to deal with Sunkist. He convinces Megan they should pack it in and head to California. Peggy makes another play for Ted and all seems well with them - until one has a change of heart. Pete is shocked by an unexpected telegram and has his hands full when he goes to Detroit. Sally gets into a mess at her new school and has little time for her father. The firm gets to make a pitch to Hershey chocolate and Don makes one of his better pitches - only to feel it necessary at the end to tell the truth about his own childhood. For the partners it's all a bit too much and Don pays the price.—garykmcd
- "In Care Of" - June 23, 2013
Stan stops by Don's office to make a pitch to be the person who moves to California. They are sending someone out to oversee the Sunkist account. Even though it would technically be a demotion Stan sees at as an opportunity to start a new shop from the ground floor. Don isn't so sure this is a good idea.
Roger meets with his son-in-law and breaks the news he won't be investing in his refrigerated truck business. Margaret is crestfallen and disinvites him from Thanksgiving dinner, saying he's taking food out of their mouths and angry that he won't put his own daughter on the "list of women he gives money to."
Ken and Jim meet with Don to share good news. Hershey, which never advertises, has decided to meet with the top 30 agencies. So double good news, they have a shot at a big company and it would appear they're now in the top 30.
Roger sees Bob giving Joan a toy car on his return from Chevy and Detroit. He gets annoyed and calls Bob into his office and tells him not to toy with Joan's emotions and knows that he's an ambitious climber and warns him off trying to climb over Joan's back. Bob protests that he and Joan are just "buddies."
At home Megan hands Don a letter from the District Attorney's office; they want Sally to come in and give a statement about the burglar. She also warns him off having more than one drink before dinner.
Don heads to a dive bar and gets into it with a minister who tries to convert him. He flashes back to another evangelist who came to the whorehouse when he was a teenager and was thrown out by the owner. The next thing he knows he's waking up in jail, having punched the guy out.
Ted's wife and kids come to meet him at the office at the end of the day and Peggy is perturbed.
Pete gets an awful telegram. Apparently, his mother fell overboard during her cruise with Manolo and is presumed dead. Even worse, she and Manolo got married.
The next morning Don is pouring all his booze down the sink and Megan enters. He tells her what happened and says he realizes he needs to stop. He tells her he wants them to move to California and make a fresh start. He quotes what Stan said about building a new shop. He says they were happy there. Megan says she has been turning down Hollywood opportunities so even though it would be a big change, she's on board.
Don takes his idea about moving to California for Sunkist to the partners who are gobsmacked. Ted says they need him there. Don says it's do-able and says they can vote. Roger runs after him. Ted whines. Pete notes he has bigger problems. Jim tells Ted it could work. Stan is annoyed that Don basically stole his idea.
Pete confronts Bob Benson in the elevator about Manolo. Bob claims he knew nothing about it.
Peggy gets all gussied up -- cleavage, make-up, fishnets -- and breezes into a meeting with Harry, Ted, and Jim and says she's leaving early for a date. Ted gulps.
In Detroit, Pete tries to squeeze out Bob from hanging with the big dogs at Chevy but Bob won't be squeezed so easily. He goads Pete into trying out one of the cars on the showroom floor knowing full well he can't drive a stick. Pete gets in, promptly puts the car in reverse and destroys a display in the showroom. The Chevy guys are disgusted he can't drive stick.
Ted goes to Peggy's apartment and meets her as she comes back from what was an awful date. She asks after his wife and kids. He says he will leave them. She says she is not that girl. He says he doesn't want anyone else to have her and he loves her. They fully get it on. Afterwards they fantasize about running off to Hawaii. She tells him to go home. He again talks about leaving his wife. She says she doesn't want a scandal and she can wait. He showers and heads home. His wife cuddles him in bed and tells him he works too hard. He clearly feels guilty.
Betty calls Don in the middle of the night. Sally has been suspended for buying beer with a fake ID and getting the other girls drunk. Betty is distraught saying she has done all she can and the bad is beating the good because Sally is from a broken home. Don reassures her and calls her Birdie and says he will go get her.
Pete returns and says he's done with Detroit and he needs a place to stay since he's already sublet his apartment. They haven't found his mother and his brother is trying to reach him.
Roger's secretary confides in Joan that she's worried about him and tells her about the disinvitation for Thanksgiving.
Ted goes to Don and asks him to let him go to California instead. He realizes he needs to put space between himself and Peggy to save his marriage. Don says it's a non-starter since Megan already quit her job. Ted basically begs him but Don says no. Ted tells Don to have a drink before the meeting with Hershey. He apparently knows from his dad that stopping cold turkey is bad.
Don takes a swig and heads into the meeting. He dazzles the Hershey people with a tale of himself as a young boy getting a Hershey bar as a reward for mowing the lawn, cementing the relationship between the brand and paternal love. They adore the story. And then, for reasons unknown, Don confesses that actually he grew up in a whorehouse nearly wholly unloved. He read about Milton Hershey's home for boys and fantasized about living there and having a better life. The only one who cared for him was a hooker who had him go through her John's pockets. If he found more than a dollar she'd buy him a Hershey bar. He would eat with great ceremony in his room. This, needless to say, puts a chill on the room. They ask if he wants to advertise that. He says if it was up to him they wouldn't advertise at all. Jim, Ted, and Roger have murder in their eyes. After the meeting Don tells Ted to go to California.
Pete and his brother have a conference call with an investigator who lets them know just how costly it would be to bring their mother's killer - presumably Manolo who was operating under an alias - to justice and even though they married he likely won't get her money. Pete and Bud silently decide to let it go, noting that she is with their father now and that "she loved the sea."
Ted goes to Peggy's office and breaks the news about his move. He tells her to stay here and have her career and have this be the past. He says he wanted it so much but he has a family and he has to hold on to them or he'll get lost in the chaos. He says he loves her so much that he can't be around her and he can't ruin all those lives. She kicks him out of her office. He says someday she'll be glad he made this decision. She notes how lucky he is to be able to make decisions.
Don returns home to be told by Megan a partner's meeting has been called for Thanksgiving. He tells her to sit down and breaks the news that they're not going to California. She is livid pointing out she already quit her job and has auditions lined up in L.A. She snaps and says she doesn't even know why they're fighting for this marriage anymore. She notes that he wants to be alone with his booze and his ex-wife and his screwed up kids. She says she loves them and that she used to feel pity for them but now she realizes they're all in the same boat. Don tries to convince her that he'll go out all the time and she can come and that they'll be bi-coastal. She grabs her jacket. He says he loves her. She says she can't be there right now.
Pete heads to Trudy. Apparently, now he's going to California too. She notes that he is free now, of his mother, his family, his office. She doesn't say it but implies herself and Tammy as well. He says this is not the way he wanted it. She notes that now he knows that. He goes to say "goodbye" to a sleeping Tammy. This appears to both warm and break Trudy's heart.
Don heads to the office on Thanksgiving morning and all the partners are there except for Pete and Ted. In what amounts to an intervention -- in the wake of the Hershey meltdown -- they inform that it is best for him and the firm to take some time off and regroup, a few months. He asks for a return date. Bert says they can't give him that. He notes that with Ted in L.A. they'll need him. Joan says Ted feels he can oversee Peggy from L.A. He asks if they all agree with this. They do. Roger says "try to see it from our side." Don leaves. On his way out he runs into Duck and Lou Avery from Dancer Fitzgerald coming up. Clearly, he will be his "temporary" replacement. Lou asks him "Going down?" and hits button for him. Don enters and the doors close.
Joan answers her door later in the day on Thanksgiving. It's Roger with cranberry sauce. He's annoyed to see Bob Benson is there. Joan notes that she is inviting Roger into Kevin's life, not hers. Roger is playful with Kevin, feeding and talking to him. This appears to warm Joan's heart.
Stan walks by Don's office and sees Peggy is there. She's say there's so much too much to do now. Stan notes wryly that she is doing it in Don's office. She says "It's where everything is." She sits in his chair and looks out the window.
Don picks up the kids and takes them to whorehouse where he grew up. It is now dilapidated, and looks uninhabited. A little black boy eats a popsicle on the porch. Sally looks at him with new eyes.
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