- As the partners consider expanding the office space, Don begins seeing ghosts and gets a request to advance Megan's acting career. Meanwhile, Peter's affair comes to a disappointing end, and Megan's mom briefly reunites with Roger.
- Among those who are depressed about their lives are Megan, Pete and Beth. Beyond getting what she believes are obscene phone calls, Megan is feeling that her acting career is going nowhere, especially after being duped by an unscrupulous agency who filmed a screen test for her. She feels she gets little support from her visiting mother, Marie, and Don. She uses a request from her acting friend Emily to what she hopes will be her own advantage, but she will need some help from Don to achieve her end goal, which he may not be willing to provide. Pete is still restless in his life, even more so when he sees Beth again, this time with Howard on the commuter train. He learns from Beth to where she is going which is directly related to her own depression. Her ultimate destination continues the vicious cycle which is her life. She hopes that Pete will be at least a minor sanctuary from that life. Meanwhile, Don, who refuses to see a dentist about a chronic toothache, continually sees visions of his dead brother Adam all around him. Roger has two immediate goals, both which he hopes will involve Marie. Peggy is trying to settle into her new job, which has some challenges. Without letting the staff know, Joan is looking for extra office space for the company especially in light of the company's somewhat flush financial state (ironic considering Lane's need for personal income, despite much of the company's up front investment being from him) and no one wanting the office in which Lane committed suicide. And the partners decide what to do to memorialize Lane, which garners an unexpected reaction from Rebecca.—Huggo
- The end of the financial quarter brings good news as Joan reports a decent cash flow. The firm is looking to expand its office space to include the upstairs floor and some are already jockeying for better digs. Joan is a bit upset to get get a large check on a life insurance policy the firm had on Lane. Don's attempt to repay Lane's wife the amount he had invested in the firm gets a icy reception from Mrs. Pryce. At home, Don's mother-in-law is visiting for a week. Megan however hears that one of the agency's clients, Butler Shoes, will be shooting a commercial and she very much wants the key role. His initial refusal is devastating to her but he eventually gives in, something that has a profound effect on him. Pete Campbell meanwhile spends an afternoon with Beth Dawes and is shocked when he hears of her upcoming plans.—garykmcd
- "Mad Men" - "The Phantom" - June 10, 2012
Don has a toothache and he is soothing it by soaking a cotton swab with alcohol and placing it against his tooth.
Megan gets a package and she is distraught. Her mother is in town and making breakfast and wondering what the bad news is. It turns out the "screen test" reel she made in hopes it would land her an agent was a scam by a company trying to sell classes.
Pete meets Beth and Howard on the train. She's going to stay with her sister. Pete tries to figure out where. But Howard and Beth don't say and they head off to the smoking car.
Harry meets Joan in the elevator. She had pushed floor 38 and he wonders why. She won't give anything away. Harry asks if it's true or not. She doesn't respond. He says he's getting scurvy working in an office with no windows.
Ginsberg and Stan are presenting a campaign to Topaz. The tagline is "always less expensive never cheap." The Topaz guy hates it because it has the word cheap in it. Ginsberg is argumentative with the client. Ken calls Don in to smooth things over. The Topaz guy says he wants a girl's opinion and he used to take that as a given at SCDP and he's not talking about "black coffee" out there, gesturing to Dawn. Don assures them they'll work it out. Ken ushers them out and Don and Ginsberg fight.
Pete takes a call from his "sister-in-law." It's Beth. She says she has to see him. She says to meet where he wanted to meet before at the hotel. She'll be there at noon under the name Mrs.Campbell. He's mad and says he won't be there.
Peggy is yelling at some underlings when her boss comes in and throws her an unmarked carton of cigarettes. He says it's the new secret cigarette brand for women and they have a chance to pitch for it. He tells her to work something up, and start smoking.
Joan goes over financials at the partners' meeting and it turns out that they've had their best quarter ever and projections are better than ever for the next one. She says she was thwarted in her search for new office space above them by Harry's snooping. She is told to get more space than they need. She looks at Lane's empty chair and says she feels like she needs to be the one to explain the negatives and says they should be careful not to overextend themselves. Pete skedaddles and gives Don his proxy to vote. They table the discussion about new space until the end of the next quarter. (It's March.)
Pete goes to meet Beth. She knew he'd show. He says he's pathetic. She asks him to sit with her. She says she's not going to her sister's. Howard checked her into the hospital for electroshock therapy. She's done it before and she says she's different after and it creates a gray cloud that can last months and she's afraid she's going to forget him. He's appalled and calls her crazy for thinking he would do this. She asks him to please give her this. They kiss, and Peter succumbs to temptation. Hours later, basking in the afterglow, Beth asks the time, telling Pete that she needs to go because Howard will be coming to see her at the hospital. Pete says not to tell him that she's not happy right now and that she feels better. He tells her not to allow Howard do this to her. He asks her to run away to Los Angeles. She says she can't, she talks about suicide. He says that's for weak people who can't solve problems. She says if he wants to solve a problem to zip her up. He hugs her and says they're in love. She pooh-poohs this saying they don't know each other it's just that they have the same problem. Pete says they're only depressed because they're apart. She realizes they don't have the same kind of depression. She says she should go, because the therapy works. He asks for five more minutes and they lie back in bed.
Megan and her French friend Emily talk about work. Megan ignores the phone and when she does answer she says "I can hear you." (She's been getting hang-ups.) She and Megan are looking at casting notices when her mom enters. Emily thinks Megan's mom is elegant and encouraging. Emily then tells Megan she hopes she knows she would help her in any way if she could. This is a prelude to her asking Megan to ask Don to get her into the new Butler shoe commercial audition which is looking for a "European" type for a "Beauty and the Beast" - themed ad. Megan bristles saying it doesn't work that way but she'll ask.
Don comes home and says his tooth is better. Megan's mom made soup just in case. Megan goes in to talk to him. Instead of pitching Emily for the commercial she pitches herself. He cruelly says he can't believe an "artiste" such as herself would be interested in being in an ad. They bicker a bit and then he points out the real truth that she doesn't want it this way. She wants to be somebody's discovery not somebody's wife.
The phone rings. It's Roger who pretends to be Megan's dad and gets Marie on the phone. He invites her over for dinner claiming he only wants conversation.
The next day at work, Don's mouth is swollen and he is miserable. He looks around the office, which is jumping. Suddenly, he sees his dead brother at a desk.
Joan waits in Don's office. She wants to reopen the conversation about more space. She says she's trying to be responsible but she doesn't know why because the money keeps rolling in. For instance, Lane's death benefit has just arrived and it's $175, 000. She gets misty and wonders what she could've done to save him. He tells her: nothing. She wonders why she didn't give him what he wanted. Don wonders what that was. She shoots him a look. Don says they should cut a check to Lane's wife for the $50,000 he put in.
Megan's mom wakes her up at noon. She's depressed. She asks her mom what she should do. Her mother is rude about her chasing her dreams saying that not every little girl gets to do what she wants. Megan pouts and wonders if her mother isn't also talking about herself. Her mother calls her an ungrateful little bitch and thanks god that her children aren't her whole life and leaves Megan to her misery.
Don drops by Lane's apartment to give Rebecca the check for $50,000. He offers condolences but she is clearly still angry. She tells Don that they had no right to fill a man like Lane with ambition. She produces the picture of Dolores (from Lane's wallet), asking Don who she is and blaming him for taking Lane to brothels. She throws Don out and tells him to not leave there thinking he's done anything for anyone but himself.
Pete comes home and Trudy shows him plans for the pool. He only sees a potential place for Tammy to drown. Trudy flares up, saying she's tired of his doom and gloom.
Megan's mom and Roger burst through his bedroom door, falling onto the bed. She says she hoped he would call. He says he hoped she would come and not for obvious reasons. He asks her to drop acid with him. She declines and asks him not to ask her to take care of him. She asks if there's anything else she can do and puts his hand in her dress. They get it on.
Don comes home to Megan on the couch, a little drunk or make that a lot drunk as she stumbles. She tries to kiss him in bed but his mouth hurts too much. She tells him to go to the dentist because she needs him and sex is all she's good for. She cries that this is what he wants, her waiting for him to come home. She talks about how hard the rejection is and figures he wants her to fail and that's why he won't help her or she's terrible but there's no way for him to know that. He says she's really drunk and needs to sleep it off.
Marie comes home. Don asks how she could leave Megan stinking drunk. She blames him for her misery and says this is what happens when you have the artistic temperament but you're not an artist. She tells him to nurse her through this and he'll have the life he desires. In the living room he doubles over in pain.
The next day he goes to the dentist to get his tooth pulled and when he's on the happy juice his brother shows up to haunt him. He's got rope marks around his neck. He goes to leave and Don asks him not to leave. He says not to worry, he'll hang around. Don awakens and the dentist says he's going to be sore and to not smoke for 24 hours and to take it easy.
Pete goes to visit Beth at the hospital as her "brother." She wonders what he's doing there. He says he was worried about her. She clearly doesn't remember him. He realizes this and is going to leave and she asks him to keep her company. He says he's there to visit his friend. He says his friend got involved with another man's wife. She's curious as to why that put him in the hospital. He says there were complications. She asks why he did it. He says all the regular reasons: to blow off steam, to feel handsome again and various other reasons. He says his friend thought it would be like having a few tall drinks and feeling good and then he would go back to his life. But then when it went away he was heartbroken and then he realized everything he already had was not right either and that was why it had happened and his life with his family was a temporary bandage on a permanent wound. Pete is clearly heartbroken but he's working it out as he speaks to her. She reassures him that they'll fix his friend up at the hospital. Pete says he'll be fine and leaves. He says it was nice to meet her. She wishes him luck with his friend.
Don leaves the dentist and goes to the movies. He runs into Peggy. They hug and smile. He asks, joking, if she lost her job. He says she looks good. She asks after Megan. They banter about being at the movie theatre. She says she's just knocking out the cobwebs, she heard that as good advice from someone once. He asks if it's going well. She says it is and asks if that's okay? He says that's what happens when you help someone, they succeed and move on. She tells him about the lady cigarette account. He says she'll get it. She's excited that she's going to Virginia to tour the factory, flying on a plane for the first time. Peggy says to give her love to Megan and that they should get together sometime. The movie starts.
Pete meets Howard on train. Howard says now that he's free he wants to make Pete get off the train and head back into the city, and have some fun. Pete calls him disgusting and gives himself away by saying he can't believe that Howard erased his wife's memory. Howard figures it out and says that Beth always spreads her legs for the first chump she can find. They get into a fight. The conductor breaks it up. Pete then gets into a fight with the conductor. The conductor punches him out and kicks him off the train. He heads home all beat up and Trudy is freaked out. He says he fell asleep and ran into a ditch. She tells him she can't live like this. She says he was right and they're going to find an apartment in the city for him.
Don watches Megan's screen test. He falls in love with her again.
Joan shows the partners the new space she's found on the 38th floor. Pete says he's going to have the same view as Don.
Megan shows up on the set of the Butler shoe commercial in costume. Don got her the job. Don walks away from the very colorful commercial shoot to a dark, brown bar and orders an old-fashioned. The theme to "You Only Live Twice", begins.
Peggy looks out her hotel window and sees two dogs humping in the parking lot.
Pete listens to music on headphones.
Roger looks out a window with a little smile on his face. The camera pulls back and reveals that he's naked in front of his window, the implication being he's dropped acid again.
A pretty blonde asks Don for a light. Don obliges in a perfunctory way, not really looking at her. She gestures to her pretty friend at the end of the bar and says the friend was wondering if Don was alone. Don turns his head slowly and gives the blonde a cool blank stare that reveals nothing. And we cut to black. And that's a wrap on season 5.
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