- After a fight with Megan during a surprise trip to California, Don decides it's time to get back to work. Meanwhile, Betty joins Bobby on a field trip to a farm.
- Don has a less than satisfying telephone conversation with Dawn, the ultimate problem being Don's remote location and Dawn having other priorities in the office. Then, Don has a telephone conversation with Alan Silver, Megan's agent, which leads to Don making a last minute trip to Los Angeles to surprise Megan. The surprise also ends up being ultimately less than satisfying for both. Next, Don sets up a meeting with Dave Wooster to talk business, which again ends up being a little less than Don wanted. All these events make Don come to the realization that he wants and is ready to go back to work at Sterling Cooper. As such, he talks to the one partner he believes is on his side: Roger. After speaking to Roger, what Don anticipates when he walks back into the office and what happens are two totally different things. Beyond each partner's belief when Don was put on leave, what happens is affected by an earlier meeting in which Harry was required to put out a fire on behalf of Jim. After going on a luncheon with Francine, Betty returns home to discover that Bobby's class is going on a field trip. To be closer to him, she decides to volunteer as a chaperon. The mother/son relationship goes well during the trip until... That situation leads to an emotional Betty wondering about her fitness as a mother.—Huggo
- Don receives a phone call from Megan's agent, Alan Silver, who is worried about his budding young star. She recently freaked out at an audition and later tracked down the director at a restaurant begging for another chance. Don flies out there and she's happy to see him until he tells exactly why he's there. She doesn't react well and he finally decides to tell the truth about losing his job but it only makes matters worse. On his return to New York, he confronts Roger who finally tells him to come into work on Monday morning. When he shows up for work, Roger has not yet come in, some are happy to see him while others make their displeasure known. In the end, the partners agree to let him return, but under strict conditions. Meanwhile, Betty accompanies Bobby on a school trip to a farm but things don't go well.—garykmcd
- "Mad Men" - "Field Trip"- April 27, 2014
Don sits in a movie theatre watching a film. Later, at home he calls Dawn at the office. He asks for a ribbon for his typewriter and some onionskin. She says she can't bring it over because she's swamped with a Mountain Dew ad shoot. She says she can get a messenger to him. He's annoyed. Alan Silver called from L.A. and Don wants her to connect him but her phone is ringing off the hook. So he calls him directly.
Alan says he called to ask about "our girl" and tells Don that Megan is acting a little nutty. He says she performed adequately at the audition and then called casting and asked if she could try again. And then she called the director at home and then "ran into him" at lunch with Rod Serling and pled her case in tears and demanded another chance. He asks Don to help him nip this in the bud and tell her to relax. Don hangs up and has a drink.
Stan and Ginsberg are telling Peggy not to worry about not getting nominated for a Clio even though the two of them were for their work on Playtex. Stan says she'll get them next year. She notes she worked Platyex for years before she left. Ginsberg says maybe she didn't work it right.
Don boards a plane and chats with the flight attendant.
Peggy gives her pitch for Chevalier cologne. Lou is mad that there is artwork already which costs money. Peggy snipes at him. Lou wonders why she's mad. Ginsberg says she's mad about the Clio's. Lou says Ogilvy never submits for the awards so it's not her fault, and he apologizes, it seems, sincerely. Ginsberg tells her to feel better because this means she wasn't even considered.
Betty has lunch with her old buddy Francine. Betty drops Rockefeller's name and then asks about Francine's new job as a travel agent. She says it's going swimmingly, she works three days a week and she hands Betty her business cards. Betty asks what the office is like. Francine says it's busy and fun and Carlton likes the money. Francine says as the kids are older she really needed the challenge of an office. Betty says Gene is still a challenge. Francine admits that she needed the reward. Betty says she thought the kids were the reward but maybe she's old fashioned. Francine agrees that she is.
Harry meets with Jim, Ken, and the executives from Koss. They are there to ask questions about an article in the New York Times about a competing firm that uses a computer to collect data for its clients. Harry points out that they also have a computer but more importantly they have people to analyze the client data and that soon they'll be able to integrate local and national information. He say the article in the paper is just PR and nothing else but agrees that Koss's name should be the only one in the paper. The Koss guy apologizes for putting him through that. They leave and Jim turns to Harry to ask about computers. Harry says it would be great if they had one and he asks every Christmas and isn't even given the dignity of a denial he is just ignored. Jim calls his self-pity is distasteful. Harry says the conversation is over, he's not interested and leaves.
Don goes to Megan's apartment. He's brought flowers. She arrives home with groceries. She's happily surprised. They kiss. She asks, joking, if he got fired. He says he just had a hankering. She takes him to the couch to get it on.
When she returns from lunch Betty gets mad at Loretta, the maid/nanny for having the TV on while she's with the kids. Loretta says they were angels. She also says Betty needs to sign a permission slip so Bobby can go on a field trip to a farm. Betty says she'll chaperone the field trip. Bobby's excited.
Post-coital, Megan says she really needed that. She says she's been alone too much. Don says she's got so many friends he can't keep track.She says it's sunny for everyone but her and she's walking around in a cloud of no. He says her friends are getting rejected too and he tells her she can't get angry and desperate. She gets angry and wonders what he's doing there. He says Alan called him. She wants to fire him. He says she doesn't have to fire anyone she just needs to stop acting like a lunatic. She's mad he came for this reason and not because he missed her. He says he does miss her. She says she should fly in surprise him and isn't that a scary thought for him. He says it's not. She wonders why she can never reach him and why he always calls back and it's always quiet, not even the sound of a typewriter. She says she's sorry she's interrupting his love affairs. He swears there's no one else. He finally tells the truth: they put him on leave. He says he's still getting paid. She's angry he hasn't told her in nearly a year. He says he wanted to fix it first and he hasn't even been drinking that much. This cuts her deeply as she points out that with a clear head he got up every day and decided he didn't want to be with her. She says she's not walking out of her own house and tells him to get out and to not worry about her anymore and that it's okay, this is the way it ends, it's going to be so much easier for them both. She walks away.
Harry gets a call from the Wall Street Journal. He goes to Jim and says they have a situation. Jim says he felt badly about diminishing Harry's work and if they have a computer and are winning the arm's race they should tell people via the Wall Street Journal. Harry says they don't have one. They use one and so he calls it "our" computer. Oh and that local/national markets program? He says it's a great idea and someone should do it. Jim is aghast and calls him the most dishonest man he's worked with. Harry tells him to call off the Wall Street Journal and leaves.
Don calls Dave Wooster and says "no more dancing, let's have dinner." They meet up and they give him an offer. A blond woman approaches and says they know each other, Emily Arnett. He says he can't place her. Don thinks they arranged it. They say they wish they thought of it. The men chuckle.
Don goes to see Roger Sterling and asks "How do you sleep at night?" Roger says he reached out at Christmas and never heard back. Don shows him the offer. Roger looks at it and says it's nice they're making it sound like it's not a demotion. Don thinks this means Roger thinks he should take the job. They fight about the company with Don saying he never would've done that to Roger and that Don made that company. Roger reminds him that he discovered him selling furs. Roger finally says "You want to come back? Come back, I miss you." Roger's hippie girlfriend Sherry arrives. Roger tells him to come in Monday. Don leaves but looks back at the door and the hippie girlfriend.
Don calls Megan who is in tears. He says he wanted to hear her voice, she says she doesn't have a lot to say. He says she can listen and tells her he shouldn't have lied and apologizes and he wants everything to be okay. She says nothing. He says he wasn't thinking clearly even though he felt like there was logic to what he was doing but things can be the way they want it, since he's going back tot he agency and fixed it. "I fixed it is you got a job out here," she says. He says he was worried she wouldn't look at him the same way. She can't believe after all this time he still doesn't know her. He says he knows how he wants to be seen. She tells him not to lie to her and push her away with both hands. He says he can come back out over the weekend.. She says now is not a good idea. He says I love you. She says goodnight.
Betty accompanies Bobby on his field trip. He's talking her ear off about monsters on the school bus. He says he likes Wolfman the best because he changes into something. She notes Dracula turns into a bat. Bobby is in heaven, vibing with his mom. Pam, the teacher with one button too many undone and no bra comes over to thank Betty for coming on the trip. Betty snarks on her.
On Monday, Don heads back to the office. He waits until precisely 9. He enters and sees people he doesn't know. He notes the Copy Chief title on Peggy's door and the Traffic sign on Dawn's and Lou's name on his old door. He approaches Lou and says it's good to see him again. Lou, says sure. Don says he's ready to get back to work, Lou says "good for you."
He runs into Roger's secretary and she says he's not in yet. Don says they have a meeting. She says she's always the last to know. He says he'll keep himself occupied. Lou asks to talk to Jim Cutler, asap.
As Don's leaving Ginsberg grabs him. Ginsberg says he smells good and asks him to look at a pitch for Chevalier Noir. They show him the strategy. Ginsberg goes to get the storyboards from Peggy and says Don is there. She thinks he's kidding. She wonders why he's here. Peggy comes into the creative conference room. Ginsberg, Peggy, and Stan watch. Stan wonders why he's there. Ginsberg says maybe he's finished drying out. Dawn shows up and says no one told her Don was coming.
The creative team start to catch Don up on the accounts. Dawn hangs his coat and looks worried.
The kids get to the farm, there are pigs, goats, chickens and horses, but they've come to see the cow. Betty and another smoking mom stay out and snark about bra-less Pam.
Ken and Joan arrive and welcome Don and are both surprised to see him. Joan is very formal with him and shakes his hand and says it was nice seeing him. Ken shows him baby pictures. Joan goes to see Bert and tells him Don is here and says he's waiting for Roger. Bert says he shouldn't be here.
Lou arrives and orders the creative quartet into his office and away from Don, testily.
The farmer milks the cows and shows the kids... Betty volunteers to drink the milk right from the bucket, the kids, especially Bobby, are impressed.
Roger finally arrives. Don's mad he didn't tell anyone he was coming and that he's been waiting. Roger says he's the president and his name's on the door. Don tells him to call the damn meeting. Roger says he has to ask Joan.
Bobby and Betty prepare to have a picnic lunch.
Jim Cutler arrives and is also surprised to see Don. Shirley comes and pulls him out to see Lou. Lou is ballistic and says they're still going to pay him no matter what happens. Jim says they're going to ask Don to leave. Lou says they might want to call security.
Betty returns from washing her hands to learn that Bobby traded Betty's sandwich for a bag of gumdrops. She seethes. He's really sorry and says he didn't know she was going to eat. She points out there were two sandwiches and she smokes. She tells him to eat the candy and he says he doesn't want it. She makes him eat the candy.
Joan, Jim, and Roger all meet in Bert's office. Roger says Don came to him in remorse and he brought him back. Jim -- who says he is speaking for himself and Ted-- says they fired him. Joan agrees saying they were allowing him to preserve his dignity while he sought other employment. Roger -- who is also speaking for Pete-- disagrees saying they did not fire him and now he's bringing him back. Bert agrees they didn't fire him but says he thought they would regroup and talk about it first. Joan says what they have is working and Don no longer fits. Roger trash talks Lou. Jim says Lou is adequate and Harry is the problem. They all ignore this except Roger who immediately agrees to fire Harry. Jim says they need a computer and worries that temperamental creative people are ruining things. Bert now wonders if that is really Jim speaking for Ted, a temperamental creative person. Roger says Don's a genius and Jim hates him. Jim says he doesn't. Joan wisely points out that even if they did fire him they'd have to buy him out which Bert notes would be very expensive. Jim says it will be more profitable to lose him in the long run. Roger disagrees saying they would then be competing against him.
Henry comes home and Betty's still stewing about lunch. Henry asks Bobby what happened. Bobby says only that he wishes it was yesterday.
Don sits in the creative office and stews. Peggy comes in and asks if he's coming back. He says he thought so but now he's not so sure. She says she can't say that they missed him.
Henry comes and asks Betty what happened. She says it was a perfect day and he ruined it. She asks if he thinks she's a good mother. Of course, he does. She wonders why her kids don't love her then. He says look at 'em, gesturing to the sleeping Gene at her side. She says it's just a matter of time.
Dawn brings Don to the conference room.
He goes to the inquisition. Don says hello. They offer him a seat. Bert says they've discussed it and says they'd like him to come back to work but with some stipulations, the violation of which will result in termination and the absorption of his partnership.
The stipulation are he's never to be alone with clients, he will stick to the script, unless he's socializing with a client there will be no drinking in the office, and he will report to Lou. He gets Lane's old office. He says okay.
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