- Peggy becomes unsatisfied with her apartment and with Abe, Don has an eventful weekend with Betty while Megan has problems on the set, Roger has time with his grandson, and Pete begins exploring his options outside the firm.
- Peggy still feels caught in the middle of what is going on between Don and Ted. Behind closed doors, she sides with Ted, while she can be totally honest with Don. The situation at home - especially in an apartment in an neighborhood she both hates, that hatred which is strengthened by an incident involving Abe - makes her think more about her previous kiss with Ted. Pete is feeling dissatisfied with his prospects at the merged company, and thus looks for possible other opportunities. Roger is focused on the children in his life. While he tries to be grandfather to Margaret's son, Ellery, he would rather be father to his biological son, Kevin, with Joan. Joan has other thoughts on the matter and how best to move on with her less than happy life. Without their respective spouses for at least the first day, Don and Betty attend Bobby's camp, he who is happy to see his parents together again. As they are alone together without outside pressures of what they need to do to keep up pretenses of their own personal situations in relation to each other, Don and Betty fall into old habits if only for their alone time. And Megan is having problems at work in developing her new "twin" character, which she thinks will get her fired. She gets some support that she doesn't want, while longs for the support that seems to have long abandoned her.—Huggo
- Peggy has just about had it when she gets home to find that Abe was the victim of a mugging and was stabbed. He's refusing to help the police find who attacked him - they're all bigots as far as he'd concerned - and she is constantly scared. She wants to sell out and he eventually gets her point, so to speak. Don gets to spend a night at Bobby's summer camp where he runs into Betty. Henry's not arriving until the next day and things take an interesting turn. Joan and Bob's plans to go to the beach are interrupted by Roger who drops in unexpectedly. Megan's role in her soap opera has been expanded - she now plays twins - and she's convinced everyone hates her. Her friend from the show stops by to help her relax. Worried about his future at the firm, Pete Campbell meets with Duck Phillips, who now works as a headhunter.—garykmcd
- "Mad Men" - "The Better Half" - May 26, 2013
Ted, Pete, Don, and Harry are arguing about butter versus margarine, quality versus price. Pete recommends going on taste alone. They call Peggy in. She can't commit to either Don or Ted's idea so she tries to be diplomatic and says she'd buy the cheaper one. She likes both ideas. Ted says go with Don's. Don says go with what he's comfortable with, clearly mad at Peggy. They all leave and Pete wonders why Harry didn't speak up. Comparing the firm to the '27 Yankees, Harry hints he may be testing the waters.
Megan shoots a scene, as a French woman Colette. She's now playing two different characters and she's struggling with the director and what he wants. Her co-star Arlene tells her not to worry. She's worried.
Don goes to see Peggy and tells her he doesn't want her to be a diplomat. He asks her what she thinks is the best way to go. She waffles and says it's not her job to turn it into a collaboration. She says Ted is interested in the idea and Don's interested in Don's idea. Don tells her that Ted's interested in his idea, and not to let him fool her. Peggy says Ted doesn't make her feel this way. Don says he doesn't know her like he does.
Betty waits for Henry to finish on the phone. They are at a political fundraiser. A man named Stu hits on her and says he wants to be alone with her all night. She says she has three children. He says he doesn't care. She clarifies that he was supposed to say he couldn't believe she's had three children. Henry finishes his call and gives Stu the side eye.
Peggy heads home. Abe is hurt and talking to a cop. He got stabbed. The cop asks if they were colored or Puerto Rican. Abe is incensed and asks him to leave. He calls him a fascist pig. He's not going to give them an excuse to shake every down kid in the neighborhood. Peggy tries to talk sense into him and he asks why she would you side with the cops? She calls it a shock, a trauma, and says she's going to let him do what he's doing. He tells her not to patronize him and defends the kids saying they were brought here by slave ships. She notes she was brought here by him and she's going to sell the place. He says it's all going in his article, these reactions but with his bum hand he wants her to type. She goes to bed.
Megan makes dinner for Don. She asks after his day, and he tells her to go first. She is honest and says she doesn't want to talk about it. When he asks what's for dinner she launches into it saying she thinks they hate her and the director can't tell the twins apart even though she's playing them very differently. He decides he's not hungry, says he's just tired. She says she packed his bag for his trip to see Bobby at his camp. He says tomorrow is another day.
In the limo on the way home, Betty asks Henry if the evening was a success saying she found it fascinating watching him work his magic. He says everyone was watching her and that Stu did everything but grab her ass. She says she didn't notice. He asks what Stu said. She tells him about wanting to be alone with her all night. He kisses her and they get it on the limo.
Roger shows off his grandson at the office. He's 4. They're going to the zoo and the movies. Margaret and Joan regard each other.
Duck is a headhunter now and Pete goes to see him. He got Burt Peterson a job for life at McCann. Pete wonders why he didn't get himself a job. Duck notes that he was a lot like Pete and Pete has got no role in the management structure. Duck talks about a head of marketing job in Wichita. Pete asks if he has anything back here on earth. Duck says "if you do a little better, I can do a lot better." He tells him not to fill the room with desperation. Duck says he had regrets because he ignored his family. Pete calls his family a distraction. Duck says if he can't manage that, he can't manage anything.
Don pulls into a gas station where a guy is ogling a woman's ass. It's Betty. She's lost. They're on the way to Bobby's camp. He tells her to follow him.
Back at the office. Fleischmann's called for info on market share. Ted asks to speak to Peggy. He wants to know why she touched his hand when she handed him the boards in the meeting in front of the client. She says she didn't know she did it. He says she can't smile at him and he says he never should've kissed her. She says she assumed they were forgetting about that. She says she has. He says he hasn't. He wonders if it's all him. It's not. He says they can't. She says she didn't know he felt this way. He doesn't want to and wishes he hadn't brought it up. She asks if he wants her to work someplace else. He says no.
Bobby shows Betty a camp song while they're having lunch at a nearby restaurant. He's excited when Don shows up. They sit together at the restaurant. He introduces them to another camper also named Bobby. He's very excited in general. He sings his song for Don and Betty joins in and then Don does too. It's very cute.
Pete asks to walk Joan out. But wants to talk to her first. He wants her advice. He tells her he feels like he's being pulled in every direction by his wife, child, mother, and job. Joan says she has similar problems. She has no advice but he thanks her anyway.
Megan's co-star Arlene stops by the apartment to have a bull session. Arlene loves the apartment. They drink. Arlene says she came over because she's worried about her. Megan wonders if she's going to get fired. Arlene tells her a story about her early days and how she was also insecure but clearly it all worked out.
Don runs into Betty at the motel where they are staying. They share a drink. She talks about how she loved camp. Don never went. She says he did, once, with her family. He got in a fight with her father. And then they went in the woods and made Sally. Betty says she doesn't understand her. Henry says she's like Don. Don wonders how he knows this. He says Sally is like her. She says Bobby reminds her of her father, bossy. Don says all the teenagers of the world are in revolt. She wonders what they were like. She says when she saw him she thought "who is that man?" And then she remembered she was mad at him. They go to say goodnight and have a moment. She walks in her room and leaves the door open. He follows her. He turns out the light. He grabs her head. She asks what he's doing and he says "waiting for you to tell me to stop." They kiss. She asks what he thought when he saw her. That she was as beautiful as the day he met her. They totally get it on!
Arlene and Megan talk about Arlene's husband, the soap director Mel, and how they work together and how he's always proud of her. Arlene says Don is proud of her too, she can tell since he's so protective. Megan says it used to be different, he was so encouraging until she started succeeding. Arlene says he's old fashioned and will get used to it. She says she thinks he did and that he got used to her not being around. She says she feels really lonely. Arlene kisses her and says she wants to make her feel better. Megan says this isn't the way and that she can't believe she's taking advantage of her private moment. Arlene gripes that what was she supposed to think when she invited her over when her husband wasn't home under a silly pretext and then downed two bottles of wine. Megan says she works with her and her husband is her boss and now she's worried she's going to be punished for not having sex with her. Arlene says it's okay to say no but she shouldn't embarrass her. Megan apologizes and touches her arm and Arlene tries to kiss her again and then Megan begs off and Arlene calls her a tease. Arlene tells her to learn the lines and that "two characters is hard but you know what Olivier says 'let the wig do the work.'" Arlene says there are no hard feelings. She leaves and Megan giggles.
Don and Betty chat post-coital. He says he missed her. He asks if she feels guilty. She says no, this happened a long time ago. They share a cigarette. He's grossed out by menthols and says he doesn't miss that. He wonders if this is what it would've been like if they'd stayed together. She says she doesn't think about that anymore, she's happy in her life right now and just wants to enjoy the moment. He asks what she's thinking. And she says she's thinking about how different he is, before and after. She says she loves the way he looks at her when he's like this and then she watches it decay because she can only hold his attention for so long. He asks why sex is the definition of being close. She says she doesn't know but it is for her and a lot of people. He says lying in her arms without the sex he would've felt just as close, the rest of it doesn't mean that much to him. She asks if it's the same with Megan. He wants to know why she wants to talk about that. Betty touches his face and says "that poor girl. She doesn't know that loving you is the worst way to get to you." She kisses him. They go at it again and she stops and asks if he's sure he doesn't just want to hold her. He goes further.
Abe is boarding up a window that a rock was thrown through. Peggy's worried that the kids retaliated for seeing him talking to the police. She says she's legitimately scared. He tries to protest but then tells her she's right and to put the building on the market. He says they might not be cut out to be pioneers. He tells her to sleep in the parlor if she's nervous since he's going back to work.
Margaret calls Roger angrily that he took his 4-year-old grandson to see "Planet of the Apes." He's been having nightmares. Roger tries to say it's not his fault. She agrees saying it's her fault for letting a four-year-old watch a four-year-old and that his ex-wife needs to be there next time Roger sees him.
Don wakes up alone. He heads into breakfast and sees Betty with Henry. They say hello and he heads off to sit alone. He watches them talk happily.
Joan is headed to the beach with Bob Benson and Kevin. She talks about having a place. Bob notes that Pete has a beach house. She says she'd never ask him but does note he's the only person at the agency who has never broken a promise. He mentions that he's worried about Pete and Joan assumes he told Bob about his mother needing a nurse. Roger shows up out of the blue and when Bob answers the door in his swim trunks he asks who he is. It's all very awkward and he pretends he wanted some papers from Joan. Roger leaves. Bob says he didn't know they were friends. Joan says some people never stop working.
Peggy is sleeping when she hears a fight outside and then a car peeling out. She has a broom with a knife on the end and whenAbe startles her from behind she whirls around and accidentally stabs him. In the ambulance on the way to the hospital he tells her she's a scared person who hides behind complacency. She asks him not to do this right now since she said she's sorry. He says her activities offend him and she will always be the enemy. She asks if he's breaking up with her. He says he has to hand it to her, she gave him a great ending to his article.
Don comes home to find Megan in her underwear on the balcony. He tells her he missed her. She says she misses him all the time. She says she doesn't know when she started pretending that everything was sunny and she doesn't know where he's gone but she's here and she keeps trying to make things the way they were but she doesn't know how. She says something has to change. He holds her face and tells her she's right, that he hasn't been there and he kisses her. They hug.
On Monday at the office Roger visits Joan with the gift for Kevin, Lincoln Logs. She tells him not to drop in on her like that. He says he wants to. She says it's too confusing for Kevin. He says he's his father. She says his father is Greg. But Roger says he's here. She says for now. He says he wants to be around. She says she knows but she can't count on that and shows him out and thanks him for the gift.
Bob goes to talk to Pete about something "delicate." He gives Pete the number of a male RN. Pete gets mad that Joan told him and Bob says not to since she was trying to help and Pete's well-being is an interest to them both.
Peggy goes to see Ted. She tells him about Abe and how they're over. He says he's sorry to hear that and she'll find someone else and, whoever he is, will be lucky to have her. He asks if she's ready to get to work. Apparently he's taking the "let's forget about it" route now as he's very professional, brusque but chipper. Don enters and Ted tells him Fleischmann's loved whatever idea they presented and it's full steam ahead. Each man goes into his office, leaving Peggy standing alone in the middle.
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