This episode of Mad Men was more trippy than the episode where Roger took LSD.
While most of the guys in the office take an injection of an "energy serum" from Jim Cutler's doctor, Peggy remains 'sober' while working on the Chevy account.
Don catches a glimpse of Peggy comforting Ted over his partner's death from cancer. Ted's secretary shuts the door, so the audience doesn't really know what happens between Peggy and Ted.
Peggy's patient and listens to Don's energetic, mostly non-sensical rambling. "That was very inspiring," she replies to one of his speeches. "But do you have any idea what the idea is?" He doesn't.
The drugs make the passage of time seem lightning fast, so before Don knows it, it's Saturday. Everyone seems to change outfits a million times, so it's confusing what day it is.
Later, the creatives are goofing around in the lounge. Stan is still high from the injections and Peggy is drunk. They have the genius idea for Stan to stand under a drawing of an apple and for Ginsburg to throw Xacto knives and pencils at the drawing, over Stan's head. Peggy flinches as Ginsburg is about to throw. "Don't hit his eye." Ginsburg hits Stan in the arm with an Xacto knife.
Peggy examines Stan's wound and although he claims he can't feel anything, Peggy takes him to the bathroom to wash out his wound. She staunches the bleeding with a homemade tourniquet. Stan, still drugged, keeps kissing her cheek. "I want you to stop," Peggy tells him. Stan says she doesn't think she really does. "I have a boyfriend," Peggy offers up weakly. Stan ignores her and kisses her, a long kiss.
Stan tells Peggy his cousin was killed in action in Vietnam. Peggy clearly feels awful and they talk about it a little. She talks to him about knowing what it's like to feel loss. She tells him he can't mask it by using drugs and sex.
The chemistry between Peggy and Stan has been there since he appeared in season four and the way their friendship has developed is one of the best parts of the show. It's unclear if Peggy has ever considered Stan in a romantic way before, though. Later, when she finds him already ignoring her advice, by fucking the I Ching girl in the office, she seems pretty annoyed. "I'm going home!" She announces loudly.
Although her storyline was just as wacky as Don being on drugs, it's clear how much everyone who works with her closely respects and adores her. Even if they often express it in a physical way, like Stan, there's also a mutual respect and trust between the two of them. Ted is attracted to her physically as well, but also because she's so good at what she does. Even Ginsburg comments on her skills. The men's attraction to Peggy is different than their attraction to Joan might be, however. Joan is not respected for her work and still viewed as a sex object by most of the men at the agency. The guys find Peggy attractive because of her hard work and less to do with her physical attributes (although Stan does compliment on her ass.)
Speaking of Joan, you could say everything falls apart at the office when Joan isn't around since she was missing this week.
Despite everyone at SDCP on drugs, Sally's storyline was scarier this week. Since Don is bouncing off the walls at work, he forgets his kids are visiting that weekend. Megan watches them, but she has plans Saturday night, so she leaves Sally in charge of her brothers.
Sally is reading in bed (Rosemary's Baby) when she hears someone out in the living room. It's clearly a woman who is stealing things from the apartment, but she spins an elaborate story, and manages to convince Sally she knows Don.
Sally is reading in bed (Rosemary's Baby) when she hears someone out in the living room. It's clearly a woman who is stealing things from the apartment, but she spins an elaborate story, and manages to convince Sally she knows Don.
By the time Don comes home and finds out about the robbery, everyone is there: Megan, the kids, Betty and Henry, and the cops. Betty, of course, flips out about Megan leaving the kids in the apartment alone. Megan apologizes to Sally, but Sally, having just been through an ordeal, snaps at Megan (who she usually adores) and Don: "I want to go home!"
The next day, Sally and Don speak on the phone. Sally comments that she doesn't know anything about her father. Don's quiet for a long moment before telling her she did everything right. He tells her he left the back door open, so it was his fault.
And it's true, he did. He left the service entrance to the apartment open, because he's been sneaking down to stand outside the service entrance at the Rosens, listening to Sylvia. While on drugs, Don thinks he's found the 'answer', not for the Chevy account, but how to win her back.
Possibly the robbery or his sobering up makes him see things more clearly, because the next morning, as he's leaving for work, Sylvia gets on the elevator at her floor, and the two ride down to the lobby in silence.
