Peggy Olson
Despite Peggy’s quick progress up the corporate ladder as a copywriter, this season seems to be demonstrating how traditional Peggy’s values really are.
Last week, when Joan went against the grain to bring in a new client, Peggy chastised her for being in the wrong, which is the same argument Pete Campbell presented to Joan when he found out about the incident.
Both sticklers for the rules, this week, Pete and Peggy crossed paths once again, something that hasn’t happened all season. When Pete’s mom drops by the office, Peggy speaks with her while waiting for Pete. His mom apparently thinks Peggy is Trudy and mentions the child they have together. The comment hits a little close to home for Peggy, since in fact, Pete and Peggy do have a child together. Pete’s mom goes on to speak about her new (sexual) relationship with her male nurse.
Later, Pete, Peggy, and Ted are out to dinner after presenting to Ocean Spray and while Ted is settling the bill, Pete comments on the obvious tension between Ted and Peggy. Peggy is surprised Pete can read her so well, but says nothing can happen. “He’s in love with you, too,” Pete insists.
Peggy tells Pete about the conversation with his mother and they’re both laughing when Ted returns to the table. Ted must notice the chemistry between Pete and Peggy because he looks a tad jealous.
Back at her apartment, Peggy’s dealing with a rat problem. When she gets woken up in the middle of the night from sounds of its scrabbling, she attempts to rely on a guy to fix the problem for her. She calls Stan. When he won’t come over, she flirts with him, “Maybe I’ll make it worth your while.”
Stan says she won’t, but Peggy comes back with, “Then why are you using your sexy voice?” Stan tries to brush her off again, because he has a girl in his bed. Peggy gets that his brush off is code, though. “Oh. Why didn’t you say something?”
Speaking of traditional values, when Betty finds out only one other girl is going on the Model UN trip to the city, she tells Sally she’s not allowed to go. She doesn’t want her staying in a midtown hotel with all those boys. Sally points out there will be chaperones, but Betty is not budging. Sally says she’ll stay with Don. “You hate that he supports my dreams,” she tells Betty, before flouncing off.
For their Model UN trip, Sally and her friend Julie stay with Don and Megan in the city. They meet the Rosens’ son Mitchell in the lobby. That night, they’re writing a list of “Why I Like Mitchell” when Megan warns them it’s past time for lights out.
In a cab on the way to their Model UN event, Sally is quizzing Julie about the country of Manila. “All the boys are going to think you’re dumb,” she chides.
“Don’t tell me how to get boys,” Julie replies. She informs Sally that she slipped the “Why I Like Mitchell” list under the Rosens’ door. Sally is horrified and comes back to the apartment building to find the letter. She gets the keys from the doorman and goes up to the Rosens’ apartment, sneaking in the back door.
She finds the letter there, waiting for Mitchell, but she also sees through a cracked door her father and Sylvia having sex. Sally drops the huge keyring in shock and they both look up to see her.
Don chases after Sally, but can’t find her. When he comes home later that evening, he finds Megan and the girls already having dinner. Sally won’t even look at him. When the Dr. Rosen and Mitchell come to the apartment to thank Don for fixing Mitchell’s 1A situation, Sally can’t contain her outburst. “You make me sick!”
Megan is about to go after her, but Don goes instead. Julie explains to Megan that Sally has a crush on Mitchell and unknowingly keeping Megan oblivious to Don’s cheating ways.
Sally won’t open the door to let Don in, but listens to him on the other said. “I was comforting Ms. Rosen. It’s complicated.” Clearly Don has no concept of how mature Sally is. Even if she isn’t experienced with boys, she’s probably smart enough to know Don wasn’t simply ‘comforting’ her.
It reminds me of back in season three, when Don was involved with Bobbie Barrett. The next morning, when he was home, Sally came in to watch him shave. “I just like watching you,” she said happily. Don gave the mirror a requisite thousand yard stare, presumably thinking of how one day, his little girl might one day be someone else’s sex object.
While that hasn’t happened yet, Sally is now a part of her father’s web of lies to protect not only his idenity, but his marriage to Megan.
