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Tomorrowland
Episode-13-don-megan2
Production
Season 4 Episode 13
Air date 17 October 2010
Written by Jonathan Igla
and Matthew Weiner
Directed by Matthew Weiner

Previous
Blowing Smoke
Next
A Little Kiss, Part 1

Synopsis

After years of service, Betty lets Carla go; while preparing to make the move to Rye. Don takes the children to California, but without a nanny he hires Megan, which leads to some rather interesting events. Stephanie meets Don's children. Peggy and Ken team up to take on Topaz Pantyhose, Joan gets a promotion.

Detail

In the early morning, Don is woken by his girlfriend Faye, who is packing for a 7am flight. Don asks Faye to "put him out of his misery" before she goes. Faye reassures Don, who is nervous about a meeting with the American Cancer Society, that they are going to "love" him. Faye ventures that his nervousness isn't just about the meeting, but with his difficulty with duality, and perhaps if he were to address it, he could finally join the world in trying "to be people." Don takes her hand and says he's going to miss her.

Meanwhile at SCDP, Joan, sporting a very noticeable baby bump, is pushing the mail cart when she reaches Lane's office. Once she enters, Lane delivers the good news that she has been promoted to Director of Agency Operations, but she won't receive a pay raise due to the financial situation of the company. Joan thanks Lane, calling it "almost an honor", before resuming distributing mail.

During his meeting with the American Cancer Society, when asked why he wrote the letter, Don explains that though it was written on impulse, it was a necessity for it to be written; it would allow his company to move forward. Sussing out ways to campaign against smoking, the board tells Don they need innovative new ways to reach out the public. Don advises the board that what the cigarette companies are out for are "new smokers" and although teenagers are an easy sell, they are also sentimental. Don submits the idea that the campaign could be based on parents and children, with cigarettes coming between them. Impressed, they get a "meeting for another meeting."

In Don's office, Roger, Pete and Don call a meeting with Ken. The agenda is Ken's father-in-law to be, Ed Baxter. As one of the CEOs of Corning Inc., scoring his business would be a prize for the firm, potentially bailing them out of their financial difficulties. Pitching the idea to Ken, Pete mentions his relationship with his father-in-law, Tom Vogel, who also happens to be SCDP's biggest client to date. Unnerved, Ken rejects the idea, calling Cynthia his "life" and not wanting to do anything to compromise that relationship.

Betty and Carla are in the final stages of packing up the house so the family can move to Rye. After Betty leaves to go to the store, Glen Bishop shows up and asks Carla if he can say goodbye to Sally. Carla reluctantly allows Glen to go upstairs. Glen tells Sally he will try to keep in touch with her through the mail and in a few years, he will be old enough to drive to visit her. The two share a friendly hug and Glen leaves the room. Betty returns and catches Glen as he leaves, and then immediately fires Carla for allowing him into the house. Henry later finds out about Betty firing Carla, which results in a fight.

Unexpectedly dropping in on Peggy, Joyce brings a friend; a woman Harry instantly takes to. Joyce introduces the woman to Peggy as Carolyn Jones. Taking a seat on Peggy's couch, Joyce explains that Carolyn was recently fired from a job modelling pantyhose, and that she noticed her having a breakdown at Howard Johnson's that day. Interrupting the threesome, Harry comes in with an excuse asking Peggy about his ABC meeting, and makes a failed pass at Carolyn. Carolyn explains that she was recently working for Topaz Pantyhose and in a moment of frustration, they fired their ad agency and then her. Sensing an opportunity, Peggy contacts Ken.

An agitated Don asks Megan if she has made childcare arrangements for his trip to California. Due to the varying ages of Don children, Megan explains that he'll need two of the in-service nannies from the hotel. Looking at Megan, Don asks how much she makes a week. When Megan says that she makes seventy dollars a week, Don offers to double that, and to give her a few nights off, plus her own room, if she will join him on his trip, all expenses paid. She accepts his offer and they leave for California.

Peggy and Ken begin a new campaign for Topaz. Ken tells Peggy that Art Garden, the Topaz executive, was very impressed that she had heard about them firing Dupre, their previous ad agency. Lucky for Peggy and Ken, Topaz had already bought product placement, and therefore they only need one successful pitch to "pick up the pieces."

In California, Don returns to the hotel after a business meeting. He finds his children and Megan singing the French children's song, "Il était un petit navire." Before leaving them, Don tells Megan how impressed he is with her facility with his children, and compares her to Maria Von Trapp. Megan tells Don that professionally speaking, she has no experience with children; however, she does have six nieces and nephews.

Don takes Sally and Bobby to visit Stephanie, who is currently living in Anna's house, but is preparing to sell it. Bobby notices the painted flowers on Anna's wall, and he and Sally notice the inscription on the wall that reads "Dick and Anna, '64." This prompts Sally to ask Don who Dick is. Don says "well, that's me. Its just a nickname people call me sometimes." Asking the children to get some lemons, Stephanie gives Don Anna's engagement ring from the real Don Draper, telling him "not to fool" with that kind of gesture. When Don asks Stephanie if she's going back to school, Stephanie says she isn't, and that the best part is knowing that she has her "whole life ahead" of her.

Arriving back at the hotel, Don meets Megan and Gene in the pool. As Bobby and Sally get into their swimming gear, Sally asks Don to join them. Megan encourages this, telling Sally he "swims all the time in New York." Don demurs, saying he is "really beat." Back in his room Don stares at the wall, but then goes outside and jumps into the pool with his kids.

Back in their hotel room Don, Sally and Bobby are planning their day at Disneyland, as Megan enters the room with a friend. Staring at Megan in admiration, Don tells them to "have fun." When Sally asks where they are headed, Megan's friend replies that they are going to the "Whiskey A-Go-Go."

Back in Ossining, Betty comes home late to an agitated Henry. Henry decries the fact that Betty fired Carla and didn't tell him, and that Betty refused to give Carla a recommendation despite her nine years of service. Betty defends herself, citing her disapproval of Glen. The argument escalates when Henry points out the illogic of Betty not moving the kids out the house because they need "stability" and then, out of sheer pettiness, firing the nanny they have had since they were born. When she expresses her anger that Henry is not on her side, Henry passive-aggressively mutters that "no one is ever on your side, Betty."

With the children asleep, Don hears Megan come back to her hotel room next door and turn on the television. Don opportunistically knocks on her door to "go over the schedule for Disneyland," Megan invites him in. Together they stand on the balcony and watch the night sky as Megan reveals that she wanted to be an actress but never really had enough belief in herself. And in a moment of rekindled passion the two kiss.

Entering Sally's empty room, Betty lies on the bed.

After having sex, Don asks Megan if she expected the two of them to rekindle their romance when he asked her to accompany him. Megan admits that she did, and that she was going to miss him while he was away. When Don expresses doubt about that, saying that "You don't know anything about me," Megan replies that she knows that Don has a good heart and that he is always "trying to be better." Don asks Megan if he can "knock on this door" again, and asks her to dinner after the Disneyland trip. Megan accepts, pointing out they're going to be spending the entire day together.

Arriving at the meeting with Topaz, Peggy and Ken meet Art Garden. Explaining that the company is in a bind and in urgent need of a campaign, Peggy, off the cuff, pitches "Topaz Pantyhose, the only pair you'll ever need; bad for business, good for you." This impresses Art.

During lunch with Megan and his children, Don notices how nice his family looks with Megan in the picture. Bobby and Sally taunt each other until Sally nearly hits Bobby, and knocks over her milkshake. Quickly cleaning up the mess just before Don loses his temper, Megan calmly tells Sally "it's okay, it's only a milkshake." A surprised Don looks at Megan, impressed with how she handles his children. He helps her clean up the mess.

At the conclusion of the trip, Don, unexpectedly proposes to Megan with the ring Anna left to him. He declares that Megan is the woman who makes him feel "the way [he] has always wanted to feel." He goes on to say that when saw her sleeping, he couldn't imagine waking up and not seeing her there. She happily accepts his proposal, and then telephones her mother. On the phone, Megan speaks to her mother in French.

Back at the office announces to Roger, Pete, Lane and Joan his engagement to "Miss Calvet." Lane and Joan. When Roger asks "Who the hell is that?" a surprised Joan replies "Megan," and calls her in to congratulate them. The news comes as a surprise to everyone, especially Peggy, who arrives with Ken. They share the news that they signed a new account, which will bring SCDP $250,000 and will keep the company afloat. It is the first account that SCDP has secured since Lucky Strike terminated their contract. Everyone offers Don and Megan their well wishes.

In his office, Peggy expresses her concerns for Don. He tells Peggy that he appreciates it, but he is "very happy." He adds that Megan reminds him of Peggy, that she has the "same spark," and that she "admires" Peggy as much as Don does.

Megan tells Don that Faye called again, noting that it's "not going to get easier" the longer he waits.

Peggy later speaks to Joan about Don marrying a secretary. She is irritated that both of their efforts to save the company go unappreciated, and that the men of the office always seem to overshadow them with their own shenanigans. "A pretty face comes along, and everything goes out the window," they commiserate. Joan also predicts that Don "isn't going to want to be married to his secretary," and therefore will probably make her a copywriter, which will put Megan under Peggy's supervision. Joan jokes that she learned long ago not to get all her "satisfaction" from her job. "Bullshit!" counters Peggy, and they both erupt into laughter.

Don calls Faye, wanting to speak to her in person about his engagement. When he rejects her offer to drop by the office, Faye wants to know what's going on. Don asks her to meet him for coffee instead, but Faye refuses, and demands that he tell her over the phone. The news leaves her in tears, and she tells him that she hopes Megan knows that Don only likes "the beginnings of things."

Joan calls Greg to update him about her pregnancy, revealing that she did not go through with her original plan to have an abortion. She passes off the child as Greg's. Telling him about the events at work, Greg is eager for Joan to share the news with the office that she is expecting. When she teases Greg, saying "they're bigger," he tells her to not worry about her figure since he will "whip her and the baby into shape" when he returns home. They tell one another they love each other, and end the call.

That night, Don returns to his old house and finds that Betty is just about to leave. The two share one final drink in their old home, and Don tells her that he is engaged. Betty initially thinks it's to Bethany Van Nuys, but Don explains that the lucky woman is his secretary. Betty appears to be saddened by the news, and almost regretful she left Don, mentioning that "things aren't perfect" with Henry. They leave through opposite doors, leaving the tumbler and the bottle of Rye on the kitchen island.

Season 4 ends with Don and Megan spending the night together at Don's.

Cast

Main Star

Co-Star

Quotes

Joan: "Whatever could be on your mind?"
Peggy: "Can you believe this?"
Joan: "It happens all the time, they're all just inbetween marriages, you know that. He'll probably make her a copywriter. He's not going to want to be married to his secretary."
Peggy: "Is that what he meant? She admires you, Jesus."
Joan: "Thats the way it works for some"
Peggy: "You know, I just saved this company. I signed the first new business since Lucky Strike left, but its not as important as getting married. Again."
Joan: "Well, I was just made Director of Agency Operations. A title, no money of course. And if they poured champagne it must've been while I was pushing the mail cart"
Peggy: "A pretty face comes along, and everything goes out the window."
Joan: "Well, I learned a long time ago, to not get all my satisfaction from this job."
Peggy: "That's bullshit."
- Joan and Peggy gossip about the men of the office.

Joan: "And he's smiling like a fool, like hes the first man to ever marry his secretary. She's 25; as if that's news!"
Greg: "So when are you going to tell them your news?"
Joan: "They'll know soon enough."
Greg: "You showing at all? The picture I have doesn't change."
Joan: "I'll take a new one, and send it to you."
Greg: "You know, all I wanna know."
Joan: "Yes honey, they're bigger."
Greg: "Ugh, why are you torturing me? I just woke up and its already 90 degrees here. Listen i gotta go."
Joan: "Not yet..."
Greg: "...What?"
Joan: "Not yet!"
Greg: "You listen to the doctor, you gotta eat. Don't worry about your figure, I'll whip you and the baby into shape when I get back."
Joan: "Ok."
Greg: "I'll call you Thursday night, your time."
Joan: "Ok, I love you."
Greg: "I love you too."
- Joan updates Greg on her pregnancy.

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