Bates Motel - The Man in Number 9

Goood Eeeevning, Addicts! Can I just suggest to those who haven’t seen it yet, please go and watch the original Psycho. It’s so good. When it was originally run in the theaters, if you were 10 minutes late to the show, you weren’t allowed in. I have a part time job as an usher at the local arena and theater and I think we should implement this rule for ALL events. If you’re more than 15 minutes late, get the hell out of my venue. Why should I have to go and piss off a whole row of people, in the dark, because you left the house late? Is that my fault? NO! So STOP YELLING AT ME! Sorry. That was a moment.

Previously we saw shit get real, real quick. Shelby found out that the Asian girl had been found and his secret wasn’t just his anymore. He shot up the house and tried to kill all of the Bates’ but Dylan shot him dead. We then found out that Norman wasn’t so normal after all. He was the one that killed his father in a fit of silent rage, that Mother than set up to look like an accident.

 We see Romero pull up to the house. He gets out and has a sad puppy dog look on his face, as if he can't believe that his BFF could be dead. I don't actually know if they were BFF's but I can only assume, that as partners, they were close. He slowly walks up to the body, rolls it over and sees the guts and death that are now, Shelby. He says they need to talk. Yeah, I think an explanation would be needed.

Mother tells him everything. About Keith, about Shelby, about the girls, everything is now out in the open. Romero is taking it all in and says that he has a plan. What really happened is that he began to suspect something was up with Shelby and that Shelby was the one that killed Keith. Shelby tried to move the girl the motel and Romero had a shoot out with him, resulting in Shelby's death. Dylan merely got in the line of fire and took a hit to the arm. That's it. Case closed. Dylan is pissed that he risked his life and all he gets is "I got in the way of his showdown." Mother and Norman have a very long exhausted embrace. They've both been so buried in this, that there's a moment of release.

We see legs intertwined and see Norman and Bradley together. Wait? I thought she wasn't talking to him. Norman also looks like the worst kisser. Like a fish trying to suck her lips off. Gross. They hear the door open and hear Mother. Oh shit. Then we see that it was a dream. Mother is in a tizzy because the motel opens to the public in 7 days and there's a lot to get done. He's currently trying to hide his morning wood. Mother tells Norman not to worry, that everything truly is behind them. She asks him to fix the lattice under the stairs before he goes to school.

When he takes the broken piece off, he hears barking. A pink-ish looking dog is not happy. His hide-out has been disturbed and discovered. Norman tries to win over the affection of the dog by throwing the remainder of his sandwich at it. He also is wielding a hammer and it seems like he wants the dog to come out so that he can bash it on the head. Hmm...

Mother is in a good mood and is making Dylan a huge breakfast. She's on Team Dylan for the moment being, considering he saved their lives. Dylan says that he's still moving out, despite what happened. Mother is shocked and annoyed. She wants him to stay and help, now that he knows what Norman is really life. She stops making breakfast and starts on a typical guilt trip. They fight over taking out the trash and she storms off.

On his way back to the dumpster, he sees a car pull up and stare at the place. When the window rolls down a sinister looking man asks about what happened to the Sea Fairer Motel. He's clearly one of the Asian rapists. He asks where he can find Keith. Dylan tells him that he's dead and then man puts on his glasses and drives away. Eww...not another one...

Norman is back at school and he gets a big goofy smile on his face when he sees that Bradley is back at school after her dad died. She says hi and she sorts of brushes him off. Her friends are also around and are trying to be the shield for her, but Norman isn't really taking the hint. Stage 5 clinger! Come on, Norman!

Mother goes to a local restaurant with brochures for the motel. She's interested in making an arrangement where they each can advertise for their business at the other's locations. When she tells the manager that she's the new manager of the Bates Motel, the manager is visibly grossed out. She says no, that she's very selective of what kind of businesses she promotes and the Bates Motel won't be one of them. Apparently the whole town is aware of what went on there with her and Shelby and the shoot-out. It would seem that no matter how hard she tried to save herself from being tainted, it's happened anyways. Mother is not happy.

As she's in the office and looking at the blank reservation page, she goes to lock up when she sees something wrong. There's a man trying to open one of the room doors with a key. She goes up to him.

He says he wants to know what happened to his standing reservation. He comes here every other month for a week and stays in room 9. He introduces himself as Jake Abernathy. It makes me think of Aberforth (Dumbledore's brother). Mother says they've been doing updating and the locks have all been changed. She offers to let him stay right now if he doesn't mind a little renovating happening behind him. He's more than happy to let that happen. She goes to get the new key for number 9 and is pleased with having a customer. She lets him go in without getting any sort of information of payment.

Dylan comes home and sees Jake's car. He confronts Mother about it and tells her that he saw Jake earlier this morning and that he was weird. Mother didn't think he was weird. I thought he was weird. Dylan reminds her about getting his information and she says she'll do it tomorrow but Dylan insists on doing it now. He goes to get it and Jake says that his information was already in the old system so he doesn't see why he should have to give it to them again. Uh...because there's new computers, and because it's standard procedure, and because we don't want rapists staying in our rooms!! Jake finally gives in and hands over his driver's license. Dylan asks what sort of work he does that he comes here every other month. Sales. So generic. Instead of handing over a credit card he pulls out a wad of cash and hands him an assorted amount.

Dylan comes over to report the odd exchange. Mother is busy trying to scrub the blood that fell out of Shelby's face/body off of the concrete on the stairs up to the house. Dylan tells her that stone is porous and the blood can't be scrubbed off, it will just have to wear off in time. Mother refuses to let this happen because every time to she looks at it she'll be reminded. I can't blame her, I'd do the same. He throws the cash down at her and leaves.

Dylan and Norman are out picking up stuff when they see Bradley. Norman can barely hide his glee. She sees them and walks over to say hello. Dylan introduces himself because Norman is too busy staring at her soft, golden hair to form words out of his mouth. She's out picking up some food because her mom is out of town. This means to Norman's brain that they can get down and dirty again. Bradley then tries to confirm that Dylan works for Gil, and says that her dad used to as well. Dylan is aware of who her dad was and how he died and expresses condolences. Norman reminds her that her food will get cold and they leave. Dylan stares after her and she turns to return the stare. Dylan confirms that she is in fact the girl that Norman went and had sex with that night. He asks if they've hung out again since then and Norman says no. Dylan seems to know the score better than his love-sick brother.

Mother is tossing and turning in bed when she hears a bump in the night. She gets up and goes to check Norman's room but he's sleeping peacefully. More bumps. She follows the noise downstairs, and calls out for Dylan. No response. Just creepy music and bumps and darkness. Gah! I'm not meant for this kind of show! She picks up a knife in the kitchen and goes to find that one of the doors has been caught in the wind and is banging open and shut.

The next day Emma comes bashing up the stairs with her tank. She sees the small plate of food by the door. Mother answers the door and is happy to see her. She says no, they didn't get a dog when Emma asks. She asks for Norman and she's brought inside to wait. When Mother goes to tell Norman she's here, he says he doesn't really want to see her, so he's "sick". Mother reminds him that Emma has feelings for him and he says he knows but he doesn't feel the same way and he doesn't want to lead her on. Such a dumb boy. Mother is saddened but then asks if he left a plate of food out for a dog. When he confirms that yes he did she says, "Don't do that Norman! You'll have every animal in the woods coming to our front porch!" A metaphor, perhaps!??! For the animals that is residing in room number 9 and all his gross buddies that will eventually come back as well???

Mother goes to tell Emma the news that Norman can't come down and she can take the hint. She opens the door and pauses to gather herself and not cry. Poor girl. She tries to play it off as allergies. Mother tells her that she has an errand she needs to go do and asks if maybe Emma wants to come with her and they can go out for lunch as well.

In the car they have a girl gab session about Norman and how strange he's been acting. This is mother's time to pry about what's really going on with her son. She doesn't want to spread any school gossip and Mother understands, but she does say that she doesn't know how fast Norman will get over "her". She denies knowing if they've slept together and then she goes on to describe Bradley without naming her. Then she offers to show Mother who she is. "But that's crazy, right?" Yes, Emma, it is.

They watch her doing yoga in the window for a few minutes. Look at the look in Mother's eyes! Then the light goes off in her head. She remembers that Bradley was the girl that showed up on their door step the first day they moved in asking to take Norman out to go studying. Then remembered that it was her party that Norman was at while she was being raped.

Then we see "flashes" of what she thinks Norman and her have done, sexually. In her mind, Bradley is the one leading Norman down this sexual path. She seems distraught and they leave.

Norman is doing some work outside the motel and the dog shows up again. Constantly barking, and Norman breaks off pieces of the cookie he's eating and gets the dog to come closer and closer. Eventually he gets the dog to eat right out of his hand. Then Mother shows up and the dogs runs away after she scolds him for playing with the strange dog.

They're doing dishes in the kitchen and Norman is trying to make his case for keeping the dog. Mother isn't having any of it. I can't blame her, but I'm more of a cat person than a dog person. I know, it's a terrible thing to admit, not being in LOVE with dogs, but I just never was! I'm only 5' tall, and dogs always jump up on me to say hi and that means they're right in my face when they do. It's annoying. Norman says it's normal for families to have a dog. Mother says that she won't take care of it, so he'll have to. Mother than sits him down to have the sex talk. She tells him to be careful. "You don't know that girl well enough to be screwing her." Well, that's awfully blunt. Mother then asks him what kind of girl shows up at his door, without knowing him. She tells him that she knows WHO he's been screwing. She tells him that there are chemicals that get released in a woman's body when she has sex and that it's not something he should be dabbling around in. Norman tells her that he really likes her. "Oh. Ok." Is her response. She then tells him that she hired Emma to help work in the motel a few days out of the week. Norman is onto her plan to pair them up together, in hopes that something will happen. Norman accuses Mother of thinking that Bradley is too good for him and not understanding that they're "together". She says that of course they're not because they don't even go out. He gets pissed and storms off.

Of course he shows up at Bradley's place. This is his moment to make it official. She's not happy to see him. At all. He thinks they should talk, and she keeps trying to brush him off but he insists. He tries to connect with her through their dead dad's. "What happened between us was real. I know how we feel about each other. I know we have a connection." It's the ultimate puppy-love speech. He tries to get her to break up with her boyfriend. She tells him that she doesn't feel the same way and that the sex is just something that happened. "I shouldn't have done it with someone like you." Ouch! He takes great offense and everything turns. He storms away and she grabs her coat to follow him.

He starts repeating the words that Mother said to him about what kind of girl shows up on his doorstep...but he's not saying it to her. She hasn't even caught up to him yet.When she finally does catch up he looks her dead in the face and says, "I don't think you're a nice girl." She hugs him, for some reason. He's dead in behind his eyes. She apologizes but the damage has been done. He starts to cry and then leaves her.

Jake comes to see Mother in the office. He then asks when they open and asks about reservations. He tells her that it's hard to get good word-of-mouth out for a new business. He offers to tell his other "sales" companions about the place. She is very grateful. He then asks to have the same business arrangement that he had with Keith. It's more than just room 9. He would need the entire block of rooms for the first week, every other month. She is giddy about that opportunity. He would pay in cash and they would clean up their rooms themselves so there would be no need to come in and do it herself. Red flags should be going off in her head! She asks if it's anything illegal and when he laughs her off they seal the deal. Gross. Come on, Mother! Get your head outta your ass!

Norman is about to get home when he sees Juno, the dog across the street, but then the dog runs towards him just as a car comes. The dog gets hit and he is beside himself. He picks up the lifeless body. "I'm taking it to Emma's dad, he can fix dead things." He starts screaming at Mother and she's afraid he'll trigger into his killer phase. He apologizes and says he was wrong about everything. Mother wraps him in a big hug, and all I can think is, that he's still holding onto the dead dog while she's hugging him. Eww...

Next week Mother gets a call about Norman's behavior at school.  Jake confronts Mother about her knowledge of what was going on when Keith ran the motel. He wants to know where Mother hid "it". Jake gets confrontational and it is clearly going to be another crazy episode next week! I can hardly believe how much ground this show has covered in the 7 episodes we've seen so far! They don't drag their feet on anything for this show. It's insane!

The Following - The Final Chapter

GUYS! WE MADE IT TO THE END OF SEASON 1!!! Is anyone else relieved? Are you excited? Annoyed? Happy? I’m sort of all of those things. Last time we watched Kevin Bacon he got suckered into Joe’s trap when a bunch of the followers acted out a Mask of the Red Death and killed a bunch of people that had come to an evacuation point, seeking safety. The house was deserted and Joe took Claire on the run. Our sad last image was of Parker being buried alive as she screamed for help.

The FBI found footage of Parker being put into the back of a car. They identify Alex; he’s a former sniper.  They look out the window and what do they see? POPCORN POPPING ON THE APRICOT TREE!! Sorry…but my day of singing in primary at church just had to finish the line. They see a child wearing one of those creepy ass Poe faces. He takes off the mask and says a girl named Emma paid him $20 to wear the mask and come to the FBI. There’s a phone number written on the inside of the mask.

They dial the number and it goes to Parker in the coffin. How exactly is she still alive? How long could a person last buried alive? I suppose that would depend on the size of the box and the depth to which you were buried. She is sobbing and telling them about what happened to her. “Please. Hurry.” Understatement of the decade, lady! Get your ass over there, Hardy!! Save her!!

She gives them a brief description of what she can remember of the drive. She tried to count to see how long they were driving. She’s upset with herself because she can’t remember how many turns they made. How insanely awful. They reassure her that they’ll find her. They leave IT lady with her on the phone while they try and figure out where she could be. Weston guesses she has 3-5 hours, maybe. Police surveillance found Alex’s car, and they dash off.

Claire wakes up in a strange house. The windows are all boarded up but it’s well furnished. She runs out the door.

It’s a bit on the nose for me. An abandoned light house? That’s straight out of a Stephen King novel. Joe comes up from behind her and tells her not to do whatever it is she’s thinking. Back inside, Joe is popping more pills. Claire tells him the ending at a lighthouse is predictable. “It’s a motif, Claire!” She keeps poking the bear with her criticism. He maintains that they’re still waiting for Hardy. The death of Claire is what Joe believes will be the one that finally does him in. After Joe has enough of her attitude, he takes her and throws her in a room and then surprise! There’s a random man in there with her.

The FBI find the car and see that the tires are slashed. This means that they wanted the FBI to find the car. Then boom! Alex starts shooting with his sniper rifle. There’s all kinds of assorted shooting and Hardy runs up from behind him and puts a gun to his head and arrests him after he won’t tell them where Parker is. Hardy insists that they put Alex in his car. The FBI guy gives him the nod of the head. “Do whatever you have to do.”

The random man in the room with Claire is Neil Meyer and he got hired to bring a boat up from Newport. They broke his ankle so he couldn’t run. When she tells him that Joe Carroll is the one that’s outside, he freaks out a bit, but who wouldn’t. Didn’t you know? Joe Carroll was arrested for murdering 14 young girls.

Weston and Hardy take Alex to an empty warehouse and treat him to the same treatment that Weston was afforded earlier in the season. Alex thinks he’s safe because they’re FBI and can’t touch him. Wrong, sir. They beat the shit out of him. Just as Hardy is shoving his thumbs into Alex’s eyes, he finally cracks and tells them where she is. According to the FBI they’re about 45 minutes away from her. That’s no good.

Back at Cape Cod, Neil and Claire are trying to find a way to break out. Just then Joe comes in and says he’s lonely out there and he’d like some company. Claire tries to bargain that he should let Neil go. Claire is forced into the other room and he ties her hands up.Joe says maybe she’s right and he should just kill the guy right now. Claire worries that Hardy won’t find them in time, but Joe assures her that he left pretty big bread crumbs.

Hardy calls into the headquarters and he’s patched through to Parker. She’s fading fast. Damnit! Stop it! She’s taking shallow breaths. She wants Weston to call her sister and tell her she loves her and her parents too, even though they weren’t close. She tells Weston that he’s a good man. She’s saying her goodbyes. She begs for him to not lose his quality of being a good man. Hardy’s next. She tells him that she chose this life, she knew what she was getting into so her death is not his fault. They keep begging with her to hold on, to stop talking and save her air. “I am not your fault.” They are driving and both are wet in the eyes.

The finally arrive and dig as fast ast they can. I read in an interview that in this situation they really did have to bury the actress. There was no way to film this part without her actually being buried. They finally get to the box, and she’s passed out. Hardy tries to do CPR but it’s not working. He only tries for about 10 second though. COME ON MAN! SAVE HER! But he can’t. She’s gone. They killed off one of my favorites. I hate you, Fox. Hardy is distraught. Alex starts taunting them about how they were just a little too late. Hardy slowly gets up, stumbles over, pulls his gun and shoots.

That’s the end of another follower, that was given a name. So all we’re left with, is Emma and Molly, for names that we’re aware of anyways. I can’t believe they killed her. Apparently the plan was to kill her character right from the beginning. That has to suck. To go into it knowing you have a death waiting for you. Hardy looks down in the box and sees that there’s an envelope with Joe’s book in it. Much like the episode of Supernatural where Dean and Sam find Chuck, the prophet, was writing their life story as it happened, Joe’s book describes how they arrived at the grave, but just a little too late. “I’m reading about myself, reading about myself, reading about…myself.” Oh Dean. But that’s another fandom. Weston doesn’t understand how Joe could know all this would happen. Hardy says he doesn’t. According to “the book” Alex shoots Weston in the woods. The book says where he has to go to find Claire, but he doesn’t tell Weston that part. He says he has to go alone and when Weston tries to go along with him, he gets a gun pulled on him for his trouble.

At the light house Joe wants to know when Claire first really knew tha the enjoyed killing things. She says she didn’t know until he was arrested. Claire tells Joe that she sent Hardy to him because Hardy came to her with the symbolism and literary references. Joe isn’t pleased to hear this. Joe berates her for not seeing who he was sooner, and then apologizes. Claire then confesses that she feels as though she killed those girls herself. Joe is upset that she would think that. He hurries to go get Neil.

He stabs Neil over and over, so many times I can’t count. “That is what it’s like to actually kill someone. You see the difference now? You killed no one!” Well, if she wasn’t damaged before, she certainly is now.

Hardy pulls up to the location that he was supposed to. He goes to look at the end of the book, and he comes to the last page that just has the words “The Final Chapter” written on it. Nothing else. Emma comes out with a gun and tells him to ditch his own gun and phone. She tells him that they aren’t screwing around anymore and that she will shoot him if she needs to. Someone jumps him from behind with a needle and goes all Dexter on his ass. He passes out.

When he wakes he’s in the house with Claire and Joe. It’s nighttime now, of course. Joe is happy to see him finally awake. He tells him they’re writing the final chapter right now. Hardy asks Clarie if she’s ok. She’s a sobbing mess. “Why would anyone fall in love with either one of us? Totally bloody disasters.” Hardy keeps trying to egg him on in conversation. It’s the classic Voldemort/Harry scene where the villain plays with his food before he tries to eat it. Joe asks when Hardy fell in love with Claire. Joe asks when he knew he was the killer. Hardy says when he started following him, but Joe says he wasn’t following him, but Claire. Hardy admits he fell in love with Claire while following  her.

Joe then grabs an awl of sorts and goes to stab her eye out. Hardy jumps up and says it’s too predictable of an ending; that he should kill him instead. He’s begging for it. He then starts provoking him by telling him what a shitty writer he is. Joe sees what he’s trying to do, but it doesn’t mean it’s not working. He then starts digging in at Poe. Then he makes a rush at Joe and grabs a gun and shoots. Carroll runs for it. He runs down to the boathouse with Hardy in hot pursuit. He gets in there and Joe jumps him and there’s a struggle for the gun. It fires at a tank of gasoline, which is surrounded by about 6 others. They push each other and Joe gets pushed towards the inside of the boathouse, while Hardy has access to the door. He bolts for it.

Explosion. I’m gonna say, perhaps it was a mini? Claire then comes running down the pier, screaming for Hardy because she assumes he was in the boathouse when it exploded. They fall into loves sweet embrace and have a minute to relax.

The next day the police arrive and everything is getting sorted out. Hardy wants hard evidence that the body pieces they find are Joe’s. There’s been 7  followers arrested. Clarie wants to be 100% sure that Joe’s really dead. She gets a phone call and it’s from Joey. She walks off to talk to her son. The FBI send Hardy and Claire home with each other and are to be brought to DC the next day. Hardy asks Weston if he’s ok and he says no.

Claire is watching TV at Hardy’s apartment when they get a confirmation that dental records from the body match Joe as well as some early DNA tests. They have a hot kiss and then they decide they’re hungry. Clarie goes to get cleaned up while Hardy orders food.

We see Emma in a very bad wig in Mobile, Alabama watching the news that Joe is dead. She breaks into tears, throw some cash at the table and runs out. I feel like if they’re going to try and reseurrect th efollowing she will be the focal point, that is IF Joe really is dead.

Hardy gets a knock at the door and it’s one of the cops there to deliver the food they ordered. He goes to open the bag but somehow, can’t. So he grabs a knife out and goes to cut the bag. He hears a thud by the door and puts the knife down to go check. When he comes back, the knife is gone. Is anyone surprised? I know exactly what’s going to happen, and I’ll bet you do too.

Molly stabs Hardy in the gut. “You were always my chapter. Joe promised me I would be the one.” He’s writhing on the ground when Claire comes out of the bathroom all excited about the food. She sees Hardy on the floor and screams in panic. He tries to warn her, but Molly walks up behind her and stabs her right in the spine. Our last scene of the episode is of Hardy crying out, “NO!”

Did anyone else totally see that coming? I did. Clearly, as you’ve just read. I’ll be annoyed if after all this work, Claire ends up dead. I don’t like her, but I don’t think I’ll like a depressed, I-have-nothing-to-live-for-Ryan either. Well, we survived. Kevin Bacon gets to keep to his contract of only 15 episodes so he can go off and pursue other projects. We shall see what the fall brings us in September. I’ll end the season with a note from Poe. “I became insane with long intervals of horrible sanity.”

Mad Men - The Flood

Welcome back, Addicts! I woke up this morning and got ready and it was immediately known to me that today would be a bad hair-day. This is not the best way to start your day. But, the weather beautiful outside, and I’m stuck in an office all day. Lucky me, right? Hey, there are a lot of people out there who would kill to be stuck in an office all day, so I shouldn’t complain. So yeah, I am lucky!

Last time on our little show, we saw the guys make a great pitch to ketchup, only to have Peggy’s team swoop in and steal the campaign away from them, and then they had beans leave them in the dust as well. Harry demanded to be made partner. Megan’s character on her soap got a steamy new sex scene and Don came to see it and pissed all over everything. Joan had a friend come and stay and they had a good old-fashioned Joan time around town.

Peggy is standing in an empty apartment while a realtor is listing off the stats of the place. Peggy complains that the building is a little farther east than she had wanted. The realtor of course does her best to build it up that it’s better than she thinks. The doorbell rings and Abe shows up. Peggy whispers to Abe and you can hear how excited she really is about the place. The realtor assumes that Abe will be the one making the payment and living in the place and that Peggy is just the helpful girliefriend. She’s shocked when he tells her that he’s just more of a helpful advisor, an “interested party” as Peggy says.

Bobby is staring at his wall. Remember Bobby? Don and Betty’s second child? He’s spent most of his time on screen as a mere prop. Perhaps this time he’ll get some actual lines or something! He gets a little OCD about it and starts to rip the wallpaper off. I can’t blame him, that would drive me crazy too. The paper comes off in tiny little strips, so when Betty calls him down for dinner, he pushes his bed over to cover it.

Don and Megan come down all dressed up. They run into Dr Arnold and Sylvia, with their bags packed. The Rosen’s are going to Washington DC because Arnold was asked to speak (last minute) at a conference. Megan is nominated for an award for one of the ads she worked on while still at SCDP. Don doesn’t seem to grasp the Rosen’s are going to DC. He’s told 3 times.  

Ginsberg comes home and we see his father with a pretty girl. Ginsberg’s story is so interesting to me, and I feel like he never gets the proper screen time. He was born in a concentration camp! How crazy is that?! Fusk thinks my interest in the Holocaust is weird. But come on! How can we not, as a society, stop and examine such a devastating and insane event that happened. You couldn’t even WRITE how that shit went down. Back to Ginsberg and the girl. They’re dad’s both play chess together. His dad pulls out a bunch of cash and tells them to go have a nice dinner. She was lead to believe that he was aware that the set up was happening. He’s sort of put off, but she is a pretty girl, how can you say no?

The Drapers arrive at the awards ceremony and they’re tucked away, right by the kitchen. Don says at least they’ll get to eat first. Ha! I totally agree. That usually happens at weddings. Megan wants to go say hello to Peggy, but Don’s wounds are still oozing. The two women embrace and Peggy seems genuinely happy to see Megan. There’s then an introduction of Megan to the president of Peggy’s firm, CGC. He gives her a very nice compliment and it sort of comes off as a pass. Peggy tells Megan about the apartment and when Megan reacts, Peggy perceives it as shaming. Megan convinces her that she shouldn’t justify it to anyone, she deserves her own place.

Roger comes to visit Don and he has a guest. His name is Randy and he’s in the insurance game. He wants to come for an official visit. This dude is weird. He wants to do business with SCDP I believe. He says that they’ve already had this meeting and it went well. So Don asks, “So where’s our check?” It’s a very weird vibe.

Tim comes in with his wife and when she wishes everyone good luck, he reminds her that Peggy is the only one that’s competing. She seems a bit put off by his correction. He sit his wife down leaving, one seat between her and Peggy, which he then takes. “So you’ve probably already worked out that you haven’t won. But don’t worry, there’s next year.” What? That’s awkward. Why would you say that? Can’t you let her have the moment? Even if she is going to lose, let her find that out on her own!

Then there’s an extra awkward moment when Abe shows up with drinks for Peggy and himself. HA! Tim assumed Peggy was on her own and took the spot. Way to look like an ass hat, Tim!

Ginsberg and the girl are on their date and he’s slurping down a bowl of soup. He asks if she likes kids, and then realizes that that sentence could come off the wrong way. She’s a teacher so he just thought he’d ask. He’s very uncomfortable, and she’s much more casual. He blurts out that he’s never had sex before. He realizes he’s making a screw up of this date. She reassures him that she’s doing this as a favor for her parents and tonight isn’t going to be the night for him, but she does think he’s very handsome.

Back at the awards show the guest of honor arrives, Paul Newman! Obviously since the man is no longer alive (Fusk puts on a sad face at the very thought of a dead Paul Newman, he was and remains to be a devoted fan) and it would be sort of shameful to put a look-alike up there, they don’t get close to the face. The SCDP gang is sitting so far in the background they can’t see him at all. He gets on a soap box about Gene McCarthy instead of Bobby Kennedy. It’s a very polictized speech. It makes no sense why he’s endorsing a candidate for president at an awards ceremony. Then someone shouts out from the background, “Do you know, Mr. Newman, sir, that Martin Luther King is dead?” There’s a gasp around the room and everyone is in disbelief.

The emcee gets up and says that they had hoped to keep the news until after the ceremony was over, but let’s all take a 10 minute break and then regroup and finish. Really? A huge political figure just was murdered. I’m not sure what the equivalency would be in today’s world. I think the days where a Martin Luther King could be influential are gone. With the media the way it is, if someone stepped forward as a true spokesman for something, 4Chann and Fox News would have all the skeletons they didn’t even know they had out in the open.

Back on the date they hear on the radio about the assassination. One of the African American cooks comes out of the kitchen and sits at the counter in shock. Flash to the Francis home and Sally, Bobby, and Betty are sitting around listening to the radio. Henry wants to know why they aren’t watching TV and Betty says because she knows what they’ll show. They already went through this with JFK. The 60’s were such a turbulent time in our country! So many prominent people died in 1968 alone. It’s insane. I’m waiting for the death of Bobby Kennedy to be included in the show as well. Henry leaves to go be with the Governor and to try and deter people from burning the city down in a riot. This is the first we’re seeing of Betty since she went raven-haired.

There’s a huge line waiting for people to use the phones. I can’t even fathom what that would be like. Ah, cell phones, we take you so for granted. Abe is all hot and bothered because the New York Times called him and wants him to go over to Harlem to cover the area for a story about the potential riots and falling out. Peggy is worried, but she lets him go anyways. They never say “I love you” that sort of bothers me. The lights flash and Peggy is horrified that they’re continuing on. “What else are we gonna do?” Don says.

He then embraces a distraught Megan and I want him to reach out his other arm and pull Peggy in too, but he doesn’t. Damn you, Don Draper! Do what I tell you to!

Bobby is peeling the wallpaper and Betty finds him. “I didn’t do it! It peeled off! I didn’t do anything!” Betty is mad but she doesn’t want to talk about it. She begs him to go to sleep.

Pete calls Trudy at home and asks how she is. She says that “it’s shameful” what happened. He is pleading to come out and stay with them because he doesn’t want them to be alone. Trudy stands resolutely and tells him they’ll be fine without him, and please don’t come. They’re supposed to go see her parents on Saturday but she tells him not to come, she might just cancel anyways. It’s clear she’s afraid, but she is standing firm in her convictions. Good for you, Trudy! And yet, I feel something for Pete. Could it be sympathy? I hope not, that means I’m becoming weak.

Don is at home watching the news listening about all the riots that are happening around the country. Megan is on the phone, arguing with her father in French about the tragedy of it all. “He said he applauded the escalation of decay.” Disgusting. There seems to be only looting in Harlem, while other places are on fire. They put the phone down and…

So Megan won, after all!

Don is back in the office and there’s hardly anyone there. Roger comes in and says, “The man knew how to talk. I don’t know why, but I thought it would save him. I thought it would solve the whole thing.” I’m sure a lot of people had that same mentality. Don makes a call to a hotel in Washington, trying to find the Rosen’s. He’s clearly worried about Sylvia, but can’t call just for her. He doesn’t get through and decides not to leave a message.

Peggy comes into her office and her receptionist Phyllis is waiting in her office. She’s African American and Peggy didn’t think she would come in. She offers her a hug and she gladly accepts. She said she knew it was going to happen, and that she’s embarrassed by these “fools” running in the streets. Peggy tells her to go home and that no one should be in the office at all.

Pete and Harry each come out of their desk looking for their secretary’s. Pete came in because he didn’t want to sit at home and have nothing better to think about. Harry came in because the clients are all in a tizzy about what happened and how it will affect their profits. They have a royal pissing match in the middle of the lobby.

Burt Cooper, who I’ve also been sorely missing, comes out and tells them to knock it off! He makes them shake hands and apologize. They do, but in a completely fake way that only escalates their fight. Pete calls Harry a racist.

Dawn arrives into the office and apologizes for being late. Joan has been trying to reach her all morning, trying to make sure she was alright. Joan comes in to see her and says that out of respect, they’re closing the office early today, but Roger’s insurance friend, Randy still wants to meet. Don tells Dawn she should go home, in a consoling manner. Dawn says she’d rather be here than at home.  

Joan gives her a very uncomfortable hug, to which she doesn’t reciprocate. Joan says how sorry everyone is and then leaves.

Peggy gets a phone call from her realtor about the offer that she put on the apartment. She insists that because of what’s happening the owner will want to sell the apartment quickly, and since the other buyer never gave an offer they should come in $5000 under the asking price and wait. Peggy doesn’t really agree, in fact she says nothing, but the realtor takes that as a yes.

Randy comes in and instead of shaking hands he merely gives everyone a wave. They offer him coffee and he says no, that he doesn’t even really want to talk. “I was trying to communicate without words, but it’s not working.” What? Randy is in the property insurance business and he wants to do an ad but his marketing director won’t allow it. “All I see when I close my eyes is our name and a Molotov cocktail being lit with a match. And then a coupon at the bottom.” What?! He knows it looks like fear-mongering but he thinks it’s the opposite of that because this is what came to him when he was visited by Dr. King the previous night. Dafuq?? Stan giggles. I’m sorry, but I can’t do better than the actual dialogue. “There is a tear, and in that tear are all the tears in the world. All the animals crying.” What!? Roger thinks that he’s using the days emotions to change his thinking. What in the hell happened there? That was the craziest thing ever!

Don is watching the news and Betty calls to tell him that he’s supposed to pick up the kids. Don thinks it’s a bad idea with everything that’s going on in the city. Betty thinks he’s just trying to weasel out of another night with the kids. She also thinks that since Henry can drive up there he should be able to as well. “I guarantee you’d go up to Canada on your knees you pick up your girlfriend.” BITCH! I’m reminded by I hate Betty. It works, and Don goes to pick them up.

Don wakes up to find Megan is taking the kids to a vigil in the park. Bobby isn’t allowed to watching TV but he’s sneaking glances while Sally watches. Bobby then says he doesn’t feel well, so Megan takes Sally and Gene out. Bobby plops down in front of the set as soon as Sally’s back is turned. Don makes him turn it off and then Bobby says he’s not allowed to watch it for a week. The next scene is of Don and Bobby at a movie theater, watching Planet of the Apes. Bobby tells him why he’s being punished, but only after some prodding. At the last scene of the movie Bobby is struck by seeing that the planet was actually New York City. Don offers to watch it again and Bobby is ready for more ape-y goodness.

Peggy gets a phone call from the realtor and she didn’t get the apartment. The agent tells her it wasn’t meant to be and hangs up on her. She has a tiff with Abe because he doesn’t seem invested in the apartment hunting and the sadness of the loss. He says he pictured them raising kids in a neighborhood with different kinds of people. Peggy is stunned for a split second and plays it off. This is the first time Abe has mentioned a real future together with her. She’s excited and very happy, but is playing it cool. They have a tender moment, but still no “I love you”. For a second I thought Peggy was going to propose.

As the Draper men wait for the second show to start, Bobby talks to an African American cleaner. “Everybody likes to go to the movies when they’re sad.” Bobby observes. Very true, kid. Very true.

Betty is waiting for Henry in bed. I’m really tired of her being fat. I would imagine so is January Jones. Henry has been thinking about where he is, career-wise, and he isn’t happy with some of the things the mayor is doing. He wants to do things differently. So he’s being offered a chance for the state senate. It’s a republican seat that’s unopposed. Betty is elated! She’s been asking him to do this from day 1. She also wants it for herself. She always was very proud to be Don’s wife because he was important. Imagine how obnoxious she’ll be as a state senator’s wife!

Megan and Don are getting ready for bed and Don is drunk. Megan is upset about the day and what’s going on in the world. She scolds him for being a lazy drunk of a father. Don says he doesn’t want to be this way; he wants to be the man who loves children. He gives a horrifying realization that didn’t always love his kids. Sad, but a true statement for him. He said there’s a moment that happens where the faked feeling of love becomes real. Megan is crying.

Betty goes and picks out one of her old dresses and holds it up against her body. She’s several inches too large for it. She has a look of pure sadness and disgust. I have a feeling Betty will develop an eating disorder or, as Fusk observed, try the crazy diet pills that start blooming around this time.

Don gets up and realizes that Bobby is still awake. He goes in there and tries to get him to sleep. Bobby is afraid. He’s scared that someone would shoot Henry. “Henry’s not that important.” Ha! Good one Don. Don goes out onto the balcony and has a smoke. He hears the sirens of the fires in the city and is exhausted.