out with the old, in with the new...year.

Last we saw dashing and debonair Don Draper (i could really have a lot more fun with alliteration if i wanted to) he was a cold and careless cad (see what i mean?). Leaving his secretary, Allison, with little more than a thank-you note and $100 for bringing his keys, getting him some aspirin, and letting him take advantage of her body and her heart; Don finally became a real jerk. In this week's episode, the two were back to their regular secretary-boss relationship and we saw Don readying himself for his holiday trip to Acapulco. But more on this later.

Let's start with Joan, shall we? Yes, we shall, because this is our recap and our blog and we'll do this however we want. Oh Joan. Joan, Joan, Joan, Joan, Joan. Are we happily married yet? Well, you must be, if you want to have a baby with your darling husband Greg. Tell me, will the baby be a product of lovemaking or a good old-fashioned rape? You never know with that Greg--he's just chock full of surprises! My opinions aside, glad to hear everything's all well and good with your baby-making machinery, even after two kicked-to-the curb pregnancies. But this plot line has "baby born without a father" written all over it. Greg's shipping off to Vietnam at one point, as we all know. And while he did tug a bit at my heartstrings when he so smoothly fixed Joanie's finger and reminded her (and us) of why she married him, I still say "Good riddance" to the guy.


What was going on at SCDP? Nothing, really. The office was pretty quiet, as everyone was getting ready for their one day off on New Years Day. Roger was nowhere to be found--and I missed that. I can always count on him for a one-liner, or at least a great 3-piece suit, and I got nothing. Speaking of MIA's, strangely enough, I missed Peter--and I even missed Trudy. I wish they did stay in the city for the holidays. I have to disagree with you on this one Trudy, NYC is actually quite lovely in December, so THERE. Joan tried tempting an all-work-and-no-play Lane with fried chicken--choice of breast or thigh--with hopes of getting a few days off in January. And as Lane illustrated, her lovely lady lumps don't work their magic on him. It was frustrating for Joanie. Lane, being the nice Brit he is, did the right thing and sent her flowers. Oh but WAIT A MINUTE, he sent apology flowers to his snobby and stuck up wife in the UK. Oh nevermind, that's an easy task for a secretary, nothing should go wrong there--oh but WAIT A MINUTE, Lane's girl caused a mix-up. In the end, hostile words were unintentionally said, roses were intentionally thrown, and Lane's "It's not my fault" girl was given the boot by the all-powerful Joan.

So then what was going on with our boy Don? Lot's of stuff. He (and we) learned a lot of things while stopping over in San Pedro to visit Mrs. Draper (the real one):

• He learned that his smooth moves don't work on EVERY woman.
• We learned that Don looks REALLY GOOD in California.
• He and we learned that Anna has terminal cancer, which she is unaware of.
• We learned that Don looks REALLY GOOD painting in is undergarments.
• He learned that saying goodbye to Anna was saying "Goodbye," not "See you later."
• We learned that Jon Hamm deserves the Emmy that is coming to him at one point in this show's run. The man can act, people.

Of course when Don returned to SCDP and left his California life behind (forever?) the real fun began. Turns out Lane did not join his family in London and instead stayed behind at SCDP. Don. Lane. Alcohol that doesn't taste at all like alcohol. These two are gonna get CRAZY. Memorable moments of their all-night bender:

• Lane and Don figuring out what movie they want to see together--immediately cutting from their thoughts on Catherine Deneuve and The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, to Godzilla--their film of choice.
• Lane getting very--VERY--excited about his Porterhouse steak, so much so that he slaps it on his pants for everyone to see.
• Don ordering up another lady friend for Lane. Which was memorable but also very sad. The man just became separated with his wife. I love you Don, but you shouldn't be doing this to him.
• Don keeping Lane and his prostitute out of the kids rooms--at least he has some boundaries.
• Lane's prostitute's fee being $25. Does that mean she's pricey or cheap?

And by the end of the episode, we were left with the heads in the office planning for 1965. What, oh what, will come their way? I hope they see more accounts. I hope Lee Garner Jr. is eventually put in his place. I hope Joan's husband is killed in combat. I hope Allison gets Don's attention again and refuses him. I hope Betty is forced out of the house her ex-husband pays for. I hope Peggy dumps her drag of a boyfriend. I hope so many things for this show. But most of all, I hope to see Don in his boxers again soon.