Campbell is losing his shit over this, because come on, he doesn't have $50K to throw at this place. And when he calls the bank to secure a personal loan, Trudy finds out and, in turn, loses her shit. It's a "Go, Trudy" moment for me because she's stopped coddling her husband. But it's also a "Go, Pete" moment because he really believes in this thing, and that just seems so out of character for him that it makes me sorta happy.

Of course, in the end, Don pays Pete's half -- not out of friendship but solidarity. They both have so much invested in this thing, and it’s good that SOMEONE does, cause after last week, we all can see that Roger is checked out.


This becomes painfully obvious as Sally does two things that show her burgeoning maturity: 1. Sally asks to eat dinner with Betty and Henry; 2. Sally develops a bit of a friendship/romance? with Glen, the weird kid from the first season.

Naturally, this last point freaks Betty out, what with that whole giving him a lock of hair thing. So when she catches Sally out with Glen, she pulls her away and tells Henry later that night that she's finally ready to move out of Ossining. What a bitch.

Back at the office, the upheaval is weighing heavily on Don. First, he calls Peggy in, and she's batty at the thought of losing her job. But the fact is, Don wants to get her input on who to keep and who to…well, you know. Of course, she spits "Cure for the Common X" Danny out. Don shrugs like, “Well, YEAH.” Then the tough decisions are made, and people are sobbing in reception. It’s a dark day. So Don walks off. It’s kind of his thing.

On his way outside, a familiar voice calls out to him, and we see a blast from the past, Midge (this is a real blast -- we're talking pre-Rachel Menken, pilot episode shit here). And she’s apparently in the building for an interview at Time. But something's off about it all. She invites him back to their place in the Village, presumably to meet her husband, and things go south very quickly.

It's clear that Midge is trying to get hold of some money, but her husband makes things uncomfortable when he mentions how happy Midge was when she "tracked him down." Weird, so Midge has been looking for Don? And then he shows Don one of Midge’s psychedelic paintings and this is where the drugged-up salesman schtick puts a twist on the story: they're both junkies trying to scrape a few bucks out of the slick adman. Or madman.

At any rate, hubby tells Don that Midge would be ecstatic if Don were to buy her painting…ecstatic enough to do anything. And he means anything. Because they have an open marriage. EEW.

Don basically gives the kid $10 to get out of his sight, and Midge returns at this point, totally ashamed.

“I really just wanted you to buy a painting,” she admits, and then tells him point blank that heroin has ruined her once-promising career, and that she can’t stop. Reluctantly, Don purchases the painting, cutting her a $300 check. She shakes her head.

“Don, what am I gonna do with a check?” And here’s Don, trying to hold down an entire company, and Midge can’t even buy groceries for herself. He gives her $120 -- all the cash he has. Midge smiles and asks, “Do you think my work is good?” Disgusted, he mutters, “Does it MATTER?” and walks out. This whole thing becomes his inspiration for what he'll do to save SCDP.

Don, after leaving Midge's junk den the previous night, wrote an angry letter about why he’s quitting tobacco (not smoking, mind you, but serving the tobacco industry). He posts the letter as an ad in the New York Times, which garners much criticism from his livid partners, and dozens of prank calls from colleagues. However, one very real call comes from the American Cancer Society to do some epic pro-bono work, and Don feels optimistic about it. It’s too bad that he’s the only one. Bert Cooper is so incensed that he walks out (but makes sure he’s got his shoes on first).

Back at the ranch, as a direct result of his letter, Faye is packing a box (NOOOOOO! Not FAAAAAAAYE!) and heading out. There's a tender moment between her and Peggy, and I’d really like them to be friends, since there’s really no female camaraderie on the show without a lesbian undertone. It’s a little tired -- Joan and her roomie, Peggy and Joyce, etc. And Betty's so-called friendships are a desperate mess of meanness and self-pity, so those don't count, either.

She stops into Don's to make plans for the evening, and eyes Meghan suspiciously, "Tell YOUR GIRL to put it on the calendar." Faye is no dummy. And neither is Don, who plays it cool when Meghan lays on the congratulations and praise over the letter.

I don’t know where things will end up, and neither does Don Draper. But I find that those are the episodes I like best.

Miz J blogs at Ask Miz J.