- As Sterling Cooper prepares for its 40th anniversary party, the bosses in London drop a bombshell to Lane. Miss Farrell's troubled brother pays a visit to her and Don, and Betty stumbles onto her husband's secrets.
- The 40th anniversary party for Sterling Cooper is approaching, but not many seem to be excited about it. Bertram, who does not feel the need to reminisce, is not planning to attend. And Roger doesn't want to see more praise stowed upon Don, which is supposed to happen at the party. But the Brits at head office want the party to be a success, if only to carry out their clandestine plan. With others in the office, Paul is feeling threatened by Peggy, who he sees as Don's favorite. Paul however comes up with what he believes is a brilliant idea for a campaign, if only he can remember what that idea is. And Lane is feeling pressured by his wife Rebecca, who hates living in New York. At the Draper household, Betty is keeping her distance from Henry Francis, but Don is continuing his affair with Suzanne Farrell. Being the private person that he is, he wants no one to know about it, even Suzanne's epileptic brother Danny, who she wants Don to know. But Betty stumbles across something Don left in his pocket, which may end up exposing more to her than he wants.—Huggo
- With Sterling Coopers' 40th anniversary of its founding on the horizon, Don is told to prepare a speech for the occasion. He's still having an affair with Suzanne Farrell and telling Betty he's working late on the Hilton account. Betty finally finds a key to the desk drawer that Don always keeps locked and finds his shoebox with photos and the documents, not to mention the secrets, he's kept hidden from her. Paul sees Peggy Olson as a threat when she always seems to come up with the right idea at the right moment. He pulls an all-night'er on an account they've been assigned but he fails to jot down a brilliant idea and draws a blank the next morning. Peggy saves the day yet again. Lane Pryce gets a call from London with news that will affect everyone in the firm.—garykmcd
- In the Draper kitchen, after Carla mentioned going to church, Sally wondered why the Drapers never go to church. Betty told her, "We don't have to go to church every week."
Don's "long hours" left Betty assuming he wouldn't be sleeping at home that night. She was right. Don headed to Miss Farrell's place, where his phone service was now calling to leave messages from Conrad Hilton. She asked him to stay all night. Post-coitus, Miss Farrell tells Don about a student who asked how she knows the color blue looks the same as it does to him. She said she didn't know, but was glad he made her think about it again. She asks Don what he would have said, and Don said that his job was to boil communication down to absolutes and there was an idea of blue that at least 45 percent of the population agreed was blue. He said that people don't see things differently because they want to.
At the office, Kinsey puts on a bit of theater to show Don his idea for an Aqua Net commercial. Don thought the idea was too complicated and Peggy was able to boil it down. Don also told Peggy and Kinsey to work on a Western Union campaign to push the use of telegraphs over using telephones.
Price came into Don's office with his $5,000 signing bonus check. It made Don smile. Kinsey stormed into Peggy's office and was upset that she put her "little swirl" on his idea. He thought she showed him up and told her to stick to her own job.
Price's wife came to the office upset and saying she wasn't going to let Price tell her what to do. She was upset that a cab driver drove her around New York to run up the fare. She wanted to move back to London. He seemed to be enjoying New York just fine.
Don and Miss Farrell were once again in the bedroom when there was a knock at the door. She answered, Don began to dress quickly. It was her brother. She wanted Don to meet him, but Don resisted. She promised it would be OK. She introduced them and her brother had a bandaged forehead. Miss Farrell said his brother had "fits." Don exchanged pleasantries before leaving. Miss Farrell's brother said Don seemed arrogant.
Cooper and Sterling looked at old pictures of the original group of employees at the firm as they prepared for ithe 40th anniversary party. He didn't want to participate because 40 years was considered the average lifespan of an ad man. Sterling also wasn't looking forward to the party, somewhat bitter at Don who was going to receive an ad industry humanitarian award.
Sally answered the phone at the house, but the caller hung up. She wondered why someone would do that and Betty snapped at her.
Kinsey and Peggy were working on Western Union material separately in their offices after hours. Peggy recorded notes and Kinsey appeared to prepare to pleasure himself.
At home that night, Don stashed a wad of cash in a lock box in his desk. Back at the office in the middle of the night, Kinsey stumbled around drunk and chatted up a janitor. Their talk gave Kinsey an idea. He was happy with himself and went back to his office and drank some more.
Miss Farrell sat next to Don on the train, which seemed to make him uncomfortable. He asked her if she called the house the previous night. She said she didn't. She was upset that Don didn't call and he said it was because her brother was at her place. She told him she didn't care about his marriage or his work, "as long as I know you're with me." Don held her hand and apologized. She said she got her brother a job.
Kinsey was passed out on his office couch the next morning. He never wrote down his big idea and he frantically scoured his desk to find his notes. There were none.
Price was working on his speech for the anniversary party. The home office in London called Price and told him Sterling Cooper was for sale. They wanted the anniversary party to drive interest on the part of any potential buyers. Price was stunned.
Betty called Henry's office to ask if he'd called the house. He said he hadn't. He asked her if she wanted him to call her. He told her he wouldn't call her, but if she wanted to call him, she should do it without making excuses for it. They each said goodbye and hung up.
Price approached Cooper about his decision to not go to the anniversary party. He told Cooper that his absence would make people think he was ill. "Who told you I was vain?" Cooper asked. "Please," Price said. "It's obvious." Cooper laughed.
Betty found some keys in the dryer and use them to open a drawer full of cash and a box full of Don's secret pictures from his real past. She also found the two sets of dog tags belonging to the real Don Draper and the other that belonged to Dick Whitman. She also discovered the deed to the California home Don bought for the real Don Draper's widow, as well as the divorce certificate that released him from the real Don Draper's marriage. Flustered, Betty dropped the entire box when she heard Carla and the kids get home. Then she asked Carla to take the kids away for a while.
That night, Don goes back to Miss Farrell's house. Her brother was there and was about to leave. Don agrees to take him to the job in Bedford, Mass. Her brother told Don he didn't want to go to the job in Bedford. He said he didn't want to clean toilets all his life just because he had epilepsy. Don gave him some cash and his phone number and told him to call if he ever needed to. He drops him off in Framingham.
Betty waited up all night with the box sitting on a table in front of her. But Don went back to Miss Farrell's place. He lied to her about having taken her brother to the job in Bedford. The clock read later than 2 a.m. and Betty gave up and went to bed.
The next morning, he called Betty from the office and told her he was with Hilton the night before. He told her to be ready for the anniversary party that night. He said he wanted to show her off after she said she wasn't feeling well, but then she agreed to go.
Kinsey told Peggy he had nothing. He said he had his best idea ever and didn't write anything down. Kinsey quoted a Chinese proverb, "The faintest ink is better than the best memory." Peggy encouraged him a bit and put an optimistic twist on it. They went to Don's office with nothing. Peggy had a couple of catch phrases, but Don wasn't impressed. Then Kinsey admitted he had a great idea and didn't write it down. Then Peggy remembered the quote Kinsey mentioned and it led them to the big idea -- a telegram is forever. "You can't frame a telephone call," Don said. Kinsey looks at Peggy in amazement.
Roger and his new wife Jane drove to the anniversary party with his somewhat confused mother in the car. She didn't remember the Waldorf had moved locations, and then referred to Jane as Margaret, Roger's daughter. Roger explained that Jane was his wife, and his mother asked, "Does Mona know?"
In another car, Price's wife complained about the New York City traffic. He told her Sterling Cooper was for sale. She was pleased that it meant they'd return to England. He said nothing. In their own car, Betty and Don rode to the party without speaking.
Roger gives a warm, rousing introduction to Don, noting his honor, charm and wit. Don goes to the podium amid a round of lasting applause while Betty sits looking at him, stone-faced.
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