Synopsis: Sterling Cooper’s meeting with American Airlines was moved up to Good Friday creating the need to call all their staff to work on Palm Sunday. Meanwhile, there is a young, new priest in Peggy Olson’s parish, and he has taken an interest in her causing her sister to worry.Episode Summary: It is Passion Sunday, and Peggy Olson is attending Sunday mass with her family. Listening to the priest’s sermon, discomfiture overcomes her. She decides to walk out of the church, but changes her mind upon meeting the young, visiting priest Father Gill. Peggy Olson who would otherwise have foregone supper with her family decides to join them after learning that her sister had invited Father Gill. Her mother, Katherine, is not the most pleasant person to spend dinner with, and even the priest could see that in her disparaging remarks. Peggy’s only consolation is learning that her family actually knows what she does for a living, and that her mother is in fact proud of her accomplishments. Having spent the whole day with her family, Peggy has had enough, and prepares to leave. Father Gill who probably would rather be somewhere else offers her a ride. Having been tasked to provide the sermon on Palm Sunday, Father Gill could not help but become anxious with the task at hand especially since the parishioners are probably expecting to hear the sermon from the monsignor. Learning of Peggy’s work, he asks for her advice. Though Peggy makes him aware that she is probably not his target audience given that she does not consider herself as pious as the other parishioners, she still gives the priest some tips to overcome jitters, and to help him connect with the people at their parish. Continue reading...
At the Draper house, the couple is awakened by a call from Betty’s friend Caroline who is anxious about their cookout. Aroused, Don urges his wife to cancel, and she obeys. The two begin to make love when their children enter the room disrupting their intercourse. The children leave unaware of what their parents were doing, while Don and Betty resume what they have started. Having canceled spending a day with friends, the Drapers spend the whole day at home doing nothing. It was a more or less pleasant Sunday, and the Drapers seem happy spending the time with each other. Unfortunately, Betty’s mood turns sour when Bobby started jumping on the bed causing its leg to break. Trying not to spoil the evening by scolding the boy, she sends her children to sleep, but then realizes that she has not fed them.
Meanwhile, Roger Sterling is having dinner at a restaurant with his family including his daughter’s fiancé. He found it an opportune time to ask her daughter of her plans to wed, but learned that though already engaged for two months she finds no urgency in having a wedding. In fact, she would much rather have a small wedding even though her mother wants the opposite. Though he does not say it, Roger finds it off-putting that his soon-to-be son-in-law has no say in any of the decisions even on simple things such as what he is ordering for dinner. Later, he decides to check on Pete Campbell and Ken Cosgrove who are spending their Sunday night entertaining a client. Roger finds them in a joyous conversation with a client, and an escort Ken hired. Much to their surprise, the young woman pretends without blinking her eye that she is the wife of the client, making the men a little uncomfortable.
The weekend is over, and everybody is back at work. Don Draper receives an unexpected visit from Jimmy Barrett’s wife. The purpose of her visit is business. The woman has an idea for a television show similar to Candid Camera only her crass husband will be the host. Don Draper makes her aware that Jimmy will be breaching his contract with their client Utz if he is to pursue the television show. His advice is that Utz would only agree to this if they were made to believe that their ads would have more value if its endorser appears on a hit TV show. Bobbie Barrett wants Don Draper to sell her television show idea, and in order to have him on-board she sells herself to him first. Joan Holloway who temporarily takes the place of Peggy as Don’s secretary knows this as soon as she hears the door being locked.
Another day has ended, but Don Draper’s work is not done. At home, he needs to be a father to his son. Betty who had been fussing about the little boy’s dishonesty since the weekend finally got vindication after her son broke their record player, and lied through his teeth about it. Don walks upstairs, and sees his son sitting on the corner of his bed waiting for him. He tells him in a very firm voice that he knows that it was him who broke the record player, and that he should not do that again. The frightened young boy acknowledges his mistake, and attests not to repeat it. Betty is dissatisfied with how her husband handled the situation, and would have preferred if Don had spanked their son. Don disagrees, and ignores his wife.
It’s Palm Sunday. Don is making pancakes when he receives a call from Duck Phillips. Their presentation for American Airlines was moved up two weeks ahead of schedule. Their conversation was interrupted by a cry from his son forcing him to hang up. Bobby had pressed his mouth on the hot grill, and needs to be taken to the emergency room. With the mad men of Sterling Cooper already at the office, Don is needed at the agency. With his wife already attending to his son’s injury, and their friends busy with Palm Sunday plans, Don is left no other choice but to bring Sally with him to the office.
At the Olson’s, Peggy’s family had once again invited Father Gill to their house, but this time they invited friends over as well. Like always, Anita’s husband lies on the couch asleep. Father Gill arrives only to tell them that he cannot stay given that an ill parishioner has turned for the worse. Noticing that Peggy is not around, he hands a copy of his sermon to Anita explaining that her younger sister had helped him with it. Learning that the priest had taken interest on Peggy, Katherine is once again proud of her youngest daughter. Jealous and troubled at seeing that Father Gill and Peggy are becoming close, Anita begins to worry.
The reason why Peggy could not make it to church is because she is part of the crew working on the American Airlines campaign. Duck Phillips had already started the meeting. Though they don’t have enough time to prepare, Duck wants everything perfect. He, however, would just want to win American Airlines with their pitch, but not necessarily committing to the ad they are selling. Don Draper calls the creative team to his office. Though he knows that Duck’s only goal is to get their foot in the door of American Airlines, Don still wants to commit to one vision. Seeing the work his staff has done, Don is unsure that they can get the job done. All of Sterling Cooper is at the office except for Roger Sterling who is busy with other things. Having learned that the person he thought to be his client’s wife is in fact an escort, Roger decides to enlist her services.
Everybody is hard at work including the secretaries who had to wait for their turn at the buffet line given that their bosses take first pick. Much to their envy, only one girl is allowed to grab her dinner before them, and that is Peggy Olson who is now officially a junior copywriter. Bertram Cooper though contributes nothing to the campaign decides to join them, but leaves after stepping on a gum, and furiously falsely accuses one of the secretaries of littering. Duck Phillips thanks the secretary for inadvertently sending Cooper out of the office. He assures her that the old man would not remember firing her, and that she should stay to continue her work. Later that night, Don steps out of his office with an idea for the campaign. His vision is to look into the future, and not in the past. He does not want to run an ad that apologizes for the terrible crash that caused American Airlines to go looking for new campaign ads. He wants their campaign to focus on a new American Airlines, which means that all of the work they have done are for naught. Sterling Cooper would have to start from scratch.
It had been a long day. Don Draper is ready to leave the office. He finds her daughter drunk as a skunk having drank a glass of whiskey that had been lying around the office. Meanwhile, Roger Sterling is done with his rendezvous with the escort that he enjoyed so much so that he invites the young lady with him out to dinner in a fancy restaurant not only paying for her dinner, but for her time as well. Having worked all day, Peggy misses dinner with her family, but remembers to call. Her mother could not be so proud of her much to her sister’s dismay. Seeing how Peggy gets all the attention, Anita goes to confession not only to confess her sins, but also to make Father Gill aware of her younger sister’s indiscretions. Anita Olson in her confession mentions Peggy’s pregnancy out of wedlock, and how she has put her mistake and child behind her pretending that none of it happened. Anita feels sorry for herself, for not getting the acknowledgement for her good deeds, and also for her family’s lack of concern for her troubles.
Good Friday has arrived. All of Sterling Cooper anxiously wait for the people from American Airlines only to learn that Duck Phillip’s friend, and their main contact had just been fired. Though American Airlines had not canceled their meeting, everyone knows that all they did was for naught. The presentation is over. Don Draper could not help but become disappointed with Duck. Having eyed American Airlines to be their client they had to sacrifice a good relationship they had with a smaller airline company who had been their faithful client. Not only did they not get a major account, they had lost an existing client as well. Roger Sterling is not as disappointed as Don. He finds hunting for new clients an adventure, and that failing is just part of business. The thrill of getting a new client wipes away the grief of having lost one.
Don Draper comes home early, and has dinner with his family. Unfortunately, before he can get something to eat his son who has been told not to play with his robot on the table stubbornly continues to do so, accidentally spilling his drink all over the table. Betty Draper becomes furious, and nags her husband to reprimand their son. Don grabs the robot, and throws it so hard at the wall. He walks up to his bedroom where his wife follows him still nagging. Betty complains being overwhelmed with having to raise their children. She argues that their children see her as the bad person, while they see him as a hero. Betty could not understand the stresses of work, and makes it sound like Don’s job is nothing compared to hers. This only made Don even more upset enough manhandle his wife. He realizes what he has done, and reflects on it. His son comes up to him to apologize. Don’s anger subsides, and he hugs his son with so much affection. Unfortunately, Betty’s anger has not. His wife continues to believe that their son should be spanked in order to be taught a lesson. Don disagrees with this saying that his father beat him as a boy, and all it did was make him fantasize of the day he could murder his father. Finally, Betty understands, and now supports her husband’s way of raising their children.
It’s Easter Sunday. Father Gill sends his Easter greetings to Peggy Olson, and thanks her for her help with the sermon. They watch the children as they go Easter egg hunting. Father Gill hands Peggy an Easter egg saying that it is for her child then walks away.
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