Synopsis: It’s the middle of summer, and most people are out on vacation. Conrad Hilton sends Don Draper to Rome, and Betty goes with him. It was a reprieve both husband and wife needed. Meanwhile, Pete Campbell stays at home while his wife goes on vacation with her family, and carries on an affair with his next-door neighbor’s housekeeper.Episode Summary: It’s August, and while most people in New York have made plans to escape the sweltering city, Pete Campbell looks forward to the quietness of the otherwise bustling metropolitan.
Conrad Hilton’s office calls Don Draper’s house to inform him that he is to spend two days in Rome where he is to meet with Mr. Hilton. Ever since Don signed on to the task of managing Hilton’s ads, the man has been sending him to various business trips. This annoys Betty, but Don suggests that she come with him to Rome. Unfortunately, with two kids, and a newborn, this seems not to be an option. Continue reading...
With Trudy away, Pete Campbell is living a life of a bachelor. One night he returns home from the grocery store to find the young housekeeper of their neighbor crying by the garbage shoot. The young woman is trying to dispose of her employer’s designer dress that she borrowed and stained. Feeling sorry for her, Pete offers help, and takes the dress.
Betty Draper busies herself with the Junior League’s plan to save the Pleasantville Road reservoir calling residents to help with their cause. The day has come for them to present their case at a hearing, but Henry Francis is nowhere in sight. Moreover, the mayor’s office seemed to have intentionally left out their petition from the agenda. Francine Hanson speaks out to note the oversight and so does Marilyn Ferrelly. Henry Francis arrives just in time delighting Betty, and he introduces himself to the mayor as Governor Rockefeller’s Director of Public Relations and Research. Moreover, he comes to deliver a request from the governor’s office stating that further study needs to be made having learned that the claim that questions the quality of the water from the reservoir is inconclusive. The letter from the governor that Mr. Francis brought with him was enough to make the mayor declare the suspension of the development of the Pleasantville Road reservoir. The Junior League of Tarrytown could not be more pleased. Henry walks Betty to her car, and she once again expresses her gratitude to him. The man confesses that he puts his heart into something or someone that he cares about. Moreover, he notes seeing how happy Betty was having won the fight against the water tank project. Henry asks her if he has something to do with that, and she agrees. The man leans over and passionately kisses Betty, and she does not resist. It even seemed to have brought a smile on her face, but nonetheless she drives away.
Betty comes home and finds her husband getting ready for his trip to Rome. Don notices that the woman is happy, so delighted that she managed to do a victory dance. He learns that the Junior League won its cause thanks to someone from the governor’s office. Moreover, because the new study the governor required would take years to complete, the Junior League is hopeful that the delay would cause the developer to look for another reservoir to use. Betty lies awake in bed thinking. She wakes Don to ask him if she could go with him to Rome, and he says yes.
Pete Campbell drops by Bonwit Teller hoping to replace the dress that his neighbor’s housekeeper ruined. The sales clerk informs him that the dress cannot be returned given the huge stain on it. Insulted, Pete declares that he will be paying for the replacement, but the clerk informs him that the dress is from last season, and is most probably no longer in stock. He asks to speak with the manager who happens to be Joan Holloway. Both are surprised to see each other. Joan makes it sound as if she is just filling in, and is only in it for the added benefit of getting first pick at the latest fashion. However, making it known of her awareness that the dress could not have been Trudy’s given the size of it, Pete is most likely not going to talk about seeing her working at a department store especially since the man had asked her to keep their encounter a secret.
Don and Betty Draper arrive in Rome, and already Betty is getting the attention of the Italian men. Conrad Hilton wastes no time, and gives their room a ring wanting to hear their thoughts about his hotel in their meeting later that evening. Don is still asleep when Betty asks the concierge in perfect Italian for an appointment at a beauty salon. Evening came, and Betty is all dolled up. She sits at a restaurant alone, and the Italian men at the next table waste no time to flirt with her. Don Draper walks by, but sits at the next table instead. He asks Betty if he could join her. The Italian men are annoyed, and tell him to go back where he came from. Moreover, they insult him in Italian. He asks Betty if they are making fun of him, and she acknowledges it. She then receives a Don Draper pick-up line. Soon he joins her, and informs her of his room number. Seeing that another man has made a move, and was successful at conquering the lovely foreigner, the Italian men disappointingly bid Betty farewell. Conrad Hilton arrives, and tells Don how indecently lucky he is to have Betty. Don and Betty Draper return to their room and make love.
Francine Hanson has a work emergency and leaves her kids with Carla. Sally Draper and Ernie Hanson play in the bathtub pretending that they are in a car driving. Sally steals a kiss from Ernie unaware that her brother is watching them. Bobby teases her sister, and she angrily tackles him and hits him. However, her anger seems to have come from the embarrassment of having stolen a kiss from a boy who did not want it.
Pete Campbell delivers the new dress to his neighbor’s housekeeper who could not thank him enough for having the dress she ruined replaced. Pete asks her out for a drink to celebrate, but the young woman declares that she already has a boyfriend, but she gives him a kiss on the cheek nonetheless. Peter returns home, and drinks alone. Later, when he has one or two many drinks, he knocks on his neighbor’s door knowing that the housekeeper is alone given that her employer is out on vacation. Declaring that he went to all this trouble to help her, he believes that he is entitled to at least see the dress on her. The housekeeper reluctantly agrees, and she leads him to her room. Pete closes the door, and kisses her passionately.
Nutty Conrad Hilton calls the Draper’s room asking them to have breakfast with him. Betty is not in the mood, and Don makes an excuse of having already ordered breakfast. Connie seems to be all right with this, but wanted a report about his hotel’s room service. Betty, however, has something else in mind. The two passionately kiss, but Don finds the need to get up. Betty could not seem to get enough of Don Draper that she decides to join him in the shower.
Don and Betty return from their trip. It’s back to reality. Carla welcomes them home, but out of concern informs them of the incident between Sally and Bobby. Having seen how the young girl beat her brother after being teased for kissing Ernie, Carla has become worried that Sally has gotten a temper.
Pete Campbell’s neighbor drops by his apartment, and asks if his wife is at home. Learning that she is not, he asks to speak with him. Pete denies having met his neighbor’s housekeeper, but Mr. Lawrence could see right through him. It was an undeniable truth given that the housekeeper informed them of what Pete has done to her. Mr. Lawrence did not drop by to cause trouble. He merely warns him to stay away from his housekeeper trying to avoid having to look for another one, and advises that he be discreet with his affairs. Pete is mortified.
Trudy is back from her vacation with her family completely unaware of what transpired when she was away. They happen to catch an elevator with the Lawrence’s kids and their housekeeper making for an awkward moment between Pete and the housekeeper, but Trudy was too clueless to even notice. She did, however, notice the guilty look on his face, but only attributed it to him seeing children, which is something they could not have. Pete is on the verge of tears, but says nothing to his wife who now has become upset knowing that something happened, but his husband could not bring himself to tell her. Later, Pete returns home to his wife. She pretends that nothing has happened. Although, Pete did not say a single word somehow she knew what it was that troubled her husband. Pete still has not confessed, but he asks her not to leave him alone again. With that, it is as if Trudy has forgiven him, and they resume their lives.
Betty has a chat with Sally. She tells her daughter that a girl does not go out kissing boys, as it should be the other way around. Moreover, she wants her first kiss to be special. This worries Sally given that she already kissed Ernie Hanson, but Betty tells her that she’ll have plenty more first kisses. The first kiss she’ll have with someone marks the beginning of a stranger becoming someone more.
Francine stops by the Drapers and informs Betty that the board has called a secret meeting, and she believes that they have reversed the decision from the hearing. This means that Betty may have to spend more time with Henry Francis, but she declares that she is done with the Pleasantville Road reservation project. Francine notices that Betty seemed to have a good time in Rome with Don. She remembers the time she and her husband went to Lake George to spend time with each other without the kids. She found it to be magical, and something she wishes they could do again. Don is still wrapped up with the two days in Rome he spent with his wife. He gives her jewelry he saw at a gift shop in Rome hoping that it will stir up the good memories they have from their trip. Unfortunately, Betty is already over it, and is back to her usual surly self.
Watch the Mad Men episode summary Souvenir [HD]
Previous Mad Men Episode Summary: Seven Twenty Three
Next Mad Men Episode Summary: Wee Small Hours
More Mad Men Episode Summaries
0 Comments:
Post a Comment