I hope it's a dream. I hope it's a dream. I'm still repeating this to myself after watching this week's Mad Men. Don snaps when one of his former bed buddies, Andrea, won't leave him alone. We see him strangle her and put her under his bed. Before that, he was napping as he left work early because he was feeling sick and coughing a lot. I'm hoping that Don dreamed this because of this episode's mention of a murder story in the news involving nine young women that shocked all of the characters. I don't want Don to be a strangler! I love the rest of the episode, though.

It's Not Nice to Meet You

The show starts off with Andrea getting into the elevator at Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Pryce with Don and Megan already in it. Andrea stands about a half an inch away from Don and is very touchy feeling. Don quickly tries to set Andrea straight by introducing his wife, Megan, with an emphasis on "wife." Don coughs and smokes through the workday. Megan tells him to lay off the smoking. Thank you, Megan! When she finds Don hunting for Aspirin in the break room cupboards, she advises him to go home. But Don has a presentation meeting with a shoe company.

Michael Ginsberg, the new copywriter Peggy hired, is wowing the clients, but Don gets pissed at Michael for selling them his Cinderella ad idea after they already bought the one the agency decided to have Michael pitch. In a bar after the presentation, Don warns Michael not to do something like that ever again. Don phones Megan and he does agree with her that he should just call it quits for the rest of the day and go home to bed since he's feeling terrible.

How Not to Get Rid of Uninvited Guests

Well, here comes the disturbing scene that is confusing as to what really happened and what was a dream ... Don is napping on top of his bed, still in dress shirt and trousers, when Andrea walks into his bedroom. The fact that he won't lock the door makes this seem like a dream. She is wearing the same neon orange dress she had on in the elevator, though.

Don is weak from feeling sick and he gives in to either dream Andrea or real Andrea and has sex with her. He tells her, stay out of my life. But Andrea says she won't. She leaves, but then after Don sleeps for a bit more, she's baaaack saying his back door was open. Andrea calls Don "sick" and as if to prove her right, he strangles her and, really, I can't watch my Don do this! He stuffs her under the bed and nothing else is shown about it when Megan returns.

Lay Down Sally

Sally is as inquisitive and restless as ever and this makes for an interesting kid character. Earlier in the day, Sally had called Don because she doesn't like staying with Grandma Pauline, who is a bit of strict lady. Don tells her just to deal with things. Sally wants to read about the murders in the newspaper, but Grandma Pauline slaps Sally's hand away. Sally has to go back to watching Dream Date on TV until Grandma Biotch orders her to take out the garbage before the show is even over.

Sally sneaks the newspaper from the trash -- no recycling bins back then! -- and reads it under her bed covers with a flashlight. The murder story scares her, so she goes downstairs to see Grandma who gives her drugs to make her sleep. Who's idea was it to have this woman watch Sally? Sally is already screwed up enough!

You're in the Army Now

Greg, Joan's Army surgeon husband, is due home. Joan's mom is still there and they get ready for Greg's homecoming with a cake. Greg arrives and he gets to hold Kevin, the son he's never even held yet. Well, except that Greg only thinks it's his son, because we know it's Roger's. Everything is fine until Greg tells Joan that he's going back to the Army for another year. Joan freaks because he's supposed to be done with the military now.

Then when Greg's mom spills the beans at dinner that Greg volunteered to go back, and wasn't ordered to, Joan loses it! I don't blame her one bit. She kicks Greg to the curb and now Joan's gonna be a single parent in the 1960's. I think Roger will eventually get back with Joan, though.

Peggy on the Case

When Roger has a plan to one-up Pete on the Mohawk Airline account, he searches for the new copywriting genius at Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Pryce -- Michael Ginsberg. Only Mike's not there, so Roger begs Peggy to stay late and write his copy. I love when Peggy negotiates cash from Roger, not for doing the work, but for keeping the lie he wants.

Roger wants Peggy to tell Michael and Don that this copywriting project is something Roger asked Peggy to do last week instead of on the spur of the moment on Friday night. While Peggy's working late, she hears a noise. The new black secretary is sleeping at the office, as she's afraid to go home, so Peggy takes her home with her and they giggle like they're having a slumber party.

Sheri Stirrs
Contributing Writer

(Image courtesy of AMC)