- Betty discovers that she has a tumor, Peggy interviews an obnoxious young copywriter for a job, the firm tries to get the Mohawk Airlines account back, and Don and Harry try to court The Rolling Stones to record a commercial.
- Betty has gained some weight, which she can't shed for whatever reason, which in turn is making her depressed. Or is her depression the cause of emotional eating which is reason for her weight gain? Going to see a doctor for a prescription for diet pills, the doctor instead finds a growth on her thyroid, which may be cancerous and which may be the cause of her weight gain. With Henry not around when she receives the news, she turns to Don for emotional support. This news affects the Draper household. As Betty begins to think about her mortality, she also begins to understand that this tumor is a no win situation for her. Meanwhile, at SCDP, Pete is able to secure the Mohawk Airlines account once again, which is a small coup for the company. Pete begrudgingly assigns the account to Roger, since the Mohawk executives know Roger, and both sides will treat the account like their best drinking buddy. But they need to hire a dedicated copywriter for the account, someone creative but who also fits into that old boys network. Peggy is assigned to find that person. The end product of her search, Michael Ginsberg, brings her and Roger to a common point in their careers. The Heinz executives come up with the idea to rework The Rolling Stones' song "Time Is on My Side" for a commercial to target the youth market. Despite Don thinking it a bad idea, he indulges the client, with him and Harry the footmen in trying to set up a meeting with the band at one of their concerts. Trying to meet the band also makes Don and Harry quite aware that they aren't as young as they used to be. And SCPD's mock "equal opportunity" ad results in Don getting a new secretary, a black woman named Dawn.—Huggo
- Betty Francis is depressed at her weight gain and her inability to shed her extra pounds. She visits her doctor for diet pills but his examination reveals a growth in a neck gland. She assumes the worse and undergoes the necessary tests. At the lab she meets an old acquaintance who has terminal cancer. Don takes the news hard but Megan tells him to remain optimistic. At the office, Pete Campbell reels in the Mohawk airlines account but tells Roger Sterling he's to be their day to day contact. Pete again makes a point of rubbing Roger's nose in it. With the new account, Peggy Olsen is tasked with hiring a new copywriter and she is very impressed with Michael Ginsberg's portfolio. After she meets him though, she's not so sure. Don and Megan have dinner with Raymond Geiger and his wife from Heinz who suggest that they get the Rolling Stones to make a commercial. It leads to Don and Harry Crane spending an evening trying to meet the rockers.—garykmcd
- "Mad Men" - "Tea Leaves" - April 1, 2012
It would seem that Betty has gotten as big as her house.
We open on her trying to fit into a dress to go to a Junior League party with Henry but the zipper won't budge. She begs off blaming "woman" problems.
Don says Bonjour to his new mother-in-law on the phone, then Megan and Don go out to dinner to chat up the Heinz head Hank Lamott and his wife from Pittsburgh. They good-naturedly gripe about their teen daughter hanging around the house for the summer and her love of the Rolling Stones. Hank wants Don to approach the Rolling Stones and see if they would be willing to sing a jingle, "Heinz is on my side" to the tune of "Time is on my Side." Don says he'll look into it.
Back at the office Pete and Lane inform Roger, after some office meeting games, that Pete has landed Mohawk and they want Roger on the account. But they also want a dedicated and male copywriter.
Henry's mother Pauline comes to visit and basically says she understands how it happened, Betty got comfortable. But, it's not too late, Betty can take diet pills and solve her problems. Betty wonders why Pauline never took them since she's overweight. Pauline says she has a heart condition, and besides she doesn't worry about having to please men anymore. But since she knows that Henry is hurt when Betty doesn't attend functions with him she better hop to getting some pills.
Betty goes to see the doctor who doesn't just want to write a blanket prescription without examining her. When he does he finds a lump on her thyroid. When she arrives home Henry isn't there and panicked, she calls Don. Their relationship has gotten to a good enough place that he not only calls her Bets again but when he hears her news, he calms her down by calling her Birdie and telling her everything will be okay.
Peggy and Stan Rizzo screen portfolios of candidates and finds what looks to be talented Michael Ginsburg. Stan tries to dissuade her saying Ginsburg can be her boss someday.
Betty lies in a bath deep in thought, Henry enters and asks if she would like a brandy. The next day at the appointment for her biopsy she runs into an old friend Joyce Donnelly who is being treated for cancer.
Michael Ginsburg arrives for his interview with Peggy and nearly flubs his meeting by mistaking her for a secretary and wanting to talk only about Don. He is flippant and sarcastic.
Betty and Joyce go to lunch afterwards and Joyce discusses her feelings of desperation, exhaustion, and fear. They let a roaming tea leaf reader look in Betty's cup and she says that she is important to many people. Betty tears up and Joyce sends the tea leaf reader away.
Rogers returns from a liquid lunch with Mohawk. Peggy wants to go back to the drawing board on the hiring but Roger says to hire Ginsburg. Apparently, Mohawk is fine with a Jewish person working on the account. (Roger notes that most firms have "one" now and it will make the firm more modern, just like Dawn, Don's new black secretary, and the whole Don/Dawn thing is milked for a few laughs.) Peggy is worried that Don will hate his personality and therefore hate Peggy, Roger says he'll take care of Don.
Don is dressed in a suit ready to go out, Megan is watching TV, jokes how square he looks. Harry had finagled a meeting backstage at the Stones concert at Forest Hills. When they arrive backstage-- full of hazy smoke and teen sycophants-- they are put off by security who says they haven't arrived yet. Don bribes the guy to tell them when they arrive. As he and Harry hang out a young girl approaches them looking for a light of her joint. Harry partakes but Don declines.
Even though she has gotten big enough to be embarrassed at Henry seeing her Betty decides it's time for them to make love again, saying it's been too long.
Don quizzes the teen about why she likes the Stones and what she would do if she met Brian Jones. She says she would simply stare at him while he tuned his guitar and convince him that she is Lady Jane. Don looks warily amused. She grabs his tie and tells him to loosen up. She says all people his age don't want people her age to have any fun. He says they're just worried about them. Harry gets the call to come into the green room and when he returns he says he got them to sign on. Just then the actual Rolling Stones arrive and Harry realizes he signed some unknown British act called Tradewinds who look and sound like the Stones. Later in the car, apparently in the parking lot of White Castle, Harry apologizes for failing. He is stoned and scarfing down sliders and says what he has learned being a husband and father is to eat first. He leaves the car and Don drives away exasperated.
Betty has a dream in which she sees her kids, Henry, and her mother-in-law having a somber breakfast after her funeral.
In the morning Megan wakes Don with a kiss, he has fallen asleep still in his white shirt, she wants to get going to Fire Island. Don admits he is waiting to hear about Betty's cancer test. Megan is a little upset he didn't say so right away but cheers up. She points out that he felt well enough to go to the show and can't pretend he's overwhelmed now just in time to blow off her friends. He surrenders.
Betty has a quiet time with Henry and her three kids in the front yard as they play with sparklers.
Michael tones down lhis quirkiness enough to impress Don during the final interview and Don tells Peggy she did good work in finding Michael. Peggy informs Michael he got the job and is slightly freaked out that he can control his nuttiness but chose not to control it with her. He is thrilled and wants her to be happy for him. She musters little enthusiasm. Roger also commends her on a job well done in hiring him.
The news finally arrives that she's okay, the tumour is benign, and she grumbles that it turns out that she's just fat. Henry embrace her and says he feels like they've been given a gift and he's very happy.
At work the next day in the foyer, the whole office gathers to celebrate the news of signing Mohawk. Pete unveils a model airplane and uncorks champagne. He notes Roger will be on the account day to day but there won't be anything Roger knows that he doesn't. Roger, miffed at the disrepect has a drink with Don in his office and talks about how sick and tired he is of trying to hustle to prove his worth, of hanging on the ledge while Pete grinds his fingers. Don says Betty may have cancer. Roger says he's given up on the real talk of life and death. He asks Don before he leaves: "When is everything going to get back to normal?"
When Don calls the next day for news, Henry answers and tells him Betty is okay. He didn't realize Betty had told Don. When Betty calls from the next room to ask who it was, Henry says it was nobody.
After his conversation with Henry, Don tells Megan that Betty is okay. Megan is relieved. He notes what an optimist she is.
Michael goes home and informs his dad, who sounds like he may be Russian, that he got the job. His dad is pleased and holds his head and prays over him in Hebrew.
Betty and Sally eat ice cream sundaes. Sally doesn't finish hers and goes to watch TV. Betty scarfs down the rest of Sally's sundae.
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