Épisode L'escalade S03E08 - Mad Men Saison 3

On a hot August Friday, Hildy describes her weekend beach plans to Pete, who is staying in town while Trudy is away. "Why is it that a man on his own is an object of pity?" Pete asks Harry and Paul before waxing nostalgic about the summers of his youth.

That night at the Draper's home, a call from Conrad Hilton's office: Don is to fly to Italy on Tuesday to inspect the Rome Hilton with Connie. When Betty bemoans this latest excursion, Don invites her along. “I guess our two month old isn’t an issue,” Betty replies.

Pete idles his Saturday away watching TV and napping. Emptying his trash that evening, he happens upon Gudrun, the au pair of his neighbors, the Lawrences. Gudrun is in tears over a dress she borrowed from Mrs. Lawrence and stained. Pete offers to help obtain a replacement.

On Monday evening, Sally watches Betty primp before leaving to attend a meeting of the Tarrytown Board of Trustees. Henry appears at the meeting just in time to request a suspension of the reservoir project pending additional water quality studies. The trustees acquiesce.

"When you have no power, delay," Henry tells the elated Betty and Francine outside. Alone with Betty, Henry says that it would make him happy to think he'd made her happy. She acknowledges that he did, and Henry leans through her open car door and kisses her.

At home, Betty tells Don about the campaign's success. "That's real politics," he says. Agreeing, Betty repeats Henry's motto about delay tactics.

Late that night in bed, Betty wakes Don. She wants to accompany him to Rome.

On Tuesday, Pete drops by the Bonwit Teller department store with Mrs. Lawrence's dress and discovers that Joan has taken a supervisor's job there. Joan approves an exchange and promises discretion should she run into Trudy – to whom, Pete tells her, the dress belongs.

Betty and Don arrive in Rome, where Betty's fluent Italian comes in handy at the Hilton. While Don naps, Betty calls the concierge to arrange an appointment at the beauty salon.

Back at the Draper home, Francine asks Carla to watch her son Ernie because the Tarrytown trustees have called a sudden meeting.

At the Hilton's outdoor cafe, the meticulously coiffed Betty banters with two Italian men, not letting on that Don is her husband when he joins her. Don "wins" the contest for Betty's affections. After the glum Italians depart, the Drapers continue their flirtation until Connie arrives. "By golly, you are an indecently lucky man," Connie says to Don upon meeting Betty.

"He adores you," says Betty when she and Don return to their room. Kissing as they slowly undress, the Drapers fall to the bed.

Back in Ossining, Bobby spies on Sally and Ernie while they play grown-up. When Sally kisses Ernie, Bobby makes fun of her. Sally tackles Bobby, hitting him repeatedly until Carla separates the siblings.

Pete presents the new dress to a grateful Gudrun. He suggests they celebrate with a cocktail, but Gudrun declines, saying that she has a boyfriend. Pete returns to his apartment and pours a drink. Later, he awakens Gudrun and reminds her of the great pains he took to procure the dress. "I think I at least deserve to see it on you," he says. In her bedroom, Pete kisses her.

Back in Rome, Connie invites the Drapers to breakfast, but they beg off to stay up in the room together.

Betty and Don return home, where Carla informs Betty about Sally's attack on Bobby.

The same evening, Pete's neighbor, Ed Lawrence, confronts him about Gudrun. Ed doesn't care about Pete's escapades, he explains. He just doesn't want to lose the rare nanny his wife can get along with. Pete should leave Gudrun alone.

At home, Betty confronts Sally about fighting with Bobby. She needs to control her temper, Betty warns.

A jolly Trudy returns from her vacation. As she and Pete board their building's elevator, Gudrun enters with the two Lawrence children.

In the Campbell apartment, Pete grows sullen. Trudy assumes that seeing the Lawrence children triggered his guilt over their lack of offspring. "I don't care," she says. Pete shakes his head. "Did something happen?" she asks. Pete doesn't respond. Trudy walks to the bedroom and slams the door.

The same day Betty tells Sally, "You don't kiss boys. Boys kiss you." Sally's first kiss should be special. "It's where you go from being a stranger to knowing someone," Betty says.

Pete arrives home from work. Trudy chatters about inconsequential matters until he interrupts her. "I don't want you to go away anymore without me," he says. "Good," she replies. "I won't."

Francine, at Betty's house, says that the trustees may have reversed course on the reservoir, then quizzes a noncommittal Betty about Rome. Switching back to the reservoir, Francine suggests that their setback could give Betty "an excuse to get more help from high places." "I'm done with that," Betty says. "We made our stand."

Don returns home. Francine gets up to leave. "From what I hear, you two must be very tired," she says to Don.

Later Betty tells Don, "I hate this place. I hate our friends. I hate this town." The two will go away again, Don assures her, directing her attention to a gift he's brought: a gold Colosseum bracelet charm.

Betty, accepting the souvenir impassively, replies that now she’ll "have something to look at when I tell the story about the time we went to Rome." She walks slowly away.