The Summer Man

==Intro==
Don Draper makes the attempt to turn his life around physically and emotionally. Joey Baird's autocratic ways create friction with Joan Holloway, causing Peggy Olson to intervene. Betty Hofstadt and Henry Francis are caught unawares when they run into Don on a date. Betty forbids Don from coming to Gene's birthday party. Don finally gets a date with Faye Miller.
==Synopsis==
Don Draper starts a journal and does some serious self-analysis, deciding to cut back on his drinking habits and starts swimming at the New York Athletic Club. He admits to being "lazy" in his journal and wonders how his life could have been different.
As he comes out of the Athletic Club, he carries himself with a certain "joie de vivre" and smokes a cigarette.
Arriving back at the office Don approaches Ida Blankenship's desk. She is recovering from cataract surgery. In the office hallway, the men of the office are hitting and bashing the new vending machine. This prompts Joan to come out of her office to demand what the problem is. Joey explains that the machine has been taking their change. Joan tells them to stop hitting the machine and warns them not to make her come out of her office again. "Sorry, Mom," Joey sarcastically apologizes. Joan calls him into her office to admonish him for his lack of respect as Stan moons her from outside the door. Joey dismisses Joan and accuses her of "walking around and trying to get raped," not knowing that Joan was raped by her now-husband in the office in "The Mountain King". While Joan is speechless, he leaves her office, smug.
Peggy takes a shortcut through Joan's office as usual and Joan, still humiliated, snaps at her. She makes an excuse to leave the office early. Peggy sees Miss Blankenship bringing another bottle of liquor to Don, and she welcomes her back. Miss Blankenship informs Don that Betty called to say that he can't have the kids for the weekend since it's Gene's birthday.
Joan is upset to see Greg packing for basic training. She worries about Greg being exposed to danger on the front and Greg tries to distract her with sex. When she wonders who she is going to talk to when he is gone, Greg suggests that she confide in her friends from work, which makes her cry. After comforting her, Greg convinces her to have sex with him as a way to say goodbye. 
Don is at home once again logging in his journal, as he watches a news spot on the TV about the war in Vietnam. This makes him reflect on his time in Korea and he laments how Gene was conceived "in a moment of desperation and born into a mess". He complains that he is not allowed at his son's birthday party. He goes on to list things he wants to achieve, including going to Africa, gaining control over the way he feels, and one day waking up and being "that man."
The next day during a meeting with Peggy, Stan and Ken about Mountain Dew, Don calls Joan into his office. Don informs Joan that Mountain Dew needs a re-write and asks her to get Joey for the job. Joan protests, first by questioning Joey's availability and next by saying there have been complaints about his many "blue jokes". Don replies with "boys will be boys", much to Joan's annoyance. Peggy realizes the attitude and sets out looking for Joey, who is in Harry's office. Harry tells Joey that he should consider acting before leaving. Peggy warns Joey not to anger Joan but Joey laughs her off, saying that Joan is nothing more than an "overblown secretary."
Betty and Henry arrive at a restaurant to have dinner with Ralph Stuben when Betty sees Don already seated at a table with Bethany Van Nuys. Bethany tries to gauge how serious Don is about her when Betty, Henry, and Ralph interrupt Don and Bethany's date. While at her table, Betty glares at Don and Bethany before excusing herself to the ladies room. She sits on the toilet lid and smokes a cigarette as she tries to get her bearings. 
 
In the car on the way home, Betty and Henry argue about the way Betty conducted herself upon seeing Don. Henry accuses Betty of still being in love with Don, but Betty insists that she hates Don. Henry grumbles that maybe they rushed into marriage. 
Meanwhile, Bethany fellates Don on the cab ride home. After she leaves, Don writes in his journal about her, sighing that Bethany may be too similar to Betty for him to really be happy with. 
The next morning Don overhears Dr. Faye Miller yelling at her current boyfriend at the public phone next to the office floor elevator. She kicks him out of her apartment and demands her key back. 
On the same morning, Henry is leaving for work and Betty wakes in time before he leaves. She apologizes for the way she acted the night before. However, she explains that she doesn't like defending herself about Don and tells Henry that he is the one she loves. Henry tells her he understands but as he backs out of the garage, he sees stacks of boxes containing Don's things. In a fit a of petty jealousy, he deliberately crushes the boxes with his car before driving off. 
At work, Joey and Stan see Joan go into Lane's office. Stan wonders what they talk about and Joey makes a crude joke insinuating that the 2 are sleeping together. Peggy tells them to shut up and get back to work. In Lane's office, Lane and Joan discuss the vending machine and ponder about getting a sandwich machine as well.
Meanwhile, in his office, Don gets a call from Henry. Henry informs Don that he has bought a boat but doesn't have the room to store it in the garage because of Don's boxes. Don offers to pick them up and Henry gently suggests he come on Saturday, since Sunday will be Gene's birthday party.
Later that day, Peggy goes into Joan's office complaining about the vending machine. Joan then turns to her drawer and sees a pornographic drawing of her fellating Lane taped to her window. Outraged, she goes into the creative lobby and demands to know who did it. No one will admit to anything. Joan coldly tells them that when they get called up to fight in Vietnam, they should remember that Joan never liked any of them. She then goes back into her office and reassures Peggy that she is not going home.
Peggy goes to Don's office to complain about the drawing. Don tells her to just fire Joey herself. "If you want respect, go out and earn it," he says. Peggy calls Joey into her office, and instructs him to apologize to Joan. Joey refuses, so Peggy fires him. Joey tries to undermine her by asking what Don would say. Peggy coldly tells him, "Don doesn't know who you are." Defeated, Joey says his goodbyes to the men of the office.
Back in Don's office, he and Faye are discussing work. Don asks if she would like to get dinner with him but Faye turns him down, saying that she'd like to go on a planned date instead of going out after a work day like an "afterthought." Don agrees and promises to take her out.
Later that night, Francine stops by Betty's house to drop off supplies for the party on Sunday. She asks if Don will be there and Betty tells her about running into Don with his new girlfriend in the city. Betty makes snide remarks about how Don is "living the life" and complains that he "can't have this family and that, too." Francine reassures her that Don has nothing to lose, whereas she has everything.
Leaving work, Peggy takes the elevator with Joan. While in the elevator, Peggy proudly tells Joan that she fired Joey. To Peggy's surprise, Joan angrily tells her that she could have handled Joey on her own, and that Peggy used the situation to further her own position in the workplace. She tells Peggy that all she proved is that she is a "humorless bitch" while Joan is a "meaningless secretary."
Don writes in his journal that people want more than they already have, which ultimately proves to be their downfall. He picks up his boxes and watches Henry mow the lawn as he leaves. Don is later seen putting the boxes in a dumpster, while Henry takes off his shirt in the kitchen without acknowledging Betty.
On Saturday night Don takes Faye out on a date and learns that she isn't ashamed of her working-class background. He seems relieved not to be involved with another high-born blonde and is further intrigued with her. On the taxi ride home, Faye asks if they can go to Don's apartment, a clear invitation for sex. Don insists on taking her home, saying her front door is as far as he can go right now.
The episode ends with Don arriving at Gene's birthday party, putting his gift on the gift table and embracing his son. Betty tells Henry that it's okay; she is not threatened because the 2 of them have everything.
==Cast==
===Main Star===
*Jon Hamm as Don Draper
*Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson
*Vincent Kartheiser as Pete Campbell
*January Jones as Betty Hofstadt
*Christina Hendricks as Joan Holloway
*Rich Sommer as Harry Crane
*Aaron Staton as Ken Cosgrove
*Jared Harris as Lane Pryce
*Kiernan Shipka as Sally Draper
*Robert Morse as Bertram Cooper
*John Slattery as Roger Sterling
===Guest Star===
*Jared Gilmore as Robert Draper
*Brian Elerding as Bill Mitford
*Daniel Vincent Gordh as Young Swimmer
*J.P. Gillain as Neighbor Dad
===Co-Star===
*Christopher Stanley as Henry Francis
*Matt Long as Joey Baird
*Anna Camp as Bethany Van Nuys
*Cara Buono as Faye Miller
*Jay R. Ferguson as Stan Rizzo
*Sam Page as Greg Harris
*Randee Heller as Ida Blankenship
*Anne Dudek as Francine Hanson
*Peter Lewis as Ralph Stuben
==Quotes==
Joan: "Who did that?"Joey: "Did what?"Joan: "That pornographic drawing. It's a very brave person, who does something anonymously."Stan: "It's a very brave person who does [that], its still illegal in many states, you know."Joan: "I can't wait 'til next year when all of you are in Vietnam. You will be pining for the day when someone was trying to make your lives easier, and when you're over there, and you're in the jungle and they're shooting at you? Remember you're not dying for me because I never liked you."-- Joan's reaction after Joey tapes a pornographic drawing of Joan and Lane, to Joan's window.
Category:Season 4