Mad Men/Recap/S4 E3 The Good News

First, the bad news.

Lane is having marital problems, as well as his share of disagreements with Joan, so he sends roses to his wife ("Darling, I've been an ass"') and to the aforementioned office manager ("Joan, forgive me"). Except that his secretary switched them around, so his marriage is over.

Don plans to spend New Years' in Acapulco. With a 24-hour layover in Los Angeles, he visits Anna, her sister and her niece (studying at Berkley!). Anna has a broken leg, and her niece reveals to Don that her bones are frail because she's dying of cancer. This news causes Don to stay in Los Angeles a little longer, paint over a stain on the wall from a leaky roof, and sit around smoking pot and talking about UFOs. He won't tell her she's dying, but he promises to bring the kids come Spring Break. He gives up on Mexico and returns to the office.

Now, the good news.

It's officially 1965. Don and Lane find each other at the office and drown their sorrows in strange liquor, Gamera, lame stand-up comedy, and call girls. Although it's been precarious financially, it's been a magnificent year.

This episode contains examples of:

 * Crowning Moment of Funny
 * Mood Whiplash
 * Quote Mine
 * Tear Jerker