The second series of Mad Men continued last night, and it has, after a little blip, become the must-see drama of the week for me. Last week we saw the fall-out from a catastrophic and fatal plane crash, but this week it was back to normal. And by normal I mean the simmering and multi-layered relationship between Don and Betty Draper.

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The backdrop to this week’s story was the world of television advertising. Exciting! Not so exciting for Sterling Cooper, because a comedian, a really annoying wisecracker by the name of Jimmy Barrett, got drunk during a shoot for an ad and insulted the clients. Don was implicated in the whole mess (he decided to go to the cinema to watch a French film, of all things, and wasn’t around to sort things out) so he fired his secretary. When she told him that she tried to cover for his absence, Don snorted: “You do not cover for me, you manage people’s expectations.” Killer line.

Joan decided to step into Lois’ shoes. Now that should be interesting. Don Draper and Joan in close proximity? These two have been pretty much kept apart so far.

One person Don wasn’t keeping too far away from was Jimmy Barrett’s wife. Don went over to the set to have a few stern words with Jimmy about his behaviour, only to find that the sassy Bobbie was the only one on-set. An exquisite flirting scene followed, shot in silhouette against the set itself, making Bobbie and Don look like two puppets playing out a scene. Despite initially resisting, he gave in to her advances. Don, Don, Don, Don. I thought you had turned over a new leaf, but you’ve let yourself slip.

In a follow-up call they arranged to meet for dinner with their respective spouses in a bid to calm Jimmy down, and this is where Don found out that having a bit on the side was nothing new for Bobbie. “I like being bad and then going home and being good”.

Don will only have himself to blame if… Betty does the same to him. And she almost did last night. At her riding school, a handsome, young WASP came onto her big time. As she turned him away, he told her: “You’re so profoundly sad.” She replied, brilliantly, “No, it’s just that my people are Nordic.”

Before we get back to the Drapers and their dalliances, there was Harry, who was incensed to find out that his colleague Ken earned way more than him after he, ahem, accidentally opened his pay packet. He eventually plucked up the courage to speak to Sterling and got a raise AND a new position at the end of it.

Now, the Drapers. They went to dinner with the Barretts and the couple Jimmy insulted to try and smooth things over. Bad idea. Jimmy was all over Betty, making Don uncomfortable. It was obvious there was no apology coming, and when Don confronted Bobbie she told him that there would be nothing unless Sterling Cooper coughed up 25 grand. Don grabbed her hair, pulled her head back and stuck his hand up her skirt, as you do. The apology was immediately forthcoming when they returned to the table.

Betty cried in the car home. She said it was because she was so happy and that they made such a great team. I couldn’t help thinking that this tender moment wouldn’t last.