''Nostalgia. It's delicate, but potent ... It's a twinge in your heart far more powerful than memory alone.
Betty discovers a secret, leading her to re-evaluate her marital situation. Peggy gets promoted but receives news that may interfere with her career. Pete brings in a big account through his father-in-law but has to commit to his wife in return. Don's professional and private lives affect each other in curious ways as he's left to fend for himself. Don elects not to spend Thanksgiving with Betty's family.
This episode contains examples of:
- Affectionate Gesture to the Head: After a failed read-through with their first choice for an ad, Peggy tells Ken to head out, console Annie, and then call Rita for a replacement. Ken sits there, blinks a few times, bemused, and then pats Peggy on the head before leaving.Ken: She was like Kinsey, but with balls.
- But I Can't Be Pregnant! Peggy is astonished to find out that she's not only pregnant but due for delivery.
- Cardboard Box of Unemployment: Subverted when Peggy Olson is promoted to junior copywriter. As Joan shows her to her new shared office, Peggy caries a bankers box
full of items from her desk in the secretary pool. - Downer Ending: Don returns to an empty house.
- Epic Fail: The first run of line readings, though Ken admires how Peggy managed to recover.
- Exiled to the Couch: Harry is forced to sleep at the office, having been kicked out of his home by Jennifer after he revealed the nature of his one-night stand with Hildy.
- Flat "What": Don's initial reaction to hearing that Adam killed himself.
- I Can Explain: Harry, for why he's walking around the office in his underwear.
- I Want Grandkids: Trudy's parents make it clear they want Pete and Trudy to start having children. This will be a point of contention for Pete in the next season.
- Imagine Spot: We see Don return home to tell Betty that he'll be traveling with her for Thanksgiving, right before hugging the kids. This is then followed by what actually happens — Don returns home, to find that Betty and the kids have already left, without him.
- Intergenerational Friendship: Briefly between Betty and Glen, though Glen is obviously uncomfortable and confused by an adult behaving in this way.
- Internal Reveal: Audiences have known that Don is cheating on Betty since, literally, the instant she appeared on-screen. In this episode, Betty finally starts to catch on, as Francine's observations of her own philandering husband sound eerily reminiscent of Don's behaviors.
- Loving a Shadow: This is a worry of Betty's, primarily that it feels like Don is something unreal.Betty: The way he m-he makes love. Sometimes it's what I want. But sometimes it's obviously what someone else wants.
- Manly Tears: Don, crying for his dead brother.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Adam's suicide overwhelms Don, given how he knows that it was his dismissal that drove the former over the Despair Event Horizon.
- My God, You Are Serious!: Pete is unable to process Don's request to put Peggy on his father-in-law's account.
- One Dialogue, Two Conversations: When Betty is explaining to Don that Francine has admitted that Carlton is cheating, she angrily asks, "How can someone do that, to someone they love? Does all this mean nothing?" brimming with Tranquil Fury over the knowledge that Don is cheating on her. Don, for his part, can barely look Betty in the eye.
- Photo Montage: Masterfully done by Don in his Carousel pitch, using his own family photos. It leaves everyone stunned.
- The Reveal: Peggy's rapid weight gain and bouts of illness are explained: she has been pregnant with Pete's child, and learns this right as she goes into labor.
- Stay at the Secretary's Desk: Pete protests the Clearacil account being handed to Peggy, who is just a "little girl" secretary. Don solves this by promoting Peggy to copywriter.
- Stepford Smiler: One of Betty's problems that she expresses in therapy is the feeling of illusion that her life carries.
- Title Drop: The titular "wheel" is Kodak's slide projector, which Don renames the Carousel.
- Tender Tears: Betty, when confessing to Glen that she has no one to talk to. Also Annie, after being put through the ringer by Peggy during her multiple readings.
- Trying Not to Cry: Harry is so moved by Don's pitch that he has to leave the room.
- "Well Done, Son" Guy: Pete, towards Don, shortly after securing some big business.Pete: It matters to me that you're impressed.
- What the Hell, Hero?: A subtle one, done by Ken to Peggy. After Peggy fires Annie for her poor line readings over the intercom, Ken notes that she could've at least let her down gently by giving Annie the band news in-person.
- Wouldn't Hurt a Child: Betty notes this as a positive note about Don, but also says that it serves as an example of how atypical it makes him.
