So glad this will be on again at 11 -- I've been too busy watching my TRIBE trounce the Yankees!

Peggy wouldn't have put that thing on her stomach if she was pregnant, would she? She really is huge. And Jon Hamm is TOO gorgeous!

every housewife needs a good old-fashioned shaky washing machine, lol! :)

THE BOX! What is it? And I can't believe Pete stole it...it's coming out. I just hope Don is ready. I think it's going to have pictures, or some obvious physical memory of Don's past life, something to begin the unraveling of his lies. Oh, love it!

Peggy is NOT pregnant. Her roomate made the comment about her eating everything. She's just becoming comfortable around the office.

I'm glad she got to write copy again (and doing radio ads, too??) even better that it's a vibrator! Anyone watch the movie "Electrolux"? Same kind of theme

I think Rachel's going to get pregnant. I can't imagine what next season is going to be like, and 2 years from now? WOW so much can change!

Looks like a shoe box. Probably from Adam.

And, yes, I think Rachel will get pregnant, forcing Don to really come to grips with his own past and how he was conceived, etc.

Kind of reminds me of those "Messagers" advertised as an aid for relaxing tense muscles. Complete with the pretty young woman on the package.

And ugh, Pete has the package from Adam.

So sad to see how John Cullum has aged. LOVED him in Northern Exposure.

Why did Adam kill himself? What did he leave in the box for Don? When will Pete give it to him?

What was the music that was playing while Draper's wife was, um... "doing laundry"?

Wait - where did you hear that Adam killed himself?

What a fabulous episode. Don and Rachel break my heart. No way will he leave his kids.

Message to Rachel -- DON WILL NEVER LEAVE HIS WIFE.

Aremisia -- very beginning of the episode, Adam sent the box, then climbed on the chair and kicked it over, leaving his legs dangling in the air. He hanged himself.

Artemisia, Adam hung himself in the first scene.

Who is the salesman? He looks familiar.

Another great episode. The writing is so good - the moments of silence during the conversations are filled with such anticipation.

I wasn't crazy about Peggy's prosthetics on her face, though (to make her look huge). It was way over the top and very distracting.

Still loving John Slattery - this guy steals every scene!

Pete's got to be one of the biggest weasels ever. I love it everytime Don shuts him down.

Rachel's sister -- is she foreshadowing? Talking about the movie where the married guy gets the girlfriend pregnant then kills her.

Pete is a total snake with all his money he still steals.

I think Peggy is gaining weight from her frustration over Pete and the pill. When she looked in the mirror, I think she was finally aware of the toll that the "high glamour" Manhattan life is having on her body.

Don has real issues and when that package hits the fan I just hope he will survive.

Betty is turning out to be rather interesting, but it really is all Don's fault for spreading his love all over town and having none left for her when he gets home.

But the vibrator is awesome!!!

How would Don get away with murdering such a high profile business woman?

Either it will be a metaphorical murder -- loving him "killed" her, or it'll be an accident, like pushing her down the stairs, etc.

If Don's going to murder any one it will be Pete for blackmailing him (or for being a weasely pain-in-the-tush! Man, this show is great!

Thanks for filling me in on Adam's suicide- my TIVO MISSED THE FIRST SCENE! GAH!

Another question - where did you all read that each season will be two years later? I've read that in a couple of discussions but never found the source.

"Why did Adam kill himself?"

I guess Adam saw no future living when the only family he has doesn't want him around.

What was that bossa nova song that was playing when Betty encounters her washing machine, Tom Jobim & João Gilberto?

Pete is a swarmy rascal.

Looks like Peggy can pinch and inch, and then some.

To Jeff re laundry music.. Don't know name

of song but it's sung by Astrid Gilberto the Brazilian jazz artist who recorded in English with Stan Kenton mostly known for

"The Girl from Ipanema" top 10 hit late 50's I think. Was immensely popular around this time.. very sexy music and so

appropriate. Brilliant music selection for this series as in the Sopranos.

More comedy than drama tonight. Good mix of humor, pathos and fantasy. Everyone's been taking this much too seriously. Yay for ambitious little Peggy. She handled the presentation "like a man." And asked for a raise too. What a girl! But really you writers, Betty is just too vacuous. She's just a character but I really do not blame Don for tiring of her. She's a caricature. Not every 60's housewife was that simple. Nor would a "rejuvenator" be handled by a top Madison Avenue agency. Really. It's hard to take the "mystery" of Don's brother seriously now though. And Don and Rachel's scene was cold again but in keeping with prim 60s television, I guess that's how it would have been played. I liked the reference to Nixon's lack of makeup in the debates and the accuracy of the door-to-door salesman. People were that trusting. Can you believe it?

irememberitwell

You'd be surprised what a company would try to sell, it all depends on how you approach it.

I am crazy about this show--But I do have to admit that I spend most of the show saying, "Ohmygosh, Jon Hamm is so good-looking" -- and I sometimes lose track of the story line. My weakness, I guess.

ABG - Ditto!

ABG, I think that's why AMC replays it again right after. So we pay attention to whatever we missed the first time staring at Jon Hamm lol.

I guess the ladies don't need a vibrating belt as long as they've got Jon Hamm on TiVo

This show takes me back so much. I was 9 in 1960 and I recall when my folks had "central air" (conditioning) installed in our house in the spring of 1959. None of us could believe it when we didn't have to have fans going all the time. We were so astonished at the cool atmosphere in our formerly sweltering miserable house. I know I spent the first 9 years of my life dealing with the heat but this epi tonight made me recall how everyone just dealt with it because they had no choice. If we all had to go back to no a/c nowadays we'd die! Just a memory...this show is so great at capturing those small details...also hilarious about the "rejuvenator" Hope the newest spell of Roger's turns out to be due somehow to his ulcer and not heart again! The show needs his zingers!

What was up with Roger saying to Joan, "you're the best piece of a$$ I've ever had"? Did he sincerely believe that was a compliment to her?! Do you think this was a wakeup call to Joan and now she'll give Roger the cold shoulder?

"Why did Adam kill himself?"

Adam grew up in the same family that Don/Dick did - messed up and abusive. Who knows where and how he was scarred, but clearly, he was. Maybe his half brother's rejection was the last straw.

There were so many pitch-perfect moments in this episode. I loved Don picking a fight with Betty when he arrived home after spending the previous night with Rachel - partly to assuage his own guilt, partly punishing her for not being Rachel.

Loved Hilde's snotty remark to Pete. More and more, it's clear that his problem isn't that he's a little rich boy, it's that he has a crappy personality and so must rely on being the little rich boy. When he tries to be pleasant, he tries too hard, and is either oily (as with Don) or condescending (to Peggy). I love that the writers didn't cop out with 2D stereotype.

And don't we all hope to see the scene next week where Peggy announces her new position to Joan?

The laundry music sounded like the flip side of "The Girl from Ipanema".

Can you Believe what goes on in the office -

I get the ShuDDErs thinking about work life for a woman back then!

I'm tired of Betty and she's a fake character on TV!!! LOL! Also think Rachel may become pregnant. If that happens, it'll be interesting to see in which direction the writers take that storyline, if it occurs. Pete's a schmuck!! Why does Don look 3 inches taller than any other man on the show? Is he (Jon Hamm) very tall?

Peggy looked fatter in the scenes in her bedroom...more fullness in her face. Seems like there was a continuity problem between scenes.

Hi Visan - you asked if Jon Hamm was taller than the other actors. Maybe/maybe not, but since he's the alpha dog, I'm sure they make a point to make him appear taller than the other men.

That Pete is such a weasel. He's so envious of Don he's willing to do anything - as he proved by stealing that package. I hope Rachel does put the screws(no pun intended) to Don. He's quite reckless with his uhhh...affection. It's gonna catch up with him. Kudos to Peggy. Can't wait for next week.

Wouldn't it be funny if Don's womanizing caught up with him and he caught an STD (or did they call it VD back then?)! Think it might humble him a bit?

Can't get enough of this show - all the actors are great and the time goes so fast. It's like a dream you don't won't to wake up from - keep it going!

Thanks Deco_Gal! I thought the creators film Don in a way where he'll, literally, stand out from the pack of other actors....Glad someone's of the same mindset!

With a little research I found the song used in the washing machine encounter.

Agua de Beber (Water to Drink) - perfect for an Indian Summer in 1960.

I believe its by Antonio Carlos Jobim sung by Astrud Gilberto

here are some versions although not as good as the original

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naNyqZVMrJI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chsfoyVavU8

The real damage done to a marriage when an affair has begun is that the injured party is left in the dark and the one who is doing the injuring actually begins to pity the other for their lack of knowledge. They are not on equal terms anymore.

This is showing in Don's pseudo concern for Betty with the salesman and the psychologist. He also notices her drinking alone. He's concerned but his heart and mind are not really there.

On a different note, did anyone notice the rustling sound outside the bedroom window before Betty turned out the light? No sound shall be left unturned!

I can't see the video, should I be downloading a program to view video's?

When I saw last week's sneak peek for this epi., I couldn't help but wonder if Rachel's sister was foreshadowing Rachel's fate by bringing up the movie where the husband kills his pregnant mistress. It's hard to imagine Don thinking he could get away with such a thing, with Rachel being from a prominent family. I'm just glad now we can all agree that Peggy is NOT pregnant...she would not have put the vibrating belt on if she were!

The video should play without having to download any program

Maybe we shouldn't come to conclusions when watching sneek peeks. Like Don says "Don't think about it too much"

Was Peggy actually promoted to be a copywriter? I'm pretty sure that she is just receiving more copyrighting assignments in addition to being Don's secretary, and that she will have someone to cover her regular work when other projects are assigned to her. I hope that she is promoted, though. They desperately need a female voice in the old boys club. Ironically, even though the show takes place in 1960, most of my male friends from college who went to single sex prep schools speak just like the men on this show do. So nothing has changed. Love this show !!

I doubt Don will kill Rachel if she falls pregnant. As someone said, she's from a well-known family and she's a famous businesswoman. So he may send her on a "vacation trip" to handle an unplanned pregnancy. But all of this is speculation!

Oh, and Bertram Cooper is Yoda!!

It's October and literally feels like an Indian summer here in Philadelphia tonight. The scene with the Lucky Strike people, brilliant. Pastrami sandwiches and a smoke filled room. I felt my chest tightening just watching this. Oh, and kudos to you writers for creating some interesting female characters with some balls!

Whew!!! Peggy deserves a raise for all the blubber they're putting on her!!! Campbell taking the box was intriguing...It's getting really good. I think Dan has found his soulmate..for now! Just as he starts rising to the top, I foresee everything start threatening him at once. His wife has yet to show her true colours, and Campbell is a viable nemesis who'll pull any trick in the book!

What a great episode! 1st let me say that Pete is a weasal and I dislike him more with each episode. Also, Betty allowing a complete stranger in the house reminded just how innocent people were at that time. It never occured to her that that man might hurt her.

Betty - We see the beginning of her liberation. She is having fantasies of another man. And she notices Don's disinterest in her. Her unhappiness as alluded to by Don, is really her getting in touch with what is really bothering her.

Peggy-Another soon to be liberated woman. She is standing up for herself more and more. I can't help wondering if she purposely put on weight for the show or if maybe the actress is pregmant.

Rachal-Poor Rachel is crusin' for a bruisin'. I don't see how this affair with Don can continue happily for long.

This is driving me crazy, when I try to view a sneak peek nothing happens.

Is anyone else having this problem, can someone help fix it?

This is driving me crazy, when I try to view a sneak peek nothing happens.

Is anyone else having this problem, can someone help fix it?

Lets make something very clear, I DONT WATCH PRIME TIME DRAMA TV. In addition to this I gave up on movies some time ago as well, I enjoy the History Channel, Discovery, Science Channel, Military Channel etc... I don't watch any prime TV anymore. AMC has given me a reason to re-establish faith in prime time TV. The last TV I ever really watched religiously was the Sapronas...This truly is excellent drama /Television...cheers to who ever makes this happen, you have restored my faith in the medium of drama story TV programming. I am not only engaged but a proponent and champion of this program, I tell as many people that are willing to listen that this is the greatest achievement in TV since the Sopranos first came out. Cheers and I look forward to the next episode.

I am becoming more and more impressed with the performance of the actress that plays Peggy.

I'm glad that the writers had her character gain weight. Instead of relying on her looks, she uses her brains to get ahead. However, I hope that next year when the actress returns to the set, a fat body suit isn't waiting for her to get into :) Draper admires her because she is talented but she also comes from limited means like himself. But, hey, give credit to the guys that gave her a chance to shine.

Peggy is woman.....Hear her roar. She doesn't have to settle for any man; especially when equipt with her trusty "orgasmizizer" :) But, hey, give credit to the guys that gave her a chance to shine.

I think that Betty should get a real estate license. After the scene with Betty and the washer, I was hoping that when they cut to a commercial I'd hear: "this episode of Madmen, brought to you in part by Maytag....."

Don, Don, Don....Unwilling to bone his wife on a hot night. Yet, he'll steam up the sheets with Rachel....Don Draper's such a man-whore!

E-roc, that's funny--maybe you should write to the producers and suggested better advertising! "this episode of Madmen, brought to you in part by Maytag!!"

LOL

You've easied my frustration about not being able to view the pre-view.

LOL

Somebody please explain to me why the audience should see Don and Rachel as some great love. Their bed scenes are mundane, and their dialog together is just as vapid and unstimulating as Don's and Betty's. Rachel's already had the "where's this relationship going" dialog - YAWN. In fact, tonight Rachel's voice even literally sounded exactly like Betty's. My prediction for Rachel - preggers by Don; abortion by Joan's doctor, with possible screw-up and dying from it.

For Marlene and anyone else that hasn't heard: The actress playing Peggy is wearing padding similar to a "fat-suit for the part and some type of prothesis on her face and neck. Guess the writers wanted an excuse for the men to continue giving peggy a chance to do more copy-writing. They had already mentioned that they all noticed her putting on weight a couple of weeks ago in one of their male gossip sessions.

Also for hey222: Are you having trouble with all videos? It could be a security server blocking the sneak peek.

What a house of Cards Don Draper is Building. And Betty is incredibly naive or stupid when it comes to letting strange men in the house when no one is home. I'm sure they had a rape probem back in the 60. Was 60 before or after the Boston Strangler? Anyway, I think Don was right in getting angry; especially if he would have known that Birdy had a passing thought on the stairs at balling this "salesmans" brains out, and the only reason she didn't go through with it is that I think it even shocked her that she could actually become sexually aroused at the thought of screwing a stranger. Guess, she is gonna start to realize that she doesn't have to just sit around waiting for "Don Corleone" to come home like she said a few eps back. Oh my,is peggy blowing up or what? I saw her for a moment there in the restauraunt and she sat there looking like a little tank compared to a few eps ago. She has gotta be preg but are the writers trying to keep it out of the storyline? They better explain her weight gain soon because its to obvious now. Im so glad that, Oh wait! Oh my God! I just finished watching the spin cycle seen! What did I say? Did she want that little Don clone who came to the door or what? Can't wait until she decide to act on it to give Ol Don a taste of what good for the Goose is good for the gander. Like I was saying before I was interupted by the spin cycle, I'm sure glad peggy was successful at the round table. Pete sure didn't like that. I can see her becoming one of his peer's. God I was so glad to see Don get the promotion but why does he have to screw it up by having, Oh shit Pete just picked up the Box, I am so pissed at that little prick. I smell blackmail coming.......I'm out of here....

jingles, thanks for the suggestion.

I can see video's on other sites, ie;martha stewart.

I downloaded snag it thinking this would solve the problem but the only thing it seems to do is take a copy of the screen.

Dying to know what's in the pre-view

Love the show.

P.S. Is it normal for a blog not to keep updating automatically? I keep having to go back and re-load the blog page.

I'm not very computer savvy!!!

Loved tonight's episode again too. Don is no killer. If Rachel does have his baby he will probably pay for it being partner now. Betty does seem to be unhappier but not due to psychiatrists' work but Don being non-understanding of her needs and problems. Why did they not celebrate his partnership in the city with Dinner out? Looking forward to next 2.

This episode left so many loose ends it makes one salivate. Betty is definitely on the verge of something. Pete just stole Pandora's Box. Joan is left temporarily hanging. Peggy's weight gain---so many possibilities and potential explanations. Rachel and Don---the edge of tragedy or dispair. This is better than anything the fall season has to offer IMO.

About the two year gap between seasons---this came from several other blogs or media oulets about when it came out the show was being renewed. About the jazz: This was a Stan Getz album with Astrud Gilberto (who was married and having an affair with the famous sax player while her husband worked and sang on the Bossa Nova albums). Perfect. Betty's fantasy: when did Fear of Flying come out?

I think whatever is in that box from Don's brother, (money most likely) Pete will have something to hold over Don's head. Don seems to be trying to get Betty independent so he can leave her. But Betty is playing games too, by telling Don about the salesman that came into the house. But I don't think he was pissed that a man was alone with Betty, he was just upset that someone was in HIS house.

Does anyone know how many episodes this season is going to have? Don't most one-hour dramas do 12 episodes per season? Does that mean next week is the season finale? So many questions!

Peggy is getting fat cuz that's the only way to avoid being a sex object and get taken seriously in her career. Unfortunately it's self-destructive...And doesn't really protect her from the guys' comments. She has to stand there and listen to them talk about how one of the wives looks like Jayne Mansfield.

Will Pete blackmail Don into giving him the job? I feel sorry for Pete, don't feel like he's any slimier than Don, but nobody on this blog says they hate Don the way they spit bullets about poor Pete.

Good lord, I love this show!

ilikeitlikethat - There are two episodes left this season, 10/11 and 10/18.

Then, we have to wait eight months until June.

thanks Jessica! OMG 8 months - that's going to be A LONG DRY SEASON am I right ladies!!!

There will be 13 episodes. We have two more to go. I'm ready for 13 more right now. I understand from an interview with Hamm that there is a flash back scene for Don when he was in the war. So we have a really juicy revelation coming up. Hamm broke his hand doing some sort of stunt for that scene. Another great episode. Girls night in!!!!!

Peggy is getting fat because she's pregnant. She'll have to cope with it in future episodes, probably by having an illegal abortion and dealing with the consequences. Her semitough personality will change drastically and she'll become a hardcore ballbusting copywriter who works her way up by doing a good job.

Joan will go to work for Draper, and will have plenty of meaty scenes with Peggy, who will sort of become her boss in the same way the men behave.

Don's a slutty whore and a male chauvinist pig, a man leaves his timid wife at home with the kids while he sleeps with multiple partners, a man who thinks nothing of setting his wife up with a psychiatrist who will violate her trust and privacy to spill the beans to her husband.

Pete isn't nearly the weasel Don is. He's going to figure out eventually that Don is a phony, who has gotten by for years with it.

Rachel's character is not very dimensional--what is the attraction she and Don have for each other? Do they recognize a kindred selfish spirit in the other? Is it that she's rich, or smart, or Jewish? Single? Brunette? We as viewers, aren't told.

More Joan. More Roger and shared epiphany. He loves her deeply and she rejects him because she's a realist.

Especially more Robert Morse. He's fantastic, as always. He owns the screen.

I was not born until 1970, but the thing about this show that gets me is that in my childhood there were still some remnants of this world. My parents had people in for cocktails (I remember Alexander Brandy, like Peggy had at dinner), and we had ashtrays (and the accompanying haze) in the living room. At age six I knew how to drag the step-stool into the kitchen and mix a Manhattan. I also had a menagerie of little plastic cocktail markers my mom saved for me when they went "out for drinks" with friends, wrapped in napkins from her purse. The mermaids were my favorite.

My parents just don't drink anymore, and haven't allowed smoking in the house in so long I almost forgot!

I remember them still occasionaly playing Brasil '66 by Sergio Mendes on the stereo, even into the 70's.

That said, the minute I heard the Samba in the washing machine scene I recognized the singer as Astrud Gilberto. However, I only really know her from the song Agua de Beber, but that wasn't it. I was grasping even for her name, thanks Visan.

I truly believe this is the best written show on television! I just hope it gets the ratings and acclaim it deserves.

Personally, I think Peggy is definitely pregnant - and I have no doubt Don is going to get blackmailed by Pete. Did you ever wonder about the opening credits...does it foretell that someone is going to jump out a window to their death?

I wish there were more than 2 episodes left until next June! God - way too long to wait!!!

OOPS!! Sorry Point of Purchase, and Visan...I misread the posts.

Peggy could also be gaining weight partly because she's on The Pill.

Love this show. Interesting to see Don blame the psychiatrist for his wife's unhappiness. I like Don and Betty as a couple and look forward to seeing them hopefully figure themselves out over time.

Now I doubt myself...maybe that was Agua de Beber...I hate the thought of spliitng hairs with others...but that voice was familiar, not the song though...hmmm

I've lost my mind. I'm talking to myself on-line...AND answering myself. HA!

Really great episode except for the love scenes with Don and Rachel. Their encounters make for boring television! I suspect Don will get her pregnant and she'll either jump out a window or go to Joan's doctor to have an abortion. Peggy's weight gain is from The Pill, most likely, although she looked absolutely huge in the final scene when she was in her bedroom; strange because though she has clearly gained weight, she didn't look that big in the earlier office scenes. As for Don and Betty, I don't quite understand what he wants from her psychiatrist. It's as though he expects the good doctor to mold her into more of a "Stepford Wife" than she is already, and frankly, I think their marriage crumbled long ago. Now, they are just going through the motions. Pete will definitely blackmail Don with the package from Adam. Wonder what's in there! I'll bet we won't find out until next year when the series resumes. Joan will wisely begin to distance herself from Roger Sterling. Oh yes, and Betty will finally seek out someone with whom to have an affair; though she is apparently fairly clueless to a great many things, her husband's emotional distance will drive her into the arms of another man (or men). With only two more episodes to go in this season, I wish we didn't have to wait so long for the second season!

First, Peggy is just fat, not pregnant. She has been eating a lot to deal with the stress. Maybe now that the has the "belt" she can deal with her stress another way! Or maybe she can just go to the laundromat!

Wow, Pete is a weasely dude. He is SO going to blackmail Don into giving him the promotion!!!

Was it just me, or did Adam Whitman seem kind of "simple minded?" Poor guy, he just needed a friend.

I agree with the other posters, Rachel is just a brunette version of Betty. Nothing more than a pretty face. She might get pregnant, though. That would be interesting.

Don and Betty seem to be growing futher apart. When he announced his promotion, Betty seemed scared to touch him?

And did you see in the preview that Joan is setting her sights on a younger man in the office? Guess she doesn't want to hitch her wagon to someonne who might croak during their next romantic encounter. Roger looks like s**t, he's on the way out.. Unfortunate.

Good to see John Cullum again, I don't think he looks much older than he did on Northern Exposure, he's got to be 70 or so.

This was a great episode, can't wait for more!!!!

A yucky episode all the way around. Don was especially distasteful. And Adam's suicide -- very sad, indeed.

Another good epi. Here's my take:

In Don's conversation with the psychiatrist, Don says his wife used to have a "bad case of nerves" but that she was now just very sad. He's blaming Betty's emotional distance on the therapy.

Betty said in an earlier epi that she waits all day for "this," meaning sex with her husband. Now that Betty has discovered the washing machine, Don's only value to her is as a monetary provider for the family.

I've never believed Peggy is pregnant. I think they made her fat to further accentuate the transformation (physical and professional) she's going to undergo.

Kudos to Don Draper for giving Peggy an opportunity. In 1960 it was acceptable (and encouraged!) for a male manager to keep the silly women down where they belonged. But there were men who recognized talented women and did what they could to promote them. I respect Don for doing that for her and for treating her like he would any other suburdinate during her presentation. He helped her out only when the other men pressured her to describe the "stimulating" effects of the Regenerator. I thought the fact that he stepped in to field that question for her was not only professionally appropriate, but rather courtly as well.

Joan, Joan, Joan. Sad. Thus far, her affair with Roger has been all about sex and power for her. But that scene in which she was putting makeup on him was oddly intimate. I thought there were going to be proclamations of their love for each other (how naive of me!) Instead, Roger's big proclamation was, "You're a great piece of a$$" Joan's reaction was so revealing. She was hurt and disappointed. Who knew she really cared and worse, that she had expected more from him?

Don murdering Rachel and Peggy being pregnant. I think we've gone WAY off course on those two predictions. If I'm wrong, though, I'll take it "like a man!"

Someone mentioned Betty's naivete about opening the door to a salesman. Actually, door-to-door salesmen were a common, almost daily inconvenience to suburban women in upscale neighborhoods. The Boston Strangler murders were still two years away. In 1960 we feared con men, not murderers. If it occurred to a woman that a door-to-door salesman was a potential rapist/murderer, she would have thought she had a bad case of nerves and consulted a psychiatrist (Betty) to get over it.

OMG. What an episode. I think, wait, I know heart skipped a beat several times and especially at the end when that weasel took Don's package. I shudder to think what's coming next. Is it Thursday yet?

I was struck by Betty's reaction to Don's big news about being made partner. While I admit that he is clearly a man whore, I found it revealing that she wasn't there in the least for him either. A tepid response and quickly bringing up Mr. Washing Machine completely invalidated Don's triumph. And, did you notice that she was hesitant in even touching him while congratulating him. They're marriage is as done as Betty's laundry.

I'm loving this show.

"FLY ME TO THE MOON" IN THE CLOSING?!!! I whooped.

You'd think it was Adam who sent the box and committed suicide in the opening but since when did Adam have blond hair? He was a redhead. Of course he could have gone west to San Francisco, dyed his hair blond...

Peggy's been promoted to copywriting, got a raise and is no longer a part of the secretarial pool. And she got to tell Joan all of that.

And Roger... that smooth sophisticate... "This comes from the bottom of my heart..." :-) I doubt he'll be back this season. I was surprised he was back in this episode. The really surprising thing was that Cooper thought to call in Joan to put "healthy" makeup on him. But then he did mention about Nixon (also sick as a dog at the time) and the first debate. There was an article about him (John Slattery) from the AP in my paper today. The poor dear has to split his time between this series and "Desperate Housewives." Awwww... :-)

In the preview it seems that Paul is finally going to get "lucky."

Pete seems to have sunk to new lows, taking the package from Don's office and in the preview is apparently looking at it after he gets home.

Cooper's on good enough terms with Ayn Rand to introduce Don to her?!

One final thing. Don's got a bad case of the Madonna/whore complex. When he tells Betty he made partner, she moves forward and then refrains from hugging him, settling for stroking his hair and suit jacket. Apparently he's trained her that he doesn't like that kind of spontaneous emotion from her, even if he likes it from his other women.

oops, I neglected to give my weekly props to Mr. Hamm - what a man, what a man!

Is it possible Peggy doesn't realize she is pregnate? In episode 10 Pete says to her "What do you have there, precious cargo"

Deco-Gal, you're right, STD's were referred to as VD back then.

I clearly remember a commercial on t.v. when I was probably 12 or so... the girl at home with her family when the boyfriend calls on the phone... he says to her in a shaky voice, "I have.... VD!!!" and her world crumbles right before our eyes, with the loving family shown in the background, unaware.

Interesting commercial which made a big impression back then.

Rese, I'm sure you meant to say Stan Getz, not Stan Kenton, in reference to Astrud Gilberto.

The original Agua de Beber can be heard free on Rhapsody, here:

http://play.rhapsody.com/antoniocarlosjobim/compactjazz/aguadebeber?didAutoplayBounce=true

Forgive me in advance if the link doesn't work. Just go to Rhapsody and search for Antonio Carlos Jobim Compact Jazz.

Bossa nova was the bomb back then, and still is. My parents had many Getz and Gilberto records. The music is beautiful and sensual, as is Brazil.

A very literal translation of the song (and maybe not so smooth in English):

I wanted to love but I was afraid

I wanted to protect my heart

But love knows a secret

Fear is able to kill your heart

Water to drink

Water to drink, my friend

Water to drink

Water to drink, my friend

I never did something so certain

I entered the school of forgiveness

My house lives open

I opened all the doors of my heart

Water to drink

Water to drink, my friend

Water to drink

Water to drink, my friend

An awesome and oh so meaningful choice of song for Betty. Although I thought the washing machine thing was a little ridiculous, the song, the fantasy, and Betty's character were fabulous.

Peggy doesn't realize she's pregnant because she's NOT pregnant. No disrespect, but didn't we eliminate that theory by figuring out the timeline?

The actor who plays Pete deserves an Emmy because I despise that sniveling, butt-kissing little sneak and have since Epi 1.

In the preview after last night's epi, I see that Joan is now hitting on Paul. She isn't wasting any time replacing Roger. I keep wanting to like Joan but she just keeps revealing herself to be a woman of limited professional skills and has a prostitute's mindset. Instead of working on the street, she's working at SC.

And...I want to hate Don Draper but I just can't. I'm embarassed to say I'm totally smitten with him despite everything.

Another disappointing love scene with Rachael and Don. Is it just that he's a better actor than she is an actress? She was so much more interesting in the restaurant scene than these bedroom scenes! "I think about us together?" C'mon, you can do better....

The rustling in the bushes? How about the neighbor's weird kid? The bedroom is upstairs, but hey, there are trees outside. Or it could be a representation of the general upheavals sure to come.

Somebody asked about "Fear of Flying." That came out in the early 70's -- 73 or 74. The book that influenced many women in the early 60's was "The Feminine Mystique" by Betty Friedan (1962). As I recall, it challenged women to get out of the house and go to work, to have outside lives and an income.

It is interesting to remember that many women worked in the defense plants during WWII. After the war, the hidden objective of much media -- women's magazines, TV shows -- was to get the women to go back to the kitchen, as the returning veterans needed the jobs. It was as though the entire communications industry rose up to accomplish this. The strong female movie stars of the 40's like Roslind Russell morphed into voluptuous, vacuous blondes like Marilyn Monroe. Most of the women went quietly home because they were made to feel guilty about working instead of caring for home, shell-shocked husband and 2.3 kids. Mission accomplished -- and 14 years here are the Betties, quietly going bonkers in the suburbs, and Lucille Ball, a thousand times smarter than Ricky, a sort of patron saint cooking up her schemes on "I Love Lucy."

I love this show because there is such history here.

Yes the song playing during the washing machine fantasy sequence is indeed Agua De Beber, sung by Astrud Gilbero with back-up vocal by Antonio Carlos Jobim, the song's composer. However, the use of this recording is highly anachronistic since it was recorded and released in *1965* on The Astrud Gilberto Album (Verve).

By 1960, Bossa Nova had only just become the rage in Brazil what with the release of Black Orpheus (Orfeu Negro) and Joao Gilberto's single Chega De Saudade, both in 1959. The Stan Getz-Joao Gilberto Album which introduced Astrud Gilberto wasn't released until 1963. Niggling points to be sure but for a show which prides on itself on getting the period details right, it was a little jarring.

The wonderful Brazilian music playing over Betty's washing machine scene was by Wanda de Sah, a great bossa nova singer of the 60's. I had the album (I think on Capitol Records) when I was a kid. The song was called "Agua de Beber" and it may have been written by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Joao Gilberto.

The underlying message of last night's episode? Women don't need men, they've got machines. haha

There seemed to be more chemistry between Don and Rachel before they had sex. Their sex seens aren't doing it for me. I got more out of the kiss on the roof than the couch or bed scenes in the last few episodes. What happened to the chemistry?

Much about Ayn Rand from Cooper:

The Ayn Rand Institute

The Center for the Advancement of Objectivism

http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_ari

Astrud Gilberto was definitely the singer on Agua de Beber, not Wanda de Sah.

Ayn Rand held regular salons in her apartment in New York during the 50's and 60's. A lot of intellectuals (including Alan Greenspan) attended them and were highly influenced by her philosophy. So it's entirely possible that Bert Cooper could have been one of them.

Roger's idea of giving Joan a compliment is to say "You're the finest piece of ass I've ever had." He's toast. She's taking Cooper's advice and going for younger men now.

Pete is such an asshole! Tampering with Don's mail, taking it home and reading it! Total slime! I hope he gets his comeuppance.

Adam's suicide -- very sad. I hope Don will realize how his actions are hurting his family.

I don't know if I can wait until next year for the second season -- what a great show.

There seem to be people who either keep saying the show is a soap opera or wants to turn it into one.

Peggy is not pregnant! The writers keep giving clues over and over to the audience that its about her eating whether to deflect unwanted attention from males in the office or sexual frustration, probably both.

As for Don killing Rachel. Why? This show is not the Sopranos. Has anything in Don personality shown that he is capable of this? I don't think so. When his brother Adam came to see him..he paid him off and told him there can not be any relationship between them.

Why do everyone think that everytime anyone have sex in this show, someone is going to get pregnant? Rachel does not seem naive or stupid about sex or birth control. She runs her own business, would not she be able to deal with an unwanted pregnancy e.g. because she has money unlike a poor woman.

Betty in this episode, I love it. She let the salesman in the house and then used it to get Don to come home and stay home. Remember that scene when she goes to see her friend in the neighborhood and tells her about the letting the salesman in. Her friend asks, "Why did you tell Don?" Betty says, "His very protective," but with a smirk on her face.

When Don gets home he refuses to respond to all the signals that Betty is sending out that she wants to have sex. I counted about 5. I thought that was brilliant. Betty is getting stronger.

As for Pete taking the package. I don't think he try to blackmail Don. Pete seems to hate Don but also has a man crush on him. After all how much does Adam know about Don. Don left home when Adam was a child and Don did not tell him much about himself. Those letters just might be about Don's childhood, if so Don can handle it. I think Pete is going to use this to try to get closer to Don.

Peggy was weird with the man in the dinner scene. It was like she was pushing him away. But it looks like that Don might mentor her in copywriting?

This season's best show - I also liked reading this discussion board, lots of good posts.

I think Don, and yes I'm going to actually use this word, loves Rachel. I think his other mistress won't be heard from again. His marriage is a hollow shell but divorce was not yet common in 1960, I think they will keep up the shirade for another few years at least.

The biggest fireworks will come from the coming Don / Pete confrontation, blackmail for sure and Don won't take that lying down. He'll have understanding Rachel there to soothe him in that time of great need.

I agree the show hasn't spoon fed us what Don sees in Rachel, but as a guy I'll say what I see in her - she's smart, ambitious, centered, and really hot! Yeah, I'd go for her in a nanosecond. Though I agree with everyone else that the scenes of the two of them have been dissapointing, the show is holding back here, for reasons we don't know yet.

I love the group dynamics of all the young guys in the office and their banter, those are some of the shows best scenes.

Yes the washing machine scene was inspired, fit nicely with the vibration theme of the show. I hope she gets to break more out of her shell next season, I think she's got more substance there, lurking underneath, remember how she shot at those birds!

In 1960, why not install whole house A/C? Or for a window air conditioner, the salesman could have offered, "Try it for a week and if you don't like it, I'll come back and take it away, at no cost to you." Return on Saturday and talk with the "man of the house. Then in the "air-conditioned comfort" talk to him and close the deal. Or offer to take it away that day if he doesn't like it.

He was talking about cutting a hole in the wall above the window! Yipe!

I don't know what hour it was when Betty answered the door but she was still in her peignoir while he was in the scorching heat which would make it at least ten in the morning. Yeah, she made the right decision not to show him to the bedroom.

Then she "complained" about it to her friend the next day. Attention-seeking behavior and then smugly said about Don, "he's very protective of me." What Don said was, "You let someone into my house?" Note, not "our" house or "our home".

Betty at the washing machine - Peggy with the "Rejuvinator." Can you imagine the word spreading among the other women about the Rejuvinator the same way as the "Lady Chatterly's Lover" book in an earlier ep? Woo-hoo! "Oh, I heard about it from Peggy, a girl at the office, dear. Apparently it's doing wonders for her waistline..."

Prediction: Next season Peggy will have had a makeover and be svelte. Okay, maybe not svelte but with a slimmer, sophisticated look. Bye-bye pony tail. She's not going to be taking any more dates with a truck driver, even if he owns his own truck and and has his own route delivering potato chips. You go, girl!

Bpat, thanks for the background. It was helpful.

I think last night's epi finally revealed where the writers were going with Peggy's weight gain. The "precious cargo" comment was just another tasteless comment on Pete's part.

BTW, did anyone catch Peggy's roommate's comment that Peggy had eaten all the Saltines, Cheeze Whiz and liverwurst before she could have any? Blech!!

This is why I read these posts: I totally forgot about that weird rustling sound Betty heard outside before she went to bed. Everything is in there for a reason, so what WAS that? The perv kid down the street? Or was the door-to-door salesman a foreshadowing of the housewife-in-peril event coming up?

Here's another possible foreshadowing--was anyone else a little creeped out when Betty was leading the salesman up to her bedroom? I thought she was about to get raped, then forgot about that when they turned him into a tool for her sex fantasy. But hmmm, now I'm wondering if there's going to be a terrible rape/murder while Don is having sex at Rachel's place. Stay tuned....

Okay - Pete makes me seethe, but I can't help but appreciate what a complex character he is - think of the rebellion with the chip-and-dip gun and then the hunting fantasy - there is a lot more going on with this boy than the rich-kid syndrome. His hot and cold interaction with Peggy - his relationship with his wife (go screw the editor to get me published), his parents, it never stops. I vote him most likely to show up at the office and kill someone.

I appreciate Peggy, I just wish that intellectual success and appearance did not have to be mutually exclusive. Her eating has been tied to her feeling more comfortable ... but in reality, isn't overeating more closely linked to compensating for another are left unsatiated?

And Betty - like Pete, I think there is a whole lot going on there. These characters are well thought out - she has a history of deep issues with her Mom (what woman doesn't?)and all I can think of is the end of Shoot where she takes out the pigeons... did the birds represent Don (if you love something set it free, if it doesn't come back to you ...)or herself - the trained pigeon that always flies home.

And Joanie - the total juxtaposition to Peggy. She is going to wake up and realize she does not have the control she thinks she has...

continue to love the contrasts and subtle complexities in the characters:

- Don is a womanizer yet gives Peggy a chance to advance her career ... obviously values business success more than the social constrictions he noless adheres to.

- Joan is an office slut who clearly wished for a sentimental word from Roger

- Peter is an awkward, anti-social mess who has a feel for the intricacies of advertising

- Peggy is a confused, naive girl finding herself achieving more professionally than anyone in that office

Such great writing and amazing performances.

Christina Hendricks gets the prize once again for her scene with Roger. They totally set us up!! Roger's 'piece of a-s' comment seals the deal ... he's a degenerate with no redeeming social value. Probably quite typical: a professionally accomplished lush who's gotten by on charm his whole life. I think Joan decided right there that she wouldn't let that happen again. As has been stated before, she has no Plan B but to dock at the next port.

Has it been established whether Roger started the firm or his father?

The looks on Don's & Cooper's faces were priceless as they brought in Joan and left them alone. I thought they wanted her to, um, perhaps give him a lift. Otherwise, why would they say they valued her discretion??

I watched Peggy reach for the "Rejuvenator" and chortled when the song "Fly Me to the Moon" started up. Does anyone know who the female singer is singing that version?

I think Betty represents perfectly the average upper echelon female housewife in the 60's. I went to school in the 50's and 60's with girls just like her and she is the way we all tried to be - pretty and poised and pleasant.

Nickole -

Betty gave at least five signals? I only caught two, three at the most.

Enquiring male minds want to know! :-)

I don't think Betty was naive in letting a stranger in the house. That's the way things were done in the '60s. Most families had one car and the husband took that to work so the women were literally "stay at home"s. So many services came to them. We had a milk man, a bread man, a vegetable/fruit man, etc. Numerous salesmen came to the door hawking everything from vacuums to household products. It was totally normal to let a salesperson in one's home.

I haven't read all this thread (yet), but just skimmed it looking for the word "pregnant"...

What is it about some people who watch this show and comment about it here that you are obsessed with the possibility of various characters getting pregnant?

Have any of you who are speculating about these in-show pregnancies ever been pregnant? Do you realize how hard it is to get pregnant?

I just find all this speculation weird and a little fascinating.

I found the "Fly Me to the Moon" singer - I thought when I heard it last night it may be Julie London. And I think it is. If interested, song can be found on her album "Julie London Sings the Standards". I have always loved her voice.

The show is capturing the early 60's very well. The traveling salesmen were rampant (Fuller Brush man, Melmac dish man, stainless steel pots man, vacuum, encyclopedia and on, and on.)

So that was not at all unusual. What I thought interesting was Don's reaction "you let a stranger in MY HOME" not their home, MY HOME. Really shows relationships pre womens lib movement. The office & family "dynamics" would never fly these days. lol

The washing machine discovery made the newspapers back then....and was maybe why companies figured out women wanted "stimulators" I love the justaposition of the commercial one they were developing a campaign for and Betty discovering hew own makeshift "stimulator" Yep there was a big market for the contraption. The designs did improve quickly...I remember the first phallic shaped one I saw was in 1966...a matronly woman brought it out during a dinner party, showing us how great it felt on the neck and face. I was relatively young and naive then, but I cracked up at the dinner table. and got glaring looks. Though I didn't really know at that time that "stimulation" was what the thing was really for.

Hilarious ending with "fly me to the moon"

Another wonderful episode that has the promise of more wonderful things to come (such as: what is in the box that Adam sent, and what is Pete going to do with it?). I'm sorry that we won't see more of Jay Paulson on this show (actor who played Adam) because I thought his performance in the 5-G Episode was pitch perfect. Don Draper is a total heel (albeit a very handsome heel). I don't think he will leave Betty for Rachel, though it is interesting to speculate that Betty could wind up like Helen Bishop, divorced with 2 kids and ostracized by people like Francine. At least Betty has found a new best friend in the form of the washing machine. Writers/Producers: Please do not kill off Roger Sterling/John Slattery. He is the best and gets the most wonderful lines ("I shall be both dog and pony."). I think in his own sick and twisted way, he was telling Joan he loved her, though she is perhaps recollecting Mr. Cooper's advice to her from Episode 10 that she should not waste her time. Props to Hildy for zinging Pete. I bet she puts his scotch glass that he left on her chair back on his chair. Finally, I loved Rachel's "look" in the scene with her sister in the Chinese retaurant. That green and white blouse (or was it a shirt waist dress?) was gorgeous.

With Zeal, the salesman was Parker from Season 4 of Buffy. Yet another WhedonWorld actor.

Laurie B, good point. And if your family was like mine, you didn't even lock your doors. When I was a child, we would go on vacation leaving the house unlocked. Unbelievable to think of now.

I think a violent crime is in Betty's future and it's going to involve the creepy kid who kept her lock of hair in his treasure box. They spent a lot of time on that scene and then it never came up again. Then last night, the rustling sound outside while Betty was home alone. And Don's anger about her letting a stranger into "his" house. It's all leading up to something and my guess is, Betty's going to get assaulted by the creepy kid and maybe kill him with the shotgun. We all know she knows how to use one!

When Aqua de Beber started playing behind the washing machine scene, I thought it was slightly anachronistic too. I remember it coming out around 1965 or so, but I looked it up and Astrud Gilberto recorded it in 1959.

As soon as Pete Campbell picked up Don's "personal" package Mad Men went from a cutting edge show to predictable.

No more comparisons to Soprano's now you are one step ahead of Guiding Light.

I will not be sucked into this one.

I laughed out loud when the men were so confused about what the "weight loss belt " did. Obviously they knew nothing about the female orgasm and hadn't a clue about what

Peggy was referring to!

When the guy said, "But what does it DO?!"

I died.

Do you think Don knows? I wasn't even sure if he understood how a woman could get off.

But my fantasy world inside my head imagines he does. ;)

Pete may think he can blackmail Don but we have already seen that he does not take kindly to that (remember what happened when the ad agency sent him the pictures of his wife). My guess is Pete will try it and Don will fire him and Pete will head to another firm, always trying to get even with Don.

I wondered why Betty wouldn't even kiss Don after he told her he was made a partner. Did she think he was still mad at her, and afraid to be so bold as to kiss him? That was strange. I think I've figured out what makes Don so attractive - it's not only his face and physique - his voice is really sexy!!!

Roger made me so nervous smoking and eating like that right after his coronary. That scene was really disturbing but played well. I loved his wife's cursing at Cooper.

I wondered why Betty wouldn't even kiss Don after he told her he was made a partner. Did she think he was still mad at her, and afraid to be so bold as to kiss him? That was strange. I think I've figured out what makes Don so attractive - it's not only his face and physique - his voice is really sexy!!!

Roger made me so nervous smoking and eating like that right after his coronary. That scene was really disturbing but played well. I loved his wife's cursing at Cooper.

I think those of you waiting for some violent cataclysm to happen (Don killing Rachel, Betty getting raped or murdered) are way off the mark. There IS a lot of foreshadowing in this series, but to me, the rustling outside the bedroom window was there to heighten tension. It foreshadows Don's reaction about letting a stranger in the house (HIS house), and also Betty's fears of what she might do (seduce the salesman). When Betty walks upstairs with the saleman, we're all wondering what the hell is going to happen.

There's been a lot of this sort of thing in the series, for example, the "precious cargo" statement by Pete (and Peggy can't be pregnant; she would have known by this time). It keeps us guessing.

And I have to put in a word for the actress who plays Betty. She's not wooden and untalented. She's doing a great job of playing a woman who has a lot going on underneath, but who has been taught to keep everything suppressed, to always look good on the outside, be cheerful, and accepting. However, the facade is breaking down; we see her drinking more and more, staying in her robe all day, taking shots at the neighbor's pigeons! And now here she is, starting to take control of her own sexuality (along with Peggy). I loved this episode.

Each week I try to give Betty credit but she flakes out! When Don announced his ascendency to partner, she tried to act like she was happy! But it came across as forced and just weird. To be fair, Don didn't help matters, looking like he'd rather get a cavity filled then be around Betty. Those 2 are making each other unhappy as hell!

My mind is still stuck on the early scene with Adam. It wasn't until the man at the desk said "Whitman" that viewers took notice or could recognize him. Adam's appearance (hair and manner of dress) had really changed.

Why were bundles of money left behind?

What message was written in the note?

The bigger question I have is whether or not that was Adam. Afterall the man who was approached to mail the package didn't say "Adam" or "Adam Whitman" but just "Whitman". Sure... lots of guys do that when greeting one another. However, it would add a funky twist to this tangled storyline. What if...suicide guy turns out to be a "Whitman" but not necessarily THE Whitman that we're led to believe him to be.

>But I don't think he was pissed that a man was alone with Betty, he was just upset that

someone was in HIS house.

Most ironic--Betty is in that house more than he is--and keeps it running--yet, it's _his_ house.

Robin Peters, I think you're wrong about the package and predictable. We should wait and see where they take it - so far, a lot of predictions have been wrong.

Regarding Betty and her response to Don's promotion. Remember the previous episode when Don call to give her the news about Sterling and she prattled on about her father's girlfriend? I think she is just self-centered and shallow. She has no empathy and cannot share someone else's sadness or happiness.

"Peggy was weird with the man in the dinner scene. It was like she was pushing him away."

Heh--she was. That was the guy she was talking about with her mother during the "personal call"--when she told her mother not to "threaten" her. From the sound of things, I would bet that Peggy's family and everyone in her neighborhood has been expecting her and the truck-drivin' guy to marry since they were kids. And I would bet Peggy has been getting a lot of flack for being too "Manhattan" and "uppity." (NYC neighborhoods can be as parochial and insular as any small town, so I'm sure her Brooklyn neighbors are giving her serious blues.) That's probably why she was overly-cruel to the guy--now that she's seen Paree, as it were, she's not about to abide by the expectations her family and friends are putting on her.

>The looks on Don's & Cooper's faces were priceless as they brought in Joan and left them alone. I thought they wanted her to, um, perhaps give him a lift. Otherwise, why would they say they valued her discretion??"

LOL!!! I thought that was what they had in mind, as well... Though given how a little schmoozing and a few drink sips were enough to give Roger another coronary, a quickie with Joan probably would have finished him off for good...:)

Um...er...this is a weird question, but given how Betty was...positioned in front of the washing machine, how could it have been "getting her off?" It looked like it was bumping her stomach at most...:)

I forsee that package being a very interesting storyline. As anonymouns posted, Don does not respond well to blackmail. He is not a man to be messed with. Remember making Roger walk up the 27 flights of stairs after the oyster lunch? That was so evil (but I loved it). I can't see him murdering anyone, but he will get his revenge if he is threatened.

That Pete testing out Don's corner office like he already had the job! Actually he would probably be ok in the job, but Don hates him so much he will never give it to him willingly. Don fired him, but Cooper said he was too valuable with his family connections. I think that chaps Don a lot that he is a "rich kid" But Pete sure has some issues with his family.

Peggy's date with Mr. Truck Driver was a huge disaster. They were even more ill-suited for each other than Don and Betty!

I wonder if Roger will ever be well enough to come back to work? The coronary bypass surgery was not invented yet, he may just have to stay home as an invalid. I knew that cigarette and pastrami sandwich was not going to go well!

I love the people who post on this Blog. All so smart and perceptive.

Robin Peters - Buh-Bye...

When is Episode 11 being aired again? I had 3 glasses of red last night, came home to watch MM, watched both airings (10 and 11), and today, can't remember any of it!! HAAAAA!!!

Who sung "Fly Me to the Moon" at the end of the 10/04 episode?

"The book that influenced many women in the early 60's was "The Feminine Mystique" by Betty Friedan (1962). As I recall, it challenged women to get out of the house and go to work, to have outside lives and an income."

Eheheh. One of the things I love about this show is how it likes to draw snarky paralells to today. Did anyone catch Eisenhower saying that he was a "Decider" in that clip about Nixon? And Leslie Bennetts' recent book, THE FEMININE MISTAKE does for contemporary SAH motherhood and helicopter parenting what THE FEMININE MYSTIQUE did for the 50's cult of the kinder/kuche.

I want to know, the frig magnets are driving me crazy. I don't think they were out in 1960, and seeing as how they are such sticklers about the continuity, this is wrong.

Also the pregnant thing is going to definately be addressed. Abortion was a very big secret back then in alot of back alleys. Peggy is the beginning of the woman at the top. don't ya think?

I love this show, and yes I say too one million times through the whole show how gerogeous Hamm is.

oh also wife swapping.

Betty was waiting for Don to sweep her into his arms with some passion when he announced his promotion, but since he didn't take the initiative, she held back...I remember reading a piece of social history about women in sewing machine factories during the Industrial Revolution, bored all day and discovering that if you squeezed your legs together while operating the foot pedal, pleasant sensations ensued...Too bad cubicles don't offer any stimulating possibilities, ha! >:) The guy who committed suicide did NOT look like Adam...Cooper and Don made the comment to Joan about valuing her discretion because she was privy to the need to keep up appearances to cover Roger's health probs and weakness (although the innuendo was there too)...Why can't Don give Pete the promotion he deserves just like he's giving Peggy a chance? Don sometimes seems insecure about other men, hence the outrage over the salesman, and the need to one-up Roger during the oyster and stair climbing contest. Or maybe he's just so macho testosterone poisoned.

My husband and I love the show - and the minutia of the posts... TVs didn't have remote controls. You had to get up from the sofa to turn on/off the TV.

Loved seeing more Rachel. The flat affect is good acting, not poor acting. The heat of the hunt is over and there is a slight cooling. Seeing those fire red claws on his back made my heart skip, I'll tell you that.

Ken, is as unstable as Pete apparently, based upon;

A- The altercation with Pete;

B- The near altercation, after comments about the vibrator;

C- The "panty" fiasco - which has potential lawsuit and criminal charges implications;

This guy could be a "time bomb"!!!

Posted the following earlier:

Ken in my initial observation added very little substance to the program. However, Ken's remarks about Peggy and the ensuing altercation(with Pete) has added a degree of substance to his character. There is something about Ken, he has rough "edges", that are surfacing. Could he be from a similiar economic background as Don, without the "polish".

Someone commented about Roger becoming religious - very good possibility!!!

There is much more to Adam's suicide than loneliness and depression. Clue's are in the "shoe box", Pete pilfered.

Pete, appears to be on the verge of a total breakdown - inferiority complex and paranoria.

"Deb said:

I have to put in a word for the actress who plays Betty. She's not wooden and untalented. She's doing a great job of playing a woman who has a lot going on underneath, but who has been taught to keep everything suppressed, to always look good on the outside, be cheerful, and accepting. However, the facade is breaking down; we see her drinking more and more, staying in her robe all day, taking shots at the neighbor's pigeons! And now here she is, starting to take control of her own sexuality (along with Peggy). I loved this episode.........>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>"

She is a classic Grace Kelly cool blond character...with seething emotions underneath. Wait till she learns about the "stimulator"...

smaller and much easier to manage than a washing machine. lol

Just one last comment on the pregnancy thing...I believe that if either Peggy or Rachael became preg. both would have the resources (Peggy through the agency of Joan) to receive that classic little "d&c"/ob procedure [dialiation and cuterage for first term preg.] from a legitimate Madison Avenue doctor. That's what was done during that period which made the discrepency in women's health care options so significant and necessitated Roe v Wade in the 70s. It wasn't necessarily that abortions weren't available it was that only wealthy women had access to them.

Pete is quite smart though thoroughly unlikable because he is so unsecure and has absolutely no people skills as evidenced in the scene where the fellas are talking about who will "ascend to the throne" after Roger takes a rather permanent sick leave. All the other guys give Don his "props" but Pete turns it on its end and suggests that Don has used everyone on his relentless climb to the top. What a jack***

I viewed next week's preview and Don and Pete have a "heart-to-heart" (or about as much of one as is possible with Pete) about Pete's desire to secure Don's support in his bid for head of client accounts...Don basically tells him that a "senior" staff person will be considered for that position ... his response is classic Pete

Loved the satire revolving around the "passive weight loss machine" and the washer...we all have our needs and ways of meeting them :-)!!! Ya know when the plot synopsis said that Betty would be dealing with her mounting dissatisfaction...I wasn't really thinking about that...thought it would be more job related....big laugh on me...

Every week Rachel's on the show, it's a better show! So much sex appeal between she and Don. Beyond the sex, there's that emotional connection.

This is not a soap opera. Matt Weiner is trying to make some points here. Sure it's a dramatic form, but please go a little deeper and you'll find some meaning, not just hypothesizing on whether Peggy's pregnant or not, etc. It's a story of the times, how things were, how things are, how things stay the same. The authenticity is important to make it believable. There are real issues clothed in drama, comedy, whateve but don't miss the point. This show is very different -- and great!

Peggy is the beginning of the woman at the top. don't ya think?

I love this show, and yes I say too one million times through the whole show how gerogeous Hamm is. >>>>>>>>>>

Interesting how Don is "grooming" Peggy. Why doesn't he take the time with his repressed wife? Peggy will develop well....I think when she loses weight, (with the help of the "stimulator", gets some decent clothes and her own office....a good looking ball buster will imerge. Right now she's a diamond in the rough.

As someone upthread mentioned, Pete's hubris will get the best of him. He's going to play with Alpha Dog Don and get his ass handed to him, with the help of the Fellas (can't ever get their names straight!). Don gets their respect because he's done a great job at the agency, but he's also their way to bigger and better things. The Fellas understand that! Pete has yet to "get" that! He's too busy wanting to "be Don Draper." Whatta asshat!

I think Betty's hesitancy towards Don's news about making partner and her subsequent remark about being sorry about the salesman is because she sensed Don was still mad at her. He really yelled at her about it.

Don's been seeing Rachel for a month now, and I don't think he's slept with Betty since. She mentioned in another episode that she thinks about "it" all day, so imagine enjoying "the act" (lol) and all of a sudden your husband won't touch you, not come home at all some nights, and there's no communication to indicate why the distance. Did anyone notice when Don said he was tired, and Betty said "is it work?" and Don says No........and changes the subject.

ANN RAND

I'm beginning to wonder how far this show is going to go with Ann Rand. They've mentioned it a couple of times, though Cooper, and Don Draper seems to be largely, as indicated by Cooper points out, the Fountainhead's Roarke. He's deadly serious about his work and making it on his own. He's not sentimental. He'll piss on his wife and roger etc for being weak (even from a heart attack) but he has some admiration for Peggy. Peter is an Ann Rand villain – get ahead by any sleezy means, including his “rich birthright”, can’t acknowledge other people’s talents. Betty is an Ann Rand weakling with her marriage therefore rightfully disrespected for the much stronger independent Rachael.

This worries me. The problem with Rand is that her characters aren’t real; they are personifications of Rand’s hyper-capitalistic etc ideas. Though Rand get’s her point across, the form is irritating. Her books are as insufferable because they are preachy but her characters are insufferable because they are devoid of humanity (empathy etc). I hope that’s not where this show is going. For all I know, they might be setting Draper up for a big fall based on his lack of empathy and in so doing take a swipe at Rand.

Remember Helen Gurley-Brown? Editor of Cosmpolitan? Well she started out as a secretary at a N.Y. agency too, then made her way up the ladder as a copywriter. I think the writers are modeling Peggy after her.

Betty's so detached that she can't even get a sense of how or why Don's not banging her and acting distant? Anyway, whenever Rachel's on Don's mind, he rebuffs Betty and blames the "heat." He did that before, while reading Exodus, the night prior his lunch with Rachel. And now he's doing it since he's having the affair. Get the sense that if it 23 degrees, Don would still blame the heat and diss Betty....

It's AYN Rand, not Ann. I love her. And I LOVE MAD MEN!!!

Who is John Gault?

Who is Don Draper?

I'm in advertising, and there are little things in Mad Men that show the technical advisors are earning their keep. One from this episode was when Don told Peggy to concentrate on the project for a while, then forget about it, and a solution would come bubbling up. That's a useful mental trick we learn in this business.

>Interesting how Don is "grooming" Peggy. Why doesn't he take the time with his repressed wife?

I think Don likes Peggy because he see's her inner toughness. She aspires to make herself into something more than society expects of her, just like Don, the whore child, has.

I believe Campbell will attempt to blackmail Draper but the Pegster gets wind of it and turns the table on the weasly Campbell and threaten to tell his wife EVERYTHING if he dares to screw with her boss and mentor Draper. END OF SEASON ONE.

Wouldn't it be a kick if Betty is actually a total Belle du Jour nympho who has had dozens of guys over while Don's away, and the shrink is trying to cure her of it? And Don knows all about it and has (mostly) forgiven her for it but finds it hard to feel loving toward her, and she IS making some progress, but letting that salesman in was a setback? Now THAT would make their shell of a marriage interesting.

My ears may need checked but I thought the background noise when Betty was alone in bed was just a blowing fan. For some reason, Betty reminds me more and more of Joan Kennedy-Teddy's ex wife.

I was sad to see Adam commit suicide. I was hoping that he could have at least used the money to start a new life etc. and become a Don Draper himself. It seems that he was the only "innocent" and "honest" character out of the entire bunch.....someone to really root for.

Mr. Whitman gave the package to the guy in the booth. Could it be? Whitman and Draper exchanged identities? And the real Don Draper did the reverse necktie? Naah...

Don may be grooming Peggy but it's because, like Ayn Rand's heroes (and heroines), she has a strong work ethic that emphasizes being a thinker/doer just as he is. In her presentation, based on his comments, it's obvious that she's on his "good people" list. Pete, on the other hand, is a classic well, near classic, Ayn Rand antagonist.

Some people have called Don a "man-ho" but I don't see it. He may not be faithful to his wife but he doesn't mess around or even flirt with any S-C women. In fact, except for Bert Cooper, he's the most respectful to them of all the main characters (of course that's all relative). When out with Roger, he only gives "strange" women lip service, so to speak. That he can get a lot more "action" than he does is obvious.

Don's more like a hunter who won't take less than an eight-point buck, no matter how many does and lesser bucks he sees.

Mr. Whitman gave the package to the guy in the booth. Could it be? Whitman and Draper exchanged identities? And the real Don Draper did the reverse necktie? Naah...

Don may be grooming Peggy but it's because, like Ayn Rand's heroes (and heroines), she has a strong work ethic that emphasizes being a thinker/doer just as he is. In her presentation, based on his comments, it's obvious that she's on his "good people" list. Pete, on the other hand, is a classic well, near classic, Ayn Rand antagonist.

Some people have called Don a "man-ho" but I don't see it. He may not be faithful to his wife but he doesn't mess around or even flirt with any S-C women. In fact, except for Bert Cooper, he's the most respectful to them of all the main characters (of course that's all relative). When out with Roger, he only gives "strange" women lip service, so to speak. That he can get a lot more "action" than he does is obvious.

Don's more like a hunter who won't take less than an eight-point buck, no matter how many does and lesser bucks he sees.

Meeshy..thanks for the correction-I was half rite anyway on the Stan part (Getz not Kenton)

Fave scene from all the eps was Roger/Joan

Christina is just a fantastic actress. It's like when Judy Garland sang-with just one twitch/inflection/glance you know the whole story even if you have'nt seen a previous second of it. Roger just called her the Whore of the Western World and meant it as a compliment-how sincere can one man get! And she knows he's right-after all how did she rise to her current heights at SC? Well sleeping with the boss will do it. She could've gone higher if she'd just asked for it but she was flummoxed by her self-recognition bombshell. she's a georgious woman and the business sky's the limit for her. (see Queen of Mean-Leona Helmsley-riding powerful men to the top.) Looks did mean everything then and women (and men could

depend on their looks to a great extent to advance their careers. I saw this happen many times (not to me-no way) in

offices I worked in in the late 70's early 80's. I was in charge of hiring office staff for a company and was ordered by an exec not to hire one woman becaus "her ass is too flabby"! Honest.

Well I'm sure every one knows this. Maybe there's less of this type of ostracism going on today but it still exists and will never change. I'm sure at SC Joan is in charge of the hiring and

only hires less attractive girls than she is. (didn't Mona pick Roger's secretary?)

Anyway I teared up along with Joan..let's see what happens at next Emmy nominations

I'll be so disappointed if Christina isn't

nominated.

and more proof that Betty lacks empathy - remember when her daughter came to her and Don crying because the nasty neighbour threatened shoot their dog? Betty's response?: "Did you see those big tears - someday I want to take a picture of her like that." Geez woman! Run, Don, Run!

"I'm going to introduce you to Miss Ayn Rand...I think she'll salivate." (Cooper)

Ayd Rand WOULD have salivated - she was quite a lecher actually. True Story: She would make her cuckhold husband go out in the afternoons so she could bang her best friend's cute young hubby Nathanial Brandon who was 25 yrs younger than her. She was a female Roger Sterling. Only smarter.

Flaky Betty is one woman whose shallowness and selfishness has driven her husband away. I've never really understood Don's relationship with Midge. Guess she was just freaky deaky. But this affair with Rachel is a whole different animal. There's emotional intimacy there, which was not present with Midge nor Betty.

Oldie But Goodie:

That would be brilliant to have Peggy save the day and pull out a blackmail on Pete to prevent him from spilling the beans on Don! Then Don would feel like he was a good judge of character in helping Peggy out with her job advancement.

I'm dying to find out exactly what was in that box.

That scene with Roger and Joan was breathtaking. He totally thought he was giving her a big compliment. He is so crude. Do you notice how he is always taking about his wife and daughter with his lovers? Can't keep his mind off them.

Finally some are beginning to realize that Peggy is not pregnant. She's on the Pill.

I was first prescribed the pill in 1960. There was one brand and it caused a number of unpleasant side-effects. Each month, you went thru a synthetic pregnancy: no period for 3 weeks while you took the pill, nausea mimicking morning sickness that could last all day; uncomfortable fluid retention and a bloated feeling; ravenous appetite that had you eating everything in sight; and as a result, unsightly weight gain. Then you stopped the Pill, had your period, and began the monthly cycle again. Of course, not everyone was affected that way, but many were, and it was not uncommon to gain 20 pounds in the first 3 months of taking the Pill.

After a couple of years, other drug companies came out with their versions and most of the side-effects were greatly lessened.

Sorry for the pharmacy history lesson, but I am willing to wager that the Pill is the cause for Peggy's weight. If she were pregnant and had gained that much weight as a result, she would be 4-5 months along and by now would have confided in someone. She doesn't seem to have much life outside her work - she and her roommate don't seem to be close - and despite all else it would mean, Joan would probably be the one she would tell -and that hasn't happened. Well that's my 2 cents. We will surely learn the answer in the next 2 episodes.

Everyone has posted eveything needed to be said.

I love the irony in this show.

Roger has another heart attack in front of the Lucky Strike owners after they just finished complaining about upcoming "warning labels" on the sides of cigarette packages and the lawsuit against cigarette manufacturers.

Thank you Matt Weiner. Brilliant.

1962 for the second season... That's going to be interesting. We'll hop to where the characters will be two years from now.

I love the lead character of Don Draper. Sure he's a womanizer but I love his work in the office. I love it how he mentors Peggy like he's rooting for her.

yeah- it's like Peggy's the little sister he never had. All around, it's really showing a nice side of Don, his relationship with Peggy. My fav comment of his about her was: I try not look for fear of being blinded by the earnestness. He's got such a way with words, our Don has.

Mark:"I agree the show hasn't spoon fed us what Don sees in Rachel, but as a guy I'll say what I see in her - she's smart, ambitious, centered, and really hot! Yeah, I'd go for her in a nanosecond. Though I agree with everyone else that the scenes of the two of them have been disappointing, the show is holding back here, for reasons we don't know yet."

maggiefan:"Loved seeing more Rachel. The flat affect is good acting, not poor acting. The heat of the hunt is over and there is a slight cooling. Seeing those fire red claws on his back made my heart skip, I'll tell you that."

-I think that this week's scene was better than last week's and I agree that the suppressed chemistry that we all know is there is being held back for a reason, though I believe you can still see it if you look hard enough, I mean, my God, Don grabbed her boob twice in less than 2 minutes and actually cuddles with her. I think the writers are trying to show that those two can communicate as well as be sexually attracted to each other.

Visan:"Every week Rachel's on the show, it's a better show! So much sex appeal between she and Don. Beyond the sex, there's that emotional connection."

legoh:"Regarding Betty and her response to Don's promotion. Remember the previous episode when Don call to give her the news about Sterling and she prattled on about her father's girlfriend? I think she is just self-centered and shallow. She has no empathy and cannot share someone else's sadness or happiness."

-How the hell are people saying Rachel is Betty with brunette hair? They're nothing alike. Betty, I'm sorry to say, is very selfish and sure she's concerned about Don but not emotionally. When he called her at the hospital she kept going on about her feelings when I think he was actually going to try to emotionally open up to her. Then there's Rachel who says that "this" is really hard for her not just because of her own feelings but because she can't imagine how Don must feel. That's a relationship. That shows someone real, someone who can think about others before herself. I'm not sure Betty can do that something that is both her fault and not.

ps: I'm not a Betty hater just sometimes she really irks me and I want to kick her in the face. And I believe Don and her marriage fell apart long before the affairs. It was sort of that well I met this guy who I really like and my mom says I need to get married and I would really like to have sex with him so I guess I should get married. And Don believes/d that as well then came the pregnancy and boom! You have an unhappy, non communicative marriage.

Every post makes me think about something different! Couple of straggler thoughts:

Ritt is so right. Don isn't a man whore; he's actually very discriminating. He's turned down far more offers for sex than he's taken.

Someone above questioned the mechanics of how leaning forward on a washing machine could accomplish anything for a woman. (I just KNOW all the women were amused by that comment!) How to put this delicately....in 1960 most men would have thought a woman would have to straddle the washer for the right effect. Women knew that a more expedient strategy would be to lean forward so that an area higher up would be, um, effected.

To Tom, who thought our musings about Peggy's possible pregnancy were obsessive ("weird" and "puzzling" I think he said). To a man, sure, I guess it's weird. But understand that since the dawn of time, women have had to obsess over pregnancy-related issues. Preventing it, encouraging it, ending it, seeing it through successfully. I guess I'm trying to say, Tom....welcome to OUR world!

I've never liked Betty, but my point of no return was the epi where she went to S-C to get the portraits taken and was talking to her friend about it later. She said, "When I go to Don's office, I expect to be treated like a queen, and I'm not." Puhleez, Betty, get over yourself!

The Ayn Rand parallels to MM are so complex we'd need another board to itemize them.

I think the Adam suicide was nothing more than a very, very sad thing. No switched identities or anything like that.

I would love to see a powerful alliance between Don and Peggy, ideally against Pete. After all, Peggy owes Don--he's given her a rare opportunity. And they both have reasons to detest Pete. Wouldn't it be delicious to watch Pete go down hard, and to see Peggy and Don wave buh-bye?

In answer to B Bond's question. I may have exaggerated about the five clues Betty gave that she wanted to have sex with Don.

1. When they are in bed and Betty mentions she let the salesman in the house. She turned and leaned toward him. Hand supporting her head. Her body open to him.

2. When they are watching television and she tells Don she is going to bed. Betty in her white gown and looks over her shoulder at him, before leaving the room.

3. When Don tells Betty about the promotion and she traces Don's shoulders and continues to touch him.

4. This might be a stretch, but (maybe it was just me) the salesman could have been a younger brother of Don. The coloring is the same, although not nearly as good looking.

5. I mentioned before, when it is obvious that Betty told Don about the salesman because she wanted him home. I assume because she missed him, missed having sex with him.

I really like Peggy's storyline, she can be so backwards. I especially like her date with the truck driver. Such a batch. "So you drive a truck?", "I don't like potato chips." He gave it right back to her but was still nice about it. Baby girl he was a keeper, and oh so cute. I also think her weight gain is to be blamed on low-self esteem more than anything. In the beginning of the episode while she was talking to her mother on the phone she was fiddling with a huge muffin and that signals to me COMFORT FOOD, because I have been there. She is very sensitive because A)PETE, wtf? he would make girl self-doubt. B)Joan and the other women are not like her at all, mentally and physically. C)She wants to be a copywriter but feels stuck in her secretarial field. All that added in with that hateful roommate and wanting to fit into the "New York City Type" girl would make anybody turn to food and blow up. I also feel bad for her because Pete doesn't give her the time of day and she was once quasi-in love with him.

Also if you will notice in the Don and Rachel scenes Don's hair is always ruffled or mussed but with everyone else his hair is on point and neat.

Don may have come home but he didn't make Betty come! He told her about the promotion and then looked at her like she was pathetic!

I love the blog!

Peggy: she isn't pregnant. She had almost no makeup on in the office. They shot her from bottom to up in the office when they gave her the "fat reducer". Yea, she had the chin/neck thing going on, but she was viewed from bottom to up. That gave her respect. She looked validated as a co worker, not a secretary. She stopped being the newest "cutlet" to be tried. Her comments to Joan, the truck driver date, and her roommate were comments of assertion.

Joan: Remember she told Roger that she couldn't eat food near a bed? Like a hospital? She sees Roger as sickly. He professed his attachment to her but it was only sex. That broke her heart.

Don and Rachael: I just see how Don looks with Rachael and know he has found his soulmate. He can't even pretend that he is with Betty. He used to carry on with his wife, with his SoHo babe. He can't any longer. He won't have any intimacy with Betty now. This tells me that Rachael is important. He also says something to Rachael regarding that he knows, he just doesn't know what to do about it.

Betty: poor Betty. She gets that Don is distant. They didn't even hug and kiss at his good news. That is why her fantasy was with the salesman. Her therapy is also bringing to light her unhappiness with Don.

Don wants to put that all on Betty and her therapist. It is his fault she is more unhappy.

Pete: this guy has major issues. He was crippled when Roger had his second attack. Did you see the look on his face?

He was then, waiting in line for Don's office. When that package showed up from Adam, he took it. I believe he took it to deliver it to Roger's old office. Don is there now. Pete wants Don's old office. The conversation that Don and Pete had in Roger's office showed us that Don wants to control Pete.

Don and Pete: Don wants to keep Pete in his place. I believe that Peggy will get Don's old office. He would rather see Peggy get it than Pete. He is proud to groom Peggy for that office. She has no chance to nip at Don's tail. He has every reason to keep Pete at bay.

IMHO.

Boop

What's the deal with all of the women on this board making these poor old Rachel comments? First off she’s not poor which is a decided plus if she needs to make a quick trip to France to get an abortion and do some shopping. Secondly, what's the downside of banging Don? She's getting laid by the best looking guy in New York (Who I’ll bet her sister would jump on in a second if she didn't.) and as a bonus she doesn't have to hang out with the Dobermans on the roof anymore to get her kicks. Yes, I know that these comments make me a male chauvinist pig but it sounds to me like we have a win-win situation for the both of them.

Rachel gets laid, Don gets to screw a chick with something in her head besides air. Although I’ll admit that doing January Jones wouldn’t be a bad deal either Rachel and Don obviously have a lot more in common. Leave these two be. I’d like to see them going at it down, dirty and nasty (I think Rachel has major ho potential, she has that bang me till my nose bleeds look about her) but it is after all basic cable. I hope they have a long and happy affair together.

I kind of love you, Dennis.

Dennis....I'm one woman who has no problem with Rachel and Don's affair. I don't think she's a "ho" though. And Don is one sexy specimen! Hell, at the moment, she's the only woman getting any real sex. Betty has her washer/dryer and Peggy gets the weight loss belt. Ravishing Rachel gets dick, er, Don!

P.S. This is just a good TV show and we can't take this stuff too seriously!

Pretty clever creating a character who not only seduces clients and single women, but the female audience too. I hate myself in the morning, but boy do I love me some Don Draper the night before.

Denis, I have to agree with LA. I kind of love you too.

I'm kind of sad though we don't get to see the real action between those two. We only see the before and after and I think the inbetween is actually mind blowingly crazy. I mean come on, the cement in Don's hair has to come out some way for it to be that disheveled. It's like someone said on another blog, "Don turning down a cigarette! After sex! Rachel must have been McFabulous."-TV Guides Editors' Blog Roush Dispatch.

To Ritt:

The chip route in Brooklyn -- yum yum WISE Potatoe Chips indigenous to NYC. Wish I could get them in Toronto...one of my bring backs along with Locatelli Romano cheese, German crumb cake, semolina Italian bread, bagels to freeze and a NY pizza, pastrami sandwich on Levy's Rye and Dr. Brown's Cream Soda for the road.

I think you called the shots pretty well, Dennis. You're right that Rachel is the only one getting good sex. But I think you might be misreading what sounds to you like "poor Rachel." We feel for her. While most of us probably haven't had an affair with a married man, we've felt that ache of being really attracted to someone we can't have. Most of us can probably relate to Rachel better than we can with any other woman on the show.

Girls, I've got to admit, I'm in love with Don Draper, too. If he were a real-life guy in my workplace, I'm afraid I'd make a complete fool of myself over him.

I agree that we need to see the action between Don and Rachel. I'm tired of seeing the afterglow. I wanna see him hittin' it! Him squeezing her boobs 2, 3 times was OK but we need more raunchiness with Rachel and Don!

I think Betty was genuinely thrilled for Don. She went to hug him and he was frozen. He's so cold to her and treats her like a child. She felt like she had to apologize to him about the AC guy! Please ! He doesn't even try to have a life with her I suppose to ease the guilt. He won't even acknowledge how she looks which is what she sees her job to be. Look good and keep the house looking good.

I think it would be interesting to see Rachel get pregnant but those two are boring. She's going to get whiny.

Did anyone else notice that Don seemed to go home to his wife even more after he slept with Rachel. She doesn't seem to expect him home ever!!!

Peggy- she's becoming really independent and won't settle for a man anytime soon!

The washing machine scene- could see that coming after the all "rejuvenator" talk, but really good. I knew that Betty was liking his attention. I don't think she would let herself be naughy enough for an affair. We'll see.

Tried the washing machine thing many years ago. Didn't do a thing for me.

I think there's money in the package from Adam. I think he just returned all the money Don gave him... he left, too. Permanently, just like asshole Don wanted.

The way Betty acts toward Don is totally understandable to me. When you love someone and they constantly turn you down, put you down, hold back from you, and do everything they can do to create distance, you learn not to "bother" them. You also learn that any fleeting emotion they show will not last, which makes it hard to believe them when they do decide to show emotion.

Betty's not empty or selfish. She just knows from experience that Don doesn't want to be close in any way, shape, or form.

Anne, thanks for the info about the pill in 1960. And very sorry to hear what horrendous effects it had. I too think Peggy's only fat from the pill.

I remember with my first child that I didn't show at all until the fifth month, and then only a bit. I don't think Peggy would be showing so soon, either.

Great blog, people!

I had this thought about Peggy's weight...

What if she is pregnant but also over eating from the stress and to hide her belly. She takes a leave to "take care of a relative" has Petes baby and gives it up for adoption. She returns to work, slims down and becomes a super hotty and first female account executive. It comes to light that she had the baby and her and Don have a breif trist because he identifies with and hates her as his mother figure. Pete distraught from Peggys rejection, her subsequent business success and a botched blackmail skeme regarding Dons past, kills himself from the shame.

Too soap opera?

Rachel whiny? I don't see that coming anytime ever. She allowed the relationship to begin and she can end it whenever she wants. I find it funny that people think Rachel and Don are boring when they're the only ones having actual conversations...about how they feel. I think a little action scene between the two will spice things up more(if only the writers looked at these blogs).

Don may be coming home more often after he slept with Rachel, but the fact that he's not comsumating (ha that word makes me laugh) shows his heads somewhere else (somewhere being in Manhattan).

Dennis, I don't love you. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.) But, I do think you're funny and very much on point with your comments about Don and Rachel! LOL!

I totally agree with Lane's comments about Betty. She indeed is become very weary of her role as a perfect, dutiful housewife. A few episodes back, she was talking to the therapist. There is a lot of substance below that picture perfect exterior. I can't wait to see it revealed. January Jones is excellent in the role.

lots of good vibrations in last night's show ... my weekly review at http://paullevinson.blogspot.com/2007/10/mad-men-11-heat.html

- with special 6-minute bonus podcast

That sound in Betty's bedroom was accompanied by what appeared to be head lights on the ceiling like a car passed by slowly or pulled up out in front. The look on her face was not fear but rather like she was leaning back in anticipation. There was the fan humming too and we saw how she put her face in front of the fan after the Harvest Gold Kenmore washer encounter, so maybe on the nights that Don does not come home she has already figured out how to put herself to sleep. And just maybe she is mad at him the next day when he announces his promotion because he did not come home and offered no explaination. He looks hot but he isn't very passionate from what I have seen of him with any of his women. THEY are the passionate ones. I think Betty is unfulfilled on that level. I think all of the women on this show are actually. I said this already on another blog but this episode reminded me of Tennesee Williams and his frustrated women characters walking around their big old homes in their underwear fanning themselves. Summer was a metaphor for sexual heat with Tennessee. In this episode we have Indian Summer or prolonged summer. The salesman looked like Don only younger, thinner and wimpier but the same slick black hair that Betty is enamoured with. He had his jacket off and his tie loosened and he was sweating.(Don never sweats) I think she will have a real encounter with him. I doubt that she ever had sex with Don the way her fantasy has allowed her to do with that man/washing machine. Evidently men were not clued in to a woman's needs in those days although Don revealed that he probably is. There is a good deal of the Feminine Mystique and Atlas Shrugged in this portrayal of the early 60's...entirely right contextually.

I don't think it was Adam who hung himself; that did not look like the same guy we met previously. It is the perfect cliffhanger for next season.

Come on, Roger, you can admit your love for Dennis. We're all friends here (LOL for real)

Here's a different angle on the Don/Betty thing. I think Betty has often been just as distant and cold with Don as he has been with her. The fact that Betty had to resort to the washing machine (which didn't do a thing for me either, Meeshy) is partly her fault. And in Don's defense (because I'm yet another woman who is in love with him) he's looking for intimacy more than he is sex. If you remember, in previous epis, he's turned down a lot of sexual opportunities.

If Betty were and interesting and passionate about anything, she might be more attractive to Don.

Rachel whiney? No way. She made the one comment that every man dreads: where is this relationship going? But I'm going to forget I heard that because I like her so much.

BTW, can we just put the Peggy being pregnant issue to bed, so to speak? We all got past the "everybody smokes" thing, have almost made it past the "Peggy's pregnant" thing. I'm totally onto the "Betty's going to get attacked by the perv kid" thing.

To Jessica who says that Don is as much a slime ball as Pete, but no one dislikes Don.

It's just like in real life. Don is tall dark and handsome and Pete is not!!!

Just think of Prez Kennedy.

Just got done watching this episode, it was a good one -- as always. Is there kind of a subplot, or plot device, goin' on with the JFK '60 run? In some ways Kennedy and Jackie kind of mirror Draper and his wife, don't they? I know I'm kinda reaching here, but I just saw the cover for the new Vanity Fair and this came to mind.

I loved the way they handled the vibration thing too; it was humorous, but without making the characters involved look foolish. And I had some real ambivelance toward Peggy. On the one hand it was very cool to see her come into her own as a copywriter. (Can you imagine how tough it would be for a female to trancend being a secretary to a copywriter in that men's locker room world?) But it is also kind of a bummer to see her self-destructing a little, i.e. putting on weight, isolating herself, and drinking alone at the end.

I believe Roger gave Joan a parting gift. Rather than sentimentalizing their time together, he set her free. I think he does love her, and knows they have no future. And rather than keeping her around for his own selfish pleasure, he thanked her as crudely as possible so she would leave him.

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DATE: 10/05/2007 08:40:19 PM

Are we all watching the same show? Mad Men demonstrates that all of the critics can be wrong at the same time. Aside from getting the facts of the time wrong, there really isn't a sympathethic character in the case. We're told Don is a wiz at the ad game when he's clearly incompetent. We're told this firm could have something to do with the Nixon campaign but no one writing the show understands how a political campaign works or, for that matter, how an ad agency would handle such an account. The show heads in different directions and then seems to get lost.Perhaps the show will be saved if Don's secretary can emerge triumpant but in the meantime it's a show one watches because it is so incredibly bad. Folks, tune in Friday Night Lights and watch quality television.

Don isn't remotely slimey. He may be a philanderer but that was what guys did in those days and it wasn't really judged that harshly. Women even went into marriage believing it would probably happen and that they would just have to accept it. It wasn't until later that we said "no" to it. Don conducts the rest of his life in a pretty straightforward fashion. He's honest at work. No backstabbing or office politics unlike Pete. He seems like a good boss - fair and open, no bull shit. Peggy's lucky. Most guys wouldn't have given her a chance. When I started in advertising in 1978 I was the only woman in the creative department (I'm an art director). It's still a boys club only now they make noises like you matter and they don't kiss you in empty offices or pull up your dress to see what color you underwear is. LOL!

I've got to say something to defend my boy Roger. Now here's a guy everybody's dumping on for being a sleze bag (which he sort of is) and yet he's the only dead honest guy on the show. This is probably why super hot Red's got a thing for him. Did he not tell her she's the reason he DIDN'T leave his wife? Did he ever shine Joan on. I THINK NOT!

He tells it like it is and accepts it for what it's worth. My last girlfriend appreciated this characteristic in me.

When we broke up I told her straight out. You're the best blowjob is Phoenix and you could suck the chrome off a trailer hitch but you're also a psycho bitch suffing from a bipolar disorder that's driving me nuts and I can't handle it. She stormed out of my house telling me what an insenstive heartless bastard I was but two weeks later called me up to thank me for being the only man she ever had that told her to her face what the deal was. I still have a soft spot in my heart, and a wet spot on my sheets, for her. As amazing as it sounds there are a few girls (in my experience very few) that actually do get it. We're guys, and yes we're pigs, just deal with it and you'll be a lot happier.

Peggy has a plan, so gaining weight was not an accident. Joan's strategies don't appeal to her. Peggy has a brain. And she's surreptitiously climbing the ranks, using excess weight as camouflage. That way, the men won't see her as a threat or a sexual object. Sterling Cooper is slowly becoming dependent on her feminine point of view to get and keep accounts. Once Nixon loses,

Peggy stands to gain more importance. The book she was reading in bed - was it an Ayn Rand novel?

Could someone explain to me what the other guys do? Kenny, Paul and the other two? They sort of chum around. Kenny had a short story published but is really an account guy. Are the others account guys too. It just seems so odd to me that the Creative Director is the only creative (except Sal) in an agency with a couple of seriously big accounts. Normally Don would have a few teams under him showing him work.

Betty is often viewed as self absorbed, selfish, childish, sortof the "bad guy" in the Draper marriage. We point to this as the reason for Dons cheating.

The fact is that Don began cheating on Betty the first time she saw him. His apperance and the facts of his recent past and his present, left a lot out of the whole picture of Don Draper. We are not required to reveal every aspect of our history to every casual aquaintance. Perhaps it is even acceptable to mislead our employer, as long as we give him the performance that is expected of us. But, when we decide to marry a person, especially when a child is already a part of that decision it seems that a little more is required.

So Betty, the bride, the expectant mother, now must construct a life around a man who lives with the pressure of a great secret. A man who, Betty explains "dosn't like to talk about his past" ( 2nd epi, out to dinner with Roger and Mona when Roger was questioning Don about his childhood). Since there is so much danger in revealing too much, Don closes the door on any conversation about his past. Betty has come to understand that any attempt to get to close will push Don further away. She seems to have accepted this, (for the present) and when she realizes that she is treading on forbidden ground, getting to close, she pulls back, we see her do this quite often. So much for emotional intimacy.

The tone of the Draper marriage was set by Don.

He is an imposter.

Don Draper is living in the proverbial tangeled web of his own weaving, he is beginning to understand that a web can be a very fragile thing. I think he is beginning to understand that he cannot maintain it forever. (The man on the train, Adam showing up at work, and next THE BOX).

Rachel will probably be the one who will give Don the courage to open up with his past, she will listen, encourage, understand, and in the end she will be disappointed. I don't see Don as a cruel man, just a very desperate and needy one. Rachel for now seems to be meeting that need.

He understands how he suffered at the hands of "those sorry people who raised him", I doubt that her will leave his own children to the same fate.

The real key to the future of the Draper marriage, is Don himself. It occurs to me that he is in more need of a psychiatrist than Betty. Think of it, living with Don as we know him, would be enough to drive anyone crazy. I think she is holding up pretty well considering.

There are some very difficult times ahead for many people involved in Don Drapers life, it will be so intersting to watch it play itself out.

I give the Draper marriage a long future, I see them together through it all, even celebrating a 53rd wedding anniversary in 2007.

But then I'm a sucker for happy endings.

It appears that Paul, Kenny and Harry are all copywriters. They have presented ideas to the Creative Director, Don Draper, in past episodes (remember the laxatives account?) Pete is an account executive, and appears to have the role of buying media time. I think Sal and Freddy are art department. When meeting with clients, Don Draper usually makes the presentations created by the team, but the roles may be somewhat flexible. For example, Harry once stepped up and took responsibility for buying media time. And Pete and Sal sometimes appear in client meetings with Don Draper, with either Sterling or Cooper present.

When Peggy saw herself in her flannel nightgown in her bedroom mirror, (don't forget, no girdle, no long line bra underneath), she looked quite surprised that her figure had grown so much! This realization will cause her to trim down. Also, the many postings about her being from Brooklyn and wanting to be accepted by Manhattan reminded me of the

Karen Lynn Gorney character in Saturday Night Fever; at the end of that movie she leaves comfortable Brooklyn and Travolta behind, for the untried Manhattan lifestyle she has always aspired to.

"didn't Mona pick Roger's secretary?)"

I was wondering how on earth Pete ended up with Hildy, who obviously can't stand him and sure isn't going to help him play politics. Luck of the office draw--or Joan being "helpful"...;)

>(I just KNOW all the women were amused by that comment!)How to put this delicately....in 1960 most men would have thought a woman would have to straddle the washer for the right effect. Women knew that a more expedient strategy would be to lean forward so that an area higher up would be, um, effected.

So, are you saying the idea is to hit the G-spot at the top of the vagina or...?

>She made the one comment that every man dreads: where is this relationship going?

That comment doesn't always mean "let's get married and have bay-bees so I can deprive you of freedom forever and ever," however. :) It also means "Do you really care about my feelings or am I just a booty call to you?" Rachel wants to know right up front what the deal is and what Don really wants instead of deluding herself with dreams of eternal romance and marriage. Very sensible of her--beats spending years on the hook wondering does he or doesn't he?

To comment on Tom Schantz's criticisms of the show:

The lack of a 'sympathetic' is the thing that makes this show interesting. The characters' motives are unclear, and requires a search for subtle clues in the writing.

If the writers have gotten some facts wrong, it would interesting to know what they are. So far, they seem to have the facts nailed (with maybe some exaggeration and caricature).

It doesn't seem far-fetched that political campaigns would seek out advertising and public relations experts. How else to present the candidate effectively? How else to know what kind and how much media time to buy in certain markets? Often 'image' outweighs 'issues' in elections.

The show does head in different directions. These are called 'plot threads' and it will be fascinating to see how they tie together in the end.

I've never watched 'Friday Night Lights.' Perhaps because the promotional advertising wasn't as appealing for that show as it was for 'Mad Men.'

Who is John Galt baby????

.

Try the Fountain Head or, better yet, Atlas Shrugged.

And did anyone catch that comment that Draper made when the wife said she let a salesperson into the house?

"You let a stranger into MY HOME???" Gee, nice guy: not "our home" by "my home." Gotta love that 1960s thinking. And combine that with the fact that he's a putz in general.

Don Draper is not just an ad man, he's a walking ad. He's got the glamorous job, beautiful house in the suburbs, pretty blond wife, two kids (one boy, one girl of course), bohemian lover in the city. Too bad it's all image and no substance. Even his name is fake. Do you think he's the one plunging headfirst in the opening credits?

"Do you have any idea what could have happened?"

"I could have gotten an air conditioner."

Laughed for quite a bit on that one.

**

Betty wore the most stunning shade of coral lipstick in this episode (like in the scene when she let the salesman in). Does the show give any hints as to the makeup they use?

Peggy is not pregnant. There was a HUGE clue into her over-eating in this week's episode. Remember when her roomate admonished her for "eating all the saltine crackers, liverwurst and Velveeta cheese" ?? Peggy said she had friends over at night, but that's baloney. Peggy doesn't have any friends. She ate all that stuff herself. I think it's a symptom of her low self-esteem and disappointment ( bad relationship with Pete, an over-bearing mother, no social life ) but that is going to change as she advances at her job. I think we'll see the fat, dumpy little mouse begin to blossom next season.

With several comments about Don personally hand-selecting Peggy for career advancement, spotting her potential, etc... there's a significant detail that I think many posters have overlooked...

While he is certainly being supportive in guiding her and pointing her in the right direction, Don did NOT seek Peggy out to mentor. BOTH times she was given the opportunity to write copy, the suggestion came from one of the other men.

He now may recognize her ambition and her value in contributing a female perspective, but at first I think he was focusing only on what would benefit the *lipstick* account and was willing to let her take a shot at it, to that end.

madfan- not only do I think that Don is plunging headfirst in the credits, but all the Men are. They are all copy and no product. The opening credits are genius. The black and white ultra male form with the ubiquitous cigarette dangling, sliding and falling past all those pin up, lurid images of women. There is such a lack of connection, and lack of ability for these men to break their fall from grace.

Loved the episode, but there were one or two inaccuracies: The package Adam mailed to Don Draper indicates a US postal code, but postal codes in the US didn't exist until 1963! Also, Peggy mentions she lives in the Prospect Park area of Brooklyn, but in an earlier episode she said she was from Bay Ridge, another community in Brooklyn. Was she raised in Bay Ridge, but lives in Prospect Park? It's a bit confusing...

I still think Peggy could be pregnant. Women back then weren't aware that certain things could harm the baby. (ie. smoking, wearing a vibrating belt, and drinking) I also thought that Rachel's sister was foreshadowing what may happen to Peggy if Pete finds out she is pregnant. Would he give up his rich wife, who he obviously dislikes, to be with Peggy? It would certainly disappoint his daddy. Peggy has advanced in the company, but what would having a baby do to that? I think there is potential for multiple story lines if she were to be pregnant. I'm not saying she is, but don't close the book on that one yet.

Re: rustling - I didn't hear any rustling noise outside Betty's window. I did hear the fan on, and then 3 bangs, sounding like something hitting on wood. Not sure if it's even important.

Peggy - The men really do seem to be treating Peggy like "one of the guys". After her first idea was accepted, she got to have a drink with them. In the 'Indian Summer' episode while she is making her presentation, she apologizes for not having more copies of her copywriting as she only had time to make the original and one carbon. Ken tells her she should "give it to one of the girls". After the presentation, Ken walks over to her, pats her on the shoulder and says something like "nice job Pegs". During her presentation, a couple of jokes were made based on the appearances of two of the ad men's wives. She was filled in on this almost as if she was a guy.

Don and Rachael - Don is definitely trying to make this into a long-term thing. He told her that he was "definitely in the right place" but that he's "just not sure what to do about it yet".

Personally, I still like Betty the best. Betty is trying to "play by the rules", only she is learning that there is no satisfaction for her in that (in more ways than one). Don doesn't believe in the rules. He plays to get ahead, while still keeping up appearances. He doesn't try to raise himself up by dragging other people down. He takes care of everyone and is a team player. Peter wants it all, and if he has to destroy people along the way, he will. Peggy is making it up up as she goes along. She is climbing her way up one little step at a time.

Deering, that poster wasn't talking about the G-spot. That's in a whole different place!

anyone notice how during peggy's presentation, we view her through wafts of smoke and haze? very expressionistic, as if we are seeing her through the guys' perspective, and cannot really get in close to her.

reminds me of the scenes in 'dead man walking' where they only show sean penn through the glass divider, and not up close.

Interesting comment from Marilyn about Roger deliberately making the crude remark to Joan as a way to set her free. I hadn't thought of it that way before, but it does make sense. He knows there's no future in their relationship and he wants her to move on.

Interesting remarks from Dennis too, but let me tell you, Rachel is riding for a fall. There is no pain like the pain of being in love with a married man. She is not just "getting laid." She is really getting emotionally involved and I for one do not think Don is going to divorce Betty and run away with her. Divorce was still quite uncommon in 1960. I think that by the early '70's, Betty will have her consciousness raised by Women's Lib, Don's career will be in the toilet, and she may leave him. Rachel, after having her heart broken into a million little pieces by the gorgeous-but-deadly Don Draper, will probably wind up married to some nice, Jewish lawyer, like the one described by her sister over lunch. Or maybe she won't marry at all?

Of course that was Adam who hanged himself in the hotel room. Why would anyone think otherwise?

Loved it when Mona told Cooper to go to hell! What a woman she is! We don't know anything about Cooper's personal life -- he's also an enigma. He and Roger's father started Sterling Cooper and he looks on Roger as a sort of surrogate son. I think it's possible that Cooper is a lifelong bachelor. The firm seems to be his whole life.

Love this show!

I adore this show, even though I'm only 16. I love how there's a place where everyone can discuss. Because I can't go to school and be like, 'Did you watch MM last night?!'

I almost laughed when Roger said, 'You're the finest piece of ass I've ever had' or something like that. Was he seriously saying that from the bottom of his heart? I realize that it was all about sex but I was not expecting him to be so blunt.

Poor Peggy, I feel so bad for her. Those men are so mean to her.

Gail -

Rachel knows Don won't "run away with her." There's no place for her to run to. She's tied to New York by Menken's and she's already lying to her sister/friend about the relationship. "Haven't done anything about it yet" she says after he spent the night with her.

To ... -

Roger meant every word of that comment.

While the clerk said, "Whitman", Adam Whitman was a redhead who combed his hair back. The Whitman who committed suicide was a blond who combed his hair to the side.

There were no postal codes in 1960 -- unless you mean postal zones. Postal zones existed until the zip code was introduced in the mid-60s.

Don is nothing but a skeeve. Even the first episode -- he vanishes, balls some other woman and then comes back hours later? His wife should have been furious -- instead she said nothing. He went and bought a puppy to make ammends to the kid.

And did anyone notice how that puppy aged out three or four episodes later when Betty was walking the dog? Looked to me that that "puppy" was now about a year old or older than that -- did anyone else pick up on that?

madfan -

The book Peggy was reading definitely was not "Atlas Shrugged". Just looked at a paperback edition. Even with tiny print it's over a thousand pages long. (One of the orations alone is over forty pages.)

Another thing about the Whitman who hanged himself. He did not put the money into the box being sent to Don Draper. That was on the table by the suicide note after he sent off the box.

I've said in the past that the Whitman who hangs himself can't be Adam Whitman because of the difference in color of his hair. Jay Paulson as Adam Whitman is in the credits of both "5G" and "Indian Summer" so I could be wrong. (Hard to believe, I know... :-) )

Gail -

Betty may have gotten her consciousness raised by the early 70's but that's ten-plus years later and the kids are either in high school or college. Empty nest syndrome. Whatever happens, she won't be in the house all the time. Leave Don? Maybe if psychotherapy really works or she somehow gets stronger. He probably won't leave her. Remember the ad, "My wife, I think I'll keep her"? Sweet mercy! Women across America must have cringed.

Don's career in the toilet? I doubt it. S-C might go down the tubes after Cooper dies/retires but Don's the kind of creative guy who can reinvent himself in another field. Right now he's being creative in an environment that hasn't changed much except for the introduction of TV. He's the one who pointed out that they'd been talking about the innovative VW ad for over fifteen minutes. How many ads of his can do that? Improvise, adapt and overcome.

Remember, if he leaves the company, it won't be for another advertising firm.

The firm isn't Cooper's whole life but you could be right about his being a lifelong bachelor. He's more of a political animal than being bound to the advertising like the guy from McCann. He (at least right now) is into Japanese culture - no wearing shoes on his office rug, oriental prints and bonsai. Conceivable that after WWII he'd spent some time there.

I noticed the washer that Betty was "engaging" with was a Westinghouse 830G model that was first introduced in May of 1962....C'mon writers get your facts right! Just Kidding.

I keep looking at the interior of Don and Betty's home and am a little confused. The only room that looks like an upper middle class surburban interior from 1960 is the living room. The kitchen, den, even dining room are awful. Someone mentioned before the horrendous kitchen wallpaper. It's hideous, looks like something Alice Kramden might use if she decorated her cold water flat. I viewed many surburban homes in the 1960's and no way would they look like that. Even her friend's wallpaper in the baby's room! Also Betty's kitchen is very dark and dismal.

Most young women would have gone modern or french provincial. The colonial look was popular with the middle class or working class. Mainly in the den.

I know this is petty but it bothers me. Betty must have been exposed to very elegant interiors while growing up.

I watched the episode again last night (gotta love On Demand TV),and Adam does have reddish hair. The style is longer (time HAS passed between episodes, y'all), but it's the same fella. I'd say check your color settings, you conspiracy theorists.

And I was wrong about the rustling noises that Peggy hears; it's the sound of a car pulling up in a driveway and a car door, probably a neighbor. Peggy is lying there, waiting for Don to come home, and when she realizes the sound wasn't his car, she turns off the light. The next scene is Don in bed with Rachel---another night that he hasn't called Peggy to let her know that he isn't coming home.

In my opinion, Roger was not doing anything noble when he told Joan that she was the best piece of ass. He is simply clueless. That is how he thinks of women---as pieces and parts for his enjoyment. Have you noticed that he tells different women "compliments" about their body parts? The comment to the one twin about "her skin" and how he could just eat it, and how he says "Ah, that mouth" to Joan. He's never considered any woman's feelings or treated them as real people. Now that he is ill, he sees his wife (who he has incessantly whined about) as his nursemaid, performing another type of service for him.

Tom Schantz, are you for real?!!! "Mad Men demonstrates that all of the critics can be wrong at the same time." and "it's a show one watches because it is so incredibly bad." ?

That is CRAZY talk. And what about the all the non-critics on this blog?

Denis, totally agree, Rachel's the luckiest woman on the show - she's got Don body and soul. Admittedly, there's not a lot of heat in their last few encounters. Maybe we should implore the writers -- PLEASE show us that fire!!!!

This is by far the best show on TV. Here is my arm chair coaching analysis.

The scene with Betty and the washing machine/salesman was right out of Desperate Housewives. Worst moment of the series so far. First off, show me a woman who can get off using a rocking washing machine so I can give her a call. Secondly, the Betty character has been written well up to this point. Betty has what she wants. A husband that other women drool over. A nice house in the suburbs. However, she is slowing realizing it's all bs. Her trip toward breakdown is inevitable, and they are writing it beautifully...up to the sexual fantasy. We all know Bettys, even in 2007.

I also don't like Rachel anymore. She has gone from tough minded businesswoman and aloof target to gushing schoolgirl. I don't mind the affair aspect with Draper, but it should have been on her terms with him pursuing in heat.

Roger has been a dog most of his adult life, and doesn't care. His part is brilliant as the guy who has had his way all his life, and now reaps what he has sown both physically and with his wife and daughter.

Joan is awesome, but the roommate scene was bizarre.

Pete is excellent as well.

I'm hoping that Peggy's weight gain is an angle the writers take in showing how tough and unfair this world is for overweight women. Fat women are a joke to men in the 1960s, as they are today, but even women treat them with disdain. It's the only legal form of discrimination remaining. It needs to be played up to show it's ugliness.

Of coures, Don Draper's part is ground breaking. Has there ever been a hero so flawed?

"Even the first episode -- he vanishes, balls some other woman and then comes back hours later? His wife should have been furious -- instead she said nothing. He went and bought a puppy to make ammends to the kid."

Suz, that was in the third ep, The Marriage of Figaro, when Don takes off to get the bday cake and doesn't return until later that night, with dog in tow. He did not go and ball some woman. I'm sure he wanted to (Rachel), but he didn't.

Trust No 1 wrote: Of coures, Don Draper's part is ground breaking. Has there ever been a hero so flawed?

--------------

Um...Tony Soprano?

But I agree, Don is terribly flawed; of course, most viewers can't help but fall for him---handsome, polished, and masterful guy that he is on the exterior.

Trust No ! wrote >Roger has been a dog most of his adult life, and doesn't care.

Not only does he not care, he believes he's entitled to do whatever he wants because he paid for it fighting in WWII.

Re the interiors of the Draper's home: Betty may have grown up in elegant surroundings but Don certainly did not. Even though he undoubtedly "lets" Betty do the furnishing, he's the one paying the bills (it's HIS house, after all) and would probably question any silk drapery or french provincial furniture as impractical with young children. It's probably their first home, bought before Don had risen as high at SC as he is now. The neighbors appear to be middle to upper middle class. Depending on the size, style and age of the house, formal dining rooms were the most "dressy" room of the house, along with the front parlor - if you had both front and back parlors or living rooms. The back parlor was for family - where they really lived; the front parlor or sitting room was reserved for guests and special occasions. The well-off were served their meals in the dining room (see live-in housekeeper "Hazel" or Bub on "My Three Sons" - other than the sitter, Betty doesn't have help); the rest of us ate mostly in the kitchen or maybe a breakfast room.

Dana, love love love your comments about Betty! You and I are definitely on the same page about that.

Dennis, sorry, but it pained me greatly to read your comments to your latest girlfriend. Very sad indeed. There are ways of being truthful with people which do not involve totally shattering them. Shame on you.

Ritt wrote

I doubt it, too. He's going to self-destruct -- at least internally. There's a reason the opening credits show him falling.

Don has recreated himself into something women crave and men envy, but he's hollow and unfulfilled. He keeps chasing women and his career because he thinks fulfillment is somewhere out there, something to be acquired. It's not.

It was that we-have-everything-but-it's-meaningless existential despair that helped launch the counterculture.

Wow some of these bloggers should e-mail the writers! Can't believe how creative and innovative all these "ideas" are! Great to read! LOVE MM LONG MAY IT REIGN!

Trust No1,

How is Don Draper flawed?

1) I'm straight but even to me he's still one of the best looking men I've ever seen.

2) He's raised himself up from nothing to a postion where he's making $300,000 a year in 2007 money.

3) He's married to a women any man in America would gladly screw.

4) He can screw as many other hot women as he feels like.

This guy isn't flawed, he's SUPERMAN! As we golfers say: YOU DA MAN!!!

Adslut asked: Could someone explain to me what the other guys do?

Click on their character names on the cast & crew page for details.

By the way, Adslut, I freelanced in San Francisco in the '80s as Ad Slut.

I just love how accurate this show is in the details. I just heard on the radio here in the sweltering Northeast, that the record temperature for this date was set in October 1960 -- how clever of the Mad Men writers to include that as part of the episode.

Auburn Anne,

She doesn't seems too shattered to me. After two years I recently met up with her in a supermarket. She's now married and has a kid on the way. When she saw me she ran over, gave me a big hug and thanked me for everything I had done for her (back in 04' I bought her a boob job for Christmas -It turned out really well and I sure do miss them).

Seems to me that we're still on good terms.

Regarding the Draper's decor:

I don't know anything about homes in Ossining, but I grew up in Connecticut and do know that a lot of homes there had a "country" or "colonial" feel, especially in the kitchen.

Often the cabinets were of cherry wood, with a scalloped valance over the sink, and black cast-iron hardware.

This style, as I can recall, was considered "country club chic."

Remember Lucy and Desi's Westport home? I'm not sure about the kitchen, but the living room had that country look.

Here's a great article about filming I Love Lucy in Westport, and interesting information on the staging and accuracy of all the elements in the setting:

http://www.westportmag.com/media/Westport-Magazine/December-2006/When-Westport-Loved-Lucy/

Oops! While staged to be an accurate replica of Westport, even recreating the actual interior of a famous Westport home, the Westport episodes of I Love Lucy were actually filmed in Hollywood. Sorry!

Funny how the the comment Don made to Betty about "his" house was what stuck out to me. And she had no reaction. A while ago I told my husband I was going to do something and he told me "No" and that was a 3-week ongoing argument over equality in marriage (which I won). I could never imagine being a stay at home housewife like Betty, or tolerating the things she does, even in the 60's.

I hope Peggy develops in the office. This is my favorite storyline, especially after my initial confusion and dislike for her dropping her drawers in a second for the obnoxious Pete. As a secretary in downtown Chicago in the early 70's I was offered to be promoted to the advertising dept because of clever writing in the office newsletter, but I turned it down because I didn't think I could do it. Wish I had some mentor to have given me confidence at that time.

Great show. And I love the insight in these blogs.

Den - that was posted by meeshy, not me. One more time: "posted by" goes BELOW the line. But glad to hear everything's okay, lol

When Joan's roommate confessed her love for Joan in the last episode, Joan changed the subject. This was not done out of kindness. Joan uses her power over men and women- after all, the roommate can always "call daddy" for help. I think the man falling in the opening credits is symbolic for the changes coming in the 60's...who could've predicted the assasinations, the war, Nixon's downfall, etc.?

I was on the NYC subway yesterday and there was a young man on it who had the total 1960's look. He looked great. A modern take.

I hope Mad Men influences fashion- I think men look hot in the garb.

Al Christensen - excellent comment re. Roger's having 'paid for it' in wwii ... how true. roger is the embodiment of the sense of entitlement of that era. more than don even.

Ritt:

Sorry, but I have to disagree with you about Rachel. Any woman involved with a married man, especially one as attractive as Don, would be having "he'll leave his wife and go running away with me" fantasies, in spite of what she may be saying out loud.

I still think Betty will emerge as a liberated woman (still 10 - 12 years in the future) and Don? Who knows -- wouldn't surprise me if he "tunes in, turns on, and drops out." Remember his attraction to the beatniks? Well, wait until he gets a load of the hippies! I can definitely see him experimenting with drugs, growing his hair long, and turning his back on the whole middle-class "trip."

My husband and I had a different take on the "best piece of ass" line than seems to be prevalent here. We both felt that this was about as loving a comment as Roger was capable of giving, and that Joan recognized that. I don't think she has any false illusions about him. We figured she was genuinely touched. They do love each other in their rather dysfunctional fashion.

That said, they both seem to realize that it's time to move on. I noticed that both Mona and Joan started to run up to Roger, but then Joan had to stop herself. She'll never be a fully recognized part of Roger's life, and she knows it.

Dennis, You asked,"How is Don Draper flawed?" If you were being facetious, then I'll chuckle with you. If you were serious, then, sadly, you probably will spend the rest of your active life buying "boob jobs" for your current girlfriend who will then move on to love, marriage and family and what life is really about. Don Draper is not falling through space because he is someone to emulate.

Please, I hope you won't spend the rest of your life with "da man" Don Draper as your role model. I know I have no right to judge you, but you come across as very shallow. This may well be too harsh, and I apologize if you are hurt by these comments.

Re: Draper decor: In the early 60's, nice homes were decorated in "early American" as we called it. Danish Modern came a little later in the decade.

I hope I am wrong about how predictable Pete stealing Don's package becomes. Everyone here is expecting blackmail . . . which would be predictable.

The main characters right now are so interesting. If Pete becomes the show's weasel, we lose. There is something so intriging about him and his immense insecurity, cruelty and vulnerablility.

Love Peggy. You go girl.

Love Don. Soooo handsome.

Madman - thanks for clueing me in on what the guys do.

Al - Advertising in SF in the 80s! Good stuff happening in SF then and now! I was in NY in the 80s at Ammirati.

Anne - you're right about Early American furniture around that time. My mom had the whole house decorated in that but updated it in around 1965. Avocado and orange. Formica. OMG!

Peggy couldn't be pregnant. It's already October and wasn't it snowing in the first episode? She'd have to be about 7 or eight months preggers by now!

The show is amazingly accurate. There have been a couple of inaccuracies (the pill wasn't available until the spring of 1961 because it wasn't approved by the FDA until Oct 1960); Joan says "the medium is the message" which Marshall McLuhan wrote in 1967. Some prop stuff which is understandable but it all works and those of us who grew up with it all and know that time period intimately find it fun to catch the mistakes. At least I do.

I'm dead serious about Don Draper being "Da Man" and there is no offense taken. What you call shallow I'll translate as being transparent and direct which I consider strengths, which I'm sure Leigh did as well, and I'm super glad that I have.

Remember Draper's first lunch with Rachel when he told her love was an illusion created by people like him to sell nylons. He was right (sorry) and that's why he's Da Man. He sees things as they are not as other romanticize them to be. Gotta love the guy.

My guess is that at least 95% of the men in America would trade places with him in a millisecond and that the 5% that wouldn't are likely gay.

Meeshy: Thanks for posting the article about Lucy/Desi in Westport -- interesting reading. I was actually picturing that stage set when people were discussing the decor in the Drapers' home. I also thought that their interior didn't look upscale enough, especially the kitchen, which seems small and dark. And whoever made the comment about the refrigerator magnets seeming out of place, I agree. I was 2 in 1960, and I don't remember seeing those magnets around until I was older -- early 70's maybe?

I'm surprised the Drapers didn't have a metal swing set in the backyard for their children -- I remember them well from the early '60's.

Suz - I don't think Don bought the dog to atone for missing the party. I think it relates back to his conversation with Rachel - that she always had dogs to love her & protect her. Don was already hooked - if it was good for Rachel, it'll be good for his daughter.

When Don tells Betty about being made partner - certainly everything that should have been said or taken place between Don & Betty didn't. But I was bothered by the fact that Betty kind of turned it around to her again - that Don was still upset with her because she let the salesman into his house. (I can still hear my dad, circa 1960's saying things like that.) Then she tells the neighbor that Don was upset because he's so protective, but it almost sounds like she's trying to convince herself of that. I think she's starting to realize that something is seriously wrong in their relationship.

Can't decide though how the Don/Betty/Rachel deal will play out. I know divorce was rare, & I don't think Don really wants to hurt Betty, but he really , really wants Rachel, & not just physically. And I still think Rachel knows what she wants (Don), but she's not stupid. She'll have problems with her dad & maybe her position at the store if she gets Don.

I kind of thought Adam spiffed himself up after meeting Don - thinking that if Don sees him after the fact, by leaving a note with Don as a contact or telling him what he did in the box, Adam thought that Don may have realized he could have let Adam into his life.

Sorry to be so chatty - there is just so much to talk about.

Anne and the others who are lecturing Dennis...lay off, girls! I'm a woman, and I think what he says is not only funny, but also exactly what most other men are thinking, but not saying. Quit lecturing and calling him "shallow" and accusing him of purchasing boob jobs for the women in his life. We are supposed to be talking about the show, not each other!

Re: all the comments about the sixties decor and room placement---

With all the emphasis being placed today on sitting down as a family and having the main meal together; on huge eat-in kitchens and

crockpots and meals in minutes encouraging the family interaction at the end of a long hard day, I've not yet seen the four Drapers sit down around the table and share a meal. Understandable that when Don gets

home from the office or wherever, the kids are already in bed, but what about weekends, holidays, vacation time??

It's almost like the dining room was becoming obsolete, even that far back. Beginning in the seventies, many floor plans instituted the combination living/dining room as part of their floor plan reflecting

the new less formal idea of dining.

I, for one, love my dining room; where else would I put my computer??

Maggie Siff is terrific as Rachel Menken! It will be interesting to see what character she will play on "Nip Tuck" later this fall. I've been a fan of NT since they brought together gators + swamp + dead bad guy+ a dozen cured hams!

Maggie Siff is terrific as Rachel Menken! It will be interesting to see what character she will play on "Nip Tuck" later this fall. I've been a fan of NT since they brought together gators + swamp + dead bad guy+ a dozen cured hams!

Bah - Dennis is a troll!

I really hope the rumors of the show skipping forward two years each season are untrue. There are too many intricacies in the plot… it would seem ham-handed simply to skip over two years of development. These characters are far too subtle and interesting to miss two years of their growth or declines!

Dennis, as a htrosexual male,

I respectfully disagree with you.

Don Draper is a lost little boy or a wounded soldier crying out for his Mommy. This is what most philandering men are seeking.

I have worked for and with a lot of Don Drapers. They do their thing for years and years and suddenly they wake up and discover the emptiness within themselves.....like Roger in the hospital after his heart attack. Everyone has to pay for an endless "shore leave".

A real man stays with his family. As Don Corleone said in The Godfather: "A man who doesn't spend time with his family is not real man..." :)

I know that this is just a TV show, but I think that Don Draper is a sociopath with lots of social intelligence. He's a cross between a WASP Tony Soprano and Scott Peterson. I don't think much of him either as an ad man......."Oh little town of Bethlehem"...yikes!

In today's world, there are now a lot of "Donna Drapers". At a company party, I was propositioned by an attractive, married Donna Draper. I told her: "Thanks for the offer but I can't do that to another guy."

If I were Cooper, instesd of making him a partner, I'd fire him.

Reasons for watching each episode of Mad Men more than once:

First time: Following the general plot and character development.

Second time: Appreciation of cinematography, camera angles, details of sets and costumes.

Third time: Watching with captions for significance of scripted dialogue and music.

Fourth time: Overall enjoyment of Don Draper one more time!

I too was suprised at the decision to use Bosa Nova music in a 1960 setting. Oh well.

Isn't anyone else besides me interested enough to comment on Peggy's blind date with the potato chip route salesman? Clever little insight into her character development. It's a sure sign that she's crossed over and will never be able to associate with the unglamorous little people again.

Alas, poor Adam - We hardly knew ye.

Money left behind is to take care of his unpaid bills, rent, and funeral expenses.

What is Pete going to tell his wife when she discovers him with the box?

"...not only do I think that Don is plunging headfirst in the credits, but all the Men are. They are all copy and no product. The opening credits are genius. The black and white ultra male form with the ubiquitous cigarette dangling, sliding and falling past all those pin up, lurid images of women."

And every last one of those images of women (including the happy famblee ones) are lies that the guys themselves believe--or want to believe. Which is why they seldom connect with real women.

>I'm a woman, and I think what he says is not only funny, but also exactly what most other men are thinking, but not saying.Quit lecturing and calling him "shallow" and accusing him of purchasing boob jobs for the women in his life.

Hey, if you post in a public place, people have every right to comment on your opinion. And Dennis deserves to be called out for using "that's how us men are; you women better put up with it" crap as an excuse for pure assholery.

"It's a sure sign that she's crossed over and will never be able to associate with the unglamorous little people again."

Or, most likely, the unimaginative, conventional people who probably tried to stifle her from day one. For her mother to "threaten" her if she didn't see some guy, well, that doesn't sound like a supportive parent, to say the least.

The "unglamorous little people" are the exact folks Peggy is writing copy to. But I do agree that she probably came from a repressed background. I'd be interested to get a better view of her past and her upbringing.

No matter who this guy was, Peggy was going to pick a fight. She wants to be in control and call the shots...not her mother. I don't think that she is getting stuck up.

I thought the most interesting line in 'Indian Summer' was when Pete said "there's not a man in this room who's not holding Don Draper on their shoulders so that he can make partner".

At first I thought he was trying to trick the others into believing he is a team player, meaning "everyone's pulling for Don, including me".

But he could have been trying to sow discontent by saying "Don Draper is using OUR work to advance himself".

Or it could have been both. Good line.

Not sure where this whole Rachael thing is going. Don's entering a mine field sleeping with a client. At least Peggy's only sleeping with the product. Rachael's sister is fine with Rachael having a goy toy, but it seems she's gotten inside Rachael's head with doubts about where an affair with a married man could lead. If Rachael leaves Don, does the account go with her?

Not sure what's in the package, but I'm betting it's not a Rejuvenator.

Hugh, I also found Peggy's date with the truckdriver scene interesting. In her awkward attempt to elevate her social status, she was unlikeable and insulting. I thought the truckdriver did a good job of jerking her back to reality. I liked him; I wish her were a regular character.

You know, I think Don Draper is hard to categorize as either a great guy OR a cad. Just like real people, he morphs from one to the other from moment to moment. Also, I'm going to say that it may not be right to cheat on your spouse, but sometimes life gets complicated. Don's whole life has been complicated. So I hesitate to condemn him and his actions entirely. I think he's doing the wrong thing as well and as gingerly as he can.

RE: Peggy's Date

I don't think that Peggy was attempting to elevate her social status...I think she was saying to the guy that whatever he thought he knew about her was no longer true..she is breaking free of the convention that had been her life and striving to acheive goals for herself that are different and in fact create herself...this is the character trait she shares with Don and I believe why he has begun to mentor her

....I think that the guy was a nice guy but quite pedestrian; very much a blue collar Don Draper...if she were to marry him she'd become a working class version of Betty and that is certainly not something that Betty wants for herself

sorry last Betty should be Peggy

Perhaps I should have said "morally flawed". True, Draper has a dream life...getting paid, banging any woman he wants, kids in the nice house, partner in a company, etc. But at the same time, he is running from his past, hiding his present, and selling out his future. That's why the show's tag line squeezes "life" into "lie". Draper epitomizes this.

I'm not judging him when I say he is flawed. Just describing him.

As for Tony Soprano, I think this is apples and oranges. Soprano is a product of his environment. Draper isn't. Drapers' shortcomings are all his own.

Oh, and I forgot to mention my favorite scene. Betty, psychotic eyes glazed, shooting the neighbor's pigeons.

Why is this not on itunes yet?

Someone once said that the two best qualities a person can have are irony and compassion. I would add a sense of humor about oneself.

Unfortunately, both Peggy and Pete seem to be lacking all three.

Baconserker, I was just about to post that question too....WHY ISN'T THIS ON iTUNES YET?

Some posters mentioned that Don 'chases women." Really, because the only person I have seen him chase is Rachel. Even Roger mentioned once, 'using him as bait' to draw women toward him.

E-roc -

"If I were Cooper, instesd of making him a partner, I'd fire him."

Not a chance. Did you hear the junior execs discussing him with Pete? Don is the one who makes the sales and "goes through their pockets." That he may be selfish is right in line with Cooper's like for Ayn Rand's hero, John Galt - "enlightened self-interest."

lyndon -

"there's not a man in this room who's not holding Don Draper on their shoulders so that he can make partner".

Pete was angry saying that their work was being used to promote Don, not that "we're all on the same team." Which is really a stupid comment to make to your peers in the company because any one of them could casually mention it to Don. Saying, "Oh, yeah, Pete said we're holding you on our shoulders so you can make partner. Congratulations, boss!"

To which Don could respond with his famous big smile and say, "Thanks! I knew Pete would see it that way. I'm putting Peggy into copywriting, so she'll be probably be going into a slot vacated by one of you guys."

gail -

"Sorry, but I have to disagree with you about Rachel. Any woman involved with a married man, especially one as attractive as Don, would be having "he'll leave his wife and go running away with me" fantasies, in spite of what she may be saying out loud."

I never said Rachel wouldn't have fantasies. Heck, I've got them too but I know Catherine Zeta Jones isn't going to be happening for me. :-)

Loved the way Peggy tried to be "sophisticated" on her date. It was almost painful to watch. I think we've all been there at one time or another.

Assuming for the sake of argument that Adam Whitman was the person who committed suicide:

If you were Adam, what would you have put in the shoe box to Don seven years after your mom had died?

RE: the refrigerator magnets - the earliest of what we call refrigerator magnets were patented around 1971. That said, we used regular magnets (round and bar shaped) before any cutesy ones were made. I missed seeing them so will have to watch the episode the next time around.

It is also possible that the notes, etc. are taped to the fridge and the kids have stuck Colorforms around them. These vinyl shapes have been around since the early 1950s and stick by static cling. The originals were colored geometric shapes but in later years there were whole sets devoted to various cartoon characters. My mother bought them for us but they never lasted (got sucked up by the vacuum more often than not, or "lost" under the stove.)

Pete's sense of entitlement and general dumbness gets the best of him! Every time! He runs off at the mouth to The Fellas about Don, but they have the intelligence to know the power Don wields. Pipsqueak Pete refuses to acknowledge Don's value to SC. Guess Pete never heard "Keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer...."

Don will light Pete's ass on fire if he tries to blackmail Don! It may take until the end of the second season, because Don's firm believer in "revenge served cold," but it will happen!

I don't understand why there is any question about Adam Whitman killing himself. Of course it was Adam. And he sent Don the box before he did it and left the cash for whoever found him. He didn't send it back to Don which is interesting.

What's in the box? Don's identity. Doesn't really matter what. Birth certificate? Pictures? Letters? It's going to be interesting to see how Don deals with Pete using it for promotion. I can't imagine Pete getting the better of Don though. Not only because Don is so strong and confidant and has Pete's number. Don's card up his sleeve is he doesn't give a sh*t about advertising or the money or possessions. He's not buying cars, houses, clothes, jewelry, furniture or art. His disinterest in stuff is fascinating and it's his most endearing quality.

Lindasue, you're on the money about the reasons to watch the show multiple times.

Reasons for watching each episode of Mad Men more than once. I simply cannot wait for the DVD. Any news on that, anybody??

"Don's card up his sleeve is he doesn't give a sh*t about advertising or the money or possessions. He's not buying cars, houses, clothes, jewelry, furniture or art. His disinterest in stuff is fascinating and it's his most endearing quality."

Good point Adslut. Don isn't in a hurry to get an air conditioner. He doesn't have a house down the shore. I don't know alot about cars, but I don't think the one he drives is the newest model since it's still sporting those late fifties "fins". It's not the trappings of upper class he craves; it's the "normalcy" of it, the All American Ideal. I'm reminded of what he said to Midge: "I'm not sure if you have everything, or nothing". Either way I think he was jealous of her independance from want and conformity and that's what attracted him to her.

To Adslut and Tiramisu:

Agree with you about Don's lack of interest in the material trappings of success. Which is why I'll reiterate my comment from before that I can see him being influenced by the hippie culture of the 60's. I do think part of his attraction to Midge was that she was living the Greenwich Village alternative lifestyle. It turned him on to brush elbows with bohemia, in spite of his contempt for Roy and the other phony beatniks.

I think he will be entering a real existential crisis in the coming years which will result in a total upheaval of his lifestyle and family. He's definitely searching for something and I predict, after the obligatory experimentation with LSD and "free love" (although he's already doing that!) he'll discover Zen Buddhism.

If Rachel should ever marry Don could she trust him? As far as Don's getting back at Pete in the next or last episode is concerned, it will be as smooth as his vengeance on Roger Sterling. Roger didn't even know what "hit him", but the look on his face as Don walked away tells me he suspected something. The writing is superb. Every sentence is important to the plot. Fano'Hamm

To Auburn Annie, who posted at 12:55: Colorforms! OMG. I used to have a set too, and recall pieces mysteriously disappearing. I hope as the show progresses, we will see more reminders of 1960s childhood toys. Easy bake ovens, anyone? What about lunch boxes?

BTW, in episode 10, I think I spotted Russell Wright china being used in the scene with Rachel and her father in the conference room at S&C. The coffee cups looked like Russell Wright, which would be period appropriate.

Is it possible for Don to become any sexier? Loved the scene between Rachel and him, they are much better suited together than he and that slut, Midge. You carry on Don!! You are the sexiest man on TV today.

Can't wait till Don finds out about Adam and what's in the package that the little slimeball, Pete, took. I can only hope that now that Don is a partner, he can finally deal with that worm the way he should be dealt with!

"I don't think that Peggy was attempting to elevate her social status..."

Me either.

"I think she was saying to the guy that whatever he thought he knew about her was no longer true..she is breaking free of the convention that had been her life and striving to acheive goals for herself that are different and in fact create herself..."

And that's a message she's sending back to her mother and the old neighborhood through him. I can relate to Peggy here because when you grew up in a tight-knit family and neighborhood (especially one segregated by class or race) the pressure was intense to conform in some way. In Peggy's case, the pressure is there to do just like all the other girls from her neighborhood: work till you marry a guy you grew up with (whom of course everyone thinks is perfect for you)--then quit and start having a family and being just like everyone else. (Shoot, my mother _still_ talks about this guy I grew up with--and haven't heard about in years--whom she obviously hopes I might see again and marry. :)) Peggy came off kinda cruel, but when you have been getting constant pressure from people to be what they want, there's a lot of anger built up by the time you finally assert what you want.

>....I think that the guy was a nice guy but quite pedestrian; very much a blue collar Don Draper...

Yup. He's the kind of nice guy who underneath would probably have very rigid expectations about what "his" wife should and shouldn't do. In short--not such a nice guy...

"Don isn't in a hurry to get an air conditioner."

Heh. That's because he's not having to keep house and tend two kids in a two-story hotbox. He may not see it as a neccessity, but Betty is beginning to--along with other things...:)

Good comment on Don's hair - always neat and in place 'cept when he's with Rachel. Good metaphor - let's his hair down with her.

Betty - she TRIED to celebrate Don's good news and was rebuffed. I think she'll have an affair with Helen Bishop's ex husband.

Peggy - the date showed how she doesn't really fit any place right now. She's not one of the guys at the office, nor is she one of the secretaries any more. In 1980 she'd be very "normal" and a date would know how to handle that, but not in 1960.

I think Joan will be assigned to help out with Peggy's secretarial work. Won't THAT be fun to watch!

And I love that Don is grooming/mentoring Peggy and not Pete. Serves Pete right! As far as what's in the shoebox, I think it will be pictures and stuff from their childhood because the preview showed Pete looking disturbed and sad.

Jon Hamm is hot hot hot. Holy cow. I need to do laundry NOW. Anyone catch what it was Betty was folding when she heard the washing machine go awry? It was Don's pajama pants! LOVED IT.

E-Roc you rock!! Loved loved loved your comments about what a real man is. You go, boy!!

Deering, you are endearing....

Snowball, I had an easy bake oven! I can still remember how the little cakes, cookies, and candies tasted. That was one of my favorite toys ever, aside from Lite-Brite and that awesomely textured goop... forgot what it was called. Probably goop lol.

Oh yes, and those jars of really strong-smelling liquid plastic in which you dipped bent wires to make cellophane-like flowers. Anyone remember what that was? Wow, I'm sure we were probably completely high from the smell of that stuff... LOLLLLLLL.

You guys, what are we going to do for 8 months when we have no new episodes to blog about? Anybody planning to continue blogging during the hiatus?

help! WHY can't i download the latest episode

on iTunes? i've been waiting since Thursday night!!!! usually you can download the show right after it airs. i'm going crazy...

thanks for any info.

I love the way you're hanging on the next line, but you wait an extra beat while the character lights his cigarette.

Just watched again on OnDemand and noticed that Don's conversation with the psychiatrist was worrisome for his relationship with Rachel. He says that he's afraid to leave her alone. In the scene with Rachel in bed he says he hasn't figured out what to do yet. I think his concern over Betty's state of mind will mean that he won't leave her, ever. "I can't leave my wife because she's unstable..." of some such crap.

Anyway, sad.

Re: the EasyBakeOven, I had one and loved it! Still have the photos of me using the silly thing. (Cooking with a lightbulb? Who thought of that?) It was great fun but I still can't cook!

"Jon Hamm is hot hot hot. Holy cow. I need to do laundry NOW. Anyone catch what it was Betty was folding when she heard the washing machine go awry? It was Don's pajama pants! LOVED IT."

I rewatched just to see that scene. Great catch With Zeal!

>....I think that the guy was a nice guy but quite pedestrian; very much a blue collar Don Draper...

Yup. He's the kind of nice guy who underneath would probably have very rigid expectations about what "his" wife should and shouldn't do. In short--not such a nice guy...

Yes, except he looked like a cross between Howdie Doodie and a Nazi youth. He's creepy. She was rude, but she's finding her way. I can totally relate.

Awesome show. It just impresses me week after week; the writing, acting, music, sets, costumes - I am saving the episodes so I will have some decent television to watch while I wait for June. Long live "Mad Men"!

Noticed after watching episode 11 that while

Betty's headboard at home is a green one against gold walls, the headboard in Rachel's bedroom was gold against a green wall.

This could be stretching the point, but it may be a visual reinforcement; another way of saying Betty and Rachel are the inverse image of each other to Don as well!

Ritt-

Enjoyed reading your comments.

I agree with you that Don is a rainmaker for the firm. However, he's having an affair with a very important client that could lead to new business within the retail market and the Jewish business community. Don is taking a pretty big risk. Rachel is a pretty tough cookie and if she is scorned there will be heck to pay. What if Rachel's father found out about them? :)

...nice guy who underneath would have very rigid expections about what his wife should and shouldn't do...

You didn't like the drink? I'll send it back for you!

As if Peggy couldn't send it back herself. Except at this point I think perhaps she almost could.

This show is a goldmine of nuances.

Now physically, however, Peggy is still a zlub. I can't wait to see how the shows wardrobe and makeup artists--this season or next-- will glam her up.

I agree with Teka's comment about Roger and Joan. Even though I was horrified when he told her she was the best piece of a$$, I took her reaction and tears to be that of being deeply touched and moved by what he said, not insulted. Her face in that scene was incredible, the subtlety of her expressions. She's another star in the making (along with Hamm).

I have to disagree with previous posts about the scene where Roger tells Joan that she's the "best piece of a##" he's ever had. I don't think she was touched at all...I think it was a huge shock to her system. Remember how she fought back tears when Cooper had her come in to type the telegrams on the night Roger had his first heart attack? And she could hardly wait for Cooper and Don to close the door so she could kiss Roger in this scene. I think Joan did have real feelings for Roger, and perhaps only realized the depth of those feelings when he was near death. She missed him, and was glad to see him again. And then he tells her that she's a great lay...and he'll never regret being with her. That's hardly a declaration of love. True, he never led Joan to believe he was in love or that he'd leave his wife. But I believe his words stung her, and I don't think he meant them as a "parting gift" or a means of letting her down gently. I think he was simply expressing how he felt and he expected her to "take it like a man," because that's how she has always conducted herself with him. He said what he did without regard for Joan's feelings, because that's the type of man Roger is. The tears in Joan's eyes, to me, appeared to be tears of pain and shock and bewilderment. It was at that moment that she knows it's time to move on.

I agree with Pandora that Joan was not "moved" by Roger saying she was a great piece of a$$. I thought that flicker of emotion on her face was disappointment and dismay. She really had fallen for him after all.

Her face is very expressive, so the scenes she plays best are the ones where she feels strongly about something but doesn't want to reveal it. (Another scene was the one in which her room mate expressed her attraction). Just a flicker of something, then she hid her feelings again.

Re. my comment about Peggy wanting to elevate her social status....I'm going to stand by that one. She IS trying to elevate her social status. She wants to rise above the mundane and become exceptional. Who says that's a bad thing?

My issue with her was that she felt awkward, so in her efforts to distinguish herself, she insulted the truckdriver, which I didn't think was necessary. It's as though she's trying to fit into a new pair of shoes and they're still tight and uncomfortable for her. I can see Peggy in ten years being a confident, smooth professional. Also think that Regenerator thing has opened up a whole new world to her!

This is a sign of good writing: the characters are both likeable and unlikeable, depending on the situation they're in, just like real people. It's not all black or white. For example, I like Peggy very much, but didn't like her behavior on the date with the truck driver. I'm not a big fan of Joan but have ached with compassion for her from time to time. Don Draper is my favorite, but I didn't like the way he snapped at Betty about letting a stranger into "his" house. The only character that I never feel anything but contempt for is Pete, of course. And Betty, I disagree that there's this deep, insightful, dynamic woman in her just bursting to get out. I just don't see it. I'm waiting for her to surprise me, though. Maybe some future sessions with the washing machine will unleash something.

Someone up above said he wanted more graphic sex scenes between Rachel and Don. (I'm all for that!) But someone told me that MM was originally pitched to HBO, who rejected it, but it was picked up by AMC. There may have been more flagrant language and nudity in the original series that had to be cut out for AMC. Just a thought.

Guess we'll have to be satisfied by the shots of Don walking to bed with no shirt on. I'd probably have to call 911 if they showed me more than that anyway!

Pete is completely unlikeable to me! He needs a good ass-kicking! Props to actor Vincent Kartheiser for making me hate a fake person so much! Betty I also dislike. She's so shallow and all about herself. I wanna smack her!

Dateline: Newton,Iowa

Maytag repairmen were extremely busy over the weekend repairing machines that were damaged due to unbalanced loads.

Where is the episode on itunes? It's been 5 days. According to Apple, AMC hasn't provided them with the episode yet.

Missed the show last Thursday, had to stay up until 12:30 to catch the repeat last night.

Re: confusion on whether it was Adam. His hair was longer, time had passed(few months). I think it was realizing that Dick/Don accomplished what he couldn't(creaitng a new life for himself) that threw him over the edge.

Congrats Peggy, your hard work is paying off.

Someone made a comment a couple weeks ago about Campbell's secretary essentially saying "Suck it, Campbell!" Cracks me up every time I see him onscreen now.

BTW, I saw a "commercial" for Mad Men, not a sneak peak, and there was a scene in it where Pete says to Don, "You aren't who you say you are." And Don comes around his desk toward him rather quickly. I hope he bitch-slaps Campbell the same way his wife slapped Helen in the grocery store.....Nah, a good gut punch will suffice.

So I wonder...how come no one in the office but Peggy and Don think or speak ill of Campbell. I'll bet his secretary does. Actually, she's quite attractive, but he could never handle her.

I honestly think if Don gets the best of Pete(and I so hope he does) that Pete will be another one to kick the chair over. I don't think he has a stones to cope with it.

"Someone up above said he wanted more graphic sex scenes between Rachel and Don. (I'm all for that!) But someone told me that MM was originally pitched to HBO, who rejected it, but it was picked up by AMC. There may have been more flagrant language and nudity in the original series that had to be cut out for AMC. Just a thought."

Well, there you have it. I wasn't going to buy the DVD collection but now...

"I love the way you're hanging on the next line, but you wait an extra beat while the character lights his cigarette."

Yes! Even someone as boring as ol' Harry can make you wait to hear the next line...

Mad Men, of course, is my new favorite show. After The Sopranos ended, Mad Men arrived on the scene and so far, so brilliant!!! Like The Sopranos, there is so much more to this show than meets the eye.

Not only is the show visually and intellectually stimulating, but above all, it is the early 1960's historically accurate depictions that sets this show apart from the others.

I love watching all of the characters evolve esp. Don, Pete, Peggy and Betty. Two episodes left this season. Can't wait to see em!

Somebody in a comment above equated Draper to that weasel tit Pete. How's that possible? Don Draper has been shown to be exceedingly generous and forthcoming with respect to helping others (Gave Midge a mega bonus and Peggy a chance at advancement). He's such a giving guy that he's even helping Rachel get over her attraction to Dobermans.

OK, so the rap on Don is that he screws around. In my opinion he doesn't screw around nearly as much as he clearly could and he's just attempting to find a hot chick like Rachel that is intellectually his equal. No doubt that Betty is just as hot as Rachel (and possibly hotter since happen to prefer blondes, especially those with a washing machine fetish) but she's bugging the guy with petty bullshit and he's tired of it.

So I guess some here have concluded that he's a shit because he cheats on his wife. Well girls let me tell you something. The main reason most men don't cheat on their wives is a lack of opportunity not because they are so damn happy at home or have some high moral standard. As I've previously stated men are pigs accept that fact. If a guy looks like Don Draper he's either getting his brains banged out at home (the intelligent wife or girlfriends approach to the problem - keep his bullets to herself so that there's nothing left in the gun to use on others) or he's nailing somebody else simply because he can.

So I suppose the next knock on the guy is that he's turned his back on his past and assumed this new identity. I say good for him, his past sucked, I admire someone who can totally reinvent themselves. This is a crucial talent in advertising as normally that's what the majority of advertising is about, reinventing a boring box of soap for Procter and Gamble. This morphing ability is one reason that I've always appreciated the talents of David Bowie.

And now let's turn our attention to Pete: the worm.

Completely and totally selfish. Gives nothing to nobody.

Pimps his wife to screw her former boyfriend so that he can get published.

Sucker punches a co-worker instead of facing him in a fair fight - I wish Ken would have knocked this little pricks teeth out.

Is a thief - he steals Don's package.

How this guy has sex with Peggy is a mystery to me since I'm convinced he has to sit down on the toilet to pee the little pussy. What's he use when he does Peggy, a strap on?

This person has NO redeeming social value and should be killed at the earliest opportunity.

And I reiterate: Don Draper, YOU DA MAN!!!

I love this show. I am addicted. The acting, the writing, the makeup/hair/outfits...Jon Hamm! This is the only show worth watching right now. Smart writing, fantastic story lines. So much acted without words--especially by January Jones and Jon Hamm. Loveless marriage that hangs on by a thread. And I love that he's falling for Rachel! Also, love Peggy's character. Sassy, and immensely sexy.

Another great episode from another great show. I love Mad Men. Every episode leaves us hanging on for more. What will Pete do with the box? What's in the box? So many twists and turns. So many rich, complex characters. This really is a show for the ages.

www.leavesart.com

Another great episode from another great show. I love Mad Men. Every episode leaves us hanging on for more. What will Pete do with the box? What's in the box? So many twists and turns. So many rich, complex characters. This really is a show for the ages.

www.leavesart.com

Is there a reason why 'Indian Summer' still isn't available on iTunes?

when will this episode be on itunes? i have been searching for it but it doesn't seem to be up yet. is there a way this could be done any faster?

I don't think Peggy is pregnant--she's desexualizing herself AND she's on the Pill, which was loaded w/hormones much more than they are now... She wants to be noticed for her brain and talent, not the way she fills out her dresses.

Don is fixin' to fall here, what with SlimeBucket Pete stealing "the box" and he and Rachael doin' the hokey pokey, and yes, I think she'll end up pregnant.

I am thinking though vapid on the surface, Betty may end up surprising us all. Could she perhaps end up friends and partners in crime with the "disreputable divorced woman" down the street? Hmmm...

I love this show!

Man, I go offline for the weekend and come back and have to catch up on all this new brilliance on the blog boards.

Tom Schantz -- I notice you're still watching MM. It's addicting isn't it? C'mon admit it! Also, the reason we can't watch Friday Night Lights instead is that they moved it to Friday Nights, which is stupid, because the people who love FNL are people who are into high school football. High school football games are on Friday nights, so the audience for FNL is not home watching TV, they're at their local h.s. football game.

I love that this webboard has both gals AND guys opining. Any singles out there? Maybe we should start a new internet dating service for those of us who love MM. We could call it MadMatch.com AMC - not a bad idea, hmmmm?

Here's what I think is in the box: most of the money, a note that says "by the time you read this, I'll be dead" and some momentos that will lead Pete to be able to find out Don's real identity. I think the money that Adam left on the table was for his funeral expenses. I think he sent the rest of the money back to Don, because what he wanted from Don was a relationship, not money. I think he killed himself because he was lonely and was devastated when Don rejected him, and insulted that Don thought he could buy him off with cash (as if implying that he assumed Adam would eventually blackmail him.) Adam was living in a little room by himself, and he probably sent Don whatever he had left from his family, because after Adam died, no one would have any use for it. I think that the momentos in the box will be enough to give Pete the notion that he knows enough about Don's past to be a threat to him, but I don't think it will be enough to give him the whole picture. (After all, Adam knew who Don was before, but he didn't know anything about the time period between when Don left home and now, which I think that will be the real story.) I don't think Pete will reveal how much he knows all at once. He'll suggest to Don that he knows everything and see what kind of an effect that will have. If the benefit he gets from that is sufficient, he'll hold it over Don's head for as long as he can and squeeze it for all it's worth.

I watched the "Indian Summer" episode again last night, I know, I know, I need to get a life...It struck me though what the title stands for. A fake taste of a season that is already over. And as I watched I noticed all these fake elements trying to be experienced as real. The rejuvenator, satisfying women without the man, the washing machine, spinning Bets into sexual fantasy, Rachel's trysts with her Goy Toy, Don, who repeatedly tries to convince her how REAL the relationship is. Even Peggy trying to smoke like a sophisticate and choking due to inexperience, ordering a drink that Joan orders all the time, but Peggy has no idea what is in it or even if she would like it. The whole idea of living in "refridgerated comfort" in one's home. The refridgerator itself being an appliance seeking preservation, this conditioning helping to preserve the home's cool comfort. Bets says that Don, doesn't want it, the air conditioning, but she clearly does want her home preserved.

Nightingale,

I thought your analysis of the Indian Summer title in relation to what happened in the episode was great! I also watch each chapter multiple times, and was especially struck by the weather coinciding with the heat we in the Northeast have experienced for the past week or two. Glad my central air just kicked in; hard to imagine living without it, like Betty has to.

Ardilla:

In a previous episode, Cooper said that Pete had to stay because of his social connections. I have to believe that the flip-side is that it is not acceptable (to Cooper and maybe society in general) to have a partner, Don, who's a son of a prostitute. This could spell Don's downfall etc.

Of course, it doubtful that the box would contain so much info. It probably does contain enough for Pete to research (or just to hint to Don that he will).

Anyway, indian summer could mean a change from w/r to the 60's or the end to Don's anonymity and unfettered rise to the top.

Anyway, the idea that you would steal a package of a desk (let alone your boss's) is amazing.

Peggy should not be pregnant she went into a doctor's office for birth control in one of the earlier episodes.

Peggy should not be pregnant she went into a doctor's office for birth control in one of the earlier episodes.

>Well girls let me tell you something.The main reason most men don't cheat on their wives is a lack of opportunity not because they are so damn happy at home or have some high moral standard.As I've previously stated men are pigs accept that fact.If a guy looks like Don Draper he's either getting his brains banged out at home (the intelligent wife or girlfriends approach to the problem - keep his bullets to herself so that there's nothing left in the gun to use on others)but she's bugging the guy with petty bullshit and he's tired of it.

"Petty bullshit" like her grief over her mother, for example? Yeah, God forbid a wife have a personality or problems like most humans do. If she wants to hang onto her man, she better have no more depth (and cause no more trouble) than a blow-up doll. Because that's all she's good for anyway, right, Dennis?

this show is amazing - the acting, character development, writing everything is just the best ---can't wait to see it very thursday-----do we really have to wait until next summer for part 2.??????

can't it start again in janurary ??????

and i just know that the cliffhanger will have something to do with the box, peeetee and don!

fashion note to the costume dept --- the one essential fashion accessory late 50's early 60's was the charm bracelet, either multi charms or 1 single large one -----rachel and betty should both wear one- rachel the multi-betty the single--rasons obvious.

john hamm -very hot -very kennedyesque but I see possibly becoming very influenced by the whole find yourself/hippie movement of the late 60's.

and peggy she's just a forerunner for the whole womens movement to come and I bet even betty will see the light slowly but eventually. can't wait till next week!

Hmm, let's try this again...

"Well girls let me tell you something."

You aren't addressing an elementary school here. Grow up and show respect.

"The main reason most men don't cheat on their wives is a lack of opportunity not because they are so damn happy at home or have some high moral standard."

Then why get married, then?

"As I've previously stated men are pigs accept that fact."

No, men like _you_ are pigs. And I wouldn't believe anything you'd say if you observed the sun is hot. :)

"If a guy looks like Don Draper he's either getting his brains banged out at home (the intelligent wife or girlfriends approach to the problem - keep his bullets to herself so that there's nothing left in the gun to use on others)"

Oh, no--not the "Wife better be a porn star in the sack every night, else husband has every right to cheat" crap. Dude, how old _are_ you?

"...but she's bugging the guy with petty bullshit and he's tired of it."

Yeah, because no wife should have feelings or problems. How dare she inconvenience her husband by being more than a housewife paper doll--or a blow-up one? Man, the more I see how many guys like you are out there, the happier I am that I never got married. Who needs grief like that? :)

I found it ironic that Pete acutally "stole" Don's identity albiet momentarily to receive the box...remember the mailroom person saying..."Mr. Draper?...this package is for you." and Pete acknowledging that he was Draper?

I would like to know what chain of events causes Peggy to be in tears in one of the previews aired immediately after last week's episode?

re: the info from the most recent interview about the "contemplated" Jack Daniels placement...why does everyone think it is Peggy who might be pregnant...would it be a bit more dramatic if it were Joan? ...or even Rachael although I still think that she would avail herself of a "d&C " rather than a back alley abortion...gosh Peggy's only had sex twice in 8 months that we know about...the odds are that it would be Joan or Rachael...or maybe even Roger's daughter....very wild supposition. Or maybe it was mentioned just to whet our imaginations....

Also another way to interpret the espisode's title "Indian Summer"...is that indian summer is a time of harvest...what is being harvested in this episode?....let's see:

Roger - is reaping the fruits of an extremely unhealthy lifestyle in the form of a second heart attack;

Peggy - is beginning to reap the rewards of creativity and hard work;

Pete - in the most just of all possible world's Pete will reap a gi-normous a**kicking:)

Joan - her pain at hearing that she is nothing more than a "fantastic piece of a** would be the painful harvest of her illicit extra marital affair with Roger

Just another way to view Indian Summer...and yep Don would do well to get central air in his home before all hell breaks loose in more than one way

WOW--I BLOG OFF FRIDAY COME BACK ON MONDAY AND THERE IS A TON OF GREAT NEW STUFF TO READ. I READ IT ALL THE TIME JUST TO FIND OUT WHAT I ACTUALLY MISSED WHILE I WAS WATCHING --- THE SYMBOLISM EVERYONE FINDS IS SO INTRIGUING.

CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THIS WEEKS EPISODE

I THOUGHT THAT WHEN ADAM ASKED THE PORTER TO SEND THE BOX OUT FOR HIM ---DIDN'T THE PORTER ADDRESS HIM (ADAM) BY NAME ? ANYBOY REMEMBER ?

BRAVO TO VINCENT K FOR MAKING PETE SUCH A HATEFUL CHARACTER

JON HAMM IS TOO HANDSOME BUT ALSO PERFECTLY SUBTLE AS DON DRAPER -SUPERB THE WHOLE CAST IS JUST GREAT --- DO WE REALLY HAVING TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT JUNE FOR PART 2???????????????????????????????????

Deering, To answer your questions in a civil manner.

1) What's the big deal with her mother dying? From what we've seen on the Psychiatrist couch her mother was one of the reasons Betty's so damn screwed up. I got along great with both of my parents and it took me about 10 minutes each to accept their deaths (much welcome as they both suffered a lot toward the end). What exactly is there is get over. Everybody is born, they live and then they die. If they die when you’re a child or dependent upon them in some fashion I can see how this would deeply affect you as it changes your life dramatically. When they die at the normal age and you’re fully grown isn’t that sort of expected and normal?

Draper was happy to hear that his stepmother died when Adam told him that as he hated her. Why is Betty so screwed up over somebody that controlling of her dying? This remorse doesn’t make sense to me.

2) Betty IS the blow up doll and regrettably that’s her problem with Don. He’s trying to grow and evolve, she’s retrogressing. That’s the root cause of their relationship issue and why he prefers Rachel.

3) Draper got married because he knocked Betty up. Stand up guy that he is he married her.

4) You apparently agree that men are pigs. That’s why you never got married. I’m not defending men being pigs I simply maintain that it’s reality. Many women understand this and learn to deal with the reality. In your case you’ve done this by never getting married other women face the issue in various ways.

5) The women that get hurt the most are those that don’t face reality and believe that men can be changed which is the greatest lie ever perpetrated on humanity. No, we can’t be changed, we don’t want to change and we like being men/pigs. And you know what, there are some women who actually like men being men. I think Joan has her eyes wide open about men and fits this description of understanding them for what they are pretty well. God bless her and others like her.

6) 55.

Did anyone catch the rerun on'98's Pleasantville? I's set in the same time period and the mother, played by Joan Allen is named Betty. Bet the writers were thinking of her when they cast Madmen-same clothes, prissy attitude, clueless about sex.

Reading all the posts and the kind of things that are said about

Don Draper/Jon Hamm makes me think of what they used to say about the huge stars of Hollywood in the good old days of the studio system--men like Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, Bob Mitchum, Gregory Peck et al--

Women find him irresistible, and guys want to emulate him--and that's one reason we're all hooked!

Another reason I think Roger kissed Joan off with his crude remarks is that he knows he can no longer even try to satisfy her sexually. By telling her goodbye, he saves face when she moves on to someone new.

Laurie B: about that internet dating service idea to match men and women who love MadMen... well, we have 'sparks' flying between Dennis and Deering!

But that's probably not what you had in mind:)

LOL!

Deering,

I think Don can't understand Betty's inability to "get over" her mother's death because he never really had a mother. His died at birth and the step-mother wasn't someone he had a warm connection to... Don doesn't have the experience to understand, I'm not excusing him, just trying to explain. In the "Long Weekend" Bets goes on and on about her mother's replacement fixing a roast with ketchup and her father behaving with the new wife like she did with her mother. Betty is uncomfortable with people being so easily replaced, feeling like she's easily replaced as well.

As I have said before in previous postings, I don't think that any one character is one dimensional in Mad Men, just as in life. Kudo's to all those that have been blogging and investigating the layers to this astonishingly good show. There IS intelligent life on earth!!!!Thank you.

Marilyn, I think you're absolutely right. However I don't think Roger was crude with what he said, in his mind he gave her his highest possible compliment. If you remember all of Roger's encounters with Joan he always acted this exact way. He never BS'ed her or made any secret of his "I'm here for the ass Red" point of view. I don't think his remark hurt Joan, I think she was touched by it because she truly understood this man and how he would respond.

Everybody is focusing on the "piece of ass comment" how about the more important "I've had a long time to think about the things I've regretted in my life and you are NOT ONE OF THEM. That's an amazingly powerful statement of feeling for someone nobody seems to be paying any attention to. Maybe as I guy I looked at this seen differently than a women would but I saw it as Roger very fondly and lovingly bidding Joan goodbye with the highest of respect and emotion. Look at how he held her hand then let it go.

Dennis - I totally agree with your take on death. If you're at peace with the person who has died, i.e. had a great relationship, told each other you love them, etc. I have found it is much easier to cope, especially if you're all adults. Losing someone young may be a bit harder. Although Betty came from the "perfect" background, I feel there are big issues there. I do think Don cares about her, maybe even loves her. He really isn't a total ass. (that's Pete) But she is very frustrating & he just doesn't know how to relate to her anymore.

On the other hand, Don could be my father-in-law. Oddly, he never smoked. Everything else matches. And my mother-in-law nursed him at the end, still married & grieved. Don Draper though he was, he was her true love, even though she knew/suspected some things. To each his own.

Back to Pete - please don't kill him off -he's the comic relief & I would miss Don seeing him for what he is & putting him in his place every time. I just can't see Pete destroying Don. Too trite for this great show.

Let me see now...how shall I say this:

Okay,I think that death of a parent is one of the five most significantly stressful life events that can occur for an adult (marriage, birth of a child/death of a child; death of a spouse, loss of job/moving are the other major ones)

Betty has een dealing with this major life event over the course of this series and will probably continue to deal with it; this is the reason Don arranged for her to see the shrink; that she had issues with her father's new girlfriend does not make her immature; it's just a fairly natural reaction in the adult child of the remaining parent (I remember that my brothers temporarily lost their minds when I my mom began dating after my dad's death...thought she shouldn't see anyone yada,yada...but they got over it)

All this criticism of Betty taking too long to deal with her mom's death is immature and ingracious...even if she is just a character on a tv series...I would hope that folk have more patience and empathy with their real life friends when they find them in this situation.

Now on to a lighter topic....I just realized where I had seen Jon Hamm before: he portrayed a detective in the female centered cop program THE DIVISION ..I just happened to be looking at an old episode recently.....He was fine then though a bit more scruffy and less GQ than he is in MM...three cheers for the eye candy..

Dennis you are correct...you can't change men....if they require changing then they need to change themselves...a good man knows this and can use the opportunity of a good marriage/relationship to evolve to the higher aspects of himself....I've seen it happen.

I think Dennis is right (ouch, that hurt to type lol) about the dynamic between Joan and Roger. They both know what that relationship was about, both knew that his declaration of "love" was geniunely felt and both knew it was goodbye. Roger was being cruel to be kind in letting her go.

Madaboutmad - yes! Definitely a Gregory Peck, Bob Mitchum, Gary Cooper vibe going on with Jon Hamm/Don Draper. Thank god a real man has returned to our screen.

And hurry up ITUNES/AMC! On an up note, I read that the finale will air without commercial interruption. Yay! and Boo. What will we do for nine months?

I am such a HUGE fan of the show. I wasn't born anywhere near 1960 (I was born 22 years later) so I can't really relate to it. But, I am fascinated by novelty and themes from past eras and love watching how the world evolved. And yes, Jon Hamm is so hot!

I agree with Dennis and Marilyn re: Joan and Roger. Roger's crass statement might not have been worthy of a greeting card, but he was telling her he loved her. I think the whole point was: he's had time to reflect, he realizes he's made mistakes, but she isn't one of them. But like Mr. Cooper told her in Episode 10, she needs to move on. I just hope Roger is not dispatched to the convalescent home because I think he's da man (sorry, Dennis).

As for the Drapers, I think the only way the Draper marriage will end is if Betty walks out, and I don't see that happening any time soon. Don needs Betty. She "looks" like he wants his wife to look, she's a decent mother, makes a good casserole and puts up with his b.s., without too many complaints, except she wants an air conditioner. No matter how much she may annoy him, he needs her. Rachel Menken will not iron Don's shirts or make him breakfast. I think Don and Rachel will end up tearing each other's eyes out eventually. Which makes their pairing now interesting to watch.

Re: the Roger and Joan farewell...I still maintain what I said in my earlier post, that Joan was stung by Roger's remark about her being the best piece of a## he's ever had. I did catch what Roger said about not regretting being with her. But not regretting that he screwed her brains out is not the same as saying, "I love you, and you mean something to me." On some level, I think Joan thought Roger was going to say something along those lines. And when it didn't happen...when he reminded her, in a rather crude way, of just what their relationship was really based on...I still say it really shocked her and that's why she was crying. If you think about it, Roger is the only one who so far has made Joan cry...she cried the night he had the first heart attack, too. Not saying that Roger doesn't have warm feelings for toward Joan, but in his mind, they were, as we say today, f***buddies.

Roger, I just noticed your snide comment. The worst part is that according to eHarmony Deering and I are suppose to be soulmates. Damn computer dating.

"So I suppose the next knock on the guy is that he's turned his back on his past and assumed this new identity. I say good for him, his past sucked, I admire someone who can totally reinvent themselves. This is a crucial talent in advertising as normally that's what the majority of advertising is about, reinventing a boring box of soap for Procter and Gamble. This morphing ability is one reason that I've always appreciated the talents of David Bowie."

Reinventing yourself in show business, or a product in advertising is one thing. But in real life when people change their name, let their family think they are dead, move far away, pay off family members to stay away when they are found, get married and not tell their spouses anything of their past; ...it's usually an indication that they have some secret they are trying to hide or run away from. That's why many of the 'Most Wanted' faces on the post office wall have several names under them.

Don seems like a fairly tough guy to me. Seems like he's going to a hell of a lot of trouble to hide something other than that he had a crappy childhood. Either the writers are setting us up one hell of a red herring, or there is really something there that could destroy him. I still see Don as amoral, but he is smart enough to be aware that society doesn't see things the way he does, and therefore he has to keep certain things under wraps. It's not inconsistent with this view of him that he might have taken some advantageous opportunity in the confusion of war that he might not otherwise have gotten.

Whatever's in that box, I'm guessing it's not a Whitman Sampler. Or maybe it is.

'Indian Summer' usually means unusually warm weather occurring after the first frost, or it can mean an upswing in something right before it ends.

Looks like something (or everything) is about to go bad.

Laurie B:

Great idea -- I'm single and would love to communicate with other single MM lovers out there. Any takers?

I believe Joan was stricken by Roger's comment. Look carefully at the expression on her face and the way she pulled her arm away from him. I think his "honesty" was way too brutal. And if you'll remember, in the hotel scene he did say "I was even thinking of leaving my wife." Not that Joan was remotely interested in being married to Roger -- I think she was getting bored with him and the affair anyway. Still, no woman, even a first-class "piece of ass" like Joan, wants to hear the relationship reduced to that level, even if it is true.

I've just read the most marvelous book called "How Starbucks Saved My Life" by Michael Gill. He's the son of the great New Yorker writer Brendan Gill, a Yale graduate, and was a Senior Executive and Creative Director at J. Walter Thompson Advertising for 25 years before getting fired at age 53. After 10 years of doing "consulting" and down to his last dime, he took a job as a barista at Starbucks and changed his whole life. It's a great read, very inspiring, and might be of interest to MM fans. Maybe the elderly Don Draper will wind up working behind the counter at Starbucks?

OK, Dennis. The "Whitman sampler" reference is priceless. Well done! And I agree that Joan was hurt by Roger's crass remark during what was supposed to be a tender moment. Looks like she's hooking back up with Paul in the next episode. So she can get harrassed and belittled by him now. The totally sarcastic and funny Attention Deficit Theatre recap of the episode is up. Love the take on Betty's sexual fantasy at the washing machine.

http://www.unboundedition.com/content/view/2759/50/

I've been thinking about the Don/Rachel pairing and just can't see it being more than man/mistress (or whatever you want to call the relationship).

They don't move in the same circles and have no friends in common, just some aspects of outsider-ness. She knows some intimate details about him as he knows some about her. Big whoop. They fill one another's empty spaces but from there it seems like it's going to be a slow train wreck.

This is like Anna Karenina in reverse - married man vs. married woman. (Watched the movie a couple weeks ago.) He might want to move in her circles (American Jewish, fashion) but in 1960... well, that probably wouldn't be happening. His only interest in her life is her, not her social status or culture. She put him on notice from Day One at their meeting that she and Menken's weren't going to be taken for granted (like Midge was).

Interesting though, that when he visited her at the store, she tried to "put her mark" on him with cuff links. Hmm... Cuff links... hand cuff... Think about it.

It won't be Don who really breaks her heart, it'll be the realization that the relationship can't develop into the rest of her life. For a number of reasons, he won't divorce Betty even if he is unhappy. Leave her for a new life? In a heartbeat. But divorce which would be necessary in his current life? Uh-uh. Like her sister said, "It starts out as a glorious romance..." (or something like that)

You've absolutely got to check the link that Lanyard provided, you'll piss yourself. I was laughing so hard I thought I was going to pull a Roger. That girl has major talent.

Gail Klein: I know -it's not a bad idea, is it? I guess those interested should start including their city and state in their signature ? I'm not sure how this can work, I just thought it was a fun idea since we're all such ADDICTS about this show.

A few thoughts:

Has anyone noticed the size of the beds? I think Midge's was a single, the Draper's and Rachel's are both doubles (if that). Not a queen or king size in sight.

Wouldn't it be funny if by the beginning of next season Pete's wife is having an affair with the publishing guy? Basically the only wife having an affair while all the husbands and single guys (with the exception of Salvatore) are at least trying to get it on with other women.

Speaking of Pete, well, what can you say about a guy who's twenty-six, has spent a couple years with the company and wants to be in charge of client services? He doesn't have the gravitas (aka balls) of even Salvatore, not to mention Harry, Paul and Ken. But if Don promotes one of them over him, Pete's going to go berserk. But Don could promote Harry Rumsen (proper age and position) who first noticed Peggy's turn of phrase. Even if he does have a wife who doesn't want to give back the Rejuvinator. :-)

Would Pete go postal if Joan placed/Don asked Hildy to be Don's secretary now that Peggy's not going to be available? "From the way you two acted the other day, Pete, I thought you and she were on the outs..."

Watched Salvatore's posture, gestures and attitude the past few weeks (since his abortive encounter). Any guy in his work group who had so much as a clue...

Did anyone notice that Adam, before hanging himself, was wearing a suit and tie as against a plaid shirt of a janitor as in the episode 5G? He'd tried to follow in Don's footsteps but they just didn't fit.

I think Don is ultimately Don is attracted to strong women(Rachel and Midge)and I don't think he has a clue what he wants from his wife Betty. He see Betty as weak.

Watched Salvatore's posture, gestures and attitude the past few weeks (since his abortive encounter). Any guy in his work group who had so much as a clue...

OK..is this man gay or not? He turned down an "offer" a couple epi's ago...but. He has the way about him, or am I nuts?

To correct some prior erroneous info here, Astrud Giberto is not the voice on the number we heard during Betty's washing machine scene.

The first time Astrud was ever recorded was in 1963, during the historic Stan Getz sessions with her husband Jaoa in New York. There, Jaoa spontaneously invited her to sing "The Girl from Ipanema," primarily because the session producer was inisisting the song wouldn't sell in North America if performed in Portuguese and Astrud was the only Brazillian in attendance with any real command of English.

Note that this information comes directly from Astrud's autobiography, which can be found at http://www.astrudgilberto.com/biography2.htm

Is this episode ever going to show up on iTunes? I don't want to fall too far behind.

Regarding Roger's "piece of ass" comment to Joan: As a result of his heart attack, Roger has had to face the reality that he can't live the way he had been doing so he has decided to forgo some of the physical activities he has become accustomed to, including sex with Joan. After staring death in the face, he's afraid to do that again, so he decided to end it. Perhaps he focused on the sexual aspect of their relationship in hopes that she would take offense and, therefore, be better able to accept the break. However, I think she meant more to him than he's letting on, and she probably knows that, but she went along with his way of ending it.

Indian Summer interpretation comments are all telling. Fleeting - not real summer, and the end of something.

Ritt - Are you on board that Adam Whitman was Adam Whitman. My immediate reaction upon seeing him with straight hair and dyed hair is that he tried to reinvent himself but didn't like who he was or couldn't change at all - thus decided to end it. Somehow his 'look' transmitted an eerily sad, abused childhood.

lyndon, you wrote: "Either the writers are setting us up one hell of a red herring, or there is really something there that could destroy him [Don]. " I think you're right -- they're not setting up a red herring, and there is something in Don's life that could destroy him. But it's not just in that box. The box may be a catalyst ... but if his life collapses, it will fall under the weight of his secrets. There's only so long anyone, no matter how strong, can hold up a life he or she has essentially created to cover up something terrible.

We saw Don's habit of hiding parts of himself in separate places when he spoke of his dark origins to Rachel. I saw the depth of that confession when he refused the cigarette she offered: never seen him do that before. Don IS the guy behind a cloud of smoke.

I think Don sees Rachel as the opposite of his wife. As he said at the meeting with her father: Rachel is "educated, sophisticated." He's decided that Rachel "knows everything" about him -- and what she didn't know before he showed up at her door, he's willing to fill in for her. He needs to put it somewhere. (I think I intend that pun.)

Don clearly doesn't see Betty as "educated". She is what she was when they married; she'll always be that. I think he chose to stay with Sterling Cooper because there was something in her new photos -- the hint of a life she might make for herself -- that threatened him. Betty is part of the little diorama ("my house"; "you're an angel") he's created to support the fiction of Don Draper, Success Story. When she lets a salesman into the house, lets the boss hit on her: that upsets the fiction. Reminds him she's human.

God forbid.

I like most of these characters: I hope they keep Betty growing, break down Joan a bit and develop Rachel a lot (I can never see enough of her). But the one I feel for the most is Don. I admire the writers' understanding of a man who'd try to create the appearance of strength by hiding the land mines in his life behind so many load-bearing walls -- and then hoping nothing triggers any of them. Don may think the universe is indifferent, but he is not. I think he really loves his family and doesn't want to hurt anyone; he just wants to keep everything as it is for a while. It took so long to build it all.

The writers (and actor) really know what they're doing. I get Don because he's a lot like my dad. I'd love to know where the writers' knowledge comes from.

Beacon -

Yup, that's what I was saying. "Whitman" is Adam Whitman. Different style hair, suit but the same guy. (Both episodes played by Jay Paulson.)

Andbrainstoo -

Either Salvatore's gay or he grew up in a very strange neighborhood. He turned down the offer because he's a long way from being ready to come out with someone he just met. Old enough to have been in the Army/Navy during WWII. Classic case of "don't ask, don't tell".

Anne -

The big secret is probably coming up in Episode 13 in a flashback and I suspect you're right, it's not what's in the box. Probably has to do with his actions while in the Army, before he changed his name. When the Chinese crossed the Yalu River, a lot of soldiers couldn't run fast enough. Or it could be combat fatigue.

Dennis: my comment about 'sparks flying' wasn't intended to be snide or malicious. I just thought it was ironic that although sparks were flying (on this board), it was anything but romantic. Sorry if I offended you.

Now, back to the show!

"Probably has to do with his actions while in the Army, before he changed his name. When the Chinese crossed the Yalu River, a lot of soldiers couldn't run fast enough. Or it could be combat fatigue."

I wonder this too. Something to do with the real Don Draper, who I'm guessing was in Dick's unit and somehow, someway, died by friendly fire and Dick was involved. Dick decides to steal his identity (dogtags, uniform, etc). Don Draper is awarded the Purple Heart and Dick is reincarnated. Too soap-y? Probably.

Combat fatigue...an appropo discription of Don/Dick's life since the end of the war.

Roger, No problem at all dude. I wasn't offended in any way. I thought you made a very cool comment. Surprised that you thought I was offended. Not offended, certainly amused.

I agree! The Attention Deficit Theater link above by lanyard is HILARIOUS! Anyone wanting a GOOD laugh should click on it now. Evidently there are similar "send ups" on that site for all the MM epis. FUNNY FUNNY FUNNY.

COMMERCIAL FOR MM TODAY SHOWS DON AND PETE IN A HEATED CONVERSATION - THE "BOX" IS ON DONS DESK, WRAPPED IN THE BROWN PAPER, RETIED WITH THE STRING. PETE IS SAYING SOMETHING LIKE "I DESERVE THIS JOB" - I CAN'T UNDERSTAND DONS REPLY. - THEN PETE SAYS " YOU ARE NOT WHO YOU SAY YOU ARE"....

The box may hold just what Pete needs to get his promotion from Don. Per the previous commenter, I noticed that Pete said "you are not who you say you are as well," guess I will need to re-watch the episode tonight.

sorry, make that "you are not who you say you are" as well...

oops sorry again (I guess I am trying to multi-task right now), I mean that I noticed the COMMERCIAL as well!!!

re:....the beds. It's a design/time frame issue. I don't believe that queen and king sized beds were produced except my special order until the mid to late 60s.

sallyg - re:TheCommercial - wondering thoughts -

Since the box is re wrapped in the brown paper, and tied with the string, it would apprear that perhaps Pete was intending to make Don believe he had not opened it. (Mail tampering you know)

- ?? Did he remove some damaging evidence with which to blackmail Don before he reclosed the box?? -

-?? Will Peggy somehow overhear Pete threaten Don and confront him with the "secret" she shares with him?

Don't think Pete would take a chance with that little tidbit reaching his wife.

This thing reminds me of the "Perils of Pauline", even the commercials are cliff hangers!

So I'm obsessing - I"m off to "ATTENTION DEFICIT THEATER" to put things back into perspective.

Ritt: Yes, the beds are small -- it's in keeping with the period. I don't know when queen/king-sized beds came on the market, but it was later than 1960. My parents (and everyone else's) had a double bed.

Agua De Beber - Astrud Gilbert, Tom Jobim, Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto

was the song I downloaded and is the song used in the episode.

Even if the song doesn't follow the shows time line it sets the mood of the character's feeling at that particular moment, it was perfect. No need for nitpicking.

As Gregory Hines said in "History of the World"

"Movies is Magic!"

Roger and Joan better not move on. They're a hot couple. ;) I think that pairing makes the show really interesting.

I agree that Roger and Joan are hot together, but Roger will end up stone cold (on a slab in the morgue) if he and Joan do the nasty again. His heart can't take it!