Henry is just a another Daddy figure for Betty. She has been looking for a way to punish Don for his affair with Bobbie since Jimmy let the cat out of the bag in The Gold Violin.
I don't see a real future for Henry and Betty, but she could never leave Don unless it was for someone with money and a certain degree of social status because she's a Main Line Philadelphia Princess, so it is possible. Only Matt Weiner knows for sure.
I find it hard to get into her head on this one because it is a no brainer; one second of time with Don Draper beats a month of Henry Francis!

One interesting observation on both Henry and Suzanne: Both almost fade into the TV screen; they are colorless and pretty one-dimensional, the male and female of the same person. Kind of like each is whatever Don or Betty need them to be to get through this very tough year.
They did not have any time to decide if they could save their marriage or even if it was worth saving before Betty learned of her pregnancy. I do think that if she hadn't been pregnant, Betty would not have taken Don back when she did, but that may have been a good thing. They could have worked toward reconcilliation.
Still I don't think Betty would have handled the box any differently. She kept bringing up the fact that Don had bought Anna a house. Not are my kids illegitimate, am I married at all, is my husband allright since it obviously ripped his guts out for me to find this out? No, it is still all about Betty, and right now she is the object of a man who wants to worship her so she may well go for it.

Henry Francis seems to be the new character to dislike. Suzanne, Betty, Pete and even Betty's father at times.

Is Henry to blame for Betty's refusal of Don? The Draper marriage has been over for some time. Betty has finally become a woman this season and is questioning what she wants. It seems too easy to blame other people besides Don. I am not saying that Betty has no blame. I love all the characters on the show for all of their flaws but how can Don, who has a huge problem with honesty in his personal life be a better man than Henry who has treated Betty with respect. We don't know enough about Henry and that makes people crazy with fantasy scenarios. I love that we didn't find out too much because I wouldn't have been as surprised by the marriage proposal.

Henry has been forward not sleazy! Why is being upfront and honest sleazy? Betty has always contacted him first. She threw a metal box at him and he tried to calm her down. Most men would have thrown it back at her.
The father thing I don't disagree with completely. Don has been Betty's father for three seasons! Henry having some grey does not make him a father figure by default. We all choose lovers/husbands based on negative or positive experiences with our parents.

No...Henry is NOT a daddy figure because is is not old enough, Kathiemarie. I can say that she (Betty) feels that if Don can play....so can she! Betts wants to punish Don and she now has a partner in crime. I can see them falling deeply for each other....BUT, as we all know....Don will have his trump card. The season finale (we hope) will leave us all wanting more and looking foward to next season. Hurry up! I also want to mention their kids. I see something going on there. Does anyone else?

I don't see any emotional connection happening between Betty and Francis. I don't know if that is deliberate acting on the part of the players or a lack of abilityl by the actors.

It's been so long since we've seen some emotion from Betty; I was glad in last week's episode when she showed some anger. I think Henry has a calming affect on her, and she longs for some stability and adoration from her partner, not betrayal. Betty may regret her decision in the future, but it needed to happen. I like that Henry showed restraint, also, Daisy. Most men would never have put up with a crazy woman just bounding into their office like that.

I don't see Henry Francis as a father figure for Betty. She is not like Don, who has been emotionally deprived of a father for nearly all of his life.

I think that Betty sees Henry as a chance for marriage in which she can emotionally connect with someone and form a marital partnership. Will Betty get that in a relationship with Henry? I do not know. But I refuse to assume that I know the answer to that question, like some fans.

By the way, why do some fans demand that Betty remain married to Don? Why on earth would anyone want that? She will never be happy with him. He will always treat her the same, no matter how many times he pretends to be the "perfect husband/father".

And why do fans end to villify every male who seemed to be in competition with Don? It's annoying.

Poor Betts. She just can't win. This guy Henry is going to cheat on her, too. But she will have all the material things and social status most women would envy. Her blue-blood upbringing will enable her to deal with yet another philandering husband. Meanwhile, she will be busy with social events and raising 3 children and may actually find chances to fool around herself. She may not love Don, but I doublt she loves Henry either. I don't think she is capable of loving anyone...not even her children. I feel sorry for her!

January is an amazing actress...I love watching her!

As a fan from the beginning, I have never liked Betty's part (which proves what an amazing actress January is!) It is not typical of the times, as a woman in 1963. Back then (OMG did I say that!) a women with 3 young children would be very sceptical to divorce her husband reguardless of his infidelities, or promises of another man. Women for the most part, didn't have skills to work and to support themselves. Not everyone was Peggy, and other than moral concerns I'm sure Peggy gave the baby away because she knew financially it would have been a tremendous hardship. It seems that this is a period part with 21st century thinking of the writers. I remember when my mom and dad talked of divorce in 1964 and it would have been the biggest scandal of the state. When my mom, a carbon copy of Betty, decided she wouldn't be able to survive a divorce with 4 kids, she considered herself lucky, she had money, status and my dad didn't hit her, they stayed married for 54 years..
Come on Betty, straighten up and fly right! Stop being such a spoiled you know what!

Betty has never really grown up. She's a product of her time and upbringing. She had an eyeblink of a modeling "career" just past college, or during college. She went from her parents' home, into marriage with Don, and is already contemplating a second marriage to Henry before she is even divorced! She's used to men taking care of her all her life. Divorce was still a big social stigma in 1963. Will Betty be shunned in her own neighborhood, just as the other divorcee was? Will she stop and think about who she really is and what she wants in life, or plunge headlong directly into another marriage? I'm looking forward to season 4!

Bettes and Harry Francis? Yawn. I mean, who cares anymore, really.

I'd care if Bettes was a bit more sympathetic. But she's so damned crazy I have no patience for her. The writers want us to believe she's acting out of years of repression and low-self esteem. Yawn.

If so they're laying on a bit thick, no? But that's par for the course with this show. Everything's laid on thick and is about as subtle as a blow torch. Bettes and Francis? Just another "shocking twist" -- and the show sinks into meaningless banality.

ZZzzzzz.... zzzzzz....

Betty is a terrible mother, we know that; but, her demanding the break-up of the family (it was she, not Don) is the ultimate in selfishness ... the poor children ... personally, I love how beautiful she is and how she can be fun and funny; but, she's not a very good wife, either ... so sad ...
But, I loved how she handled the box and saying "You've been lying to me all along" or something like that ... sadly, her lack of forgiveness or real understanding was a huge mistake, esp. for the children ... her happiness is not to be her main concern ... not with 3 precious children! Henry is not very thrilling to me ... but, they cast him and directed him not to be ... if he didn't have a position of authority/power, he'd be a total loser ... remember how he first asked to touch Betty's tummy ... so inappropriate! Then, to realize he was/is a father and could have touched his wife ... not my cup of tea! Betty's attraction to him seems to be more out of revenge and feeling starved for attention; yet, her husband has given her attention that she rebuffed ... crazy making!

Didn't Sally look so beautiful (like her mother) while sleeping ... so tender how her father held her!
Loved it! Wasn't Bobby so dear hugging and beggin his dad not to leave ... what a pointed seen ... Betty acting like it was Don's doing ... he was gracious about it, she not ...

Totally concur with Daisy ... they want us not to like Henry ... truly, Betty should sacrifice for the children and make the most of her marriage ... so many mothers (fathers may, too, of course) don't give up of their own "happiness" and in seeking theirs, the children are devasted and destroyed ...
Hopefully, Betts will "come to her senses" and not be harmed (abused) by Francis (he totally looks like an abuser) and go back to Don ... the children are so precious! When they asked the questions (during the "tell the children" scene) I was moved to tears ... little Sally looks more and more like her mother and little Bobby is so touching with Don! May Betty be a good mother to them, too!
She is so beautiful and can be fun; but, usually, so down and harsh ... May Don wait for her/them!

@Mmlady
I think you read my post wrong. I feel the complete opposite of you. Agree with how fragile children are and they need their parent's love and affection. I also want Betty to grow and find happiness but feel that would not come by staying in a marriage with Don. I always think of the airline rule of putting your mask on first before helping your child. The big question that Don asks Betty "who is Henry francis" is everywhere. We don't know much but Henry has shown nothing that would make him the bad man that some think. People wanted Betty to sleep with him but the moment he gives her a respectable option for a woman at that time, he becomes a sleaze? Don't get the abuser thing at all.

I didn't get the Betty/Henry attraction, but now I do think it has a lot to do with self-esteem. Betty is beautiful and educated, but she feels she is always in the shadow of the charismatic Don Draper. She would never have left him for anyone other than someone totally opposite of Don.I don't think she'll have to worry about female competition except for the daughter. She can shine like never before when she walks into a room on the arm of Henry Francis, and, yes he is a sort of father figure for her.
He will protect her from whatever she fears is coming just like Gene protected her from her mother and her brother. I wonder, though, and I don't think this was ever addressed, why was there only a house, car, some jewelry and furs left of Gene's estate? Did Gloria clean him out before she left for Florida or was he not a good business manager? After all, William worked for him and by his own admittance had no money.

Don may not have ever understood money, but he had obviously saved his half million so he could buy in to SCDP, and he's got plenty of life insurance for his kids.

Still yet, January Jones' acting over the last three episodes has been stellar. The range of emotion and ambivalent subtext she displayed just in telephone scene with Don in the finale explains just why we are still wondering "why Henry."

I watched the finale again this morning, and Betty looks almost sad or annoyed that Don has said he's not going to fight her. And later in the plane, Henry is asleep, and the look on Betty's face is not what I would call thrilled about the adventure ahead.
I don't think it is going to be over between the two, although by the time Betty figures out what a mistake she has made, I think Don will be ready to move on. Or at least I hope so.
Plus, I can't wait for her to find out that Don is now a full partner in his own agency and how much she has potentially given up by listening to Henry. Also Henry had to be very afraid Betty would change her mind, after all, he's seen Don, he's very aware of the competition. That's why he said "we want this over as quickly as possible." He hopes that if she has no other means of support, she'll stay with him.
Betty will be right back in the same boat with no money of her own and dependent on Henry the same as with Don. Henry probably won't cheat, but I don't think he's going to pretend to pick her up at a bar in Rome either.

Maybe I am a lot older than most of you....but I remember the 60's clearly...I love this show and think that 99% of it is SO true to the time. But the Betty/Henry relationship does not feel right. Based on a pat on the tummy when she's pregnant... a meeting in a restaurant over apple pie... one visit to his office to throw the box at him...and the kiss in the car.... He proposes!!???? And she says 'yes'!!!!??? And now after her children's father has left the house, AND just before Christmas, she's going to go to Reno for more than a month, leaving them behind (other than the baby) and WITH a man!! Trust me....1963 was BEFORE the sexual revolution.
Back in that time, a divorced woman wasn't even that common! I went to a large public school and I think there might have been 2 divorced mothers. (emphasis on 'might'.) Remember when the divorced woman moved into their neighborhood with the little boy... and they almost treated her like a leper! That was very realistic!
Also, I felt that the meeting they had with HIS attorney was a bit revealing... Henry doesn't want her to get a settlement from Don. HE'LL take care of her and the children. Sounds like the beginning of someone else who wants to control things.
If I'm going to be a neurotic, spoiled, beautiful housewife of the 60's.... I'd rather be Mrs. Draper!