I so agree with you. I love Betty's character. She is given the most subtle lines in the show yet they are so full of meaning. I can't believe so many viewers hate her or view her as immature and inconsequential. She has a fabulous face and body and she really has the look of the '60's yet to come: she reminds me of Sharon Tate, and Martha Stewart (who was model at that time), and Grace Kelly, and she has that whole golden glow about her. I want to see her character get stronger and more savvy. That scene of her shooting the pigeons with the pellet gun and a cigarette hanging out of her mouth reminded me of Faye Dunaway in "Bonnie and Clyde". She's stronger than she or Don realize.

Bullshit!

I like Betty, too. Her circumstances would barely exist today. It would be so easy to catch Don cheating these days. If it weren't for the fact that she's isolated out in the burbs with two kids and Don does his womanizing in the city, she might be able to get the goods on him. Armed with the evidence, she'd have a good case for divorce and some hefty alimony/child support.
But she loves Don and wants a happy family and that's what makes everything so difficult. Hopefully Don will step on the brakes before he loses her.

VISAN: YOU ARE SO RUDE. Isn't there something in Transylvania you could be doing right now?? Give us a break.

Visan just has the hots for Rachel and wants her back. Understandable. I want Betty away from Don and out of that dark little suburban deathtrap. So bring back Rachel (I don't believe Don loved her and she's waaay out of his league) or give him a heart attack (underneath Bobbie, Yeah!) but get him away from the Beautiful Princess. Haven't you noticed that when Betty rides, she has a spine of steel! Bury the bastard in saltless meatloaf Bets!!!

Heh... I keep playing this game in my head every time I see Don and Betty: when in the 1970s will they finally divorce?
Currently I'm thinking 1973... :-)

I look at Betty as a bit passive/agressive (I am not a Psychologist) but that's how she seems to me.
There is an underlying anger that comes out even in her "sweetest" moments. The most recent is the salt issue. Now she knows Don has high BP she refused to allow him salt at dinner. Now, we can look at that as a loving, caring gesture because when Sally asked her why Daddy can't have salt, Betty said "because we love him". But, it was the way she said it. Smug, her tone of voice was cold and it was as if she was enjoying the power over Don while pretending to care so much about his health.
She is too proper, and passive to really go after him the way she would like to. So, her anger and agression comes out sugar coated.
This can be more dangerous. We'll see...

To Visan, I was thrilled to see Rachel, and to see her "in your face" meeting with Don! I hope she is happy. As I always said, she is too good for him, too classy.

I disagree. I don't think Don needs Betty as much as she needs him. In fact, I think that Don and Betty both are just going through the motions. They're married and have two children and live in the suburbs because that's what people did in 1962. I think that Dick Whitman married Betty to establish the lifestyle for his "Don Draper" personna but is coming to realize that it's not working out, that he's still, after all, Dick Whitman. From time to time "Don" feels the need to escape from Dondraperland, and that's why he disappears from his kid's birthday party, why he leaves the office to watch foreign films in the middle of the day, why he has affairs with exotic women who are nothing like his wife but, instead, potential travel companions to Paris (Midge), anywhere but here (Rachel) or the beach (Bobbi) . He feels trapped by the world he's created for "Don" and is constantly on the lookout for an opportunity to leave the whole shebang behind (which he may do at any time.) As for Betty, she stays married to Don because "what would we do without him?"

Great banter here! Visan, if you mind your manners, maybe we will all see more of Rachael(~:

It's good to see that there are some viewers who like Betty. I have always found Betty to be the most interesting female on the show. She's got alot going on inside and her resentments are coming to the surface. That passive agressive angle makes sense. Also that sly way she said to her daughter ' because we love him' did seem kind of sarcastic. Don on the other hand is a complicated man. One moment I like him, the next not so much. Alot of people think Don is sexy when he's behaving badly. But he didn't look too sexy when he was drinking while he was driving.
His recklessness is immature. He stops Betty from punishing his son, yet he does'nt mind making his kids fatherless and killing some other innocent people on the way.

To Dashel and Jolie...You all know I call it like I see it! And I call total bullshit that SAB, with her whining ass, is needed by Don more than she needs him!

Catt....I'm a fan of Rachel, as I loved her straightforwardness and she rocked the hell outta Chanel! But she's no-one I'd have the "hots" for because I'm a "strickly dickly" kinda gal! Speaking of "hots," Don Draper wins the title of my TV lust object! That man is ultra-sexxxy!!

Rachel's gone, and the MM writers threw her in to let us all know she is not coming back. If Rachel is the classy lady that everyone thinks she is, she will not cheat on her husband and we wouldn't see her anymore. If she tries to come back to pick it up where she left off, it puts her in the same catagory as Bobbi. Can't see Rachel doing that. Personally I think Rachel making it a point to head in Don's direction at the restaurant was the writer's way of letting us know she has moved on and will no longer be with MM. I do agree with 60's child. Betty is passive agressive and possibly bipolar. Bipolar was not a diagnosis back then, but it doesn't mean people didn't have it. Don has abandonment issues and is pretty much ready to abandon everyone at any time in his life. He is setting himself up to be abandoned again by Betty. He cheats and secretly hopes Betty will find out and leave him.

Drink&Smoke, Rachel may be done, I agree. I had wanted her to come back and resume a relationship with Don but the scene with her in the restaurant seemed final. I even felt done with her which surprised me. The writers did a good job if that was there intent.
I don't think bipolar fits Betty but she certainly is depressed and angry and childishly passive-aggressive. That's what she knows. I do think it's quite possible (probable) that Don is unconsciously pushing Betty to abandon him. That's what he knows. I think he'll be devastated if she does, though. Yes, he'd probably say she "never happened" and shut the door firmly behind him- he is strong-willed enough. But how long can one go on like that without imploding?
I still come back to the belief that ultimately it would be worse for Don's mental health to lose Betty than it would be for Betty to lose Don.
We can analyze and speculate all we want, which is fun, but we'll just have to see what happens. I love this show.

Betty is a product of her time and it's unfulfilled, bored woman like her who bagan to realize they were missing something at home..and started pushing out for the work place. I'm not sure if I should thank her or not. I loved it when she shot at the pigeons...take that Barbie.

I gotta admit that I feel really sorry for Betty. She is trying to be the best wife and mother as she can be while she knows that Don is cheating on her. But now that Don's life is falling apart in his hands, Betty now has got the upper hand. But I really really hope that they just make up and spend more time together because they are really great together...by far the cutest couple in the show...but you know you really cant blame Betty...she barely knows anything about Don. She said that Don never talks about the war...or his childhood...or his parents other that Don's dad beat the crap out of him...Don basically knows a lot about Betty, but Betty knows nothing about Don...

Mad Men, to me, is about bad behavior and consequences. Don gets drunk with Bobbie and has a wreck. Roger rides a twin bare back and has a heart attack. The examples are endless.

Betty is really pissed at all men. Where did it come from? Most likely childhood, but there is more to be revealed here. Don't get me wrong, Don deserves a lot of the mess he takes, but Betty has that attitude toward all men.

Betty is the poster child for passive-aggressive behavior. When she finds out Don is checking on her with her therapist-what does she do? Instead of calling Don out on it, she tells her therapist about Don's cheating, knowing he will tell Don. We still don't know exactly what happened in the 2 yrs between 1 and 2, but it is no longer OK for Don to spend the night in the city without calling. We found that out this last episode.

Rachel is history. Don blew it last season. She saw him for what he was--a coward. Somebody who would run off on his wife and kids and not blink. The actress who plays Rachel has another gig--Wiener said in an intrerview I read sometime back that, "That should tell you all you need to know." I liked her too, but she is gone.

I have seen comments from posters calling Don the Family man a wuss because he also cowers to Betty and can't perform in the bedroom. I have seen comments calling Don the Player immature, irresponsible, etc. I enjoy them all because you are all right. He is all of those. He is good AND bad.

Tommy....SAB is the blame for her issues with Don! She didn't ask questions of him prior to their marriage. That's very oddball to me!

I just don't understand why the hell these SAB fans refuse to acknowledge that nag created most of her issues! Stop blaming Don and all other characters for SAB's lousy behavior!

Betty had major issues with her mother when she was alive and those issues are still unresolved. Is she still being shrunk or is the riding her new therapy? I think she is a terrible mother...just going through the motions of taking care of her children but never really interacting with them. They do not bring her joy. It is almost as if they are always in the way. Don seems genuine in his affection towards his kids. I sure would haved loved a dog better that a fancy cake when I was Sally's age. He is more in tune to what is really important. Bottom line, Betty is a self-serving, passive aggressive narcissist-BUT it is probably all of her mother's fault!!!!!

Has anyone else noticed that Betty always has a glass of wine in her hand when Don comes home for dinner?
Well, at least she chose a red wine last week to go with the meatloaf! I think she was drinking a white the evening she and the kids were having fish sticks. She knows her wines!!

Dashel....That's what I'm not understanding about all these SAB 'shippers--none of her bad behavior is HER fault!? Well, I'm once again calling bullshit on that! She's a grown woman, and should take full responsibility for her lousy actions! It's Don, her dead mom, her children (that TRULY pisses me off when SAB fanatics blame her kids!), the garden gnomes, etc. that causes SAB to act a fool! No! She's the reason for her bad behavior!

Betty doesn't want to end up like Helen Bishop. Helen Bishop complained to Betty early on -that her marriage failed because of all her husbands extra-marital affairs in the city. Remember the truly scary sight Betty had of Helen Bishop moving a box by herself. She cringed in horror. Betty will never leave Don, and Don will never leave Betty. Betty will start having affairs herself, and then many years later be having their 40th anniversary.

First, Helen didn't complain. She stated very matter-of-factly what ended her marriage. Second, Helen kicked ass last season! She didn't lament that her hubby's whoring was due to her issues. Helen just revealed he was a 'ho!

I really liked the Helen Bishop character. She was cool and too bad she's not made a return...yet!

Visan, I'm with you...where is Helen? I loved the way she scared the "June Cleavers" in the neighborhood. The last time we saw her was the supermarket bitch slap scene. The episode before that, when Betts babysat for her, she was going to work for the JFK campaign.
I hope they bring her back! She added spice to the show, and so did her son Glen.

@60'sChild....Helen was a hoot! She faced down those cul-de-sac hens, like that annoying Francine, with guts!

I miss the numerous ass-kicking women that were on last season. If there's one complaint that I have, thus far, is that many of the "brassy" women have somehow, some way left the show's scenery.

Visan...I highly disagree that Betty nags. All she wants is to spend time with Don and the kids at the same time...I think any good wife would want to spend good quality time with their husband and kids. I don't think she's nagging about Don having an affair. I know quite a few women that would leave their husbands at the first scent of an affair. But think of how depressed she must feel...

I think Bobbie sure has some pretty "brassy" balls!!!! I have a feeling that Helen and her creepy son Glen will be popping up again at some point. She actually was rather attractive even in her "unironed clothes". She and Don seemed to be on the same wavelength about what a stupid facade the bithday party was for the neighbors........I mean Sally. They both seemed bored and uncomfortable. But I digress.
I am still curiouse though about Betty's relationship with her mother. It could explain how she treats her own children. I'm not her biggest fan either but I love dissecting her.

I also want to get the backstory on Betty's relationsihp with her mother. That will tell us everything we need to know about her pathological behavior. She is a good one to dissect, and Don, of course. Oh, and we can't forget Peggy. I like this forum so we all can play armchair psychologist or project our own stuff onto the characters. You can see a lot of that going on, which only makes it more interesting.

Tommy....We must agree to disagree!

I agree

"STRICKLY-DICKLY" -- HAAAAAAAAA. Excellent! I'm using that one.

Yeah, what is up with Betty and the wine drinking at home? She must buy wine by the gross. Not to mention she probably has one hell of a headache every morning!