Very interesting thoughts. I found last night's episode to be a little slow with the Mohawk story line, but it was important. And I'm still hooked.

I posted last week about Betty's attitude towards her little boy, and it was even more prevalent this time. She said with downright disgust: "I don't need a book to tell me how little boys act." Also, she reacted wrongly to little Bobby's drawing/tracing of George Washington. It's like she was looking to find fault. I think you're right when you say she is taking out her anger at her husband on the children, mainly the little boy.

Then she commented: "I don't care what they do when they're up there. I just want a couple of hours of peace and quiet." I'm sure many parents of young children feel this way; but her attitude is so negative and cold.

Peggy is another interesting character. I didn't care for the way she led the guy at the party on, and then put him down. Here's another question: Why is she such a magnet for men? I don't mean that to put her or the actress down. She's reasonably attractive, and she's got an interesting expressive face. Peggy is smart. But, in my view, she is just not the kind that would be particularly alluring to men simply on sight. Any thoughts? What about the men out there? Does she have a special chemistry about her?

Again, I'm really not knocking her appearance at all. It's just women like Joan and Betty are the obvious "knockouts" that would have men automatically at their feet.

Great insight to Episode 2. Can anyone enlighten me about the conversation in the conference room? Who was the guy who said he had to be at the "Pen and Pencil" at noon? What's that all about? Anybody?

I just really think Betty is being what a mother was taught to be in the time ... being affectionate to your children was thought of as "spoiling" them back in those days especially boys and she did make a comment referring to her own father as being stern

as for peggy ... well it was a party and the guy was drunk but she does have a refreshing appeal and men back then liked that in a woman but I don't see a lot of men fawning over her

Peggy would look sexier without that stupid ponytail.

"Why is she such a magnet for men? I don't mean that to put her or the actress down. She's reasonably attractive, and she's got an interesting expressive face. Peggy is smart. But, in my view, she is just not the kind that would be particularly alluring to men simply on sight. Any thoughts? What about the men out there? Does she have a special chemistry about her?"

Nope - my guess is they think she's an easy target, so young and comparatively plain that she'd be simply *thrilled* to have any man hit on her. They're surprised (and sometimes nasty about it) when she doesn't fall all over them in gratitude.

Sorry, 2nd post - Robert Morse is fine as far as I know. There's an article in the WSJ from July 22 with him - no mention of illness.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121667837599771661.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Wow, cool article. I loved the last sentence. He sounds like he's humble. Or he comes across that way in the article, anyway. Yay Bert!

I agree with laurie b. - what's up with that stupid ponytail? My Mom and I both watch the show and my Mom calls her "ponytail" instead of Peggy. Peggy's close to 20, isn't she? Could she lose the ponytail and graduate to the Jackie Kennedy cut? Also, those ears are something I would think she would like to hide behind some hair. I guess I don't like what they are doing with the character of Peggy and causes me to less and less interested in her. All the women on the show have some similarities - Joan, Trudy, Betty, Marjorie...and then there is Peggy. Peggy's the homeliest of them all and she is getting all the action - what gives? Peggy was so interesting in Season 1 and now I take a snack break when she has her part. Betty used to bore me to death, now she is the most interesting. Kind of weird, huh?

luvmandment, Peggy stated in last week's ep that she is 22 years old. I love what you said about taking a snack break when Peggy's on LOL.

I loved last weeks episode because it kind of showed some character traits that we don't normally see like Pete being sad and vulnerable, Don being compassionate, Betty being nasty to her kid, Peggy being subserviant (sp) to her mother (although I noticed she takes the same nasty attitude toward her sister that she does with her co-workers). Seems like she may have had a breakdown from what her sister said to her about the doctors saying she couldn't take care of herself.

My question is this, what did I miss between Paul and Joan? Did they have an affair the night of the Nixon vs Kennedy election (season 1). Why would she be jealous of Sheila? I think I missed something?

Piper, I think it'll be interesting to see how Betty's relationship w/the kids unfolds .... I do like that Don seems to be a more caring Dad. Also, have you noticed the introduction of eating disorders, with the daughter of Betty's riding mate? Sally does look a little chubby, so I wonder if/when this will be discussed.

I do agree with others about Peggy ... she is definitely one of the more, um, Plain Jane women on the show. However, did anyone get a good look at Harry's wife? Not sure why I was surprised she was blond, & he's no Don Draper, but I found her to be a bit on the drab side. At least Peggy has her fresh-faced enthusiasm (esp after a few drinks!), but I was surprised, too, by her put-down of that cute guy at the party. I think (at least physically) Peggy will go through a lot of changes throughout the seasons.

"have you noticed the introduction of eating disorders, with the daughter of Betty's riding mate? Sally does look a little chubby, so I wonder if/when this will be discussed."

I did notice that too. That was the first thought in my head was eating disorder. They just didn't discuss stuff like that back then I guess. Like Peggy's pregnancy it was probably not a topic discussed out in the open. But with Betty's preoccupation with looks, it wouldn't surprise me if she was suffering from one was well.

Morse was acting funny, but I think it's done as a contrasting sloppy character at Sterling/Cooper. Everyone else is so ramrod. I'm sensing a fight between Don and DuckVest boiling over. Duck's pretty 'lame' for asking Pete the Prick to guilt American Airlines into hiring them.

Pete the Prick is my favorite character. He's the most honest and interesting in the entire show. The father is cold, distant, dissapointed. PtPs not feeling anything because there's nothing to feel. His mothers reaction was the same as his. Make arrangements. What is with his wife? What does she see in him? Do we think he's not getting it going because he 'can't' or 'won't'?

Are we sure that January "American Wedding" Jones really knows that Don hasn't been faithful? I think she still suspects, but what proof does she have? The late-night call to Dr."I'm at my desk answering the phone no matter what time it is" only proved to her that Don's concerned about her progress. She's turned from quite the subservient little darling into getting a bit trashy. Hating on her spooked son, standing outside and smoking near the trash? Where's the woman Don and I fell in love with?

I loved Peggy "does this fatsuit make me look fat?" Olson, now she's getting on my nerves. How does giving your kid to your sister to raise solve anything? It'll still haunt you everyday. How long until she tells Pete the Prick? This season?

I don't think Kinsey is pompous, I think he's the man. I don't think his choice of the checkout girl was just for color, he clearly isn't getting anywhere with the pencil-skirt crowd.

TOASTEDS TERRIBLE PREDICTION FOR THE NEXT EPISODE

Pete the Prick and Fatsuit get married and when they get on their honeymoon their mohawk jet mysteriously plunges into Don's backyard pool and it immediatley turns from blue to "angst"

rl1856, I think you're dead-on, on many points.

I thought Bert Cooper seemed a bit off his game too. Where are the Zen Master thoughts? I miss them! I do think it's interesting how strong Roger seems this season, & wonder how this will all play out with Roger/Duck/Don. Two parts I did l ove: when Bert laughed at his comment about Mohawk being the one that didn't crash; how in-command Don seemed when everyone was gathered listening to the crash news, telling Harry to cancel the ROP (which Duck suggested later).

Pete is a wild card indeed - I love that. Interesting how he personally told Don about his father in the crash, but Duck had to read about it in the Times. I think it's maybe more complicated than Pete looking for a father figure though.

But I am really looking forward to see Don's evolution. You're so right, he's a "good guy" now, but everything seems to be going against him. I think the ad/poster for Season 2 illustrates that perfectly. Sometimes he & Betty seems to have a relationship that's much more solid (& less snarky) than Francine & Carlton. Of course, Francine seems to be more open with discussing Carlton's faults than Betty does with Don's.

I think that Betty's criticism of her son's "artwork" was the authors' way of suggesting to us that she is not going to take it well when she eventually finds out about Don's secret past. Note that she made these comments in front of Don, so he's got to be fearing the consequences when she learns about Dick Whitman. After all, if she was this upset about her kid tracing a picture of George Washington and then accepting praise for something he did not create himself, she's going to be really ticked when she learns that the man she's been married to for all these years is a fake personna based on a stolen identity.

With regard to Paul: The 1960s were all about dramatic social changes, and Paul is right in the center of it. First the beard, then the scarf at the party, the alternative neighborhood, and now the interracial dating. He's trying it all on. I don't see him as phony (as Joan did.) I see him as exited about participating in as many of the trendy changes as he can, even if others disapprove and even if it makes him seem ridiculous. This may turn out to be advantageous for him professionally. After all, it's part of his job to be aware of what's "in."

I was amused by Peggy's reaction to Joan's age. (Note that, although she didn't tack up the copy of the driver's license herself--I assume Paul did--, she didn't take it down, either, and it was on bulletin board in HER office. I was actually surprised at how young Joan is. I thought she would be at least 35 and maybe close to 40.

With regard to Peggy: last year they called in a mental health professional at the hospital when she gave birth. Last week there was a reference to her being gone for two months. From the comments this week, I assume that she was in a mental institution. Her family probably made the decision for her to keep her baby with them (against her wishes). She obviously has no emotional connection to the child at all.

As for Don, he's lost all decision making power, both at the office and at home.

I wonder: didn't the real Don Draper's real family ever wonder why he didn't come back after the war? Do you suppose, at some point, they'll come looking for him?

don drapers family think he died (did you see the first season?) and his younger brother saw him on the train but he hid

oh and I like peggy's ponytail but I am sure she is going to be vamped up real soon and it will be an awesome transformation but I hope they don't rush it ... lol right now she is ... fresh

I really liked your analysis, rl1856. I don't think Morse, the actor is ill, but I do think that there's something wrong with the character, Bertram Cooper in "Flight 1". He didn't seem sharp or all there. Your stroke/health theory probably is correct which would explain alot of things, and open up a new direction of the battles to come.

Maybe Cooper's changes are why Roger seems less frat-boy, more businessman this year. But Roger never seemed the skilled chess player/businessman that Bert was, hence his poor decision to follow Duck's lead with AA over Don's advice.

Since Don and Roger kind of hung out in the good times and were peers, it would be easy to see why Roger would "fall" for the forcefulness of a character as authoritative acting as Duck (like Bert for Roger?). So, we'll see......Roger's making a big mistake about Don.

@It's Toasted: love your new monikers for the characters! What a crack up!

Right on, it's toasted..so many changes with our favorite characters. It feels like I am in the spinning tea cups. Who am I going to love tonight and who am I going to hate tonight? Chances are it will change from episode to episode. I have to admit, the love/hate relationships we have with these characters keeps it interesting.

To Laurie B.
Every episode, as you know, has refernces to the 1960s. Many are deliberate in-jokes for those of us of a certain age. The Pen & Pencil was a famous steakhouse, very popular with the advertising crowd, run by a fellow called John Bruno. It was on steakhouse row in the east 40s. There were other references in last week's episode too. I'd love to hear from others any great refernces that I missed. They mentioned Fifth Avenue as being a two way street but I thought that was a bit lame. And they referred to the airport as Idlewild which is what the equivalent of LaGuardia was back then. That was better but not briliant. However, there was one delicious reference. One of the guys has just gotten a haircut and he tells another "Paul Mole, over on Lexington". Haven't heard that name in 45 years. Whoever contributed that one, go right to the head of the class!!

Fifth Avenue WAS always a two way street......until what, '65 or '66?

It made sense, for Roger to say that it was busy "both ways"; it is something that would have been said, back then. Often, one side of a two way street was moving when the other side was stock still.

LaGuardia is still LaGuardia! It's JKF that was once Idlewild and I sometimes still call it that, out of old habit.

scfan is right about Robert Morse. I had a chance encounter with him when I was walking through a construction site in New York back in the late 60's or early 70's.

They had plank roadways wide enough for 1 person with wooden rails on both sides. I had entered on one side, Robert Morse had entered on the other, we met almost head on and both stopped. He smiled and motioned me through, but I begged off and stepped aside motioning for him to go by as I pressed up against the railing. He nodded a thanks, smiled and proceeded through. That gave me a sense of his true, humble character.

Seeing him on Mad Men brought back that memory, which I can still see vividly in my mind. .

I think Morse's Bert Cooper portrayal is a gem of acting Let's all hope that Bert (and Morse) stay for a long, long time in this series.

Ardilla, thanks for mentioning Don Draper's real family. I wondered the same thing last year and tossed it off with the thought that maybe he didn't have any family. But maybe he does! And maybe they are out there looking for him.

Cad men, Dick Whitman's family thinks he's dead. Dick Whitman has assumed Don's identity...and possesses his purple heart, too!

As for Bert Cooper, perhaps Roger's back full tilt because Bert has indicated to him that he's going to retire in the near future? Looks like the character may be having tummy troubles...was he eating mashed potatoes with ketchup? Maybe he's just tired of it all and wants to let the boys determine their own new leader. He was obviously disappointed in Don's surmised sexcapade with Rachel last year.

As for Peggy....rumor has it that some men prefer women who look like the girl next door.

I agree, but there is a standard for the girl next door look. Peggy does not really have the the girl next door looks. Actually she looks like she is taking fashion tips from Don's daugher, Sally.

Thanks Randall for the "Pen & Pencil" explanation. You and PeggySue are obviously New Yorkers. Lucky you -- I LOVE NY! At the corner of Central Park West and 76th (I think) there's a Berger Pharmacy and next door is Jaros Cleaners. My married name and my maiden name -- how weird is that?

Laurie B. Welcome back! Are you loving Season 2? We've waited so long -- it's getting off to a rather slow start, but I'm very optimistic about having another extraordinary television experience.

I was going to explain the Pen & Pencil reference, but someone beat me to it. I had dinner there once, about 10 or 12 years ago. It was a beautiful, old-fashioned, white-tablecloth restaurant from a different era (definitely the Mad Men era). It went out of business a few years ago.

Berger Pharmacy is located around Central Park West and 68th St. and yes, next door to the Jaros Cleaners. That's right near where I live.

I also got the reference to Paul Mole on Lexington Ave. They're still there. A very nice men's barber shop.

The guy who had to be at Pen & Pencil by noon is a real alcoholic (I forget his name). He was the one who was "drinking his breakfast" in Season One.

I think Don sent the letter to Rachel. How about you?

Paul Kinsey is living in Montclair, NJ, not Greenwich Village. Montclair is a sort of artsy New Jersey version of a hip neighborhood. Even now, ex-New Yorkers move out there when they want to raise a family. Paul is such a wanna-be. Loved how Joan put him in his place about dating the black girl! That was definitely his attempt at being a hipster. Remember his comment last season about hanging out with "Negroes" up in Harlem, or something to that effect. I think he's about to get canned from Sterling-Cooper. Don thinks his ideas suck.

I hate that prick, Duck. He's going to be the demise of Sterling-Cooper. I think Don's business instincts were correct and I thought the scene in the Japanese restaurant was brilliant. I believe it was a Japanese restaurant because the client said it "reminds me of Pearl Harbor."

Loved how Don handled the come-on from the waitress! Wonder how long he can hold out? I loved the "Sukiyaki" record and agree with the poster who said it's okay to use it even if it didn't hit the charts here until 1963, because the music was not supposed to be heard by the characters. On the other hand, they could be listening to an imported record someone brought back from Japan. Let's not get too hung up on little details. The music did fit the mood and the era.

Hope you're well and let's stay in touch.

Love this show!

Gail Klein! Welcome back. There are a few of us resurfacing from last year. Have you seen Dennis' comments? Just what we'd expect of him. (Dennis we love ya).

My feeling is that Roger is abdicating responsibility this season, awaiting his next stress-induced heart attack. Bert will go along with Duck until the American Airlines account blows up in their faces, and that's when Bert will grab the SC reins and hand them over to Don Draper once and for all. It'll take all season to get there though.

Also, I'm enjoying the new crazy, horny, and pissed off Betty. I predict that we'll see Rachel again in the last episode of Season 2.

Oh this is fun, isn't it? I've missed it.

Apologies if this comment has been made before ... I was thinking that Pete's using his father's death for emotional leverage with the American Airlines exec was evidence of his fundamental moral emptiness ... he not only has no feelings for his family, but does not even know or care how to be socially appropriate about it. And Duck will likely reward him for tipping the scales toward Sterling Cooper's acquiring the AA account. But then, what's the difference between Pete's manipulations and Don's using his family photos in his presentation for renaming the Kodak "wheel" to Carousel? Is it cynical to think that Don's unsatisfied with his home life so at least will get some advantage at work?

Pete is an opportunist, and when Opportunity knocks, you answer. Pete didn't care about his father, and he knows he has nothing coming from him, so why not use his death to get a leg up. Since Don crushed him when he needed him, it's not surprising that he may be turning to Duck as a new mentor. However, wouldn't it just be Pete's luck to attach himself to someone who may be on his way out.

You rub my back, I'll rub yours.

You guys are so spot on with you observations! This show is really incredible, isn't it?

Here's an article that offers some more thoughts on the show's first two episodes, and the direction we're hoping the season takes from three big fans...

http://www.spunkybean.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=581&Itemid=54