For one thing, he needs darker suits. He seems to always wear light blue suits, which make him appear even more boyish. He should take note of how Don and Roger dress -- navy blues and charcoal greys.

If he weren't already married, I would say his only chance would be to marry Roger's daughter. I guess he could wait a few years for Sally, but why be cruel to Sally, as she has enough heartbreak to look forward to already.

.....Pete's a twit. he's been given everything, and yet none of the things a developing human being really needs.

he is privileged, but has no core values, sense of self, or a single clue how to win friends and influence people.

like Donald Draper, Pete is flying blind. however, as far as "fake it til you make it" goes, Draper is a master. Pete is not.

the difference between Pete and Draper is that Don Draper has a high level of emotional intelligence. Pete doesn't.

unlike Don Draper, Pete has no idea how his behavior affects the feelings of other people, and their feelings about him.

"you'll die in the corner office, with a little bit of hair, and women will go home with you out of pity. you know why? because no one will like you."

.....the darker side of all that is Pete's severe insecurity. he knows he is a twit. most people, deep down, know their worth.

Pete has low self-esteem, which automatically makes him dangerous. Pete's not loyal to anyone, and will always sell another person out to save himself or get ahead.

i don't know vincent kartheiser from personal interviews much, but i'm liking Pete less and less, so he must be doing a great job.

I can only think of one time that Pete did something "redeeming", and only because I think his ego was affected, and that was lighting into Ken Cosgrove when he made the remark about Peggy in Season 1 "all the meat's in the tail".

Other than that, Pete is extraordinarily self-centered, worse than Don, even. He never seems to have the "radar" out regarding other people's reactions to his behavior. Maybe that's why we haven't seen him in the "wolf pack" much this season, even the "guys" are tired of him.

That Pete character is an absolute schmuck!! I can't stand his whiny/begg-y voice! And the suits he wears...ugh! They don't fit! His lack of social skills is off the charts! I just wanna punch him upside the head!!

Hi Dry Manhattan! Pete IS a twit!! That is a perfect word to describe him!!

Hi jamm54! You are right. Pete is self-centered. I think he lived a privledged, sheltered life. He probably never really had any pressure put on him growing up. I think his parents spoiled him (then his father stopped) when Pete went into the "ad game", and disgraced him. He seems a little socially slow.

He is scary, because he sooo wants to be accepted and to climb the corporate ladder. I believe he is capable of anything to get there.
Then, sometimes I feel bad for him because he seems so sad. Like when he hangs around Don with those puppy dog eyes, like he is waiting for Don to be his best buddy.

Hmmmm, Pete grabbing the reins and becoming a successful ad exec on Madison Avenue. Well, to paraphrase Sharon Stone he could "sleep his way to the middle".

jamm54

I respectfully disagree with your comment that Pete's fight with Ken was in defense of Peggy's honor. Upon first viewing, I thought the same thing as you: hey, Pete does care about someone other than himself. However, this act was not consistent with his character. Pete was upset because he thought Ken was making fun of him because he slept with a "fat chick". This fight had nothing to do with Peggy's honor and everything to do with Pete's insecurity. In the sophmoric, psuedo-fraternity world of the junior executives at SC, this very public comment was more than Pete could take. I can imagine him bragging to the boys after he nailed her in his office the second time and now he is embarassed that he claimed this "trophy".

Yeah, Polar Bear, it did have all the earmarks of deflating his "ego" rather than defending Peggy's honor.

@madmanfan4ever: I like that "sleep his way to the middle"! I have serious doubts about whether Pete could even get that far!

Overall, Pete's gears seem to be stuck in "self-aggrandizement" or "ego stroking" rather than truly helping a client or getting things done. Don't know if he could ever jump over those two hurdles to actually achieve anything worthwhile. He's not really putting anything out in the universe to help others, only himself.

OMG!! I just had a thought (which is scary enough), Pete needs to LOSE THE SHORT SHORTS or he'll never climb the ladder at SC!!!

60'schild: you're a crack up! Yeah, his tennis shorts weren't "impressive", I'll grant you that! He looked like Eddie Haskell in that outfit!

....Hi 60schild and Polar Bear....... the shorts are emblazoned on my brain...... to be fair, that was the style, but i just know other guys got around it. poor Pete.

there is an interesting book about people raised households like Pete, and i can't remember the term they used, but the whole book is about why people like Pete can't make it in the workplace.

the only thing about Ken/Pete thing is, and i'm often wrong, i don't think the guys have any idea about Pete and Peggy.

remember the first time he came to her house (stalker! must have looked in her file) and the second was before work in his office. they had gone in early for something, so no one but the janitor was there and saw anything.

lastly, i think this might be one of the prime examples of what matt weiner writes into every episode, and that is that people are complex.

we can say how much we dislike Pete, and he is a big screw-up, but we have no idea the pain he might feel from the consequences of his behavior.

mr. weiner is showing all that not so much as to tip us off to a story line, or some deeper secret, but to DEFY us to pigeon-hole any of the people.

the people in this show who are finding their feet - peggy, pete, lois, jane, etc., are going to be all over the place. the reason is, they are testing the edges of their own envelopes. they all are, really.

remember peggy just crucifying that girl in her first voice-over commercial session? we had never seen that side of Peggy before. I don't think SHE had seen that side.

it seems like a mystery, but this isn't a soap opera. it's a snapshot of moments, of their successes and failures as people.

we know that peggy is a good girl. she isn't a cruel, ball-busting bitch, but she was horrible to that girl.

i think maybe they were demonstrating that, given a little power, peggy is as vulnerable to abusing that as anyone. she is uppity with Joan, for Heaven's sake. she was bossy and mean with Lois. she's finding herself, personally and professionally.

same with Pete. for those who don't know themselves, their strengths, weakesses, their minds and where they fit into the world, it's going to look awkward to anyone watching.

Pete is human. he's not all good, or bad and, like all other humans, eventually he's going to reap the result of his behaviors, good or bad.

That's what makes watching this show often torturous - seeing them all like pinball machines hitting these highs and lows in character and personality. Yeesh. It IS like watching someone take their first steps, in this case, teetering and tottering all over the place, as people, and it ain't always pretty, that's for sure.

I don't think he's stupid, exactly. The lack of social skills makes me wonder if he has what we now call Asperberger's syndrome, a form of autism which can vary in degree from mild to severe. Aspies are very bright but often lack appropriate social skills. They don't read other people's emotions well and as much as they want to, have trouble fitting in, which is frustrating for them and everyone around them. Situations where most folks would be very upset don't necessarily elicit the expected response.

Or maybe he's just a schmuck.

Auburn Annie: that's really an interesting idea. In one of the early episodes of Season 1, Pete mentioned something about his own "faults" as far as connecting socially. I've heard of the term Asperberger's syndrome, but didn't really know what it was about. It fits Pete, by the sounds of it.

.....jamm54....the "pinball" analogy is perfect - and fewer words!

i would say it's a function of being young, but i think some people never lose that.....you know, like you're LUCKY if you grow out of it. if not, maybe you become a Freddie Rumsen or something.

probably the most important thing a parent can teach a child is where he stands in the world, that someone believes in him (that is a BIG one for pete), how to know and like and be true to himself, and survival techniques. doesn't look like pete really got any of those things.

his mother appeared largely "absent," and his father cold, distant and belittling. that's basically NO parenting.

And no love, as was obviously apparent (I thought) in the few scenes he was in with them. They were cold, formal and, I don't know what, just disinterested it seemed to me. Like "we've had you, now move on and don't bother us anymore, our involvement with you is done".

No doubt, Pete is the following: selfish, spoiled, insecure, ambitious, and not very socially intelligent. This makes it hard for him to succeed; just like Don told him, people don't like him and it's hard to win over clients and the higher ups if you aren't likable. However, because he's so ambitious and so wants to have people approve of him/look up to him (especially since his father disapproved of his career), he's also dangerous in his insecurity. He would be willing to do anything to get ahead, including lie, cheat, steal, and throw his friends and co-workers under the bus.

And yet, I actually feel a little bit sorry for him. He's pretty pathetic, wanting Don and Peggy's approval, and since he began his career at SC, nothing has come easy to him. Don's done everything he can short of firing Pete to put him down. Peggy continues to be given new accounts and move up, while Pete stays in middle management. Every time he's in a meeting with clients and makes little comments to get people's approval ("I think that's a great idea!"), you can see his fellow ad men cringe with embarrassment for him.

It's Pete's fault that he's in the position that he's in. He needs to grow a backbone, be creative in his own right, network and bring in clients, and be a little more confident in himself. His work with the Nixon campaign last season shows that he is capable of coming up with good ideas and getting Stirling's and Cooper's approval. However, he has his work cut out for him. He's built such a pathetic reputation for himself that he'll have to climb out of that hole before he can move up.

End analysis. :)

Auburn Annie: I'm an educator and I've worked with students with Asperger's. I wouldn't say that Pete seems like he has it. He's socially inept, no doubt, but he doesn't display a lot of the other attributes of people with the syndrome. People with Asperger's don't understand or naturally pick up social rules (they have to be formally taught ) and have a hard time "reading" people's emotions. They are very awkward and have a hard time making friends. However there are other aspects to the syndrome. They may hyper-focus (almost obsess) over certain topics or interests. They are also rule fanatics (they will tell you if you someone else broke a rule, even if that other person is standing right beside them and will get mad that they've been "told on"). They are also often physically clumsy, have odd self-soothing hand gestures or habits (i.e. tapping their fingers on a desk) for when they are upset or anxious, and may have trouble making eye contact. None of these qualities are evident in Pete Campbell, at least to my eye.

My feeling is that Pete is selfish and has a hard time socializing and interacting with people OUTSIDE his frat-brother social circle. He's a rude snob and doesn't have much empathy for others. He's a jerk, but I doubt he has Asperger's. JMHO

Poor Pete. Who knew when Don prophesied the course of Pete's working life, and how he would be regarded, that it'd end up coming true - because it sure looks like it's going in the direction that Don said it would.

Yeah, hanna, Pete really wants Don as a "daddy". He seems to turn to Don, more often than not, when he's at a loss emotionally. And almost every single time that he does, Pete catches Don in a surly, impatient, "get out of my office" moment. Pete's timing couldn't be worse. Yet, Pete never hesitates in taking the opportunity to undercut or sabotage Don, if it will advance his own agenda. That always puzzles me. Pete seeks Don out for reassurance, and then can turn around and betray him. Weird.

Well, if Pete sees Don as a kind of father subsitute, and he transfers his feelings about his birth father to Don, he may "love" and "hate" him. Pete wants Don's approval yet he is also angry and punishing toward Don as a father figure. People in offices do become parental figures to some of the other workers.

What has Pete done to sabotage Don this season? I'm blanking. It looks like the guy who was hell-bent on ruining Don last season by "outing" his false identity is much more tame this season. I agree that he appears to look up to Don as a father figure, and he yearns to get in with Don and the higher ups (hoping to be invited to the now-infamous dinner party). Don consoled him a wee bit after his dad died, but beyond that Don has continued to play keep away with Pete and any kind of promotion. Pete seems to be acting like a beaten up puppy this season.

I don't know if sabatoge is the right word, maybe, but he didn't miss a beat in joining forces with Duck and the AA pitch (before it was forced on Don). Last season was sabatoge (blackmail, Bethlehem Steel), this year it's "get ahead" with whomever he can join (minus Don).

Good point on Pete backing into any promotions at the job. He will get it by default not by merit if it ever happens. Then he has that dishrag of a wife that is so needy that she is always hanging on him. I can't imagine him being gone all the time chasing accounts and Trudy not putting up some sort of squawk.

Hi Maddicts! Does anyone know if Pete ever found out that he was fired and rehired quickly because of his mother's name and status?
I don't remember if he did find out.

Love this thread! Great stuff!

@60's child: Pete, as far as we've been shown, has no idea what actually happened regarding his intsant firing then re-hiring.

Pete was born with a silver foot in his mouth! He reminds me of a certain public figure who got the most important job on Earth through "legacy" and not hard work! Pete exploiting his own father's death was the epitome of grossness! He's a damn fool character and I love to clown on his idiocy! For some reason, he wants to be Don Draper. That ain't happening unless Pete grows 4 inches and suddenly blossoms charisma!

What I really dislike about Pete is his total dog in the mangerish attitude about Peggy. From the first instant they met his behavior to her has been obnoxious. Every time he sees her trying to break loose and enjoy herself or promote herself for the sake of her job, he gets this sullen look on his face and just stares at her as if he is trying through mind control to stuff her back in her box. He also has this "I'm the man of this household and you'll do what I say" manner with his wife. When she got upset and walked out of the room during their argument about their fertility issues, his barking orders at her was infuriating.

Now, having said how much I dislike Pete, the character, I must say I kind of like the actor who portrays him. Is anyone else reminded of Jack Lemmon in his early days?

@Zerelda: Vinny K is really good in the character of "Pete!"

Let me continue my diatribe against Pete "W" Campbell! This moron tried to pimp out his wife for a short story to be published! He wore hot pants that displayed a sad view of "chicken legs" on a man! (Yeah, I know that was an insult to chickens!) He's an asshole who loves to suck the joy from poor Peggy's accomplishments. To this day, I have no idea what Peggy found attractive in the pipsqueak! His attempts to schmooze with colleagues always fall flat! Don was damn right in the first episode...Pete's utterly unlikeable and a total assclown!

....visan you are so funny.

Visan, you need to tell us how you really feel about Pete. It is not good to keep these emotions bottled up inside you. Let it out, sister, let it all out - like Roger did with the oysters.

Pete will now be known as "Dubya" or "Silver Foot" because he just chaps my voluptuous ass!

He and You-Know-Who (Betty) are 2 of the least likeable and least fascinating characters I've ever seen on TV! Both are rich, annoying, lame and whiny! If they had the problems that folks from a "humble" background had, Silver Foot and You-Know-Who would slit their wrists!

Dry Manhattan...
I disagree with your statement that Don (compared to Pete) has a high level of emotional experience. In my opinion, Don is totally void of a real emotional attatchment, and has it worse than anyone else on the show.

The audience knows more than the characters themselves, so we know that Don looks the part, but has been faking it for a long time. He never had a stable family, yet he is trying to have one. He never had a loving father, yet he is trying to be one. He is trying to be the opposite of the hobo code carved into the old gatepost, yet he has problems fighting his genetics on his mother's and his father's side.

Pete thinks Don has it all together...so do all the workers at Sterling Cooper. Peggy, Joan, Pete, Bert, Midge, Rachel, Bobbie, Lois, Betty and the unnamed woman at the car dealership know of the chinks in his armor. Don has just realized the corrosion destroying his facade is coming from within.

I'm interested in seeing if Don will do the difficult interior work to stop the corrosion or merely patch it over with a new coat of paint and move forward. Taking the easy path will leave him not knowing where the new spot of corrosion will re-appear. He's rolling the dice.

Hey Hanna thanks for the clarification but like other disorders, there are degrees. I went to college with a woman we would now identify as an Aspie (she was obsessed with Bell helicopters.)

My youngest sister has mild Asperger's, which is why some (not all) of Pete's behavior strikes a chord. She's now 41 and manages okay and works hard, but has been easily taken advantage of over the years. She has conflicts with landlords, and has trouble interacting with institutions like banks, the phone company, etc. Medication helps level out the mood swings. She is not considered disabled per Social Security - Aspergers is a notoriously difficult diagnosis to qualify for SSDI. Meanwhile we run interference as needed, keep her utilities turned on etc., but because she does manage, it's not likely the courts would appoint one of us guardian of either the person or property.

ricky2batz...
It's interesting that your comment is proof of the success of the Mad Men's fantastic Costume Designer, Janie Bryant. Your reaction to Pete's attire is exactly the reaction she was goin for. She will be so happy!

Apparently, John Slattery gives her his unsolicited opinion about his character's clothing more than any other cast member, There is a small segment about dressing him in the Season 1 DVD. He complained to her that his clothes remind him of how his grandfather dressed. When he left the room, she said she pumped her fist in the air and exclaimed, "Yes!" She had achieved her goal.

There is a really great blog about dressing the cast below if you have time, you'll be glad you spent it reading about her job.

http://blogs.amctv.com/mad-men/2008/09/05/

......greytone.......emotional intelligence is not defined as emotional health.

If you've read any of my posts (and I've seen my own words, and more, coming back to me, so I think they are being read), I've stated repeatedly that I think Donald Draper has a serious emotional disorder, why, and that he very much does need therapy.

I've said that, while Betty isn't perfect, the problems in that marriage are related almost 100% to Draper's emotional baggage, and severe issues.

Emotional intelligence (and I'm paraphrasing) is the ability to read emotions in other people, and act and react appropriately to any situation. (Also in yourself, but this is the part where I feel that Draper needs therapy.)

Poor Pete is the worst of the worst at acting appropriately. Take ANY scene he's in, and he's the throbbing sore thumb sticking WAY the heck out there. That whole "dog as office mascot" thing was a little alarming - I mean, this guy's just not dealing with a full deck! Look at the way he had no concept whatsoever of how to feel upon hearing of his father's sudden, violent death, no concept of how his wife might be feeling on Valentine's Day..... let's face it, Pete is just a walking disaster.

I thought Auburn Annie's posts on Asperberger's syndrome were fascinating, and I'm really curious to learn more. While it sounds like it could be that, I also think that Pete - who is raised COMPLETELY differently from Draper - never had to develop those skills to survive.

Another way to clarify my thought is that Don Draper is "Teflon Man." It's his entire survival M.O. from birth. Take any situation, and Don Draper has an answer, a NON-answer, or a strategy. He thinks very, very fast on his feet. Try as he might and does, poor Pete only manages to shoot lead balloons.

My mother was an orphan, born during the depression. She grew up just like Dick Whitman, with a few ugly twists, so I've watched that phenomena in motion all through my life.

I think the scene where Pete tries to blackmail Draper is probably the most concise example of what I'm talking about. Pete had the most potentially devastating secret, and yet it was Draper who inexplicably won out victorious. It was Draper's lightning-fast ability to calculate the situation - you could almost hear the clicking..... Pete has NONE of those skills and, despite his HUGE advantage, he TANKED. I think he's STILL trying to figure out what happened.

I'm saying that no one is better at manipulating the world than Don Draper. He does it naturally and effortlessly, and he does it by being able to instinctively read emotional nuances that most other people don't perceive. Donald Draper's social and professional behavior is RARELY inappropriate. It's what makes him "The Man" in every situation. It’s why both women and men, young and old, straight or not, find him magnetic.

Although deep down he knows better, Draper is not MORAL - he's APPROPRIATE. People often mistake one for the other.

Don Draper is a committed nihilist, and goes through life doing anything and everything he pleases….. he gets away with it because he is able to manage people and their expectations and emotions so well.

Draper is a walking contradiction. He has some core morality, but doesn't live up to it. Or rather, something is causing him to deliberately push that away. I like to call him “The Two Dons.”

So my point was, the manner in which I used “emotional intelligence” refers to the fact that anyone in Draper's presence, for the most part, feels good, even if they are getting screwed in some way. No one likes being around Pete as hard as he tries to win admiration.

And, for the record, no, I don't think Donald Draper is going to find his soul, at least not right away. We have three more seasons and they might very well be all about the journey. The way he is hurling himself through the hurricane, I’m sure there will be some soul-searching in there somewhere.

One thing is for sure - it's going to be bumpy ride and I know we will all get a lot out of it.

In many ways, Bobby Draper is probably more mature than Pete. And he might look better in the tennis outfit, too.

Nonetheless, Vincent Kartheiser is brilliant in the role, and I am kind of sad that in the first half of the season, we have not seen all that much of Pete. Perhaps the remaining episodes will fix that.

Pete is a far less adept manipulator than Don, but he and Don are basically two sides of the same coin. Which may be why Pete looks up to Don.

Somewhat ironic that Pete's father, who hated the fact that his son was in advertising, was basically pimped out by Pete in order to try to land the American Airlines account.

Don's a cheater, a liar, an absolute slut (which I adore) and arrogant as hell. Yet, I want Don to overcome!! The idea that some priviledged asshat like Pete "Dubya" Campbell would want to bring Don down was unacceptable to me! And I was beyond happy that YodaBert said "who cares?" at Dubya's impotent attempt at blackmail! Also, I'm anticipating Don getting revenge on that clown with a Short Man's Complex, Anti-Funny Jimmy! Some fool, cracking jokes that corny, doesn't even deserve to breathe the same air as Teflon Don! Duck, that washed up lush, all up in Don the Doll's grill despite Don giving his damaged ass a second chance. Duck's finally coming around but he was a total ingrate! I hoped that Don would get to publicly hand Duck his ass but they've seem to patched things up!

I want Don to rise again! It has everything to do with my being a champion for the underdog!

Hey all, new here.

I had seen the ads for this show and since I was going to go back to school, I didn't try to watch. I had a heart attack and had to watch something at the hospital.

Now I'm hooked and since it's on Sunday's it doesn't interfere with class. I might need to rent or buy season one.

I'm very curious about Petey. I'm a Peggy fan and am floored that she slept with him. ( I'm also curiours why i saw her putting on panty hose..but that's for another board I suppose.

Petey looks so Alfred E. to me. He looks like someone I wouldn't hire to be out front at an ad agncy at that time. Can someone fill me in? Great posts all. Toodles!

As to the pantyhose, I listened to the NPR interview that creator Matt Weiner did recently, and he mentioned something about how the original idea behind the episode Maidenform (with the pantyhose scene at the beginning) was going to be about pantyhose and not bras, but the idea evolved. It's been established that pantyhose was invented before 1962 and it's possible that SC employees would have access to prototypes of the product. Maybe Peggy was trying them out or was going to work on a pantyhose account.

Thank you Hanna! I never thought of someone living in a huge city like New York knowing about panty hose way before we horsey people in KY did. Peggy might find it economic to use them if they have some around too. This would explain a post I saw where someone mentioned Peggy was on the pill. I'm sure it was around, but maybe not in my neck of the woods.

Pete's mother's home looked like old money when his father died. Is Petey old money?

57Chevy - Yes, Pete is definitely old NY money. His mother's family is among the older families in NY and it's really the only reason that Stirling-Cooper keeps him around - his family connections.

I recommend watching season 1 on DVD because it will help you get caught up (the episode recaps on the MM main page also help). If you're interested in Pete Campbell, pay attention to "New Amsterdam", episode 4 of season 1; it sheds a lot of light on Pete and his family.

Welcome, 57Chevy, I think you will find, after a few visits, that this is a humdinger of a group to hang out with. They know everything about Mad Men and can give you the most fascinationg insights on each of the characters. They are witty beyond belief and will have you laughing aloud.

Dry Manhattan, I like what you said about Don D. being "appropriate" as opposed to "moral." It was apparent when Pete came to him on the death of his father. Don's immediate response was to tell him what would be appropriate for a person to do in that situation. At no time, however, did he appear to feel any sympathy for Pete. He couldn't wait to send him home so he would be someone else's problem.

Remember when Pete and Harry were trying to figure out how to help the Nixon campaign and they came up with the idea to have the laxative buy the ad time, so Kennedy wouldn't have any to buy? In the meeting after, when Roger asked whose idea it was, Pete started to blame Harry, because he thought Roger didn't like it. But when it turned out that Roger thought it was a good thing, Pete "fessed up". He was willing to throw Harry in front of the bus, 'til he realized they were getting praised. What a weasel.

But, weasels are fun to watch.

......hi 57Chevy.....mad men is one of those things that no matter how many times you see it, there is always something new ....

Helen Bishop, great catch on the irony of Pete's father being pimped after his death for advertising purposes.

Your "two sides of the same coin" idea was also interesting - how do you mean....?

zerelda, draper's surface concern hit me the same way. i think he had the shock reaction, but is strictly custodial with Pete. it's pretty clear he neither likes nor respects him, but always strives to be professional and non-biased.

..... did you notice, though, that pete DOESN'T really notice that Draper doesn't like him?? poor pete. he's so clueless.

another time i saw that utter detachment was Pete hanging around at Draper's door for an inclusion in the Draper dinner invitation. it was so funny the way Draper just shrugged at pete like, 'YEAH?"

since we're mentioning it, who wouldn't be weirded out working together every day with that between them?

how bizarre must that be for both of them, walking around every day knowing pete knows Draper's dark secret? like a bomb waiting to go off. and i get the feeling pete's not done with that information, either. i'm guessing his next stop is betty.

Dry Manhattan, my two sides of the same coin reference was meant to convey that I believe Don and Pete are both deeply conflicted, opportunistic wannabees, yet they come from very different backgrounds and have used their skills to obtain different results. Don certainly knows how to seize an opportunity when it comes up, see, e.g., the snatching of Lt. Draper's dog tags and the assumption of his identity. Don wants to move in the "right circles" (he didn't flinch when Bert told him he was going to be on the board of some museum). Yet, my sense is that deep inside Don worries everyday that the rug is going to be pulled out from under him, and while he certainly looks like he would fit in with the country club crowd, is not entirely comfortable with that environment. Pete is equally opportunistic, see, e.g., going through Don's trash in Episode 1, Season 1, and then of course what he thought would be the coup de grace, revealing Don's true identity to Bert Cooper, which blew up in his face and almost cost him his job. Pete wants to be one of the guys, he wanted to be a published author, he wants to become top dog at S&C, and maybe most of all, he wants to be accepted by Don. Pete does not strike me as the introspective type, but I suspect inside, he wonders where he belongs and whether he will ever truly "make" it. There is some irony that Pete, who comes from one of NY's most prominent families, would be envious of Don, the son of a prostitute who grew up in much more modest circumstances.

Dry Manhattan...
Thank you for taking the time to respond to my question. Your thoughts were beautifully and completely conveyed. I now understand what you meant. Wow...I even got capital letters and complete thoughts! You are so much better when you take the time to express yourself and not just resort to dashing off random or incomplete thoughts. That is not a criticism, but meant to be encouragement...so you not waste one extra moment re-explaining a post. Use 'Preview' and then as Don says, "Move forward."
Quiet as it's kept, we'll take you any way you dish it! lol

I hate you succumbed and read the Canadian spoiler; you haven't expressed many ideas since then....just be sure NOT to give us any hints. I will be persecuting those who went there and now are throwing out witticisms on topics they never expressed an interest in knowing they will look really wise come Sunday night....

I never thought I'd make it through the week....
Ciao, Ciao!

....Helen Bishop - great post, and i agree with everything (i don't say that very often!)...

every single moment of every single day is a gamble for Don Draper, which is one of the things that makes him a nihlist. he knows he can't rightly build anything real, because it might all come crashing down on him in a second. therefore, he feels "nothing." his life is really just a two-dimensional facade - a diorama (remember those?)

one thing that was brought up earlier on here about the country club is that they DO do a background check...... someone posited that is why Draper is reluctant to rise "above the radar," so to speak.

like any criminal type, i think anything foisting Draper above the radar is going to be a problem. and i think bert cooper is perfectly well aware of that, and might be, in fact, using it to his advantage.

like i said, to me cooper's statements felt like a noose tightening around Draper's neck. When is the NEXT time cooper decides to play that card?

i can't wait for Draper to run into someone Dick Whitman knew at one of these philanthropic events.

.....greytone......You noticed the initial caps, huh?

I did see the recap, but the stuff I've been posting this week are rehashings of my old posts from a couple weeks ago, when I began referring to Donald Draper as "Teflon Man," and as a nihlist - possibly even a sociopath. You don't cure that overnight!

He is the protagonist, so his journey is the focus of this whole series. You have to assume that 10-year arc is going to be about that journey.

There are a lot of new posters on here, and those old ideas came up for me again, fit in well, and it gives them a new twist....especially since they didn't get much "air" time the first time around....

....and, actually, I always use "Preview." Several times.....I guess it just looks better to me than it really is.....

Thanks for the input......

Please, I know I'm behind, but what is Draper's secret?

You guys are so good! Interesting thoughts here. No, Pete just doesn't have Don's intuitive skills at picking up social or business "cues", that's for sure.

I think Pete did once say something regarding Don's attitude about him in the first season, something like "why doesn't he like me?" said to no one in particular, I think.

Probably my biggest shock from Season 1 once I bought the dvd set, and watched "When Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" again, is in one of the very first Don-Pete scenes, Don has rejected Pete over something, and the camera shot is on Pete's face, where he mouths "f--k you" under his breath before turning and walking away. That was a shocker. Watch again some time. It's been a love-hate relationship ever since.

If you notice, none of the rest of the guys seem as hung-up (or bother to spend time with) on Don's approval/disapproval or moods as Pete. I don't know if that makes them more "mature" or just more savvy about how the business world operates than Pete. He often reminds me of the whiny kid who is constantly in your face asking for something.

Oh, and Visan, love your new character moniker, "Silver Foot" for Pete! Ranks right up there with SAB for Betty.

@57 Chevy:

DRAPER'S SECRET: He was born Dick Whitman, the son of a prostitute and a farmer. He was only in the Korean War a few weeks, and his commanding officer was Lt Donald Draper, an engineer. It was only Dick and the CO at this site in Korea, when the CO was killed in an explosion and Dick Whitman grabbed the CO's dog tags, and assumed his identity. Dick accompanied the body back "home" for burial (the CO was buried as Dick Whitman), and Don Draper was discharged and began his "new life" with a new name and background.

I think Pete acts the way he acts is due to Weiner's quote about the characters. Weiner said in an interview, "everyone has a reasonf or what they do, good and bad". Pete is more transparent with his reasons than Don. Pete is like Saran Wrap while Don is like Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil (you have to open it up to see what's inside). Don doesn't open up and has a hidden agenda going on all the time. It keeps people anxious and nervous. Where is he going and what he going to do? I noticed every time it comes to client presentations, Don never reveals his pitch to ANYONE at Sterling Cooper. Even Roger can't get anything out of him. Why SC gives him that kind of power amazes me! Duck tried to get him to reveal his pitch at the Sunday meeting before the AA presentation (and another time as well) and Don shot the Duck down (no pun intended). ;o) Cheers!

@Jamm: Thanks! I gotta give props to the late, great Ann Richards for inspiration....

Kept thinking Silver Foot just doesn't know any level of appropriateness. His wanting to have an "office dog" was the height of dumbness!

Just like SAB's bizarre comment on how old Bobbie was. That was the zenith of shallowness!WTF? Why not rip Don the Wand a new asshole for putting their family life in danger? I don't care what this character does, she'll never have me as a fan! Then again, if she'd have taken all Dapper Don's suits and cut them into shreds. Or threw them in the Caddy, lit a match to them and burned them, I may have changed my tune! That's some stuff I wanna see!! Not her sniffing hankies, plodding around in the same funky party dress for 2, 3 days!

Hi everyone! I just found this thread...where have I been?! Great comments as usual!

Visan, the silver foot name is the best! it is tarnished of course...
Wasn't it great watching Betts AKA SAB breaking down in her "party dress"?
As much as Betty's character grates on my nerves, January Jones should be nominated for those scenes.

P.S. Visan, well you know what they say...can't have an office dog, might as well have an office bra model for one night!! What a twit he is, with a capital T!!

Drink&Smoke:
I noticed every time it comes to client presentations, Don never reveals his pitch to ANYONE at Sterling Cooper. Even Roger can't get anything out of him... Duck tried to get him to reveal his pitch at the Sunday meeting before the AA presentation

Duck couldn't get it out of Don because at that moment, Don didn't have one! He thought he had an addtitional week to work on the pitch. When he does have a pitch, he shares it with his staff so they can prepare the copy, pictures, etc. for the client. When AA walked in through the door, the pitch was ready.

At other times, Don comes up with something out of thin air, like in the first episode, "It's Toasted!", a spur-of-the-moment creation. Don's a genius at that which is why SC has him there.

jamm54, thank you so much for the explanation. I must tell my husband he will buy me the season one dvd set prior to fall break so I can get on board. Again, thank you!

I don't think Pete is stupid. The scenes with his parents revealed a lot about the way he was raised - his Dad's refusal to lend him money for the apartment Trudy wanted accompanied by the zinger he shot at Pete, "We gave you your name and what have you done with it?" (probably not exact quote) The mom just sat there - talk about distant parenting. It's not surpring that Pete is not Mister Warmth, having parents like that.

His social skills are almost nonexistent, at least outside of his own societal realm. He's a rich kid used to having people do for him and anticipate his needs, so he never learned how to negotiate and persuade. IMHO.

Ritt, I never thought of it that way...pulling it out of the air or not having a pitch yet. I just got the feeling he likes to hold on to the information. Information is power and Don doesn't like to share the power!! Thanks for the clarification. Cheers! ;o)

Well, I guess we can say Pete was "successful" tonight in "Six Months Leave" by getting Freddie Rumsen canned.

BUT, Pete as usual, may have shot himself in the foot down the line. Peggy being promoted to the level of Pete's peer, and in essence being Don's wingman (or woman) gives her the clout to stomp Pete one of these days, but good.

Don't you think Peggy is smarter than Pete, at least in business? She's getting quite a business education, and not just in advertising, but how power shifts and moves in a company. I hope she stomps the crap out of Pete one day - and no one would be more fitting to do it than Peggy.

Silver Foot really needs his entitled ass handed to him! Publicly! That was an assy thing to do, to snitch on Freddy! Stop snitchin'!!!

I don't like Pete since the first season. I don't think he will come up he needs to stay where he's at. He is sneaky, and thinks he deserve as much credit as Don and anyone else. Did anyone remember how he came at Don in the first season and tried to say his father was a good asset to Sterling Cooper that right there showed me he's a punk.He just come off as a whinner and needs to stay in his place. What a snitch, The way Freddie was going he would of screwed up again and Don would have handled it then so Pete should have shut his mouth. I guess it worked for Peggy she moved up.

I am kinda ticked off /confused at Peggy. She starts out great storming into Pete's office and giving him a good verbal bitch slapping. THEN, as he explains that now they'll both be promoted and thanks to him, she might get Freddie's office, blah, blah..... she doesn't say much else. Do you think she's just so disgusted that Snivelin' Pete's such an amoral user? ... or do you think some of what he said got to her sense of wanting to move up, move ahead, and if ol' Freddie had to be the fall guy for that, oh well. Hmmmm... I just don't know what to make of that because she could have gone ON and ON hollering at him, and yet she didn't.

Laurie B/Visan, you know what I didn't understand about that scene where Peggy storms into his office? Why is Pete taking credit for Peggy being a junior copywriter? Is he kidding? Don promoted Peggy to junior copywriter on the Clearisil account because Pete was being such a jerk (about something I can't remember), so WHY is Pete taking credit for that promotion? Is he saying that he understands he's such a jerk and that Don promoted her just to get back at him?

@Jamm: I have no idea why Silver Foot took credit for Peggy's rise up the ranks! It's probably yet another one of his rich boy entitlement delusions! He's not very bright!

I was disappointed, too, LaurieB, in Peggy. I thought she should've torn him apart. Instead, she listens to him and gives credence to what he says!

Why, why, why does Peggy love Pete? For the life of me, I don't get it. I suppose we have to remember that she's given birth to his child, and that changes everything. But she didn't keep the child to worship it like some keepsake or memento of Pete, so why doesn't she hate Pete? Why does Peggy keep believing in him or attach any credibility to what he says? The only thing I can think of is that she still loves Pete, somewhere deep down inside. Yuck.

I hate, hate, HATE Snivelin' Pete - Vincent K. is doing a masterful job, because I've heard he's actually a genial guy in real life. The first time I stumbled upon MM was S1/E1, when Snivelin' Pete was making his usual derogatory comments about "girls" (women) and I was both horrified and fascinated, thinking "What IS this?" Needless to say, I was hooked from then on.

jamm54, I too am mystified as to why Peggy still pines for Pete...maybe because she's "not much" as Joan told her, she's grateful for any crumbs - and Snivelin' Pete is one disgusting crumb! What an ass. Maybe too, Preggy was raised a good Catholic girl, still has guilt/hope that the person you surrender your virginity to will love you forever, blah blah blah. This of course, is in direct conflict with her calculating, ambitious side.

I think Pete does have a violent side that we've seen glimpses of, maybe Preggy is attracted to Pete's wannabe Bad Boy.

Snivelin' Silver Foot bugs! Maybe Peggy feels she can't do any better than some dim-witted twit like him.

I pray Peggs gets some esteem with the quickness!

Someone like Snivelin' Silver Foot is probably destined to wallow in middle management for the rest of his career, always whining about how he's always being overlooked. Truth be told, he should be thanking his lucky stars and kissing Don's very fine ass.

@Dobiegirl: Don does have a fine ass! I just happened to notice....LOL!

What I don't understand about Peggy is her ability to overlook these dastardly actions of Pete's towards others (herself, Freddie, Don), and not just be completely disgusted by his character. Yet, she never hates him.

I thought the scene where Freddy wets his pants was very interesting in many ways, but what did cause me to laugh out loud was Pete's attempt to "take charge" when they realize that Freddy won't make the meeting. It was reminiscent of a Cat in the Hat type situation where the kids were left alone at home and broke Mom's favorite lamp and here she is coming up the walkway. Now what to do we do? Loved Pete's lines to Peggy and Sal: No, don't tell Don, and you two go in the conference room and "don't look mad." Then, true to tattletale form, Pete later runs off and tells Duck who tells Roger who tells Don.

Overall, I thought the scene was a brilliant one because of the juxtaposition of tragedy (Freddy's alcoholism) and comedy.

Pete's a prick.. that is all.

Pete is demonstrating increasing ineffectiveness just as the women are increasing their competence. It makes a nice juxtaposition.

I see Duck and Pete forming and alliance against Don this past episode. Don really did get ambushed by both of them. I wonder if Don likes Freddy so much because of Freddy's age? Freddy makes Don feel young. Don likes being the young one who got promoted over someone older. Now Don is stuck being the old guy that is beating down the young un's that are working their way up the ladder. Poor Don, mid-life crisis, sucks!

Freddy was pretty likable, whether or not Don appreciated his age. In the previews for next week's episode, Don is still very much in charge of the younger staff.

Man, Snivelin' Silver Foot and Lame Duck better back off Don! I get a feeling, OK, hope that Don puts the smackdown on both those ingrates! Then again, Silver Foot was gunning for Duck's job last season, which is what led the little prick (hat tip to Black Joan) to limply blackmail Teflon Don. So knowing Silver Foot's tendency to backstab anyone, Lame Duck better watch his back!

Silver Foot has yet to mourn his father. I know that omission is part of an extended plot.

If Peggy "consoles" Pete when he finally feels or experiences any grief over the death of his father, I'll really lose it.

Pete takes credit for Peggy's promotion because without Pete and Duck tattling on Freddy to Don, she wouldn't have been given the opportunity to take over all his accounts. She would still be trying to prove herself. I think during her rant she realized that Pete will never be anything but a kiss-ass, so why bother to continue admonishing him.

He is socially stunted because he has gone from Mommy's home to wifey's where is he spoiled and always get what he wants. That doesn't happen in business for him, so he doesn't know what to do. He needs to grow up! We saw how poorly he handled the situation in Freddy's office. He is immature, especially for a 28 yr. old man.

Pete truly is a sad and drowning young man. Its true he came from a prominent, rich and influential family. He was spoiled rotten, up until the point he went into the Advertising field, as opposed to following his father into Law. Pete couldn't get a down payment from his father for an apartment, and was basically disowned for the career he chose. His upbringing didn't really garner him anything but his name, which has been shown to have kept him from being fired on a few occasions.
Although he wants to appear like an alpha dog, he wears childish suits, pajama shirts with ponys on them and he writes a story and will only be published in Boys Life. His homelife is run and controlled by his wife. His wife's family has control over him because they have loaned them money and helped them out so much. Pete did not want to be indebted to her family, because he knew he would have to abide by their wishes. His father in law is definitely expecting certain things from him because of all the help he has given them and he is passive aggressive in letting Pete know that he owns him. This is why Pete feels he has to do whatever it takes to get promoted and make more money to get out of the monetary hold of her parents. He knows if he doesn't he will keep on drowning in debt to her family and never be his own man. Some People do get ahead by stepping on the necks of their collegues, but I think Pete is such a flawed and valueless individual that he will eventually self destruct over time.

I think he has potential for redemption. He is very young. He's trying on the role he sees exhibited by the alpha dogs in the office, but I think he has a tremendous sense of inferiority. Peggy saw something in him, and I think she was just as shrewd on her first day at work, as now, only much less experienced.

@utzbox: very interesting. Pete had pony pajamas?! I didn't notice that - yee gads!

Well, carolyn L, Pete is "young" emotionally for his age and the era, maybe he will grow up. There's some line Peggy says (to Pete, I think) in the previews to "The Inheritence" that already kind of shows a maturity about Peggy that Pete is definitely lacking.

Methinks Preggy is/was meant to be a woman not used to a lot of male attention. She came into this office environment, where her boss dissed her overtures but this little runt, Pete, sought her out. Preggs is savvy but like a lot of smart young (and not so young) women, she made a foolish choice in hitting the sack, er, sofa with Silver Foot. She paid a big price for that dalliance, "Baby Pete!"

IMO, Peggy's portrayer is a pretty woman. But she's playing down her looks for storyline purposes.

Oh, I hate Pete! He's a complete assclown!

Well, now all I'm going to be fixated on is Pete in his "little pony" pajamas! What an image......

The couch does seem to be Pete's place of choice for his lady friends. LOL Maybe Pete should try having sex with Trudy to his couch instead of their bed? It might get her pregnant. Cheers! ;o)

Oops, sorry about the typo...Trudy on his couch.

....Laurie B. (way back there).... I noticed how fast the prospect of advancement, money and power shut Peggy up.

I guess everyone has their price.

Personally, I would have kicked him in the balls.

That's what makes me think that some day, when push comes to shove, Peggy's "loyalty" will go out the window and she'll throw Don under the bus for her ambition.

You're right Dry Manhatten, Peggy was quick to back peddle her anger when Pete reminded her of her promotion. Even when Pete said, "I'll be the first to congratulate you", Peggy didn't need to say "Congratulations, Pete" back to him. If she had just said nothing, the silence would have sent a good message. Instead she left Pete thinking what he did was a good thing for both of them - at Freddy's expense! Almost like Freddy was just a casualty of war.

Drink & Smoke...
In that scene, Pete said, "If it wasn't for me you'd still be a junior copywriter." (Don had just promoted her from Jr. Copywriter to Copywriter.) He continued,...."I refuse to feel bad; we're going to get raises. You could get his office...." He then paused, and said, "Now...I'll go first. Congratulations, Peggy." It was then that she mumbled, "Congratulations, Pete."

In this lesson, she learned that in the end there's a choice that must be made in spite of your loyalties that ensures your own survival--above all else. Don had just admonished her to stop looking at how much she 'loved' her co-workers and stop apologizing for being good at her job. She didn't see her rise to the top involving her stepping over the dead caucuses of people she liked. Her subdued acknowledgement occured as she turned and left the room to determine how this new lesson changed her. She couldn't fathom that she would end up conducting business like Pete Campbell.

Pete has convinced himself, and her, that he has her interests at heart. Remember when he agreed to look at her presentation, but actually didn't? Because of her work on Belle Jolie, Fred Rumson was the one that suggested she be assigned to write copy for the new Relax-i-cisor account. Pete has always pretended he supported her promotions, but he still is trying position himself 'above her' and did not want her to work with him on his father-in-law's Clearasil account. He was more upset that she no longer looks to him for direction, and no longer sees herself has his sexual partner. Peggy will continue to buck headwind next week as she is shown again how little value the guys place on her work. With Rumson's departure, she will gravitate toward supportive people (like Don and Sal) who both seem to respond positively to her copy and her capability.

Actually, Don was the first to congratulate her, not Pony Pajama Pete.

What that scene showed is that Peggy, although she knew she had Freddie's accounts, hadn't realized until that moment she'd get a significant raise as well as possibly Freddie's office. She blinks. It was taking a long moment to process that information. About the time she does, she turns to leave and says quietly, "Congratulations, Pete."

Actually, I don't think Pete will get a raise because of Freddie's removal.

Oh, I think I like "Pony Pajama Pete" better than "Silver Foot" now! LOL

.....Drink&Smoke....Peggy's response bothered me also. She was WAY too easy on him.

Peggy rents way too much "space" to Pete. No one else takes him seriously, for the most part, so I can't understand a girl as smart and ambitious, who KNOWS his quantity, giving him the time of day.

After the newness of their unfortunate bond wore off, I should think Peggy would realize she will go much farther in life than a guy like Pete.

Just my two bits.

Sorry to say this but I kind of like Pete. I know he's a slime but you have to give the guy credit when it's due. He comes up with some pretty good ideas and, when put in an awkward situations with clients, he seems to handle them well and does a good job for Sterling-Cooper. I admit he is obnoxious at times but I imagine it's all from trying to fit into a group where he knows no one likes him. Trying to prove oneself sometimes comes across as being arrogant. I think he will have come back from this CA trip with big accounts for SC and I'm also pretty confident that he will take advantage of Don Draper's disappearing act in CA and use it against him. You hear him say in next weeks episode that "He's done that before." Peter knows more about Don than we know.

I detest Snivelin' Silver Foot! He's absolutely an asshat! His entitled ass! I'm sick of this man acting needy and whiny and desperate! And his always taking pleasure from stealing Peggy's joy is the asshole-y of asshole-y acts he's committed--thus far!! I just wanna kick him in the nuts!!

When the Pegster pulled her punches with Pony Pajama Pete, I think maybe she was afraid her anger would release something she really doesn't want anybody to know. As in,"You're a real rat for getting Freddy fired and knocking me up...oops!"

I think most of the posters are letting the surface view of Pete block some of his good points. He realizes he got his job because of his name, not his talents. This year he seems to be working harder to prove himself. When Don/Dick went MIA, Pete kept the appointments and moved forward. He looks physically smaller and boyish compared to the other execs in the office (he also seems to be the only male who doesn't smoke), but he seems to learn from his mistakes and continues to work to bring business to Sterling Cooper. I think that's why Peggy sees something in him--she has to work twice as hard just to be considered a peer. Look at these other clowns: Crane creates a position so he can be home with his wife at a decent hour; Roger is busier whoring around than getting any business accomplished; Paul is trying to impress with his bohemian lifestyle; Ken is a glorified pimp. Yes, Pete is going to take advantage of any situation that comes up, and, although he's picked Don as a mentor, he isn't above cutting his throat if the opportunity presents itself. Pete is the quintessential young executive working his way up through the ranks. He will succeed at all costs. I've worked with several Petes. They were all weasels, but they became successful weasels.

Poor Pete.
He looks like Wednsday Addams.

But he is very Asperger. My daughter is asperger and sometimes so cluless socially you would think she was from Mars. To add to the problem she is extreamly beautiful so people think she is just being a snot. Of course it is not like Pete is a real person so it is kind of silly to say this is why he is such a twit.

sad though he looks at Peggy and sees a better than he.

I myself think Pete is an ugly duckling waiting to turn into a swan. Perhaps some or many of you were glad when you saw him with a shotgun in his hand at the end of the 10/26 episode after Peggy came clean with him about the baby. I was not, because I love the character Pete.

I am not a big TV series person. The last show I became tantalized by was "Dallas" way back when. My son, who is a corporate lawyer in Chicago, turned me onto this series midway into last year's premier. I downloaded the entire year's episodes so I could watch from the beginning I was so tantalized.

Anyway, back to Pete.

HIs own father "downsized" him from the very beginning of this story. Pete does not feel secure in his own skin, and yet somehow, with Don Draper telling Pete truisms about Pete's shortfallings while famously avoiding his own downfallings (and we must remember that famous scene where Pete tells Sterling Cooper about Don's true identity and that didn't make a difference to SC) , he is slowly crawling out of the snakey skin his father put him in.

In this show also, you have to really study the character's facial expressions in each situation. When Duck Phillips tells Pete he is going to be President of the company and Pete himself will be head of accounts, check out Pete's facial expression. It is one of angst and worry.

When he goes to Don Draper and tells Don that Sterling Cooper has been sold, he has an expression somewhat of peace as if he has done the right thing.

Bottom line for me: I think Peter sees Don Draper as someone, in spite of both of their shortfalls, who can guide him to a better place in life and the business.

I think both of them can come to realizations about their lives that will make them very good men.

If Pete shoots himself, I am going to be very upset. If someone has to die, let it be one of the three stooges, Harry, Paul, or Ken. And even then, I am going to be upset.

Portia

.

Pete can't be taken off the show. He is too important of a character to lose. The show wouldn't be the same without him. I don't know how he and Peggy are going to continue working together but it will be interesting to find out. I think his telling Don about the merger was because he feels a real loyalty to Don and Don read into that immediately. It was a good decision on Pete's part and Don is going to remember that in the future, whatever his future with SC is. Pete and Peggy are 2 people he really counts on. Obvious after he talked to Pete about his MIA in CA. Took Pete a minute to realize Don was giving him a pat on the back. I loved it when Don noticed Peggy's new do and office first thing. He actually smiled when he saw it all. Also, Joan will be in his alliance if he makes a move. I just wish we didn't have to wait so long to find out.

OMG - does anyone have ANY idea where all of these characters came from? They are based on REAL people. The story lines have been adapted. And so, they really survived and functioned in the world. Don't you wish you knew what happened more recently, to Pete, or to any of them?

Pete has no good points. As for Duck - waaaack, waaaack, waaaack.

Pete has no good points. As for Duck - waaaack, waaaack, waaaack.

I am new to this board, so I apologize if this question has already been asked and answered. I just finished watching Season 2 on demand. Did they ever say why Pete doesn't drive?

I do believe this was brought up in all "The Jet Set" discussions, but the general consensus seems to be that he was brought up in a wealthy family that likely had drivers so he never had to learn. He lives and works in Manhattan where driving yourself isn't really a necessity. Of course, if you (or anyone else) has another theory I'd like to hear it.

Just because Pete doesn't have Don's manipulative skills it doesn't mean he has Asperger's Syndrome. That's making it sound like Pete has a genetic deformity. If you look at Pete's family there doesn't seem to be much love and affection there. How can Pete read natural facial expressions and body language if they weren't presented to him honestly by his family? As for treating his wife to a box of chocolates instead of a meal in an expensive restaurant on Valentine's Day as least he remembered and he's not exactly rolling in cash with his salary and plush apartment.

Don comes from a poor dysfunctional background but then he's special and had to reinvent himself. It's a wonder he didn't turn out like his parents in Hicksville.

At the beggining of season one it did look as though Trudy had the thankless task of being Pete's somewhat unloved convenient society wife, but as things progressed you see her excelling at being " the woman behind the man " and it is interesting storyline and the actress is doing very well. she looks like Barbabra Perkins in " Valley of The Dolls" . I almost thought season one was going too set her up too find out about Peggy and the baby, blissfully she does not know any of this went on behind her back. It looks like in time they will have an affection and respect for each other that resembles a partnership maybe. Although it did seem as he was connected too Peggy in season one and said so. I recall the chat they had about hunting with a rifle and the cabin in new hampshire.

Poor Pete the twit, the character we all love to hate!! He is getting smarmier and smarmier each episode! Can't wait to see what happens next!

I kind of like Pete, I see him as authentic- in real life there would be guys who, after being in school all their lives with other priviledged kids - then get a blast rude awakening when they find themselves in the cut-throat corporate world where they have to really cut the mustard on their merit for maybe the first time. He's finding his way - his cold distant parents didn't help him develop much sense of self, then he's with Don and has to learn the hard way.

If you like Peter Campbell, check out this Vincent Kartheiser interview - some cool behind-the-scenes insight on Mad Men, plus a lot of personality on Vincent!:

http://lostinasupermarket.com/2009/10/mad-mens-vincent-kartheiser-interview/

this one's a bit more personal about Vincent, but still really insightful:

http://lostinasupermarket.com/2009/10/mad-men%E2%80%99s-vincent-kartheiser-interview-pt-ii/

Did Pete not get his foot hacked off earlier in the season? What's up with that? In the coming episode's previews of that show, was mention not made that they could not have a "cripple" working there? Am I losing my mind? Anyone know?

Has anyone noticed that Alison Brie ( Trudy Campbell) is a virtual clone of Barbara Parkins back in the sixties!

I recently saw a documentary about Richard Nixon and it mentioned that one of his Watergate henchmen, H.R. Haldeman, started out in advertising. That got me thinking about Pete Campbell -- I could see him following Haldeman's footsteps, parlaying his ad sales skills into becoming a shady political aide.