Sal with a boyfriend, Peggy with a boyfriend, Joan WITHOUT her boyfriend and working with Harry on the soap operas, Roger back with Mona, Bert in love with his secretary, Miss Whatshername, Kitty and Ken getting to know each other, and Freddie back with Lois as his secretary. Don being faithful to Betty, and Betty enjoying being a mother for a change, for at least the first episode, then a beautiful new client will walk in, say "You are not Don Draper - I knew Don Draper and you are not he," and we will be off on another adventure with Dick Whitman while he shows her the new improved version of Don Draper.

My husband and I just discovered this show the middle of last season and immediately fell in love with it. But now I'm getting totally irritated trying to find out when the heck does the new season start?

This is not a prediction but a "wish list":

1. Don't fast forward to 1964; instead, pick up where we left off in 1962. This is for two reasons: a) It would be very interesting to see how Betty deals with pregnancy and the arrival of Baby 3; and b) the time period itself is fascinating. While I understand Mr. Weiner does not want to show the assassination, if he starts in late 1962, he could end Season 3 before November 1963.

2. A Christmas episode, please! Complete with an out of control Sterling Cooper Christmas party.

3. More Sally Draper. Please show some school scenes (the kids practicing their duck and cover maneuvers and watching filmstrips).

I'm not receiving what I write on here until days later and wondering what happened with what I wrote here, Drink & Smoke?
Anyway, it goes like this:
For Season 3, I want a man that looks like Jon Hamm to watch Season 3 with me! (he,he)

1. That they never turn Pete Campbell into a "good" boy.
2. Less Draper-homelife. More office-scenes.
3. Really angsty Pete and Peggy scenes.
4.That Don takes back the place as number one rooster at Sterling&Cooper
5. That Pete and Don becomes enemies again. "Nixon vs. Kennedy" are still one of my favorite episodes.
6. More Joan and Sal. Less Betty.
7. Don and Betty can have their kid. Then I hope it is over with babies.

I'm with you TyraL, I am getting rather tired of the Draper home-life and would like to see more office scenes. However, a few more episodes where they take Betty out of the house and have her do the guy in the bar, could help ratings go up (methaphor?) Cheers. ;o)

1. Pete stays with Trudy and raises his son he had with Peggy. While having occasional flings with Peggy on the side.
2. Joan marries the Doctor, he's almost never home because of work so she makes the case to keep working at SC. She get's more involved with TV working with Harry.
3. Draper home life will get a little too domestic for Don, and Betty will need more in house help and a new therapist. Don will be good until the baby's born then he'll be out on the prowl.
4. Freddie's 6 month leave is over and he's back at SC.

Good gawd, you guys have already covered it all!

Great ideas...hope some of them make it into the new season!

Matt Weiner did say said Freddy would be back, but did not say necessarily at SC. Does anyone think he will appear with SC's competitor or will he be at SC? What do others think about good ol' Freddy's return? ;o)

Cosgrove decides to leave the ad industry for a distinguished writing career.

The Smiths' (the young fellas) success in generating ideas makes Paul obsolete. The final straw happens when a spiteful Joan submarines him, and gets Don to fire Paul.

Duck Phillips is retained at the new SC still junior to Don, catches wind of Don's AWOL in Korea, and alerts Roger. Roger (a former military man) loses a large amount of respect for Don, and sees him as more expendable with the successes of the lesser-paid and younger execs such as Pete.

Cooper, on the other hand, sees Don as even more of an asset, who he introduces to power elites that help pull SC some accounts.

The Englishmen interefere with the operation of SC, which is a continual source of frustration for Don, but Roger fails to see the problem because he likes the focus on advertising, not the actual product.

Don begins a torrid affair with Joan, who was contemplating suicide because of her dsysfunctional marriage and lack of fulfillment/role at the office. Don is able to keep it from Betty because the sex occurs only during office hours.

Harry's power and influence begin to grow at SC due to the new focus on television.

Pete continues to base his success on status and not merit, still remaining the anti-hero to Do

Freddy Rumsun should come back sober and ready to settle in. He also just happens to connect with Chauncy and has adopted him. Ruff! Ruff!

Duck has been shot down by the Englishmen and is no longer with SC.

Joan has second and third thoughts about marrying the doctor and calls off the wedding. She finds out that he's been cheating on her with Jane. Roger finds out, drops Jane and goes back to Mona.

Peggy's wardrobe has improved and has become much more fashionable - even has a new hair style.

Betty has a miscarriage because I wouldn't like to see their son (can't recall his name at the moment - is it Bobby?) become the "middle" child. That sweet kid has enough to deal with already.

A new female client comes on the SC scene and turns out to be someone from Dick Whitman's past. At first she doesn't recognize him but as they work together on an ad campaign she begins to realize who he is. Will Don leave town, again?

Freddy has an epiphany, sobers up, makes contact with old client/friends, gives them good ideas, starts to attract a small clientel - because he's always been good at what he did. Evolves into a small, successful business until he manages to capture one of the 'big fish' SC clients and then........walks back onto the plush carpets of SC with new found respect. Hey, don't knock it, it's happened before!

Great speculation, silver!...let's just hope, however, that in Freddy's office (will he put Peggy out?) the "plush carpets" are by then replaced with easy-to-mop-up linoleum or tile! LOL

SCfan - 2 2 funny! Yeah, he'll always have to deal with that alright! Some things we never forget. Imagine the look on Coop's face when he walks in on his precious carpet.........{:0..........yowee!

Think everyone at SC will listen to the Attorney General and give up the fags?.......I'm talking cigarettes folks so don't take offense. I smoked like these guys once.....we all did.........giving them up was the hardest thing we ever did, but glad now we did.

1.Don attenative to Betty and her pregnancy, but takes full interest in making sure that SC doesn't change his client relations, standards or department. Don also confronts Duck's business ethics and motive. Don will tell Duck to do his research before having a drink when making business deals. Also to get SC partners to send Duck away to dry out, after finding out that he made the deal intoxicated and using Rogers divorce and financial matters as leverage. The Brit's snitch on Duck after talking to Don at the second meeting.
2. Bobby gets more attention from his mom Betty and now it's not always negative. Sally is troubled about the new baby because this may change her relationship with her Daddy-Don.
3.Freddy to return but to assist Harry in the television department reading. Salary change!
4.Freeup Joan for bigger responsiblities with Harry.
5. Pete to leave Trudy and try to get Peggy to help him find his child hoping to set sparks for their future together.
6.Roger to realize he really loves Joan. Jane is too young, Mona is ate up. Joan will cancel the Doctor wedding, end the relationship and return to Roger.
7.Bobbie Barrett & Betty Draper run into each other and exchange words. Betty says, " Your husband told me everything!"
8.Peggy keeps her office and continues to rise to the occassion. A very wealthy new client comes along insists Peggy has his account and takes a great liking to Peggy. Pete is beginning to have problems staying focused at the office and could care less about home.
9.Sal and the young gay guy have to work on a special project together. He notice that Sal has a liking to him and it's not work related. He bates him slowly and carefully. Sal without knowing follows. Paul can't believe what he's seeing. Tries to talk to Sal and they begin to argue about choices. Sal tells him not to confuse his liberal interest (dating an African-American woman) with him doing his job!
10. Cooper's painting becomes missing,a week after Duck leaves for dry out.

Don leaves SC and starts his own agency (there was a reason they made it clear that he didn't have a contract). He brings Peggy, Freddy, Joan and Sal with him. They'll take some SC clients with them and will continually vie with SC for business, so we'll continue to see what goes on there. Pete and Don will butt heads. Cooper will develop Alzheimer's and say and do outrageous things, but because so little was known about then, they'll just think he's crazy, but won't confront him because he's the boss. Pete and Trudy will divorce. Betty will lose the baby and go to work (and maybe dip her toe into the women's movement). Don won't like it, and start straying again. The Beatles will be on Ed Sullivan; Sally will be Beatle-crazy, along with the rest of the world. Maybe the Englishmen will allow for SC to represent an English rock star somehow? Sal begins to explore his true nature, but he'll still be married and closeted.
And, did anyone notice the final scene in one of the episodes when Don was in California, I think, when the camera showed him sitting on the sofa from the back without his shirt on? It was a flopped image of the visual in the opening credits and it made him look like he wasn't wearing anything; it was the visual image of the real Dick Whitman shedding the Don Draper trappings. Genius!

I've said it before and I'll say it again---

Matt Weiner, you have a treasure trove here with all our talented Maddict "writers" !!!

Hope you'll use some of this gold for Season 3!

Has anyone mentioned Peggy's closeted drinking and smoking? (Did I just write that?) Will she be after my blog name by the end of Season 3? Is there a major drunk fest in her future that will tell us about her past....Thoughts anyone?

Hi D&S!

Yes, I think before it's all over Peggy and Freddy will have a contest to see who can make the biggest puddle!

(Did I just write THAT??)

S3 will open with footage of the Beatles landing at Idelwild Field- Feb 1964. Securing tickets to their Ed Sullivan appearance will be a minor plot point. The merger with PPL went through; Roger is COO for SC, Bert is CHB emeritus, Don is head of Creative, Pete is head of accounts. Duck is retained, but has become increasingly irrelevant and erratic. Drinking has increased in frequency and severity- causeing problems.

Don and Betty will be dealing with an 8month old child. Tension will be high in the Draper household. While pregnant and for several months after, Betty will have dealt with the acquisition and decoration of their new, larger house. They have also joined the country club and Betty has tried to become involved in club activities. Betty is still internally frustrated with her life in general and has expressed unspoken resentment towards Don and her children. Don and Betty have been good (no affairs) and Don has tried to be more open with Betty. Don remains stoic and brooding around the house and will be exhibiting increasing amounts of emotional detachment as the season progresses. He will be tempted, but will not stray.

Pete and Trudy will have separated during the off-season, but have reconciled. They remain childless and will eventually divorce during the season. Pete does well as head of accounts, but his amorality and shifting ethics sometimes creates problems.

Sal and Kitty have had a child and Sal is deeper in the closet.

Joan and Greg have married, but Joan continues at SC during Greg's residency. While Joan is still a secretary, her career will advance during the season, creating difficulties at home. Greg will resent the time Joan spends at the office, prefering that she be home waiting for him. Greg has an affair at the hospital and he and Joan seperate.

Peggy continues to do well at SC- impressing clients and helping to bring in business, but has become emotionally hardened and will be seen drinking more frequently and possibly engaging in reckless activity after hours.

Roger and Jane have married and Jane will be pregnant…causing Roger to have 2nd thoughts.

Harry and the TV department expand and become an important part of the firm as his department will handle media and TV responsibilities for not only SC but all of PPL's US interests. Harry will struggle to stay on top of everything. Has an epiphany regarding the use of music in advertising which is a great success.

Paul continues to trade on his Freedom Rider experience, but does begin to dip his toe into burgeoning civil rights issues in the NY area. He will suggest that they higher a minority.

Pete and Peggy's relationship will be professionally cordial and efficient. But they will go out of their way not to spend time alone with each other.

Bert will be seen intermittently during the season as he increasing devotes his time to philanthropic activities in and around NY. He will try to introduce Don to this world. When present at SC, he will exhibit questionable and sometimes bizare behaviour. Late in the season, either Don or Roger will speak with Bert's sister regarding his behavior and they will all conclude that he needs help.

oh...Bert will visit his cows...he does love them so.

Good one, SCfan! ;o) What is up with those cows and Bert Cooper? If he can't handle wearing shoes in his office, how does he handle walking around in cow shit? Rl1856 predicts we will get another visit from Alice Cooper. BUT, will she wear her creepy roadkill around her neck again just to irritate Roger? Cheers!

Right on, D&S!

One place you definitely need to wear shoes is a cow pasture/ranch!

Maybe he will strap zip bags on his feet when he roams among his beloved cows! Or...maybe he will make an exception to his socks only rule when he visits them and just break down and pull on a pair of good ol' cowboy boots! Yeeee Haaaaww!!!

SCfan, I just got the visuals on Bert Cooper in cowboy boots. LOL ;o) I think I will have trouble getting that visual out of my head now. The bags on his feet...don't you mean bread sacks? I remember my mother washing out bread sacks and hanging them on a line inside the kitchen to dry. They were used for everything. In an emergency you strapped them over your shoes by a rubber band when you walked in rain. We damaged a few tailbones with that technique. Cheers!

Yes, D&S, I have that same problem with my recurring "visual" of Pete in his "nutters" (little white tennis shorts)! Uh-oh, now it's going to be another month trying to get that out of my mind! Icky icky icky...

Oh, yes my mom washed out the bread bags, too! We had a brown paper grocery sack loaded up with 'em...used 'em for any and every storage or waterproofing need that came along.

So funny...nowadays I do the same thing with zip-loc bags They are too thick and nice to throw out after the first use! LOL

I also hope they don't make Peggy into the stereotype of the lonely old maid career woman going home to her cat, like Sally Rogers. She deserves better.

SCfan and Drink and Smoke you guys cracked me. Only because ours Mom's had to know each other. They did the same thing!!

Everyone's mother saved bags, rubber bands, boxes etc. Products of the great depression. We need to get back to those sort of ethics and reuse and recycle!

Everyone's mother saved bags, rubber bands, boxes etc. Products of the great depression. We need to get back to those sort of ethics and reuse and recycle!