Go to this thread:
http://blogs.amctv.com/mad-men/talk/2009/09/what-was-all-th.php
For an on-going discussion of just this topic.

I think the prision did not really like Don. His fancy suits and life style. Or maybe the guard is just not really a nice guy to begin with.

Did the wife of the prison guard have a baby in her arms? does thsi tie into teh life and death theme?

the guard let his "guard" down in front of don and now he feels foolish and would rather act like it never happened

i'm pasting thirteen's post from another thread. i think she said it perfectly ---- link above

By Thirteen on September 14, 2009 7:04 PM
The waiting room is it's own fog/limbo area. Like prison, all that you do there is wait. And as in a prison (or confessional), when two men find themselves in such limbo, they face things about themselves that they wouldn't otherwise; confess and discuss them. Very much like Betty confesses truths to herself that she has denied as she wanders in her fog.

Don does, indeed, become the wise elder, the "king" of that little prison of theirs, and Dennis exposes a lot of himself to Don--stuff that he obviously has never exposed to his wife. He tells us, in fact, that he makes an effort to keep all such intimacies form her.

But like Betty, when a man or woman steps out of that fog, out of the cell or confessional, they want to forget what happened in there; they want to forget how vulnerable they were, how out of control, what they discovered about themselves, what they admitted. So Dennis looks away from Don. And Don, who felt fatherly toward Dennis, is a little hurt by this, though perhaps he understands. Dennis is back to being husband and father, king of his little kingdom, and he doesn't want to be reminded that he was anything less for the hours that he was in that room.

I think they ignored each other because they knew what they confessed they couldn't or wouldn't live up to. Don definitely understands the thought of wanting to be a better man after fatherhood sets in, but realizes the impossibility of it and recognizes that in the prison guard. Interesting thought about the lack of baby in the prison guard's wife's arms. Maybe that meant the baby didn't survive and all bets were off as far as what the prison guard promised about changing and being a better man?!

The guards baby is fine. Both the guard and his wife had big smiles on their faces as they wheeled down to the nursery. It's only when the guard saw Don that he dropped his smile - the wife kept on smiling.

"the guard let his "guard" down in front of don"

:-D Well put, CadMen.

I thought it was MUCH more interesting that Don admitted to having dreams about ending up in Sing Sing! The guard tells him, "everyone does", but we viewers are aware that there is a real reason for Don's/Dick's fear. And it's great that Weiner reminds us every so often.

I think it's a macho thing. The Guard let his emotions show through in the "fog" that Johnny Walker can bring (that's what the bottle was, Johnny Walker Red). Men weren't really allowed to show their emotion. Maybe the guard recognized Don for some reason, after the booze wears off and the fear subsided after the chaos of the delivery calmed down. We may see more of the guard.

.....Jason…..My impression of that development seemed like the natural follow-up to two very dissimilar guys in a captive situation (i.e., fox-hole, prison, naval service at sea, etc.) where they develop a quick and shallow bond through their mutual, needy nakedness and utter lack of control.

The feeling I got from Dennis is that, while the shared exchange was honest and the connection was real at the moment, he is well aware he and Don Draper are from very different worlds, and never the twain shall meet.

Draper was the naïve one in that scenario, thinking that they could share anything beyond that short, fraught vignette.

It was possibly one of the most interesting strokes of writing so far in this season, because it is a very real phenomenon of human nature.

Dry Martini -- well said!! I think that one of the best features of the genius of the writing for this show lies in the subtleties many of which are rooted in the gender roles and social morays of a generation ago.

She did not have a baby in her arms.

I think something happened to the baby.

Respectfully yours,

Maryann

If we are going too speculate about things rife with symbolism, the guard is the keeper of the keys at an institution of people in bondage, on a level we are all human beings, we reflect on what it must mean too lose freedom in that way, also Intersting note about how he felt he could be killed by one of them at any moment, also Don's fear of any lack of freedom is represented there, andfinally like the prison guard spoke of that we were all newborns at one time or another and basically innocent of any crimes. And finally I think it was a blue collar perspective on life where Don represents the more affluent Manhattan executive.

Found it interesting that Don seemed disappointed with the lack of recognition in the hallway following their time together. Loved the guard judging Don as being a good man. Hope he has better judgment about the guys he guards. Wonder if the guard and Susanne's brother will somehow come together. He would even be able to explain some of this to Betty since Susanne was Sally's teacher.

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