Agreed. I was so happy that Betty did that to Don and posted that in another conversation on this board. Then some troll called 13 said I was sadistic for enjoying Don getting a taste of his own medicine. What a bunch of jerks on these boards!

Brashboy, yes powerful, but I myself don't care for domestic violence. If two adults can't sit down and talk things out then they should not be together. Violence is animalistic behavior .Although some people condone it .

I was a little shocked by Joan smashing a bottle on her hubbie's head and I don't approve of violence

Are you kidding me? Poor Donny!
Boring, bland, blond, bitchy Betty! She's a spoiled brat!

@bullmonty: She is not a party girl. She was a model. I'll bet Jane was a street walker.

Okay. Don's deep dark secret is out. I just don't get why it's such a BFD! A man who seems to be so bright other wise, decides to take on another man's identity because...? Why would he do that? The writers have got to give us some reasonable motivation for Dick Whitman to take such a seemingly unnecessary and life-complicating action. I mean if he were embarrassed about his illegitimate birth or his biological mother's background, or his father's philandering, or his adoptive mother's "taking up with Uncle what's-his-name", or the poverty of his youth, or his brother's poor mental health, how does taking on Don Draper's identity in any way speak to that embarrassment? Perhaps it's something to do with the early 1960's, social class, and the advertising business. I know there were a bunch of Ivy Leaguers on Madison Avenue, wanna-be novelists who ended up writing Odor Eater copy. Perhaps the real Don Draper was a little further up the social ladder, being an officer in Korea, or did not have the social baggage Dick Whitman had, but advertising is just the kind of business where one is able to reinvent himself. If Augustin Burroughs (of Running With Scissors) was able to become a copywriter in California with his horrendous life history (in real life), Dick Whitman should have had no problem in New York (in a fictional life). The script seems so logical and meticulous otherwise. Actually the real Don Draper was not that much better off socially than Dick Whitman, and the character, as Mr. Hamm plays him, is smart enough to have seen that at the time. That scene where the Drapers are sitting on the bed implied that Don thought Betty would not have considered him worthy if he had been Dick Whitman. Okay, but that can't be the reason he took on Don's identity. He did that long before he met Betty. After he came home from Korea, he was selling used cars in California as Don Draper. This is a very cool series, hitting all the right social, attitudinal, period, style, language and memory notes (I was born in 1949, so I have clear images of the 1950s and 60's), however this one point really bugs me. I hope we get a reasonable answer.

IMO, the Betty/Don confrontation scene was the most riveting scenes of all 3 seasons. We've been leading up to this from the first time we heard about Dick Whitman. Plus, it was well written, well -acted, and well-directed.

Regarding Joan's violence, I won't judge. It is rather interesting that she reacted this way considering the fact that she ignored the rape. I think she considered it necessary to accept the rape (along with the guys many other flaws) as a necessary evil to achieve her lifelong dream of marrying a successful man. However, it was too much to take when he said, "you don't know what it's like to want something all your life..." Oh yes she does, and you're the whiney a--hold that's supposed to fulfill that dream of hers. He's lucky she didn't kill him.

@Bruce - You forgot that being Don Draper got him out of Korea. Staying Dick Whitman would not have.. he'd be sent back to the front lines as soon as his injuries healed.

ATTENTION FELLOW POSTERS: AS YOU CAN SEE SOMEONE IS USING MY IDENTITY. I NEVER TYPED THIS:

By Loves Mad Men on October 28, 2009 3:54 PM
You don't know anything. Joan could bash 15 people in the head and I would love it. I'd watch it over and over and over. Nothing like a little violence to wake up a dirtbag.

SO NOW WE HAVE CLONES, AS WELL AS TROLLS, ON THIS BOARD.

in those days it was a stigma to be single after 25

Joan is washed up?!?!? That babe could get any man she wanted (especially me). She held out for a solid prospect; unfortunately her investment isn't exactly paying dividends.

I disagree that she accepted the rape merely because she was thinking of income; she was thinking about her dream life: wife of a doctor (sure, it comes with an income, but also with a lifestyle and bragging rights). Marriage has some things in common with prosititution, but marriage is certainly far more lucrative.

Great comments Bruce. I just recently read Augustin Burroughs book "Dry" and it was outstanding. Were those Crocidile tears ole Don was leaking in front of Betty...? I think he was sad because he was so looking forward to the mini vacation with the school teacher.

In all due respect, I posted about Don and Betty and this post has become a discussion of Joan. Let's try to keep it on Don and Betty.

@brashboy: I agree that scene was riviting, and it was even more heightened because we (viewers) were already tense wondering what Suzanne (waiting in the car) was going to do.

I thought Don was going to try to "stone-wall" Betty at first (excuse the Nixon-era phrase). The reason I thought so was because his initial stance on the drawer was hardline -- he wasn't going to open it, and his demeanor was combative. It was fascinating to watch DD become less and less combative as he watched Betty's arsenal grow: she had the key, she'd already studied the contents of the box, her will and demeanor was absolutly steely! Yes, Betty had done her homework, was totally prepared, and it was apparent that she wasn't backing down!

I think all of the above-- (seeing Betty's determination and her evidence)--PLUS the un-nerving circumstance of having his mistress right outside in the car--shook Don up like we have never seen him shaken before.

Had he not been so completely unnerved, I believe it's possible (as someone somewhere pointed out) that he might have grabbed that box, pitched it into the fire in the fireplace, and turned coldly to Betty, saying : "WHAT BOX?"

Think of it: IF he had done that, where would Betty be -- right back in the same helpless situation her lawyer had laid out for her!! I'm convinced if he hadn't had to worry about the "Suzanne-in-the-car" factor, he might have hatched a quick-thinking way to worm himself out of being caught red-handed regarding the box.

Wonder if Don's kicking himself for being so completely defenseless and sandbagged. This was the first time he'd actually DROPPED A CIGARETTE since Korea!

LaurieB.-
OK, but I don't get that. Why would a wounded Don Draper be sent home, but a wounded Dick Whitman have to return to the front lines when his wounds heal? There's a piece missing here.
He's a Korean War "hero" injured in combat; why shouldn't he benefit from that status as Dick Whitman, his true identity? Sterling or Cooper ( I forget which is which) knows about his military history but not his identity. Cooper or Sterling (the other partner) knows about his false identity but hired him any way.
What you point out is the explanation we were given, true. All I'm saying is that it lacks believability. We need something logically true to provide verisimiltude. The writers need to step up on this back story point.