I honestly don't get it when people HATE fictional television characters. I happen to like Betty but I dislike Don, but not to the point of absurdity. I also liked Sal, don't like Peggy, like Ken, but couldn't care less about Joan. I also like Pete! And I like Trudy. I have always found him one of the best actors on the show. Jon Hamm seems to call in his performance. And we see so little of Roger these days I have nearly forgotten about him. The Draper kids are boring in my "high" opinion. With all this said however, I don't get as rabid as some of the posters in my dislike of certain characters, keeping in mind that they are SUPPOSED to be likable or dislikable, depending on what the writers and producer want them to be. many women seem to hate Betty to the nth degree and I wonder if some are reminded of their own "Mommie Dearests" in her character. You are correct. The character is a product of her day. So are all the characters basically.

I enjoy Betty.....The slow burn......To stay up half the nite and smoke, drink and stew. Then put every thing away - Kick the laundry off the bed and go to sleep.....Saving up for another day.....

I've been watching this show since the beginning, but just began reading this blog recently.

In the past year, Betty found out about one of Don's affairs, they split, he ran away for 3 weeks, her father died, she had a make-up sex baby, she found out about an ex wife, secret identity, etc... and she'll no doubt soon find out about the creepy teacher.

I am amazed at how so many bloggers root for Don. He's a train wreck. Betty needs some TLC and a new man!

I really like the character of Betty. I feel like her sometimes in my own life.

She does get a bad rap on here. Double standards all over the place when it comes to Don and Betty...Well said Pete Fan

Some very good points Pete Fan. I especially agree about Don risking his relationship to the kids by sleeping with Miss Farrell.

I've always been sympathetic toward Betty and can relate to her in some ways too, MsDMAC. (Except for that time she grabbed Sally by the ponytail and locked her in a closet-- that was horrid.)

Welcome, Win!

OMG! Yes! Don is a sorry excuse for a man. He is also a dinosaur. matt weiner said this character would still be wearing his hat in 1980 (like your grand pa). So people he think he is going to join the counter culture with the teacher are missing something.

Betty will be so much better off when she kicks this guy to the curb.

I am not a betty hater but I could do with a few betty-less episodes for awhile

Betty, I loved how she finally went through Don's desk. There is an obvious back story. I thought that I'd seen all of the episode's. Was there ever one before where Don's home desk was involved? I'm probably wrong. I don't know about these things 40+years ago, but my mom went through everything my dad had, or she thought. Turns out my dad always told her that he was a legitimate child. His mom and dad were married according to him. We went to St. Louis for family reunions. My dad's mom and sibling's were there, lots of mincemeat pie, turkey, greens, what have you. Turns out 40 years later while I was talking to my second cousin Betty who was 84 at the time that my grandma and grandpa weren't married. Now of course my dad wasn't on Mad Ave. Was working everywhere he could in factories. AMC as in American Motors Corporation. Getting back to Betty though, on the one hand I find it hard to believe that she'd never gone through his desk and home office before. After all they'ed been married for like ten years. She come's from a totally high end family. Is just now coming into her own thought after being demanded or should I say required for many years to not have her own thoughts. If she did, her father put her down and told her how she was to behave. Her mother too. Particularely since alot of family money is involved. The other thing about Betty is she come's from a New Money family as opposed to an Old Money family. I do love how this show show's caste system's here in the US. We are a caste nation, whether we like it or not. The Daughter's of the American Revolution,AKA the DAR still live's and preside's to this day as to a who's who in money and politics.

The DAR is a who's who of money and politics? By golly, I thought the criteria for membership was proof of lineage to someone who had fought in the Revolution! People of all social strata fought for our liberties. And since they did, and since we won, and since we are free to speak out without fear of recrimination, I'm doing so. Let's now change the conversation and return to the subject of the beautiful but beleagured Betty Draper! :-)

Don thinks he can have it all...great job, great car, great house, kids and beautiful wife....and still be willing to gamble it all away. I'm not sure that Don, whose life is always on "forward", realizes that his wife isn't the same trusting fool he married.
I think I posted somewhere that, predictably, Betty would be waiting for Don (with her cig and wine glass) ready to slam that shoebox upside his head, but fate saved her. She's finally going to be patient and gather more evidence before dropping the bombshell.
The thing about Betty's character that makes her so unsympathetic is the crafty way the writers make her look pouty during those rare times when poor Donnie seems so beaten down....like Betty is picking on the hard-working family man.

@Jolie: I think you've got a handle on the situation.

I'm always saying that I think the writers needed to make Betty unsympathetic so that Don didn't appear more of a monster for all his cheating. I think we're going to see Betty make a great turnaround. She might confront Don about his secrets and professionally Don may be in for a fall. If Don clears up the secrets he's kept from Betty, and they are able to relate to each other in a way that is truly intimate, she may well grow as a person and be there for Don when his work world comes crashing down. Maybe that's why this season has had so much Betty in it. We've always thought of her as just one of Don's subplots, and never really had any hope that these two would ever become a viable couple, but maybe that's what the writers are leading us towards.

@Ta-town girl: Wherever you are.. I figured you must be an English teacher!