I was just wondering...do we actually know that Henry is divorced? I could very well have missed the reference. In any event, I really don't think that Henry is going to be a very important character on the show and I personally don't care at all about him or his relationship with Betty.

I don't think we know. We know he has a 21 or 22 year old daughter...but I don't think I've heard anything mentioned about what happened to he and his wife.

One thing I would be concerned about with Henry, and one thing that Betty never had to worry about with Don. Don was NOT physically abusive, i.e. she never seemed to be really concerned he would hurt her. Sure, he twisted her night gown and shoved her, but that's a long way from actually hitting her or worse. It would be very dramatic, and somewhat apropos to the situation if Henry was divorced due to physical abuse, and it carried over. Not predicting that...but it is a possibility. Especially if he is the very jealous sort.

Don has "hit" Betty - he shoved her in an episode this season. Henry was mentioned as being divorced at the Derby Day party when they were introduced (before he touched Betty's belly).

Don violently pulled Betty out of bed and jerked her towards him. Then he called her "whore". That is abuse in my book. I am no fan of Betty's but that behavior is inexcusable.

Like Don, Henry is mysterious. It shocked me when he asked Betty to marry him after such a short period of time. Either he is very impulsive and fell head over heels in love at first sight or he is borderline psychotic.

Remember that Betty was delighted when Henry asked to touch her pregnant stomach and has been delighted with Henry ever since. Note her reaction to his first kiss in the car---pure passion. They will be good for each other.

Okay, I won't argue the definition of physical abuse. The facts are that Betty herself said she was not afraid of Don to the lawyer. Don never closed his fist, hit her, and gave her a black eye, or bruises, or knocked out a tooth, or physically damaged her. I am just wondering now if Henry is capable of those things, and what broke up his marriage, seeing that divorce was uncommon in those days.

Stacypeoria, I just checked the Derby Day party, and they were talking about Happy Rockefeller's divorce. They didn't mention HFs status, except that he was with a date.

We can talk about what will happen all we want...but this IS a Drama. Happy married couples aren't dramatic.

"Henry Francis is exactly the kind of guy Don Draper is, just minus the fake name and identity."

Um, I'd say those are rather LARGE differences. Critical to the characters (Don's) psyche. Comparison's to Henry at this time are way to premature. We know very little about him.

And, he works for the Governor. He is in the public eye, which is very important to him. He is a very different person from Don. Now, that may not translate into an entirely different relationship with Bettes--who is, after all, insane.

Seriously, why is anyone on this board calling the Betty character insane?? Gimme a break!

She is not insane - she just has a fairly typical reaction to being neglected for years and then lied to on a massive scale most people cannot imagine.

Stacey: Yep, she's leaving one man in a sleazy profession for another one in a sleazy profession.

Henry made be the Don that Betty thought he was- an educated man from a good background. While I don't think Don saw such more in his wife than arm candy, I am hoping Henry will give her some credit for her intelligence, education and even being able to speak fluent Italian, none of which Don ever seemed to appreciate- rather he treated her like petulant child with a pat on the head always telling her to take a pill, go to bed, and "things will be better tomorrow, you'll see". Henry's actually taken some time to talk to her and listen. Maybe Henry's wife died? Supposedly they were friends of Roger's so wouldn't she have been at Roger's party and even Roger's daughter's wedding?

Don and Betty are very much alike. the fact that she has known for a long time that don has been bedding other women and willing to go along with the arrangement in exchange for the life she has makes calling her a 'whore' is not so far fetched if i dare say. i don't defend don but betsy is ice cold. you can see it in how she interacts with her child - there is no love, no affection, no happiness expressed that she has them. don is much more expressive and tender to his kids. so even though don has 'broken up her family' it wasn't until betsy found her new love interest that she was prompted to ask for a divorce. her needs and feelings matter more than her family.

i am so going to miss this show while its on hiatus. its absolutely phenomenal.
doreen

wonder if the characters that were not asked to join don's new company are going to be written off the show?

doreen

Interesting thought that Henry is Don. I don't think I agree, but I do think if Betty marries him she will be just as suffocated as she was in her marriage to Don. Staying in the housewife role is part of what makes her so unhappy. I don't believe we have ever heard that he was divorced. Could be a widower. He has an adult daughter that we know of. You say you're sure he's not a great guy or he would still be married. I don't know about that. I know some great people in real life who got out of their marriages. It doesn't make you great to stay. It doesn't make you bad to go. I also have to disagree that all women want to hear the word marriage.

"She is not insane - she just has a fairly typical reaction to being neglected for years and then lied to on a massive scale most people cannot imagine."

Uh... that's WHY she's insane. But she IS insane.

That's my opinion, and I have a right to post it here, toots.

Okay?

Betty is not insane at all. She's just not happy being a stay at home wife in the background married to a man who does not value her as wife, mother or an equal partner, which was common in those days. She's educated, intelligent and beautiful. She's repressed- a reaction to the situation she finds herself in, another baby and nothing has changed, or ever will as far as Don's respect for their marriage. He will miss what he had. I hope she finds some happiness with Henry.

Remember, what we are seeing is the END of the Draper marriage, and the BEGINNING (i.e. romantic courtship phase) of Betty and HF. Don't compare apples and oranges. All we can do is imagine what Donn and Betty were like when they first got together. But I imagine it was different from how there are now..haha...and probably much different from how Betty is with HF.

If he is or isn't Don Draper at least he is of the same status as Betty. That's all she cares about.

Henry Francis combines all the bad of DOn Draper and none of his soul or creativity. I hope that the glimpses of Henry's dominating personality come out and that Betty realizes that she has traded problematic for worse. I cannot imagine Henry showing any warmth to the kidsl Don has bared his soul to Betty and comparing him from season 1 to now has become more sensitive, mournful etc. I think he really loves Betty and family and this is very important to him. Betty is stuck up - a main line girl - and if she wants reality she should get off her high horse as Henry treats her as much as an object as DOn did. Hopefully both DOn and Betty will grow and learn to express themselves to each other and reconcile. I guess I am a true romantic at heart.

None of you know shit about Henry Francis. You're just pissed at the idea of Betty leaving Don for another man. You're like children reacting to the fallout of a divorce.

I think Betty has not made an informed decision in her intention to marry Henry and allow him to provide for her and the children. She made a mature decision to divorce Don as she no longer loved him. He was not the man she thought he was. How much could she know about Henry in their short acquaintance? She had the option to contest for a share of Don's assets which could give her a degree of financial independence and she could still becme Henry's wife but that appears to be one challenge too far. It seemed to me she was at last coming out of that repressed and child-like state that has been drummed into her as way the perfect wife should behave. I think she will relapse into that state on marrying Henry like this.

I think Henry might be a "trophy hunter"
to use a metaphor, wants to be seen with Betty,
and wants her around. Part of that is also
satisfaction and conquest in getting her
away from Don Draper.

I finally realized that so many fans of the show have put Don Draper on a pedestal so high that they're pissed off that Betty would dump him for Henry Francis. And now, these same fans are being ridiculously hostile toward Henry.

They're acting like the children of a divorced couple.