I vote indirectly.

I said on another thread, I think young Dick accidentally was responsible. Archie supposedly got kicked by a horse. Perhaps young Dick did something to set the horse off.

I vote B.

Dick had nothing to do with Archie's death. However, some interaction of Dick with a neighbor or other farmer left Dick in a compromising situation. After all, MW never does anything predictable.

I think that Dick may have been directly responsible for Archie's death- as he alluded to in the past about fantasies of murdering him- but only after being cornered and in a desperate position. I think that this will relate because he may be cornered (by Betty? wanting a divorce after finding about Suzanne) in the finale and this will explain how he reacts.

From his perspective (Dick's), he will feel responsible. The audience, however, will be shown the truth, which will reveal he had nothing to do with it.

He will never know the angst that has driven him his whole life is without merit....

It fits in too well with the "accidental" death of the real Don Draper in the war.

I vote "a," directly contributed.

I sense a pattern here...

Oooh, Greytone-- that's terribly tragic!

But I'm confused about something, and maybe clearing it up now will help me make a better prediction. If Uncle Mac was nice to Don after the death of his father at age ten, why did he run away to join the army so much later? Why was he so desperate that he would, in a shocked and wounded state, still think quickly enough to switch dog-tags? I've always felt he was running from something worse than poverty and a low-ranking military life.

I say Dick was directly responsible for Archie's death, and committed the act in self-defense, since we know that his father was cruelly abusive. And there may have been a witness.

Laurie B: Here is the detail.

The young Dick Whitman’s reputation has preceeded him. The new school teacher, Susan Farnsworth, has taken an instant liking to the 9th grader. Miss Farnsworth is a beautiful, young and has long, curly, brunette hair and a slightly off-beat view of the world. Miss Farnsworth takes it
upon herself to teach young Dick a lot more than Algebra. One day, the two go to the top of the hay loft and she tries to make him a man. Unfortunately, the excited young Dick has an accident and messes himself. Trying to salvage some self respect, he takes out a lighter and tries to fire up a smoke.

At that moment, a drunk Archibald Whitman stumbles into the barn yelling, ”what the Hell is going on in here?” The frightened Dick drops his lighter into a pile of menure, igniting the methane cloud. The subsequent explosion frightens a horse in a stall. The horse bucks and kicks, striking the drunk Archie in the temple.

He dies instantly.
So the answer is b) Indirectly.

@PolarBear: That's what I'm talking 'bout! Well done!

(If Archie died when Dick was 10, he'd be in 5th grade, not 9th, right?)

I vote B. Indirectly.

Neat and imaginative scenarios, gang!

Yes, you are correct, the young Dick was only 10. He was promoted to the 9th grade because of, ahem, his "early" development. The School Administration feared that the other 10 year olds would have been permanently damaged if they had the same gym class as young Dick.

So much for the theory that everyone wins, we're all the same, no one should be made to feel inadequate.

I think he seized an opportunity to kill the old man, just as he did in switching the dog tags of Lt. Don Draper.

Archie may have been in some kind of distress with the horse, and Dick stood by passively, allowing his father to die.

I predicted this last year -- Young Dick was responsible, either directly or indirectly, for Archie's death.

How 'bout those Yankees?

Gail: When I lived in North Jersey I was a Yankee fan. Got Joe DiMaggio's autograph and was lucky to see Mickey Mantle at a world series game. However, if you recall when we met, I moved to the Philly suburbs 11 years ago, so.......

Dick did it.

Hi all... ok, out on a limb with my little saw... but didn't DonD say (in is confessional scene w/ Betts & the photos) that his dad, who was nice, died - and his mom took up with Uncle Mack who wasn't nice... so Uncle Mack was the rat who stiffed the hobo, etc. I know there was a man who taunted him in the motel/stoned sequence... but was it ever clear if it was bio dad or step dad???

Yankee panky indeed...

Melba: Don's bio dad, Archie, was the mean one and the one who taunted him in the motel scene. Don told Betty that Uncle Mack was nice to him.

Wasthere.... thank you!...must watch again, I had it backward...

MelbaToast: No Dick said it was Uncle Mac who was nice to him
It's been indicated several times that it was Archie, his dad, who was mean to him. It was Archie in the motel room with the hitchhikers and I'm pretty sure it was Archie who cheated the Hobo out of his wage.

The cast listing for epi.13 "a farmer" was listed as well as a young Dick Whitman. Maybe it's a different farmer, otherwise why wouldn't they list it as "Archie".

Great thread!

I'm wrong so often...

I'd have to guess Don/Dick was involved in Archie's death somehow. This would explain a lot...

He did tell Betty he could have killed his father.

@Trotskyaire: Good point about "a farmer." Maybe it's some unknown farmer who gave advice to Young Dick, like the hobo. My predictions about Mad Men are usually wrong!

@wasthere: C'mon -- admit you were thrilled to see The Yankees win again!

Well, if the St. Louis Cardinals can't win for my guy, I am perfectly happy to have the Yankees win. Seems somehow so traditional and all-American for the Yankees to win.....a baseball, hot dogs and Mom's apple pie kind of thing...but the Cards will win next year, you just wait and see....

I believe that Dick Whitman was indirectly responsible for the death of his father. In fact I see Dick/Don being indirectly/inadvertently responsible for three deaths so far.

1. Possible scenario. After Archie was kicked in the head by the horse, perhaps lying helpless and unconscious on the ground and bleeding profusely from a head wound, Dick made no effort to help his father and ran away from the barn, returning only when the other farmer(s) discovered the body.

2. Years later Dick was indirectly responsible for the death of Don Draper in Korea when he dropped his cigarette lighter and ignited the fire that killed Draper. Taking quick advantage of the situation, he exchanged dog tags.

3. Dick/Don was indirectly responsible for the suicide of his half-brother Adam after he rejected Adam’s plea to be a part of his life. (His treatment of Adam was regretted by Don later when he tried to reach out to Adam and found out he was dead.)

Will Don be indirectly responsible for a fourth death in Episode 13? Suzanne? (In Ossining with police involved?)

Only MW knows for sure.

Count me and my hubby among those who are thrilled the Yanks won!

Wow, wasthere, my husband would be envious of you, getting to see The Mick and getting Joe D.'s autograph. Don't think there's a bigger Yankees fan anywhere, maybe Billy Crystal.

As a kid, he used to get all his baseball cards and line them up on the carpet (like a baseball diamond) and move them around it as he watched Mickey, Roger, Joe, Whitey F. etc. play on TV. I think he had that really valuable Mickey Mantle "rookie" card, and traded it for something, he's always kicked himself for that one!

Anyway, Great going, Yanks!