Why does it piss you off that Betty might find someone other than Don attractive? He's in love with Suzanne. The only reason he's trying to be the perfect husband with Betty is because he has been found out. It's Don's modus operandi with Betty. He treats her in his usual shitty manner, until she finds out something about him and confronts him. He tries to win her back by being the perfect husband . . . and it lasts long enough for him to go running to another woman when he feels like it.

I don't know if Henry Francis is in love with Betty. But considering that he became attracted to her, while touching her unborn child at Roger's party makes me suspect that he might have deep feelings for her. Is Henry Francis the right man for Betty? I don't know. But I'm sure as hell not going to pretend that I know the answer to that question.

I think Betty sees a future as a politician's trophy wife might be better than an adman's trophy wife
but can a politician marry a divorced woman back in the early 60s

Re: Trolls, etc.
Gresham's Law - Bad money drives out good. i.e. good money is withdrawn from circulation when counterfeit or debased coinage appears. In this case, abusive or overtly sexist/whatever posters drive

Re: Trolls, etc.
Gresham's Law - Bad money drives out good. i.e. good money is withdrawn from circulation when counterfeit or debased coinage appears. In this case, abusive or overtly sexist/whatever posters drive out good posters.

The way Betty treats her kids is appalling. The only contact she ever has with them is yelling at them, telling them off, or correcting them physically and cruelly.

We never see her touch them affectionately or hug them... case in point when Sally comes to comfort her mother on the couch, it's the child comforting the parent, not the other way around. Sally puts her arm around her mother and Bets just sits there with her arms folded and leans her head on the kids shoulder, like it's her job. She's so self involved it's pathetic.

I actually feel kind of sorry for Henry. He doesn't know what a childish, selfish, self centred bitch she is, yet. It will be interesting to see what the dynamic is like, if they do eventually get together.

Both Don and Betty are completely incapable of dealing with their kids in the wake of the Kennedy news. I know the whole "kids should be seen and not heard" ethos was in full effect but their inability to even factor their children's feelings into this whole thing is just painful to watch

sb- but this is the way it was back then. In the past 30 years or so people have become too attentive to children in some ways. For the times I think their behavior is appropriate. It wouldn't be an interesting show if they doted on the kids.

I agree @MsDMAC. Doesn't make it any less painful to watch though! I swear, I wanted to reach through the screen and throttle both Betty and Don, at different times in the episode.

It occurs to me that Betty was slowly falling out of love with Don beginning in season one with the physical manifestation of the numbness of her hands. It has taken the discovery/proof on an affair, separation via the jet-setters, revelations regarding Don's true identity and finally the catalyst of the Kennedy Assassination for her to fully acknowledge this. She's reeling from this discovery. She also doesn't know how much of anything he says to believe. Given the options available to her, what would you do?

Could it be that in order to pursue potential political aspirations Henry needs and "instant family" ?

Her father just died. Maybe she is attracted to an older man for that reason. I don't think being married to a divorced woman with three kids would help Henry politically.

It is tedious to go through off topic posts. Alan Sepinwall has an awesome blog where that kind of stuff is not tolerated. Very good discussion there on Mad Men.

I typed this on Halloween and this is what I want:

After the teacher's late night prank calls are hung up on by Don and she starts appearing at his home, work, and even his meetings, I would like Betty to divorce his philandering ass. Then I would like to see her marry a man who really appreciates her and treats her like a queen. Or I would like to see her get a job and start taking care of her family by herself. Either would satisfy me.

On Halloween I posted this:

After the teacher's late night prank calls are hung up on by Don and she starts appearing at his home, work, and even his meetings, I would like Betty to divorce his philandering ass. Then I would like to see her marry a man who really appreciates her and treats her like a queen. Or I would like to see her get a job and start taking care of her family by herself. Either would satisfy me.

I want Betty to be with this man.

I agree with you about how the Draper kids are treated, but I've given up trying to convince some people that paying attention to your children isn't spoiling them or turning them into insatiable monsters. If people are so over-attentive these days, why do we still learn about so many cases of abuse and neglect? In my experience, it's rare for kids to be overindulged in anything but material goods in today's suburban family because with both parents working, there just isn't time for long talks and shared activities.

There seems to be a fairly large group of folks who either wish it was the good old days, or are feeling guilty because they neglected their own children. This subject sure seems to push some people's buttons! I find it curious how many times I've read those exact responses here on this blog...

@jason: Interesting point that maybe Henry needs a "family" for political gain, although I got the feeling it was love at first sight when he spotted a very pregnant Betty. That sure doesn't happen very often! I think he really is in love with Betty.

As to how Betty is acting, she is a partner in very splintered marriage. We've been given no hint as to the person she used to be when she thought Don was Prince Charming and life was beautiful. With every affair, Don has widened the abyss between himself and Betty. Now she's embittered and people wonder why?? It is hard to like her, but consider what she's been putting up with for ten years.
She's through with Don, IMO, and only by some huge miracle is she going to get those old feelings back. Does she love Henry, or is he just the catalyst she needed to finally divorce Don? Now she can safely leave and not be left destitute. Now she'll marry for money and security with a man she barely knows. That makes no sense either....and Sally's head will probably explode if she has to leave her dad. Sad all the way around.

Don is a hottie. O.k., got that out. Don is diabolical. That poor woman. If ever a wife should drop a radio in the tub, it should be Betts. He spent season 1 slipping it to every woman he wanted and spent season 2 making her think she was crazy, now he's losing control. Wouldn't if be great if Betts just kept living the lie while having her Henry too. Don has taught her to be deceiving. He used his Mad Men skills to get her back after the whole lost L.A., Cuban Missle Crisis, but no more. She doesn't love him. That was his Ace, Betts loves him. He's such an egomaniac I don't think that will phase him. He's going to use the children against her. He sacraficed Adam for the lie and I think he'll do anything to hang on to that life/lie. Betts has to be practical. The finale is going to be soooo good! I hope season 4 shows Betts taking her clues from the master liar/cheater. His fairytale will turn into a nightmare of Bullet Road?

Because of the fact that Betty was affectionate with Don AFTER she had learned of his affair with Bobbie Barrett, I'm persuaded that she only stopped loving him because he's of such a low status now. She's right that he's a gifted story-teller, and it's exactly that which has given her such an exalted view of herself and to what she's entitled. What a hypocrite! As a fashion model, what more did she expect-- Prince Rainier? She was willing to put up with deception before, and seemed to be hesitant about giving in to the temptation of an affair herself. What has changed? Not the money, house, cars, clothing, jewels, etc. The only difference between how the Drapers were in Rome and how they are now is his lowly birth and the crime he committed in becoming Don Draper. She's disgusted by him because she sees him as common and degraded. It's not his deceptions with women that changed her feelings.

I so agree.....Don is such a fraud in all aspects ....Francis may be the love sick pup that Betty is going to use to get status for herself! Does she ever look happy with her children? I think she may give custody to Don!

Why would she give custody to Don when she made a point of telling her boyfriend she had 3 children. He wants her anyway and I hope he gets her.

Posting to see comments.

Betty's words to Don: " I could just scream at you for ruining all this". @fifty-two: I see your point about Betty being very dissillusioned with Don's status after discovering The Big Lie. Then she hauled all the rest of his lies (affairs) up to the surface and finally examined everything after years of suppression.
I think she's always been willing to salvage this marriage, even after Bobbie, because Don can be so damn convincing. He just forgot that he's not married to a young, naive girl anymore who'll listen to his "Fractured Fairy Tales" and keep loving him or at least hoping for the best. He thinks his life is "on forward" and that no one else gets any wiser or evolves.

Hi fellow maddicts!
I have been away from the Forum for a few days, so if these questions have been asked before, please bear with me.

Does anyone know what Betty muttered under her breath at the wedding when she saw Henry?
I think it was probably "Oh no", or "Oh great".

I was amazed at her body language when she realized the young woman he was with was his daughter, she was sooo relieved.
Did anyone else notice this?

Why was he at the wedding? He was attending with his daughter. I was thinking maybe his daughter and Roger's daughter or her new hubby were friends?

And, lastly, the potential Betty/Henry relationship seems to be modeled after NY Gov. Nelson Rock. and Happy (Henry's boss).
Happy gave up custody of her kids to marry him I believe.

60'schild -
According to the close captioning, when Betty first saw the young woman embracing Henry, she was disturbed. When she heard the woman say, "Daddy..." Betty lightly nodded, amused and murmured, "Of course." And looked smug. From that point on until they left the reception she worked at making Henry envious of Don.

I think you must have missed the scene when Betty gave birth to Gene. Under sedation, she told the nurse that Don was never where he was supposed to be and asked if she was sleeping with him. She was trying to forgive, but she knows it's more than just Bobby Barret - she's suspected him of cheating for years and now knows its true. The fact that he kept his identify from her - that he lied to her about it during their entire marriage, piled onto the infidelity, is what has finally pushed her away from him. During the confrontation scene, she said she always knew he was poor - she never thought he came from a good background and that didn't matter when she thought he was a decent man (which he is not).