I guess it takes almost a full day to put up a new thread. Anyway, asuming this post makes it, just wondered what year everyone thinks Season4 open in... Do they skip ahead by two years or just let a few months go by. My guess is early 64,since I don't think MW will bog us down in details of agency conflicts, lawsuits, Don's new apt etc. but that we need to see that year unfold.

Woops, I think I posted on the duplicate thread above this one....maybe Lily can delete one of the threads and transfer that post over here....

And it is a good idea, Peaches....we're never right (at least I hardly ever am right) about our predictions, but it's still fun to anticipate!

I'd like it to be just a few months, too, Peaches, like last season opened....love to see S4 open with something to do with The Beatles, as other Maddicts have posted before, since that would be in February 1964. Love to see Sally in rapture before the TV taking in Ed Sullivan on 2-9-64!

Also, since The Beatles were in NYC, maybe a chance encounter by one of the SCD&P group with one of the Fab Four somewhere would be fun...elevator or hotel hallway (if the new agency is still in the hotel then) or just someplace -- maybe Don could get an autograph and be Sally's hero?

I would go over to the duplicate thread of this one and transfer my other post over here, but I don't know how to do it! Lily?? I'm the only post under that thread, so it does need to be moved over here, I guess....

Also, hope the new SCD&P agency has their new offices all set up, and are out of the hotel room by the end of the first few episodes!

Hi guys, I'm moving this over from a duplicate post
...By SCfan on February 21, 2010 5:34 PM

Hi Peaches....I saw your last post on the S3 Ep 13 Open thread, and yes, it IS really really long by now...I've noticed as you have, that it takes a day to have one's posts show up anymore as well...wonder what's the deal with that??

Well, I will say that I hope S4 holds the possibility of Father Gill, Sal and Freddy Rumsen all returning....I miss them al lot.

I'd like to see Sal and Freddy open up a smaller agency and work with SCD&P in some way. I'm not saying they have to be on every episode, but, I would like to see them sprinkled in during the season.

I also hope that Joan dumps Dr. Scum (or he finally does get run over by a garbage truck -- my fondest wish! -- and maybe then she can then just date again, and hopefully by the end of the season, finds a true Mr. Right and is happy and appreciated in her new relationship. She has long deserved that.

I don't like the Betty/Henry pairing, but until Don has been without her awhile (and realizes all she needs is maturity to be a perfect wife) and she does grow up to a degree, they should stay apart. I would like to see them end up together at the end of the series, however, loving and appreciating each other and behaving themselves....(great for them, but boring for us to watch, of course)

Oh, and I'd like to see Chauncey shown with his new loving family, so we can be sure he didn't get killed on the streets of NYC!

Howzat?

Thanks, Lily!

I agree I want it to unfold slowly. I really like the vintage look of the early sixties. I'd like to see Betty go back to work and see how easy she had it. I'd like to see her looking less perfect. I'd like to see Don really fall in love with someone. Is that possible?

Hidey Chelsea....long time no post.....glad to have you chiming in....I wonder, too, if it is even possible for Don to really fall in love with someone....I think he loves Betty, he just isn't "in love" with her....enough anyway to make him want only her and stop the catting around, that is.

You said you'd "like to see Betty go back to work and see how easy she had it."......let's see, what would be a good job for Betty....she could still model, I suppose, but, she should get some job that is really in the trenches....hmmmmmmm

Lovethe thought of Sal and Freddy returning! Like you SC Fan, I think in some capacity, it would be great if they could just farm out some creative work to them, without the tobacco guys or samsonite knowing. I would like to see a single Joan again, but this time, in a capacity w/in the tv department that she should have had; and with a newly divorced of widowed Roger, so thye can continue their affair. A small shop is going to need everyone to do a bit of everything. For Betty, while I empathize with her position as a wife who has been cheated on, she is also not blameless. I predict she will have to make a move up to Albany, and be more alone than ever. Sally will run away and Bobby will become a juvenile arsonist. Peggy will comfort her family after the suicide of Father Gill, and become best fag-hag pals with Kurt. I see Don as all work for quite a while, this time a few more trips abroad, CA, etc., then a rebound affair, and then a true love... Somehow, I don't think we are done with his past, but perhaps way past, say someone he went to school with. I know some postulated how fun it woudl be to go back to the 50's, might be nice! With this site being the way it is, I am sure my post will not show up until tomorrow, so catch you then!

I would like to Chauncey alive and well too! That really haunts me for some reason and that's when I really started to dislike Duck intensely. I would also like to see Anna Draper show up again. Not sure how it would play out - as Don's long lost cousin or what, but it would be interesting.

On the Beatles idea... the Pierre is just across the street from the Plaza where the Beatles stayed so it would be very easy for one of the characters to run into a Beatle or several while on their way to the Oak Bar, bakc to the office, etc. Maybe just show an iconic black boot, Ringo's rings, etc, have a voice over of one of the Beatles, with their very distinctive voices saying something witty. That would be a lot of fun. It would also underscore the generational thing... Roger would reject them but maybe Don wouldn't as Sally may take an interest and with the divorce, use it to stay close to her...
Virginia Girl, I know a lot of posters thought everyone's love of dogs was overwhelming, but I, too, would like to see Chauncey again. Maybe he made his way back to his home, Duck's ex-wife then has to reach out to SC, only to find that Duck is long gone, and so seeks out Pete - and voila, the office "house pet" concept is realized!

I can't wait till season 4. I love watching and seeing and hearing things from when I grew up. It's one of the best series I've seen in a very long time. Hurry back Mad Men!!

Hi everyone!

I'm with SCfan. I would love to have the new Season start with Feb. 1964 debut of The Beatles on Ed Sullivan. I have said before, I would love to have Sally lead the show into the mid-sixties rock era.
Sal has to come back....pleeeze Matt!!! Maybe he could hook up with Brian Epstein?

Oh well, a girls gotta dream...

Lily and Peaches--they need to hire you as writers! I love the way you think. I also want them to take it slowly through the sixties--such a wonderful time to enjoy watching as it unfolds, like it did for those of us who lived it. I was Sally's age during the same time frame in the show, and I think the February-'64-Beatles'-in-NYC-angle would be perfect to distract her from a having had a lousy Christmas while her mother and mother's rebound boy-toy ran off to Reno! (I saw the Beatles live at Busch Stadium in '66, and it was the thrill of a lifetime!)

I usually know every detail of this show, but I had to stop and think of who the heck Chauncey was until you guys reminded me in the latter posts. Such a sad storyline--woof in peace, Chauncey. :)

Don't you guys think Betty is a little long-in-the-tooth to schlepp her two-picture Coca-Cola portfolio around to modeling agencies at this point? Additionally, it won't be long until the waif-thin Twiggy types appear on the horizon...('67?) She might want to take a job extolling the virtues of the washing machine at Sears...

Wasn't Joan's hubby supposed to have signed up as a military doctor because we all thought--he's going to become a casualty of VietNam, but they dropped that storyline when Joan, in a later episode, told someone that he had changed his specialty and was working late in the ER...sorry I'm foggy on that thread--was it when Pete exchanged the damaged dress so that he could get in the neighbor's nanny's panties? Regardless, they need to rid Joan of that millstone and put her on more episodes next season. I believe they want to make a point of spousal abuse first, and Joan would be just the one to make it. There was a lot of that in the sixties and early seventies until women started taking a stand against it.

I'd like to see Season 4 opening with the wrath of PP&L. Will McCann sue PP&L for purchasing SC without Don Draper at it's most valuable clients? Millions have been lost and I hope MW really takes this one and runs with it. Cheers.

Hi! I'm new here but wanted to chime in with a story idea. Two characters that I feel have the most diginity and integrity are Bert and Sal. My idea is that we find out mid to late season 4 that Bert has some sort of terminal disease and, while dying, calls Sal to his side. Bert tells him, "don't do what I did...be who you are and be proud."

Cheers back to ya' Drink & Smoke and to everyone else - regulars and new Maddicts.

I was thinking back to the 60s and the TV shows which were emerging. Maybe PP&L will get into some advertising for the sponsors of those shows.

Also, I wonder if MW will include anything more about the Civil Rights movement that was taking hold across the country.

It would be great to see our Joannie more involved with the TV department, as someone else stated somewhere. She is so capable and it's time her character had some different, more creative responsibilities. I can imagine that Joan and Peggie could become allies, if not "friends".

We haven't ever seen Sally using those fine leather riding boots given to her by Betty...they may be too small by Season 4!! We've not seen if Sally or Bobby have any musical ability, but I could imagine either one of them becomming involved in the Folk Music scene that was well underway at that time. I think if anyone rebels it will be Bobby. The poor, neglected fella deserves some more attention. I do agree that Sally will be one of those screaming fans of the Beatles - if Betty allows it, of course.

I'm with Janice, there are a lot of Maddicts who could indeed be great MM writers! Love everyone's ideas!

No one will ever convince me that the MM writers/Matt Weiner DON'T read this forum....too much gold here to go unmined!!!!!

Free ideas.....and all that!

I'd love to see Joan and Roger back together, call me crazy! They had so much spark and, it seemed, real feelings for each other. I think Joan's husband and Roger's wife are more suited for each other.

Does anyone know when Season 4 starts? I'm dying to know!!

Hi Maddicts. I love your community. I'm a rare contributor, so please indulge me this.
I'd be so happy if EP01SE04 begins on the weekend of Feb 7th, 1964. The Maysles Brothers --legendary documentary- makers of the period -- captured the scenes of nascent Beatlemania in and around the Plaza Hotel beautifully. I have to believe MW knows their film, The Beatles First US Visit, for its valuable period detail.
Having SCD &P still in The Pierre hotel across the street from the Plaza when The Beatles arrive is just too delicious not to take advantage of in some way. I'd love to have Roger wittily gripe about the crazy traffic. Or for cast members to walk past the photo op three of the Fab Four had in front of Central Park.
What would really make me chuckle is for Lane Pryce to somehow brush shoulders with John Lennon. Anyone who's ever seen VH1's movie The Two of Us will get this reference!! But MW has never done something like send Bert Cooper to see How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying on Broadway, so I won't hold my breath! Too much of a stunt, I guess.
Anyway, wherever in time season 4 starts, I can hardly wait!!

Sorry Ariel, but no one will ever know when Season 4 starts until you see it advertised (no pun intended). We play this guessing game every year and no one ever wins. MW likes to keep this card close to his chest. Cheers.

Some of you are full of shit!! Why are you giving Betty such a hard time? I know series took place in the 1950's, but we do not live in the 1950's! Was Betty suppose to just take it and stay with Don?Don is a habitual and serial cheater. And do I think he really loves Betty? The answer is No!! He is beyond feeling that emotion!! Hello, does anybody remember that little reunion with his brother? Don has serious emotional issues, stemming from his childhood! Poor Betty had no choice but to leave. She forgave Don and she thought they were working on their marriage but he was "still" being unfaithful. After so much lying and infidelity wouldn't you leave? I would have left a LONG time ago!!!!!

Peaches of 8!
I'm glad you brought this up. You know, "Gossip Girl" has a lot of stories intertwined with many characters and it's a very well produced and acted show too. They have about a one or two month break in between seasons! I have never seen such a long break in any show!!!! I'm a Maddict and I'm MAD for having to wait such a long time. I gotta have it Man!
BTW, Jon Hamm tivos "Gossip Girl"...Aw, we have something in common.... Hi everybody!

Hi there. New to the blog but have been a Hard Core fan right from the beginning.I think the writing for mad men makes by FAR the most well written show ever. The final episode of Se3 was brilliant. Don had to eat crow with absolutely everyone, and at the end when he smiles, he knows that he's "not one of those" as Conrad Hilton pointed out. I also loved the episode that includes driving the school teachers brother to his new job. Did anyone else notice that the episode was PACKED with classical literature overtones (ie. thing Julius Caesar).
But anyway, has no-one yet put together Dr. Greg shipping off to Vietnam and getting killed. Tie that in with Western Union. I can see Joan getting the telegram.
Also, I think Don draper finally has fallen in Love, with the school teacher, because she is 'real'. (and a hottie too!)

Hi all. I just checked the site to see what was going on.

Regarding the time-line of S4: Realistically, how far ahead can they jump without replacing both child actors?

Is Betty qualified to do anything besides model? Isn't she a bit old? She couldn't earn enough to support herself and 3 kids could she?

I agree with Drink&Smoke. Battling ad agencies makes for office intrigue. A snake like Duck is sure to make the most of any legal difficulties the fledgling agency may have.

shari--however bad being married to Don is, Betty has limited choices. She has to latch on to Henry for financial support. In a way she has been waiting for a way out. Henry presented himself and she took it.

I can't wait for S4!

@Shan: I think people give Betty a hard time less because she is seeking a divorce and more due to her childish behavior outside of this situation. She is also a pretty univolved mother, who doesn't show her kids much affection - which is understood given the time period - but it is harder to take when all you really see of her parenting skills is her scolding the children, or fobbing them off on Carla. There is no excuse for Don's behavior, but that doesn't mitigate her immaturity and general coldness.

I think most of us fear that the Betty-Henry storyline will result in Betty's character pretty much being all but "written out," much like what happened to Joan's after her marriage. (Thank goodness that it looks likes she back with a bigger part again!) I grew to love these characters from the very first episode and have hated to see some of the familiar storylines and characters disappear--Sal and Freddy, to name a couple.

Good insight Bipolarbear--the kids are already growing up fast enough without speeding that up--and replacing those actors with pre-teens--many more months. Watch Season 1 again and notice how little they were!

I echo everyone else--I can't wait for Season 4. We've been watching Season 1 and 2 and loving them all over again! I still feel the way I did from the very start--it makes me miss the sixties of my childhood! ...that also probably means I'm getting old...Sally, want to hang out in Branson?

I rather enjoyed watching Don eat crow on the season finale. Or was it humble pie? biopolar you are definitely on the right track with Duck - he's up to something. You know Nora, you're right. The season premiere does seem to get placed out farther and farther each year. What's up with that?

I am hoping that the Season Premiere is in July... I thought that last year was later due to the writer's strike and everything got pushed back. One can only hope.

Hi All, by my reckoning we are halfway to the next season. like everyone else I can't wait. Like many of you I would love a Feb 64 start to the season. But anything in the sixties is volatile, fun, nostalgic, and open to many viewpoints. Weiner has laid out such a broad canvas for his show, that it would be hard not to continue with great success at this point, if his passion is still intact. Happy St. Patricks day y'all.

Just went checking on possible date for season4 MM and stumbled upon this blog. Great reading! I most definitely see Betty as a personification of the times (late 50s-early 60s) and don't see her working-it wouldn't be "right". I agree with whomever said that she had to go with Henry; he's her meal ticket. I do think they're meant for each other, ever since that moment at the club during Roger's wedding when their eyes met, they spoke and Henry asked to touch her pregnant stomach. A rather unusual move for that time frame and place...I think he truly loves her. I'm not sure if either Don OR Betty is capable of real love, both have rather complicated backgrounds and they are cold people, either by circumstances or personality. I love the Beatles idea (swoon) and really hope MW does incorporate it, especially the idea of Sally watching them on tv and/or meeting them! What I wouldn't have given!! I agree with person who brought up Joan's husband being killed in Vietnam-that thought popped in my head the minute we heard he was joining the service. Joan is fabulous and deserves the best. Maybe she'll crack that glass ceiling, something most of us couldn't possibly do at that time but there were a few and either she or Peggy could be one of them. Whew! I'll stop now-hope I didn't ramble too much but other than my mother I have no one else who watches the show!

Hi Everyone,

I would like to see the new season start right where they left off and then, as others have said...develop slowly through 1964.

MW has skipped several years and has jumped only a few months...it would be good to see it start only a couple of weeks after the end of season 3. This way they could fill in a lot of holes in the beginning.(.i.e.. How the kids are handling their new life or what happened to the ones left behind at PP&L). This way they can move forward to other events.

Indulge me for a moment while I pretend to be able to write for this wonderful show.............

Not only does 1964 bring the British Invasion and the Civil Rights Act, but there are other things that I could see being played out on the show. Whether it be SCD&P being given the Ford Mustang account or advertising for the NY World's Fair. They could be given the Charmin account with the famous Mr. Whipple..."Please don't squeeze the Charmin!"....or possibly trying to find a way to appease the Lucky Strike account now that they are having to put warnings on all the cigarette packages.

I could see Betty becoming more and more depressed and reads the Bell Jar by Sylvia Platt (which was actually published in 1963) and looking at her own life and what has transpired and being able to relate to her. I don't see her doing anything drastic, but she could go to a dark place in her life.

Joan playing an intricate part in the TV department as she can see the potential for some of the new shows that air in '64 (Bewitched, Gilligan's Island, etc.) Dr. Greg could enlist as 100's + troops are sent to Vietnam.

Not only will Sally fall in love with the Beatles, but I could really see Peggy becoming infatuated with them as well. She could slowly evolve her wardrobe and those hem lines start shrinking.

I know there is no way I could write for this show.......but it is fun to anticipate what could happen. Only time (a very long time...) will tell us what MW has in mind!

Until then we can only use our imagination!

Take care all!

Jeffe, I think you are right. Ever since Joan got robbed of working in the TV department (after showing she really had good insight) I thought she just might find her way back. And times, they are a changin.

Hi livedit, always fun to have new voices here - welcome.

Love reading all the comments above.

Hey Hobo.

and Betty work? I think not. Remember her and Francine - "Can you imagine having to worry about money at our age?" They thought Helen Bishop was pathetic for working at the jewelry store. It may be the 60's, but those two will never leave the 50's. Betty was already unhappy being "outnumbered" by her kids. She's a mess.

OH! My moniker. I should explain. I didn't discover this blog until season two, and I was TipsiM. One of the posters got weird with me, so I just changed names for season 3 (Deep Dish). THEN, I find out that there is another Deep Dish (he's a guy, I'm not) who has his own blog and talks about Mad Men.all the time. It just got too confusing so I'm back to Tipsi. Hey everybody.

["I don't like the Betty/Henry pairing, but until Don has been without her awhile (and realizes all she needs is maturity to be a perfect wife) "]

Betty has to be the one to mature into being the perfect spouse? Are you kidding me? This is so unbelievably sexist, it just simply astounds me.

Reading some of these comments on what will happy, I get the feeling that many of you are indulging in illusions of happy endings for most of the characters, except for Betty; because she doesn't live up to your ideals of the perfect 21st century mother.

Sexism still runs deep in this society.

Hey all,
It's been awhile and I am not a constant poster, but do LOVE to read everyone's input and thoughts. Like the rest of you, I too, anxiously await Season 4 to start, hopefully late July to early August. (Don't know if I could wait much more!)
I'm not sure if this has been brought up before, but I'm in the frame of mind that Betty is looking to Henry because of a) Don's cheating
b) recently having lost her father, she is looking for a father figure
c) the pain of baby Gene's unexpected conception
d) telling Glenn's mother that "I feel like I'm floating away if Don's not here to hold me down." or something to that effect.
Also, the MM admins asking us about the 15 advertising pitches we'd like to see......I'm thinking they're writing those into next season's episodes??
Thanks for letting me have my say, I really like all of you and will be back soon!

Hi there DR76,
Okay, I'll bite. Many have beat down Betty to death, but come on, she IS a child. Remember the scene with Glen in his mother's car? She tells a nine year old that nobody else understands her? And Betty is hardly a 21st century mother. She never left the fifties ("Can you imagine having to worry about money at our age?").

However, I never loved Betty more than when she got that BB gun when the neighbor messed with her kids!

Betty has been disussed in depth in other threads. All interesting stuff. Some say everybody hates Betty because she's beautiful but I think deep down, many would like to BE Betty! A maid, nice kids, great house, no worries about money, drop-dead beautiful, and a husband who deep down (albeit a cheat) does love her. Oh, did I mention the horses? I think many of us are just a little envious. But! She is a child.

The whole Betty storyline (in my opinion) is of a wife and mother from 50's-60's era that from the outside looking in had the perfect dream, but on the inside, she was/is living a lie. She wanted to be the perfect wife who had the whole package. She got that, but it came with a price. For awhile she tried to put up a front because she didn't have any other options, but then was handed a way out with Henry Francis. She is thinking she won't have to work at her age like Helen Bishop did and can still have the dream of a perfect marriage. I don't think she has really thought this through.

She is definitely a product of her raising...her mother was distant with her (that is why she is distant with her own children) and was only concerned about appearances...telling her not to get fat and (my perfect example) in "The Fog" during Betty's dream sequence..."Close your mouth Betty, you will catch flies" ... It is all about how she looks. She needed to be pretty to catch the perfect man who could provide for her the life she was destined or groomed to have.

I don't like the Betty/Henry storyline...It is hard for me to see them together, but she sees it as a new beginning with what she is accustomed to along with it.

I do like Betty and don't want to see here possibly being written out of the show now that she is with Henry....Only MW knows where that is going to go. Can't wait to see what happens.

I am not a Betty hater either, but I realize the importance of appearances back in that time frame. (Public and Private). I do admire her unwillingness to not to put up with Don's cheating, but she's no saint either.
I'm not sure where the storyline with Henry will go, but I do not want her written out of the series!
Just got my Season 3 on dvd in the mail (The Hubs ordered them for me as a surprise) so I am in maddict heaven! Since it's spring, I can't actually wish for a couple of snow days to have a marathon viewing, but would LOVE to have a Mad Men party for all us fanatics! (Excuse me, devoted followers). Wouldn't THAT be a blast!
August just can't get here fast enough!

I think this will be the most exciting season to date. I loved the Season Finale. The look on Don Draper's face as he looked around the hotel room and saw everyone that would be a part of the new vision. I thought it amazing.

Hi! I was ALSO searching google to find out when the the new season is starting and came upon this page and I LOVE IT! I watched the entire series in a matter of 3 weeks and wathced the S3 finale last night. Best episode ever. I could hardly sleep, my imagination was going so wild. There is a lot of Betty hating on here and I wasn't really anticipating that. I love her charicter on the show (minus her lack of affection for her children, being a mother of a 2 year old, that really hurts my heart) I feel like everything that I ever really want her to do, 90% of the time she does. I ALSO really like Henry. I knew from the moment that he touched her belly that he was going to be a threat to her marriage to Don. I also think that alot of people don't LOVE this idea, simply because the way it happend was a little anticlimactic. There wasn't a lot of passion. Even when they met in the car, I thought it was going to be steamier. It was like BOOM there sitting on the couch with a lawyer discussing her options for divorce. I would have loved a sceene of Betty and Henry doing the preverbial running towards eachother in a field in slow motion, LOL. Don had his chance, you would have thought that after the seperation that he would come back and change his ways but he didn't. The affair with his DAUGHTERS teacher coupled with the constant lying to Betty about his past was enough for me to be won over by Henry. I do think that Betty and Don will end up together in the end though.

Big time fan of this site, although I don't post, but I thought I would add my comments about season 4.

While I love the look of Don and Betty (they are a visually stunning couple), and think Jon and January have chemistry, I'm on the fence about wanting them to reconcile. I love the goings on at SC, and the soon to be SCDP, and all those characters. The Draper marriage was sad and depressing, and I'm not sure the premise of the show will be for Don and Betty to show real emotional growth since both of them are flawed in that area. And since Don is the protagonist, and the show is called Mad Men, my hope is that they continue to show the intrigue of the new company. I hope for a happy ending for the 2 of them; I'm just on the fence if it will be together. My 2 cents anyway.

Livedit: You may ramble on at will! Welcome!

I too hope Peggy or Joan “crack that glass ceiling,”. MW has shown us 2 archetypes of period women; opposite personalities with a common goal. I’ve always found this storyline the most compelling part of MM. Each character approaches career advancement differently. Peggy has attempted to be “one of the guys”. Joan chooses to use her femininity as a tool. Which has the biggest chance for success? These former rivals will be equal in the new agency. Will they continue to compete (as women often do) or will they recognize the value of mutual support? Tune in to S4 Maddicts for answers to these and other burning questions! (Sorry, I got carried away)

Lots of speculation here that I've also engaged in!

I've wondered the real emotional reason that Betty finally left Don after thinking about it (and trying it once before), especially since she seemed to take the revelations about his past (when they had their big talk about Don's box of mystery) fairly well, and they seemed much closer afterward. I don't think she's really figured out what she wants, only what she thinks she wants (Henry).

Then there's Peggy vs. Joan. Joan's still working a traditional model of feminine power (more subtle and behind-the-scenes) while Peggy's trying to be open and direct (a very male style, really) which sometimes works for her and sometimes doesn't (as we saw this past season). I wonder how this contrast will play out as they work more closely together at the new small agency? (I also wonder in general how all the relationships will shift and change in that situation. I think that will be fun to see play out, especially since it won't be as traditional as SC was.)

I find Henry Francis a very mysterious character. Not only does Betty scarcely know him, neither do we viewers! So how their relationship will turn out seems a huge question for S4 to me. I've heard some people speculate that he will be controlling or even abusive with Betty -- wanting to keep her a pretty thing that belongs to him and is utterly dependent on him (the talk in the lawyer's office suggested this). I think anything's possible.

But perhaps the biggest question to me is how much Don has really changed, and in what ways, at the end of S3, and how that will affect his actions in S4.

I'd love to hear any thoughts or speculations people have on any of these!

Hi Nelle,

I think Betty will come to realize that Henry is not that much different than Don in that he will be working many long hours on the Rockefellar campaign, and will continue to say the same things to Betty that Don used to - "go lie down, take a pill, everything will be fine." In her need of wanting be taken care of, she will see that Henry can't seem to take care of Betty's needs the way that Betty needs to be taken care of, simply because she is a child herself.

I think Don will immerse himself in work, since he really is largely responsible for this new team at SCDP coming together.

I wonder what Lane's wife will do now that he will be staying in NY.

Hey breddgal! thanks for answering.

I think Henry might be different but no better (possibly worse) than Don. I do suspect Henry will want to control Betty, whereas Don left her alone too much. It seems one of those classic cases of bouncing from one extreme to another (and therefore emotionally very true-feeling). I think you're right, though, that he will not be any more emotionally satisfying to her. Of course, a big problem is that I don't think even Betty herself knows what would emotionally satisfy her! So that makes it hard to find it.

Agree Don will be even more immersed in work, which will be consuming while getting the agency up and running. It would make sense that he'd just be indulging in little affairs in that case, but there is still that Suzanne question hanging out there. I find her annoying, so hope she's out of the picture, but suspect she's not.

Lane's wife seems headed for alcoholism if she doesn't find a way to enjoy New York. She seemed pretty miserable and also tightly wound.

I was glad to read that Jared Harris was made a regular for next season, so I'm guessing Lane's wife will NOT be too happy that he'll be staying in NY.

I also hope Roger's wife is out of the picture. So terribly young and immature.

And if I ever see Suzanne again, it will be too soon. The same goes for Henry, but I do think he will be around more than Suzanne. And I also wonder where Betty will live, because I don't think she'll want to live in Ossining because she will be looked upon as a divorced woman, and Henry's work is in Albany.

I really can't wait for the season though. Can't wait to see the new office, and where things stand with SCDP.

Seeing the main guys together in that little hotel room, pulling together to make it work was the highlight of the season. So I'm hoping we don't fast forward too much and see the guys back in a huge big Stirling Cooper style building/mentality. I'm guessing MW has changed the dynamics in order for us to get back to the real business of advertising again and less about the home life stuff. I read January Jones is signed up for season 4 so Betty will obviously be involved in some way. lets hope without Henry francis who is the dullest character in the entire programme.

"I've heard some people speculate that he will be controlling or even abusive with Betty -- wanting to keep her a pretty thing that belongs to him and is utterly dependent on him (the talk in the lawyer's office suggested this)."

I hope this doesn't happen, since it would just be a repeat of her marriage to Don.

I hope Betty gets a storyline outside the home this season, something more than horse riding.

For me, last season was a bit too much of Betty and Don's personal life, so I hope with the newly formed company and what comes with that, we can see more of the characters of SCDP.

Breddgal, I agree that as bad as Betty and Don's relationship is, the other choices they have are just not appealing characters at all, and not relationships I look forward to following! But I think anything can -- and probably will -- happen on this show, so who knows....

Lucysos, I'm with you -- I really am looking forward to seeing how this "lean and mean" new agency works! I think they're modeling it on other small dynamic agencies that sprang up around that time to challenge the old behemoths, so I don't see them growing it into a big one any time soon. I think they'll keep it nimble to show how it differs from the old SC. Storywise, the agency break up was really a brilliant move, enabling them to portray the 1960's advertising field from both ends. The profession was changing a lot in those years.

Jane, I also keep hoping Betty develops more. I'm still puzzling over whether she has hidden depths or she's really as shallow as the show portrays her. I thought the interlude they had in Rome was illuminating for showing us other sides of Betty. I'm just not sure those sides can come out in Ossining OR Albany!

I just saw some on set pictures of Jon/Don filming and he looked elegant and stunning. Have no clue what was happening, but it was nice to know that Mad Men is back filming, and hopefully time will fly quickly till July comes around. I try not to build up any expectation so as not to be disappointed. But the last few episodes from last season were so strong that it's hard not to.

Ok guys! Just saw the post on face book from Mad Men. Season 4 starts Sunday July 25th!!!!!
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! It's totally marked on my Mad Men calendar!

It's entirely possible that we'll see scenes of Betty growing up - what her mother was really like and how she treated Betty. I think we'll see there are a lot of similarities between Betty/her mom and Sally/Betty.

Like Betty, I think Sally will rebel against her mother's wishes at some point (read Woodstock era, etc.) but ultimately return to being a wealthy man's wife. Daddy's girl Sally will probably always resent her mom leaving Don.

My take on Henry Francis is that he represented stability for Betty - a father figure if you will. Betty's entire world was rocked. Her father died, she discovered Don is a Dick, literally, and then the whole Kennedy assassination. Henry to her is solid and predictable, but lacking passion. She's had passion with Don and look where it got her!

I'm looking forward to seeing the new SCDP offices and learning what will happen with all the old characters we've grown to love, especially Ken. I can live without Paul Kinsey. I'm also attached to some of the secretaries - Hilde, Allison, Lois, and heck, even Olive.

I think Don is done with Suzanne, but am certain she's not done with him. It'd be cliche for her to be pregnant, but it could bring up an important statement about that time in history, pre Roe v. Wade. A single pregnant woman can't be a teacher! And no way Don will marry her. He's not falling into that trap again.

Perhaps Anna will be concerned and pay him a visit... Now THAT could be interesting! I also think the story of Dick Whitman will play out in Don's life - he'll learn about a child he fathered who's had to grow up unloved.

We can all start speculating about how the series will end.

Betty will be looked after by husband #2 - she's a housecat, remember?
Richard dumps his young alkie wife, Joan dumps her horrible husband and they get it together.
Pete and Trudie adopt Peggy/Pete's baby.
Don realises he loves Peggy. Peggy has always loved Don but she becomes a pioneering 60s career woman.

I did feel that there were a lot of unanswered threads in Sn 3. What happened to the great Hilton campaign about going to the moon? Or, the stalkerish way Don's girlfriend behaved? and her brother's story?

I don't think there should be any more about Don's past, I think we're done with that. There are the swinging 60s to look forward to!

I started watching on Season's 3 opener. This winter I have had a lot of catching up to do, got to watch the seasons 1 & 2 sequentially and then finally, my copy of season 3 came and I am just finishing that up. "My Old Kentucky Home" was the catalyst episode setting up what will be season 4. Betty met Henry Francis and Don met Conny Hilton. Both seemed almost inconsequential at the time, but had a spark that obviously was not meant to die out.

What kind a man looks at a pregnant wife and falls in love? What did he fall in love with other than her looks? Actually, though I think Henry gets aspects of Betty that were lost on Don. He has seen her childish immaturity when she threw the cash box at him, and he still adores her. Which is all she really wants, to be the adored princess. He gets that and Don never did. Her pampered quality made Don feel unworthy, which her dad loudly felt to be the truth. I think that she and Don were almost from alternate realities that merged at fleeting moments with a glimmer of hope that it might last. I knew the entire season that when Don finally revealed himself to her that it would be over. When it happened, I hoped I was wrong. But, I wasn't. The fact is, Betty never would have looked twice at Dick Whitman, whether he had a fur coat for her or not. She likes that Henry Francis is from a similar background. Henry doesn't just act polished, he IS polished. He will also proudly use her as his trophy wife and she will love that. What I DON'T see is him happily raising her older children. Sally is too vocal, too bright to not see that he destroyed her home and she won't accept him. Bobby will follow her lead and they will not fit into the picture. Baby Gene will be as though he was Henry's own son. Where will the kids fit in? With Don? They could be better off, though I think Don getting away from suburbia will be key to his happiness.

Conrad Hilton ended up being the father figure Don needed after all. Maybe not the one he wanted.... Connie just wanted a friend, not another hireling. Maybe they can be that now. He gave Don an enormous gift by cluing him in to the corporate takeover. I think it very human of Don to initially take it the wrong way, but Connie asked if he was "one of those" and that spurred Don. He remembered his own worthless father and how HE reacted at a similar point, then Don chose a different path. He had the key information to make things move and make things move he did.

Don is getting real with people. it may have been because it behooved him to do so, but it is starting to become more of a habit rather than the rarity it has been. The only real friendship he has had up to now has been Anna Draper. That could be changing. He is on more equal footing with Roger, Bert, Peggy and even Pete than he ever has been. We don't want him too good, he wouldn't be interesting. That will be the real crux of season 4. He has never fit into Betty's dream home and was more comfortable getting high at Midge's. And his new apartment reminded me of Midge. He may run into her as he seems to be moving into the Village. The truth is, he never liked Betty. He fell for her and he tried to be who and what would make her happy, but it wasn't right for him and he resented it.

I don't hate Betty, she is a product of her time and her own dysfunctional family. Daddy worshiped his little princess and Mommy sniped at her jealously, teaching her superficial wiles. She has less ethics and morality than Don, it just isn't apparent on a surface level. I'm glad she will remain in the show and has to, because to paraphrase her line, she will always be their mother. And I don't see this show killing her off "Dallas" style.

I think when Don and Betty create their own lives it will be apparent how little there was to their marriage. I just hope that Sally and Bobby won't become total casualties.

Drink Smoke: The "non compete" rule didn't exist in '63, to my knowledge. If the crew at SC tried that today, they'd have been nailed before they even got out of the building.

Don had a contract but I'll bet nothing like a non compete was in it.

It would be great to have some reference to the Beatles; maybe Sally becomes a fan or something. I suppose I'm biased, but not everyone in the UK at that time was a stuffed shirt like Mr Hooker or Lane Pryce! I wonder if we will see Betty, still supine, reclining on that hideous fainting couch again, only this time she's being ignored by Henry Francis not Don. Although I imagine Henry to be more controlling of her life somehow and I can see Sally baulking at his presence.
I also think that several months would have passed and that maybe SCDP would have some kind of rudimentary office set up. If only I could see it in July as well! ** First proper post**

I really enjoyed reading your insights, kuanyin. Keep 'em comin'!

I am a writer and my 'dream' job would be to co-write an episode of MM. I already have one in the works for season 4. Iit is 1964 and has Don agreeing to the divorce etc.. to keep the enemy closer, so to speak(thank you FFCoppola). He isn't about to "lose" to Henry Francis or anyone.. and does digging only to discover Henry Francis has very close ties w/ Teamsters etc.. he is "in bed" with mobsters, ergo he is quite controlling. Don knows that Betty is/was looking for a hero, much like as she saw her pop. To her, since Henry offered affection freely, he is the hero. Since he took charge .. he is hero. Since he wooed her, he is the hero. Don, to get Betty back has to be the hero... the only way is to reveal Henry, slowly. Don discovers this thru Peggy's brother in law, a teamster. Who recognizes Henry in a photo.. and says something to Peggy about the broad with him looking familiar. Peggy, looks at the newspaper photo and in turn relays it to Don. I've titled the episode, "tea time for teamsters"

And YES.. Sally has to lead the way into rebellious mid-late 60s. She has to end up in Haight/Asbury SF and/or woodstock.

I think this was one of the best shows that i saw. The story line behind the show was so good. The show is so amazing to watch. Pandora Silver Beads

I just love season 3 of the show. All the shows were so good. IT really had you on the edge all the time. The actors are so good. vonage reviews

After watching season 3, I realize that I need more. after hearing the news about season 4, I was so excited to see more Don Draper. Hope that they'll add more characters on the show and the Episode 13 continuation was the right episode to end the season.
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