Dawn got a promotion.

Sally really hates Betty

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Sally really hates Betty

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She is probably the worst mother ever.

The show ends with a 50something Sally in modern day as the CEO of ad company.

I loathe the Betty story as much as anyone, but I was thinking about Betty while doing some yard work earlier today.

Betty's story is clearly meant to parallel Don's. Like Don, Betty is born into a world that defines her in certain ways and that expects certain things from her. She is just as much a prisoner of those definitions and expectations as he is.

If the theme of this series has to do with Don's inability to feel fulfilled no matter how successful he is at meeting the expectations of the "Don Draper" persona he has chosen to buy into, Betty's story mirrors that theme in that she has outwardly attained the success she was "supposed" to want and be defined by: attractive and powerful husband, lots of money, servants, personal attractiveness, children.

She very early on discovered the shallowness of this life through Don's infidelities, but made the mistake of doubling down on it by marrying Henry. She is a terrible mother because she really does not want to be a mother and is taking out her frustrations on the children, simultaneously mad at Sally for not wanting the same sick dream Betty herself wanted and mad at herself (and her husband) because she recognizes the emptiness of that life.

In short, she is a victim of her environment just as much as Don is, and that explains the writers' fascination with her parallel storyline.

For whatever reason--maybe because I'm male--although I understand INTELLECTUALLY what is going on with Betty and how her character advances the theme of the show, I care not one whit about her and am not emotionally invested in her at all.

I suspect I am not alone in that regard.





[This message has been edited by OldArmy71 (edited 5/12/2014 7:25p).]

Good analysis, 71. I agree.

Could anybody read the lips of what was being muttered in the computer room when Ginsberg was eavesdropping?

I think Lou said "Draper" but couldn't tell what Harry Hamlin said. I'm sure they were just talking about the cigarette account.

Or they're homos.

I don't know why some of you think Megan was clearly sleeping with the red head. They're just girls in their twenty's in LA. That's how they act... Doesn't mean they are sleeping together.

They just got wasted and had a threesome.


Which by the way MW03, that was pretty happy.





[This message has been edited by Sex Panther (edited 5/12/2014 9:14p).]

True story

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I don't know why some of you think Megan was clearly sleeping with the red head. They're just girls in their twenty's in LA. That's how they act... Doesn't mean they are sleeping together.

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Agree. I didn't get the lesbo vibe at all.

GINSBURG CUT OFF HIS ****ING NIPPLE AND GAVE IT TO PEGGY.

Of course she isn't a lesbian. She has probably gotten high/drunk in the past and maybe kissed that girl but that's the most. They just wanted to keep the party going and Megan was drunk and desperate and made a dumb decision that she thought would please Don.

But as soon as redhead met him in the porch at the party I knew it was on like a prawn who yawns at dawn.

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Of course she isn't a lesbian. She has probably gotten high/drunk in the past and maybe kissed that girl but that's the most

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It should be noted that midway through last season her boss's wife tried to make out with her in the sunken living room and she aggressively rejected it. So this shows progress/desperation on that front. And Don could. not. give a **** about Megan in anything. Has the Manson stuff started yet?!?!?

Also - Matt Weiner still hates hippies! Again showing the dark side of the Movement with the Berkeley dropout now pregnant and alone.

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Of course she isn't a lesbian. She has probably gotten high/drunk in the past and maybe kissed that girl but that's the most

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It should be noted that midway through last season her boss's wife tried to make out with her in the sunken living room and she aggressively rejected it. So this shows progress/desperation on that front. And Don could. not. give a **** about Megan in anything. Has the Manson stuff started yet?!?!?

Also - Matt Weiner still hates hippies! Again showing the dark side of the Movement with the Berkeley dropout now pregnant and alone.

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Everyone should hate hippies.

So now, the big question is how does SC&P attempt to get Don to void his contract?

I am not sure if Don just doesn't care, because of his ability to work for Phillip Morris, or because he is already tired of being hamstrung... Or he thinks he is not voiding the contract by joining the meeting as he did.

i put that entire threesome thing with megan in the same category as her singing that zou bisou bisou song at his bday party.

she thought he'd enjoy it and appreciate her for doing it, but ultimately he kind of lost a little respect for her and went on about his day.

just shows how little she really knows about him...which makes that "i know all of his secrets" comment that much more damning to her.

Yup

I know that I'm reading way too much into this but did anyone else notice that any group larger or smaller than three was full of conflict?

Sally and Bobby was a group of 2 with no conflict.

Sally, Betty, and Henry was full of conflict when talking about her broken nose.

So I am at Starbucks in Flower Mound and I am convinced that Sally Draper is here, or a girl that looks just like her.

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Or they're homos.

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Bunk - that's a perfect description of Harry. I can never decide if I think he's a visionary of just a giant ass.

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I think his character is positioned as one of those people who just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Has he really done anything for the agency but ride the television wave. A monkey could have had success at that job in the 60's.

I difinately don't see him as a visionary. Him stating that "everyone who's anyone has a computer", shows that he is doing as seeing. Weiner also seems to paint him as a guy that nobody really respects.

[This message has been edited by Citizen reign (edited 5/17/2014 1:56p).]

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i put that entire threesome thing with megan in the same category as her singing that zou bisou bisou song at his bday party.

she thought he'd enjoy it and appreciate her for doing it, but ultimately he kind of lost a little respect for her and went on about his day.

just shows how little she really knows about him...which makes that "i know all of his secrets" comment that much more damning to her.

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This. Also, Megan has become a wannabe bohemian and is couple of years behind the Summer of Love.

The threesome is just Wiener being true to history. For some reason, the last few episodes just come across as Wiener documenting history. The storyline is just not that interesting to me this deep into the sixties. They need to kick it again and let Don's chance at redemption fail already.

That's my prediction anyway, Don will prove that people are not capable of changing who they are.

I'm gonna being truly disappointed if this show has a happy ending.

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For some reason, the last few episodes just come across as Wiener documenting history

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Overall I've really enjoyed every season of Mad Men. However, there are definitely times where I feel like they get so wrapped up in getting the details of everything exactly right that it seems they forget there's a story to write about characters. It seems to me that we've been stuck in neutral for a little longer than necessary with Megan/Don, Betty, & super-depressed Peggy.

Thinking some big things might happen tonight to really move the story along. Looking forward to it!

Agreed. The second-to-last-episode of each season has usually been the "event" episode in seasons past, but it's so hard to tell how they're gonna play it with this new structure. I imagine next week's half-season finale will end in some kind of cliffhanger, but hopefully we get a significant plot advancement tonight. To be honest, even for Mad Men, I've been kind of shocked at how little plot has actually happened this season, considering the limited number of episodes left.

WTF Don & Peggy

Certainly framed up the new agency in that last shot...

Was thinking the same thing

Still can't tell if Don views Peggy as a daughter figure or a spouse figure.

Solid episode. Great ending with them at the restaurant. Really enjoying this year. The only stupid thing is AMC dragging it out until next year.

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Still can't tell if Don views Peggy as a daughter figure or a spouse figure.

Solid episode. Great ending with them at the restaurant. Really enjoying this year. The only stupid thing is AMC dragging it out until next year.

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Don at the table with his two kids in the last scene. The family is all together.

I have enjoyed this season like all of them, but have just kind of been waiting on something to happen. I kind of still am, but I thought that scene between Don and Peggy was one of the best on the show in years. There has been so much anger and tension between them for several seasons now... for them to reconcile and realize that they are ''family'' was very poignant and satisfying. And I'm not really one for ''happy'' endings or scenes, as it were.

I predict a major shake-up at the firm next episode to take us in to the (annoyingly long) break before the last set of episodes.