AMC
(Season 2, Episode 12)
“The only thing that’s keeping you from being happy is the belief that you’re alone.” – Anna, to Don
Finally, a question is answered that I’ve had since we found out Don is Dick: what about the real Don’s family? Certainly they would be wondering where their Don was after “Dick Whitman” died in the explosion in Korea. I actually didn’t think the show would answer that question. I thought it would be one of those TV show plots that we’re just supposed to accept and go along with, so it’s great that they’re not only answering the question, but it’s a major plot point as we get ready for next week’s season finale.
Don is actually staying in California a lot longer than I thought he would. Is he planning on staying with Anna Draper again, after being “married” to her years before? Seems like he’s really settling in there. I take his walk into the water at the end of the episode to be his new “baptism” on the West Coast.
Some other observations about this episode:
– Back in Ossining, Betty is losing it. She puts Sally in a closet after catching her smoking (smoking and drinking, Sally?), then is kinda evil when she’s talking to Sarah, who is upset that she slept with the Horse Guy. I like how Sally says, “He left because you’re stupid and mean!” I still have hope for Betty though. I think she wants Don back (and I’m wondering what the bleeding means…)
– Pete isn’t happy that Trudy set up an appointment with the adoption agency, and shows his displeasure by throwing the dinner over the balcony of their apartment. Look out below! I wonder how Pete will react when he finds out that Peggy had his kid a year and a half ago? What is it about Pete that makes you think he’s a jerk but you still want to root for him? I’m on his side in the Clearasil battle with his father-in-law.
– Speaking of Peggy, she’s really coming up in the Sterling Cooper world. She’s becoming one of the guys (smoking alone in the office late at night!), and even has the courage to ask Roger if she can have Freddy’s old office. That’s a lesson for all of us in life. You’ll be amazed at what you can get if you just ask for it. (For the record, I never broke my Popsicles in half.)
– Joan. The scene. Gulp. It makes me more uneasy than anything else I’ve seen this season, the way Greg forces himself on her, the way she just stares across the room and took it. I really wish Roger would come into the office and beat the hell out of the guy. Interesting that Joan has become sort of the sad one around the office while Peggy is now more confident.
– It occurs to me that when (or if) Don comes back to New York, he’s going to be rather shocked at the developments he has missed: Sterling Cooper sold to the British company (was Duck even in this episode, or did I just miss him?); Peggy in the office next to his (with a new hairdo); Sally smoking; no more Clearasil account. Don is a 12% partner, so his vote didn’t even matter in the meeting. It will be interesting to see how he takes that.
– I like being introduced to relatives of the characters we know. Like Alice, Bert’s sister, back from a trip with her female “companion” (ahem – I think there are more gay or secretly gay characters on this show than any other drama on TV right now). She helped him start Sterling Cooper and voted yes for sale to the Brits. Nice dig at Roger, calling Jane one of his children.
– Nice subtle promo on the TV for Jon Hamm’s new movie, The Day The Earth Stood Still.
Some more cool quotes:
“You like the porch? You paid for it.” – Anna, to Don
“My stockings cost more than your carpeting.” – Alice, to brother Bert
“There are 30 men out there who didn’t have the balls to ask.” – Roger, to Peggy
“I like the way she laughs.” – Don, to Anna, about new girlfriend Betty
“You should get some pictures in here. Family or people or whatever.” – Pete, to Peggy, about her new office
“Let Roger have what he’s always wanted: to die in the arms of a 20 year-old.” – Alice
“Marital troubles … don’t write that down.” – Roger, to the stenographer about Don’s trip
We found out that it was Anna whom Don sent the Meditations in an Emergency book to, and that’s the title of next week’s episode. I think, if anything, this is going to be an even more powerful finale than last season’s. Here’s a sneak peek:
Clacked by Bob Sassone 
on Oct 20, 2008 @ 11:05 EST5EDT
The scene in which Joan was raped illustrated that she, as a woman and a secretary, is nothing more than an accessory. The juxtaposition of Peggy’s newfound confidence versus Joan’s new lack of confidence was a clear indication that no matter what Joan feels is her ability to progress beyond where she is, she will be nothing more than an adornment on some man’s arm. Her staring off as the rape occurred, to me, was her accepting her fate as a pointless, thoughtless wax trophy with no feelings of her own. A very sad and heartbreaking scene.
I have to believe Joan is going to crack. She cannot marry that man. She is so much stronger than she is when she is with him. Amazingly, women have not progressed much from that era, or that scene, at all. So many women stay in abusive relationships because they think their alternatives are limited. It makes me sick (and single!).
What I really liked about the episode is how different Don was when with Anna. They didn’t have to tell us they were flashing back in any way other than to watch Don. It really makes you realize how much of a weight is on his shoulders in his NYC life. It also shows what an impact on his life this terrible secret has made, and on his marriage, as well. It would be lovely for him to share this with Betty; she has hinted in past episodes that she wants to know him. I believe her.
Next week is the finale already? Frankly, I’m not prepared.
Modwild, I just think that Don/Dick and Betty are past the point of no return. Betty may be a lot of things, but Don has abandoned his family. Whatever his feelings and demons, that is no excuse for him. He has to face his problems and not cloak himself in the safety of Anna. I really hope Betty lays into him, as I am not feeling any empathy toward him in the slightest.
i suspect her bleeding leads to a medical emergency that forces don to make a choice of whether to stay with betty or not, and i suspect he stays with them. and i also wonder if joan’s future marriage is a setup for plots in next season, namely the growing women’s liberation movement.