Do you think he even sees the hypocrisy of being made at Megan for doing a love scene that isn't even really and then immediately running off to his mistress.

As T&L note, Don thrives on hypocrisy.

Well, the panel discussion was fun, but the cast only stuck around for about five minutes at the reception, so no pics. So sad. I couldn't even see poor Jon Hamm, who was basically pinned in a corner by fangirls as soon as he stepped into the room. And then they were all whisked away by their handlers.

Vincent Kartheiser and Christina Hendricks were the best cast members in the panel - Christina Hendricks talked about the Jaguar storyline and how something like that (Joan propositioned by a client in exchange for business) was a plot point she and Weiner had been talking about since S1. Then the moderator asked VK if he deliberately tried to make Pete likeable and VK just snorted with laughter.

Don is disappointing me this season. He's not even trying not to be an asshole any more.

Don is disappointing me this season. He's not even trying not to be an asshole any more.

I don't think they'll leave Don static this season. I don't see him doing a Tony Soprano arc where he can never change.

I think they're reinforcing how unchanged he is now to break him good by the end of the season, much like America gets broken in half in the late sixties.

That's my guess anyway.

I enjoyed the ep but there is very little that enfuriates me more than the "poor pitiful white dude" syndrome. Poor Don has it all but is just so unhappy. See also my hatred for American Beauty. I'm over his character.

I enjoyed the ep but there is very little that enfuriates me more than the "poor pitiful white dude" syndrome. Poor Don has it all but is just so unhappy. See also my hatred for American Beauty. I'm over his character.

I don't think our sympathies are supposed to be with Don at this point. I don't think we're supposed to feel like his problems are anything except his own making.

I don't think he's irredeemable either but that's for this season and the next to play out.

I sort of see Don at the end of it all on a beach in California, following Anna's path.

Me too, Hec! I think he is totally unlikable right now and is headed for a crash and renewal at some point.

and is headed for a crash and renewal at some point.

I hope! I'd be bummed if they took the Sopranos route. (Character is unchanging. Nobody really changes.)

I enjoyed the ep but there is very little that enfuriates me more than the "poor pitiful white dude" syndrome. Poor Don has it all but is just so unhappy.

Yeah, this is where I'm at. Whether the show wants me to sympathize with him or not (and I agree that it doesn't), I'm at a point now where I don't really care if he turns it around. I just hope he doesn't take Megan down with him.

One funny story Jessica Pare told last night was how she found out she was going to be a regular on the show - she hadn't gotten the script pages yet for the ep where Don proposes, but the costume designer came in and said "I, um, I don't know if I'm really allowed to tell you anything, but, um...I need to measure your ring size."

I believe they do want me to sympathize with him at least a little bit. Why else show his shitty childhood scenes? Also, in Monday's ep Sylvia said she, "...prayed for him to find peace." Poor wealthy, successful, good-looking, top-of-the-food-chain Don. Ugh! They need to do something - anything - to make me give a damn about his character at this point. He used to be more complex but now he's just a straight up entitled asshole. More Peggy! More Joan! More Betty! More Sally!

It was a very plotty episode - not so much with the recurring motifs and metaphors that they've been prone to over the last couple seasons.

I like when things happen! So I liked it quite a bit except for agreeing with all the discontent with Don, whom I've generally liked and found interesting as a character, but the way he treats Megan, ugh. Be fucking happy for her success, for fuck's sake.

"I tolerate it, but I won't encourage it."
"You're perfect."

Megan has low standards for perfection.