Yeah, loved that moment (mentioned in the subtext theater). Note-perfect. And could he have delivered it without Pete's heads up? Don can show pretty extreme composure under duress, but Duck has been the burr under his saddle and I don't think he would have responded well to the news were he unprepared.

I agree with the assessment that the British firm never intended to carry through on its promise to place Duck as president. They had him before and in that painful dinner before Duck made his power play were not going to hire him back. I think they knew damn well Duck would implode at some point and they could brush him off then.

This is the point at which I would feel sorry for Duck except he turned his dog out. What? No, I don't hold a grudge against fictional characters, whyever would you say that?

This episode functioned so well as a season finale because there were so many seminal moments for the characters.

Was Pete holding his gun in one of the last shots?

It is very interesting to see how the pre-internet/cell phone era dealt with sudden long absences from the office. Now, if you're out of touch for more than a few hours people start getting antsy.

Was I the only one who noticed they ran the credits at 50 minutes into the hour? Maybe because of the limited commercial interruption?

Was Pete holding his gun in one of the last shots?

Yes. In fact, in the newspaper recap that I posted the link to, they even mention that in the scene between Pete and Peggy, if you look just over his shoulder, it's there, leaning up against the wall.

It was so beautifully framed, that shot of Pete with the rifle. Very eerie and haunting.

Was I the only one who noticed they ran the credits at 50 minutes into the hour? Maybe because of the limited commercial interruption?

yes, they had limited commercial interruption and then showed the afterparty thing with interviews. What the hell was January Jones wearing on her head?

What the hell was January Jones wearing on her head?

She's notoriously bad at dressing herself. Just misses the boat by a smidge and falls off the pier.

There was a lot of lovely framing.

I liked the shot of Betty, from behind, inclining her head against the wall.

I mean, I know that I have high expectations because the clothes on the show are so fabulous, but those girls needed help! Christina Hendricks, you forgot your bra.

There was a lot of lovely framing.

Indeed, she seems to be almost floating on the OB/GYN table.

Fantastic recap of the ep in the Chicago Tribune: [link]

I was just coming in to post that. Really good recap. And the subtext theater was hilarious.

A good, subtle, interesting writing tip by Matthew Weiner:

And then just stylistically I cannot pretend that working on “The Sopranos” all that time did not influence the series, even though I wrote the (“Mad Men”) pilot first. Making sure everyone has a reason for doing what they’re doing and not letting the characters help each other solve their problems - actually making them impediments.