Especially now that she's had a taste of the same sort of freedom that Don's been enjoying this whole time.

I didn't see her infidelity as freedom. She was just evening the score. Not even in a malicious way. There was just no way she could get back together with him after his betrayal, if she didn't have take something back for herself, and make it equal footing.

Agreed. But it still equated (or I think it will, in retrospect) to a seminal moment of freedom for her. It may not feel that way in the moment, it may have only been taking advantage of an opportunity which presented itself at just the right moment, but I think as time goes on, it's going to come to represent a lot for her.

At least, that's sort of my take, within the context of your question.

and, survive, how, my grandparents tortured each other for thirty-eight years, but they would still make it into the survived column.

I think, even though he's done some extremely questionable things, he's fundamentally a more decent person than Betty, but that could simply be that my perceptions of her are colored by what we've been permitted to see of her.

I wonder what Betty would be like if she weren't a wife and a mother. I don't think she's a bad person, but she's horribly unsuited for the life she's living. Her comment to Don that it "must be nice, needing time and just taking it" was so telling.

Her comment to Don that it "must be nice, needing time and just taking it" was so telling.

Could you flesh that out a little? What do you think it tells? I think she's a whiny 'yotch, myself, but that may not be what you're saying.

The Feminine Mystique: 1963

Don disappeared for three weeks leaving Betty to take care of the kids and the house completely on her own (okay, with Carla). He is not accused by anyone (in the show) of being a bad parent or a bad spouse for doing this.

Imagine the situation reversed - if Betty had done exactly the same thing and left the kids with Don (okay, really with Carla) for three weeks, she'd have been put in a straightjacket the second she got back. Don gets to "take time" because he has zero responsibilities at home.

God, can you imagine how angry she would be if she knew what we know about what he's been doing? Not that I'd blame her. Oh, and Jess. also, poor betty has to field all the "where's Daddy?" questions and watch as the kids greet him like Santa Claus. That pisses me off for her...prickly and difficult as she can be.

Don gets to "take time" because he has zero responsibilities at home.

But, right then, up to that minute, Don wasn't at home anyway because Betty kicked him out. Right that minute, I can't see her having any bone to pick.

In the general, though, yeah. Men got free passes in many things, women were definitely more bound by social constraints. Women may have got the vote in 1920, but they sure didn't get emancipation with it.

Re: the Feminine Mystique. I didn't realize that came out in 1963, I thought it was later than that, early 70s or so. I wonder if that's going to play any part in the next season? It would be great to see Betty reading a copy of it in bed.

I wonder if that's going to play any part in the next season?

I'll bet it will (hence the oh-so-cryptic phone post from the car when I thought to look up the date). It was squarely aimed at women in just Betty's situation, and I keep thinking that the tragedy of Don and Betty is that we keep having glimpses of what Don really wants in just about every other woman we see him with, but he's just as incompatible a match for her, and there is no "would have been better off with" except... the hooker ex-roomie? the modeling she's now aged out of? That and the Miltown got me to Mystique, and that got me back to my wicked wicked wikipedia ways.