I think the way they handled this whole Sally/Grandpa Gene story has been a bit heavier on the cliché which is unexpected from Weiner & Co.

I'm surprised they cut it short. And I think the cliche would've been more that he was abusive to her. I'm not sure what the after effects are going to be on Sally.

I hope Peggy will step up for Joan.

I agree. Joan is considerably more with it than 75% of the people working for Sterling Cooper. And she apparently is a great ant killer.

And I think the cliche would've been more that he was abusive to her.

Yeah, I know. I honestly go back and forth on it. I know that part of the tension last week was we kept waiting to see how Gene would react to Sally having stolen the money and of course, the sheer inappropriateness of having her read the Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire.

I think maybe you're right though, Hec, that part of my feelings of it being treated like a cliché was the fact that it was cut so short-- like here's the mechanism by which we can see Sally blossom with the attention that no one else gives her and how she'll fall apart once it's taken away.

Really, what this also possibly sets her up for is to become involved in an abusive relationship.

by which we can see Sally blossom with the attention that no one else gives her and how she'll fall apart once it's taken away.

Sally was already acting out before Gene came. And his behavior was amazingly inappropriate - letting her drive the freaking' car! And yet, he was still more attentive to her than either Betty or Don.

There's really a huge schism between how Betty sees herself as a parent and what she's actually doing as a parent. Carla does much more of the basic care, and Betty's not even meeting their emotional needs.

Don might actually be a decent parent if that era allowed a man to be more involved with his kids. He's more patient, less judgmental.

As Sally gets older she'll also get a ton of pressure from Betty to be pretty, skinny, model perfect. I don't think Sally is ever going to meet Betty's standard there.

I'm just wondering where there's an out for Betty. Is she really going to be flexible enough to embrace feminism? There's no way I can see this marriage surviving the early seventies. They're both so deeply dissatisfied. Once the societal pressure eases and the divorce stigma recedes they'll break up.

It's not like their relationship is a love story. She has no idea who Don is. They're a couple that has great sex.

and perhaps not even that.

I wonder if she'll run away to California.

And join the Manson family?

Well, cliches are cliches cause there are true bits, right?

Well, cliches are cliches cause there are true bits, right?

Yeah, they are. But I feel as we've gotten so spoiled in how Matt Weiner treats clichés and thoroughly turns them on their ears. This seemed as predictable as anything he's done and I know... it's stupid for me to harp on one teensy thing. Because again, knowing Matt Weiner, he'll find a way to flip it. Eventually.

Don might actually be a decent parent if that era allowed a man to be more involved with his kids. He's more patient, less judgmental.

He's taught them how to make a mean drink, what more do you need?