If Betty's off to Reno for six weeks, why can't Don stay at the house to be with the kids? Provide some sort of parental presence in their lives.

I was thinking that too. The poor kids get their lives turned upside down and then don't have either parent at the house.

Man, those poor kids. Maybe once Betty's in a happier marriage, she'll have the emotional reserves to be a better mom? I just don't know. She's so ill-equipped for adulthood.

I think Betty is going to find herself just as unhappy with her new man before long. Don really should have custody of the kids, but I suppose there is little chance of that happening.

That didn't occur to me until after I went to bed, but yeah. Poor Sal.

I missed that. Well, hopefully we will see him again as a competitor.

I think Betty is going to find herself just as unhappy with her new man before long.

Yeah. She's still in that little girl mode, where she looks for a man who will take care of her/worship her. It's telling that she chooses a man who's old enough to have a grown daughter. And Francis telling her not to worry (her pretty head) about alimony, he'll take care of her... yikes. That does not bode well. But it's understandable as well, as Betty has few options as a woman with no particular skills in the '60s, with 3 small children, who wants to leave her husband.

no shit.

Did you see the gap between Betty and Henry on the train? For a couple who are anticipating a future life together, that body language was OFF.

Don really should have custody of the kids, but I suppose there is little chance of that happening.

The thing is, if Don had custody of the kids, they'd still wind up being mostly raised by a nanny. He's a better parent than Betty in the emotional support sense, but he's also had the luxury of being able to pick and choose exactly how much time he spends parenting. He's only ever done the fun stuff - he gives advice and hugs and takes the family on picnics, but he's not there for the day-to-day.

For a couple who are anticipating a future life together, that body language was OFF.

Definitely. They can't have spent more than a week together at most. He likes the way she looks. He's her safety net. Talk about going from the devil you know to devil you don't. Not that I think Betty shouldn't have dumped Don's ass, mind you. That scene where Don comes and nearly attacks Betty at night was ugly. Un-freakin'-believable of Don, the biggest manwhore in all of Manhattan, calling Betty a whore. (And she hasn't even slept with the guy yet!)

Thank God for Peggy and Joan. Another favourite bit:

Roger: "Peggy, can you make me some coffee?"
Peggy: "No."

How perfect was that?

What's funny is she did sleep with someone during the Cuban Missile Crisis, but Don doesn't know about that.

I didn't like Don laying his hands on Betty during their disagreement, but I thought he had a right to be angry. Did she really think Don wasn't going to find out about Henry Francis?

You know, I see Roger getting re-energized by this -- he's been bored and useless and floundering, trying to find happiness in a trophy wife. But now he'll be focused, doing something NEW -- he's never started a business, or had to really scramble, and he's really got the talents needed for this, plus he's come to the realization of how much he's screwed up his life and family.

The thing is, if Don had custody of the kids, they'd still wind up being mostly raised by a nanny. He's a better parent than Betty in the emotional support sense, but he's also had the luxury of being able to pick and choose exactly how much time he spends parenting. He's only ever done the fun stuff - he gives advice and hugs and takes the family on picnics, but he's not there for the day-to-day.

I still feel between mostly being raised by the nanny and having more emotionally available Don around some of the time is better than being raised by the nanny and then having emotionally manipulative Betty around them.

I didn't like Don laying his hands on Betty during their disagreement, but I thought he had a right to be angry. Did she really think Don wasn't going to find out about Henry Francis?

I think Don gave up the right to be angry about his wife's affairs because of all of the affairs he has had, and I think that scene very clearly showed the difference of how infidelity was looked at differently coming from a man or a woman.

You know, I see Roger getting re-energized by this -- he's been bored and useless and floundering, trying to find happiness in a trophy wife. But now he'll be focused, doing something NEW -- he's never started a business, or had to really scramble, and he's really got the talents needed for this, plus he's come to the realization of how much he's screwed up his life and family.

Yes, very much this.

I think Don gave up the right to be angry about his wife's affairs because of all of the affairs he has had, and I think that scene very clearly showed the difference of how infidelity was looked at differently coming from a man or a woman.

I agree and slightly disagree (which is too strong a word for it - I think the emphasis is on something else entirely, but same result) with this assessment. Don's anger at Betty had more to do with Don's (wrongheaded but common) thinking, "My affairs were never had to break up my marriage or my family - they were simply there to satisfy an Urge. Yours, whether or not it was consummated did just that." Therefore Betty = Bad in Don's mind. DOES NOT justify his manhandling her at all, let alone with their infant in the room.