Two thoughts:

1) Does being fired negate the non-compete clause? Damn if I know, but I'll bet Don, Rodger, Bert and Price don't either because they are all too used to winging things to check. Confirmed by the way it came up. Don saying to Price "you have the absolute authority to fire us if you choose". Really in the spirit of "Gang, why don't we put on a show?".

2) Betty: yeah she is unpleasant, but also trapped. She drank the too much of the Koolaid for way too long because Koolaid was all that was on the menu. At this point even if she was offered champagne she'd choose Koolaid, because that is all she knows to recognize. And yeah, agency and all that, but it would have taken one hell of a strong character to turn out better than Betty did in the circumstances she found herself in.

Interview with Matt Weiner on S3:

[link]

Somehow, I had totally missed they were at the Pierre. I think that's the only time I've ever stayed in a NY hotel. Way back in high school. In a suite next to Cher! Good times.

I've eaten at the restaurant there (nom nom nom) but I've never stayed in any of the rooms. It is swanky.

At the time, I didn't give much thought to it, it was just where my friend was staying, but it was very nice.

That didn't take long.

I would almost want those if they didn't have the extra ampersands.

Yeah, there shouldn't be ampersands.

It looks like half of them are without the &s

It looks like half of them are without the &s

Well, that's not right either. Hmph.

ETA: Adding the final ampersand would also make the names align better.