Oh, man.

I thought Don telling Joan not to do it after she already had hurt, but Peggy leaving = actually tears. Damn.

Lane's so screwed. Possibly he will destroy everything in his efforts not to get caught.

I guess. but I am concerned that if $50K would ruin them, how is 5% going to turn out in the long run - esp with the chief embezzler.

I don't think that the 50K was a problem, but since he had already extended their credit line for the "bonuses", he knew that he couldn't ask for another 50K. He had to find a way to placate Joan that didn't cost actual cash.

I wonder if she would have gone through with it if Don had talked to her before the "meeting".

Vortex,

he said $50K in the short run would cause them financial problems. Lane said that to Joan openly.

Yeah, the 50K wouldn't have been a problem if not for Lane's prior shenanigans with the credit line.

I'm thinking they would have won without Joan's assistance. That presentation was a homerun.

yes, I should have said that the 50K would not have been a problem had it not been for the already extended credit line.

It's kind of funny that it's the agency's success that is causing him such problems. I suppose if they start generating serious revenue he might be able to juggle the books to cover, but I'd be surprised if he pulls it off.

Jesus! What a mangled tangle of intentions conspiring to stab two daggers to the heart.

When Pete is pimping Joan out to the partners you know there are three men standing there (Roger, Lane, Don) who all love her, and in their way, need her. Back to the prostitution theme which has been strong this year.

I was reminded of Joss' early understanding that he only needed to put Willow in jeopardy to jack up the drama of an episode of BtVS. And on Mad Men there's a similar dynamic where these assaults on Joan's...well, physical person, but more her dignity, her personhood, are so excruciating.

I was also reminded of the TV show Action which is the last time I saw such a naked equivalence between whoring oneself and The Capitalist Enterprise.

Where the fuck was Roger in all that? Lane - with his extraordinarily conflicted motives - basically says nothing like "Don't sell yourself" but rather "Don't sell yourself short." And she's grateful for it and the leverage. And Lane's still fucked on the embezzling.

And, in a way, Don's gallantry is the thing that makes Joan's choice for her. That he didn't sell her out. That he believed she was better than that. It almost allows her to do it.

So Don earns Joan's loyalty (which he already had) and loses Peggy. And god, he sold that perfectly. Like losing Anna for him.

The whole sub-plot with Megan was a minor play on the same motif but at least acknowledges what I thought when she announced her desire to become an actress: "How's that schedule going to work?" It doesn't. Their marriage won't survive her being of in Boston for three months of rehearsals and previews.

Total gut-punch episode. Two more episodes and they still haven't paid off on the suicide theme. My bet's on Rory Gilmore. Pete must suffer for his sins!

And, in a way, Don's gallantry is the thing that makes Joan's choice for her. That he didn't sell her out. That he believed she was better than that. It almost allows her to do it.

Okay, apparently I missed the point of that flashback because Don is coming to see Joan after she's already slept with Herb. So her presumption that he was one of the men who sold her out might have contributed to her decision, but his coming by later salvages something in their relationship.

Also are they really writing Peggy out of the show? If not, who comes crawling to whom?