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?

Wtf, Mad Men? Super painful and upsetting.

The thing is that if Don is your moral compass, you have lost yourself as a company. I was kinda shipping Joan/Roger, but this is a clear example of why it would be a bad idea. Roger thinks no more of pimping Joan out than he does of using Mona or Jane for his business purposes.

I am kinda excited to see Peggy go. I would be interested in watching the two firms compete, and see Don & Peggy pitch against each other as equals. It was an amazing, well played scene, and I like both the characters' reactions, but it also felt true. That I should have seen this was inevitable.

I think Peggy's discarded the pact, but I hope not, because I would also like to see that. Honestly, it's kinda what I wanted previously, to see the new young firm struggling, to see it competing with the old self. Well, this is a different pairing, but I'm still interested in the competition.

The thing is that if Don is your moral compass, you have lost yourself as a company.

You are right, but then too, I got the impression that he felt this way about *Joan*. If it had been any other secretary the Jaguar people wanted, he wouldn't have been so agitated. There is nothing moral about it if it is dependent on one person.

As Peggy is waiting for the elevator at the end, looking towards the doors of the offices, FAQWife was terrified that she would step into an empty shaft. She literally grabbed my arm. THAT would have been fucked up.

trust me. this whole household was worried about that too!

Beau was coming undone and I told him: look, if she looks in the elevator before walking in, she is in good shape.

At the end, I said "damn you Matt Weiner. You did that shit on purpose."

is it possible Joan's husband will go over her share of the partnership?

This just occurred to me.

My vote is on him getting fragged by his own troops in 'Nam. :-)

But, yeah, a lot depends on the divorce laws in NY at the time -- I'm not even sure that they had no-fault divorce, but that divorce suit contained "grounds" made up or otherwise.

Maybe it turns out that Doctor Rapist CAN count.