Umm… Betty's father?

I am sorry, but something has gone on there.

As I mentioned recently, I had predicted that incest might be in Betty’s history.

Now if I know Matt’s writing, we may never know more than what we saw tonight.

So let’s recap what we saw tonight:

1) Gene started talking to Betty as though she was his late wife, Ruth.

2) We find out that he’s had a stroke that no one called Betty about.

3) Gene lashed out at Don; really attacked him. For not being good enough for Betty, for not being trustworthy, for having too much, for coming from nothing. “My daughter’s a princess, you know that?!”

4) THEN Gene gropes Betty in front of everyone. As Basketcase Ellelleque pointed out, that was outrageous behavior, even for Alzheimers patients. Inappropriate behavior even if she was the wife he was mistaking her for.

So, #1? Understandable in his state.

#2? I’ll get back to that.

#3? This is when I started to get suspicious. It just felt… wrong.

And #4? I just threw up a little in my mouth again, just thinking about it.

Now, no, I don’t have any hard evidence. And yes, I’ve suspected that this storyline was coming, so yes I’m looking for it.

But this is also an episode, like Marriage of Figaro, full of polarities and echoes. I haven’t begun to examine it closely enough to figure it out, but… William referred to hiding in the playhouse (or treehouse), later we see Glen living in the playhouse. Was it William who mentioned Don could build another house in the backyard? The Gene/Betty thing, then the Betty/Glen thing? Don’s silent entrance into Harry’s party. Harry in a baby bonnet. There’s a whole lot of strange that I haven’t been able to tease out yet. But this twisted relationship fits into all of it.

As for #2, I suspect that Gloria suspects Gene’s… affections for Betty. And wants to keep her as far away as possible.