I wonder if I was the only one who really never saw Peggy as following a Don Doctrine? Because the thing with Peggy is even though she had a secret she handled it differently from the start. When Peggy was on the date with Kurt and she was lamenting about why she attracts the wrong men I was thinking, Peggy, it's because you're a transgressor and you have integrity and it's going to take a while to find the right person to open up to, that's all. It seemed to me that her secret was analogous to if someone had an abortion in 2008. It's not exactly expected that you're going to go to work and tell people. I don't think she was morally obligated to tell anyone at work. But in her personal life Peggy's only had her genuine relationships with her family and priest who all know her secret. Then the first time you see her reach out it turns out to be another transgressor and even though it never comes up, Kurt is not a person who would judge her or who would feel betrayed by the reality of it.

To me, Peggy's been in total contrast to Don who has blithely built "intimate" relationships on lies and been blinded by wishful thinking that just having the outlines of a good life is what counts. Don doesn't make the sacrifice. Peggy gives things up. Even telling Pete you know what I would have done? I would have made Pete feel sorry for me to distract him from his own hurt. Peggy totally rose above that impulse because it would have been a lie. She's wiser than that. Don and Peggy both have to deal with this alienation because of their complicated realities that aren't acceptable. But Peggy's alienation is part of paying a price whereas Don's is avoidance. All along Don's been flaunting the family and popularity but they've been empty and Peggy's been in her lonely apartment yet isn't it fuller? But I don't think Peggy has any choice in it, some people don't have the stomach for anything but their own self actualization. I love that it's so much a show about Peggy and that I have been able to feel like even though Peggy loves Don she is seeing his surface and then making her own guesses at how a person gets to that status. It's like she's filling in the blanks of Don with guesses at how to be that are totally better than what he thought up.

There was a great transition shot in "The Mountain King" that moved from Don in California in Anna's house to Peggy in her new office in Manhattan. (This may have been discussed already here somewhere on the blog, but I haven't come across it.)

I'm pretty sure it was the end of the scene where Anna was reading Don/Dick's fortune from the Taro cards and he muses that he can smell the ocean from her house. As he says that, we see his POV and he is looking out the window behind Anna on the sofa and there are security bars on the window, but there's sunlight behind them.

Cut to Peggy in her new office and it's her POV looking out the window. The way that the shot is constructed, the reflection of the building across the street looks like bars on the window — and it's dark (and it might be raining — not sure about that).

It was a great shot. And highlighting the moment when Don/Dick contemplates getting out of his cage … and a moment when Peggy is contemplating the one she is in….

And, I think you're right — Peggy rejects The Draper Doctrine in "Meditations". She is amazingly mature and insightful for a person her age. I know I sure wasn't at that age!

Matt pretty much said that to me at the party. I haven't yet.

It's on tomorrow night, same bat time. But I'll try to re-watch before that.