Oct 052009
- Pete running into Joan: Really well-written. Exactly the right note of awkwardness. Asking her “how are you” twice. Joan handling it smoothly, because she handles everything smoothly, and a complete absence of overly-scripted explanation (no telling us who “Moneypenny” is, no saying, “I haven’t seen you since you left the office that day”).
- Francine telling Betty that she and Carlton went to Lake George after their daughter was born: Not well-written. Dude, Betty was living down the block at the time. They see each other often. Betty probably helped her plan that trip. It was empty exposition.
54 Responses to “Well-written/Not so well-written”
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Regarding Francine's exposition: I thought so, too. All she had to say was, "Remember the time Carlton and I went to Lake George?"
I actually thought that line was meant to emphasize the fact that it was acceptable for married couples to travel together right after a baby has been born ("and our two-month old isn't an issue." Well, apparently not!) but after that, they can't expect to get much time together.
I also saw Francine emphasizing the fact that any trip Betty can take, she can take too. The fact that Betty remembers shows how desperate Francine is to keep herself on equal footing, whatever her version of that may be.
time alone together, that is.
i disagree. that comment is what shatters Betty's idyll. right then she realized that she has nothing to look forward to but the hope that she might get away for a quickie again one day. She realized that the trip to Rome was just like Francine's trip to Lake George; an empty, meaningless, and ultimately futile escape from the life that's become nothing more than being the mother of Don's children, all of them her jailers.
i'm such a slow typist.
let me point out that i respectfully disagreed with Ms Lipp, but however, fully agree with Sarah M
DragonBreath, I think I see what you're seeing. I think Francine was telling the story of her and Carlton's trip to Lake George because she enjoys telling it, and Betty understands well enough to indulge her, not confront her or remind her that she knew about that one already. It's part of what's on Betty's mind when she says she'll have something to look at when she tells the story of when they went to Rome. That ending just broke my heart. I've never felt so sympathetic toward Betty, or so hopeless about the future for that marriage.
I thought the point of Francine's story was that it didn't comport with what Betty remembers about the state of the Hansons' marriage around the time when their daughter was born. What Betty probably remembers most about that period is that it's exactly when Francine discovered that Carlton was cheating on her. And yet now when Francine thinks back on that time she just remembers this insignificant romantic getaway, and not the immense trauma of having been betrayed by her husband.
That's probably one of the reasons why Betty sours on the Rome trip at the end of the episode. She doesn't want to look like the fool she thinks Francine is, letting a story about two days of happiness overshadow all the problems in her marriage.
I think that *if* Betty is seeing the trip as a short escape from their problems, then that's too bad. Don really seems to be trying to do better, and is focusing on her a lot more and trying to figure out how make her happy.
She has branched out a bit on her own, and I can understand her reluctance to go back to the reservoir project, to avoid temptation, she is aware there are other ways to fill her day and spend her time beyond just being the mother to Don's children.
I used to feel a great deal of empathy for Betty. Not so much anymore.
I'm not disagreeing with anyone here about the meaning of that snippet of conversation. I'm just saying what 25frames was saying; it was structured poorly. Francine didn't need to tell Betty that she and Carlton went on that trip, because Betty already knew. It was stilted dialogue.
I agree that the meaning of the discussion was important. And actually, you all helped me understand that meaning.
A couple of other things I wondered about this episode. I wonder if Trudy's rather mild reaction to Pete cheating on her has anything to do with her infertility. Maybe she feels she's "not a real woman", or at least, not a "whole" woman, and that Pete isn't as attracted to her, or that he isn't to be blamed for what he did.
Also, anybody else think Betty was thinking of her kiss with Henry when she was talking to Sally about first kisses?
I agree with Deborah and 25frames — I thought there was something "off" about Francine's comment — Betty surely would have known about the Hansons' trip to Lake George — but I couldn't quite put my finger on it, so thanks for noting this.
I thought Francine's comment was also interesting insofar as it highlights a subtle distinction between her and Betty — the Drapers are more affluent than the Hansons. All Francine gets is a trip to upstate NY (although a lovely place) and Betty gets Rome. Francine can dream about "sunny Madrid" but I don't think it's going to happen for her.
Betty's comment "you don't kiss boys, boys kiss you," reminded me of my mom's advice: "You don't call boys. Boys call you. Don't be one of those girls." ( I swear.)
Absolutely. “You’ll have a lot of first kisses” wasn’t as innocent as she made it sound.
That conversation also started me thinking further Betty’s engagement in that kiss — she didn’t seem very passionate or eager to me. Was she trying to mantain some level of restraint (“You don’t kiss boys, boys kiss you”)? Or is it that ultimately Betty’s attracted to Henry for purely emotional-attentiveness reasons, and she’s not sure if she wants to kiss him back?
Deborah,
maybe i’m stretching here, but it could be that Francine is practicing some revisionism in her personal history. my brother-in-law is continually re-inventing aspects of his life of which his sister and i are painfuly aware, but he knows we’re too polite to correct him.
# 22 – "Talk of London excited her, and the trip to Rome gave her a peek at a more Jet-Set life. But her reality is that she is just a married housewife from Ossining with 3 kids and boring friends."
In the lobby of the Hilton Hotel in Rome, right after the man lights Betty's cigarette, we see a dark haired woman walking past her. For a quick moment, I thought of Joy (from the "Jet Set" episode) and thought that maybe it was her – which would've made the trip to Rome quite interesting for the Drapers.
This episode provided a bit of a breather, after the blood & gore of the "John Deere" incident, and then the "love ick" interlude with Peggy & Duck!
But it's the "calm before the storm". Even after the brief escape to Rome, Betty returns to her angst-soaked life in the 'burbs and judging from the preview clips, Sterling Cooper remains a cauldron of intrigue and change, for Don.
The upcoming final five episodes of Season Three are gonna be good!
Did Betty roll her eyes at the fainting couch? I can’t remember now when that happened in the ep. Thoughts on meaning? I thought it meant she was rolling her eyes at herself for indulging in a Henry F fantasy, very dull compared to Rome. Or maybe she just sees that it doesn’t work with the decor.
I think of the first kiss mother-daughter interaction as passing romantic nonsense on from one generation to the next. What a crippling bummer to be taught all kisses are just shadows of the first (but clever reminder to one of the themes of the last ep).
Thanks for the explanation about the Francine interaction – I must have missed the affair reveal in an earlier ep. Some have theorized that it was Miss Farrell.
I have hopes for Betty that she now has come clean about her feelings for her life in the ‘burbs. But not very high hopes…
@#23 Dude. Spot on.
God, I've missed Joan. A single arched eyebrow says so much.
Hopefully this will lead to Pete repaying the favor and getting Joan back to SC. Don't care how it's done, willingly or not.
@patroadtrip…. Did Betty roll her eyes at the fainting couch?
Here’s my take… In 723, Betty put the Wentworth there in a vain attempt to fill what her decorator had identified as the “soul” of their home (in Betty’s case, it’s empty).
As she advises Sally about boys, Betty also seems to be reflecting to herself on the Draper’s now empty relationship (which the Henry F episode served to highlight for her).
MW has said often that Betty is meant to represent all those bored, disaffected housewives who saw themselves in Ms. Friedan’s “Feminine Mystique,” so her reluctance to embrace Don and their marriage after the trip to Rome is understandable. What I found interesting is that her boredom and dissatisfaction are no longer solely associated with Don’s infidelity. Whether she believes Don is cheating or not, her sense of entrapment in that house and in their lives looms larger than just Don and his moods.
Clearly she continues to be attracted to Don – their tryst in the hotel room, both evening and morning (apparently Betty loves the morning too, or at least would rather screw Don in the shower than eat anything) proved that. Don is clearly trying harder in their marriage, and she has to notice that – she certainly seems to be responding to it, not only in the trip to Rome but also when Don brought up the prospect of moving to London. I think the reservoir project stimulated her interest in life outside the house, although her response to Francine shows she’s not too invested in it. I think what she is discovering is that the Bryn Mawr education, the time in Rome, her grooming as the perfect wife all could be put to much greater use than she is currently doing.
So I did not see the scene with Francine as poorly written – rather it showed Francine and her limitations as a friend, and thus the limitations of Betty’s whole life.
I’d also like to say that I agree with CPT and others about how hard Don is now trying in his marriage. The problem is, it’s too late. She doesn’t want what she used to want — she wants to tap into HER full potential — which means it’s not Don’s behavior that’s the problem anymore, it’s her lack of freedom and opportunity.
But at the same time, I’m sad for Don, who has every reason to be confused about why this isn’t working. He’s doing everything she wanted him to do BEFORE. He was so excited about his gift. My heart broke for both of them.
"This never happened" – hmm, Pete never knew Gertrude spilled the wine, Joan never helped Pete exchanged the dress, Peggy never gave up her baby and Don was never Mr. Whitman. There's a lot of things that just don't happen in the wonderful world of MM, aren't there?
I also want a bit of credit for calling, back in the thread on whether Joan was done at SC, that she would use the excuse of "helping out" and that Greg would conveniently find a way to change specialties to cover their need for her income. Of course, I thought that would occur at SC, not Bonwit's, but still…
What I wonder is, does Pete have any idea of what Joan is hiding? I would say no – he is not nearly as observant as the utterly perfect Joan.
Slightly off topic, but I thought it was fun to see the character of Marilyn Farrelly (played by Jeanne Simpson) in the last two episodes, since we haven’t seen her since “Marriage of Figaro” in season 1. That’s one of the things I love about this show…they like to let people walk in and out of the story in a way that feels very true to life.
Pete Campbell is the "anti-Don Draper".
When he told the au pair "this never happened," I half expected to hear him add: "It will shock you how much it never happened."
I miss Christina Hendricks when she's not on the show. I have a definite… what do you call it when a gay man is crushing on a woman?
Agreeing with The Dude: I like the Russian dolls aspect to her acting. She is showing someone showing a facade.
And I am liking January Jones's acting a lot better this season. She sure stepped up to the plate with that Italian dialogue. Acting as baseball? Whatevs.
fuzzy: agree, agree, agree!
Except that in the first instance, what I feel for Christina is easier to define. It's a girl crush. Absolutely.
@ #7 Dev F – I’m not sure Francine’s marrige is back on an even keel. Did I hear her say last night to Carla as she dropped off her kids that the divorce lawyer needed to meet with her? That would put a different mood on Francine’s reminiscence as well – back when it was the good times.
Francine seems to come out with the suggestive comments when Don’s around too – in front of Betty, but nonetheless suggestive. Last night she said something like “from what I hear, you both need some rest”. Didn’t she ask Don if he needed any help in the shower (back in S1) when he came in from building Sally’s playhouse?
Whoa! Absolutely not. She said the board had called an emergency meeting and were trying to reneg on the reservoir thing.
This is off the subject of writing, but I'm not sure if being manager of the Republic of Dresses is a step down from being the office manager at an ad agency, really.
Bonwit's was a beautiful store, and Joan is going to have contact with many wealthy women and their wealthy husbands and boyfriends. Back in this era, the stores only put a fraction of their merchandise on display, and most of it was kept in the back to be brought out in private dressing rooms. Joan can turn this job into a lot of power and influence if she handles it right.
Yes, Joan was frustrated and probably embarrassed that someone from Sterling Cooper saw her before she had a chance to manage her own news. But it could have been worse: what if she was waiting on JANE?
I agree, Brenda. In fact, I think it's a little unrealistic for an office manager to step in as a department manager at a store like Bonwit's. I mean, WE all know how terrific she is, but I think in that day and age she'd be starting at the bottom again, or close to it.
I got the same impression Helen did — the point of the Francine story was that she got to drive up to Lake George, whoop whoop, while Betty has now moved up to ROME. Remember, air travel was rare and expensive then; those tickets probably cost the equivalent of $6-7,000 today, even in coach; and while Don's was paid for by the account Betty's probably wasn't. And they also hung out with a guy who was recently on the cover of Time. Betty's moved on from Francine economically and personally; "I hate our friends", she says.
The exchange in the Draper kitchen hammers home Betty’s perception of her own life, and her growing disappointment.
She pulls off the miracle of the reservoir, and gets some “strange” smoochin from Mr. Belly Rubber.
She’s so excited when she gets home, she actually does the twist?
When have we ever seen her this excited?
Riding that wave, she can’t sleep and wants to get away and celebrate with Don in Rome.
As soon as they arrive, she owns the city.
She is a younger, blonde version of Jackie Kennedy in her bright yellow Halston.
And in Rome, whenever she wants a smoke, a handsome stranger lights it for her.
First the bellhop in the lobby (shades of the “service” Sal gets in Baltimore), then later by the Italian Bo-Hunks on the piazza.
In Rome, she’s young and attractive (Don is old and ugly), she speaks the language and has her man all to herself.
But as soon as they return, she’s literally met at the door by her problems.
Carla hands her the baby, tells her about Sally’s temper, and her reality floods back in.
Enter Francine, who tries to “keep up” by comparing her trip upstate to their trip to Rome.
And when she grabs a cigarette, there is only her husband to light it.
Talk of London excited her, and the trip to Rome gave her a peek at a more Jet-Set life.
But her reality is that she is just a married housewife from Ossining with 3 kids and boring friends.
Sucks to be you Betty Draper.
#31, was it really that expensive to fly to Italy? I believe Frommer's "Europe on $5 a Day" recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, so by the late 1950s average consumers were getting over there somehow. Possibly on no-frills freighters, who knows, but $6,000 sounds steep.
I do think Francine's timing was bad and she does seem to have rewritten her marital history quite a bit.
I've been looking for fare information in this time period. I found one fare for $700 for New York to Germany, and London-NY for GBP600. I saw another one for less, $500. Remember also that Don bought Betty's ticket at the airport, right before the flight; I don't know if those were as significantly more expensive then as they are now. I also don't know if they flew first class or not, but looking at Don's legs I'm thinking they might have. A walk-up first class ticket today would cost you $8,000.
A good rule of thumb is "ten times" — the actual CPI increase is less but people are so much more wealthy now. Remember that people in the show were earning $75 a week, in New York. Frommer's $5 didn't include airfare, just food and hotel.
Ive watched the scene between Peter and Joan in Bonwit Teller several times now, and I agree its some of the best writing and (of course) delicately acted scenes of the whole series. To wit:
** After Peter hears, ‘May I help you?’ He nods his head and says, “YES.”, prepared to be all stern and dismissive, beginning to speak before even making eye contact with whomever spoke to him. Speaks to his sense of entitlement.
** When Peter spins around and says, “Joan! Is that you?” Joan is staring at Peters lapel. Its obvious she wishes now to be somewhere else, but then in the next three seconds, she takes a breath and swallows. Its enough pause for us to believe that she is thinking about simply walking away. Power, shock, bit of shame, and then a return to Joan’s acting skill “Yes. Yes it is.” In that exchange is all we need to know about Joans opinion of Peter, Bonwit Teller and everything else.
** Joan’s hair is shorter, with a new style. Her eye makeup is significantly darker, and lipstick darker. Her usual flawless presentation has been altered just enough for Bonwit Teller, and yet we can see that she has not changed at all. She’s efficient, trustworthy and on top. Only now, she has ‘stepped down’ to Bonwit Teller.
** “I’m just filling in, they just needed some extra help.” Translation: I don’t REALLY work here, I’ve just volunteered my always wonderful self to help this lil store. It’s temporary.
** “I don’t mean to be a bother.” Yes, you do, Peter, and you plan on bothering someone until you get your free dress that you leverage into not-too-willing sex.
**”Trudy spilled wine on it…” When Peter says this, the shot cuts to Joan, who immediately looks at the dress and her face says what we all know: Bulllshit, its Trudy’s dress… Again, no words, but an entire motivation for her set out for us to see. And of course Peter doesnt see her reaction at all.
**”It’s not small, I don’t really see Trudy as a 10…” ZANG! The true intelligence of Joan is shown. She gives Peter the needle (‘Its your mistress’ dress…’) and of course he doesn’t even hear it or otherwise get it. He’s too busy trying to charm her/lie. More detail and backstory in one clause of a sentence.
** “I’m willing to pay for it, of course…” “It’s all taken care of.” Translation: No, Peter, when buying your mistress something, you do not create a new receipt or spend money where it could be found. I’ll show you how to be correctly duplicitous.
**”Never been better.” Said with a frozen face. Said 100 times this week. Couldn’t be farther from the truth.
** “Of course, this never happened…” As has been mentioned elsewhere, as she finishes her sentence, her head stops and those gorgeous eyes dig deep and as if there were Italian subtitles, the eyes say, “This is how its done. I keep secrets, and you keep secrets. I cover for you, and you know that I have something on you that may or may not be interesting to a third party. I have an extremely large amount of power in this situation.” Peter of course, thinks his charm got him the free dress.
And then after Peter leaves, another hard swallow and a peek behind her well-worn mask.
(Also, please to be noticing that the Hermes counter is in the background. Nice call-back. Peter didn’t even look for a scarf for Peggy!)
Great analysis, Dude. One small quibble:
The line is "It must run small…" She's already giving him a way out.
# 30 brenda said "….. but I’m not sure if being manager of the Republic of Dresses is a step down from being the office manager at an ad agency, really.
"Bonwit’s was a beautiful store, and Joan is going to have contact with many wealthy women and their wealthy husbands and boyfriends. Back in this era, the stores only put a fraction of their merchandise on display, and most of it was kept in the back to be brought out in private dressing rooms. Joan can turn this job into a lot of power and influence if she handles it right."
_______
Well said. I apologize in advance if I keep referencing 'back when I used to work for Neiman Marcus' — but there are constant reminders for me in MM.
Joan could potentially make a helluva lot of money at Bonwits. Those of us who worked in the office part of Neiman's used to refer to the ground floor (jewelry, shoes, handbags) & the couture department saleswomen as *The Duchesses*.
They were Grand Dames, and each ruled their own area with an iron hand and their little black client books. These ladies knew exactly, in every detail, what each society matron and daughter needed for each season and would call them for pre-showings — in glamorous fitting rooms with wine or champagne. I'm not exaggerating one bit.
This was a solid career for them and office rumor had it that several of them took home bigger bonuses than the executives – in part because the brands they 'pushed' would provide samples-cough-freebies for them.
I could see Joan as a Republic of Dresses Duchess, for sure. (but hope to see her back at SC, as we all do)
Sally, I think class and social standing matter to Joan. A retail Duchess is still a servant to the people whom she calls and has showings for, and Joan wants to be the one called, not the one calling.
Based on the disscusion of airplane tickets, I thought posting a link to the inflation calculator would be useful. I'm not very tech savy for someone who's used a computer on a regular basis for years, so if it doesn't work, there's always copy and paste.
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Deborah — right you are!
At the same time, Joanie…erm…made her bed. If this amazing force of nature we know as Joan wants to be 'the one called', she's going to have to drop-kick that dead-end of a husband she chose.
Do you agree or will Matt surprise us by having Dr. Greg turn out to be a brilliant psychiatrist?
I just don't see any hope of her social status improving – she's cornered right now. Crossing fingers the writers give us a scene of foot-chopping proportions when it comes to Joan's liberation. (whatever form that takes)
When I worked in retail in hs and college, the Duchesses were in Cosmetics. They actually did not work for the store, but for the line. They got a 25% cut of everything they sold. The line every one wanted was Erno Lazlo because it had very loyal customers and the line was so pricey.
Joan will be rescued but it isn't a completely bad fate..
Yes, the slip about Lake George was executed in a klunky way.
But, it was meant to emphasize, in my opinion, what Betty exclaims at the end of the episode: she hates her (small) town and her (small-town) friends. While Betty goes to Italy (and speaks almost fluent Italian), all Francine can hope for is a "romantic getaway"…in New York…at Lake George. It seemed kind of absurd for Francine to make this comparison between Betty's exotic, couples-only trip and her own (and even more so because Francine doesn't even realize how absurd it is).
As a side note, I thought this "I'm a wordly woman trapped in a suburban nightmare" shtick was a direct lift from (nod to?) Revolutionary Road — and April, the housewife who longs to move to France, specifically. Don't know how I feel about this!!
Well, I do know how I feel about finding this website: deeply satisfied. You're all so thoughtful about an amazing, thoughtful "show" (so much more than that, as was The Sopranos). It resonates with me deeply and you all help me to understand why. What a treat to have something so beautifully written and acted (and art directed) on television. Amen.
MW has also said Betty is not a symbol. She is a person.
I loved the scene with Francine. Francine is bragging– not having been anywhere recently but also capable of a romance injection with her dull hubby.. That's not clunky exposition, that's character.
Still on the subject of Joan… I think a lot of her embarrassment about working at Bonwits arises out of how much she's spoken over the years and especially since getting engaged to Greg about marrying a Doctor and quitting when his residency was over. I think she fears having to eat her words.
I hope she re-joins Sterling Cooper, but as something with more room for growth than an office manager position.
"Well written / Not so well written" … I agree. I will go a step further and say that although I think the writing in this series is top notch, it isn't quite as tight as it was the first season. I attribute that the fact that they have more to churn out in less time. In Season 1 it felt like there was one writing team, this season it feels like each episode is written by different teams. I know that's the case, but I wish it didn't feel that way. I'd like a more cohesive feeling, myself. Still, it's a five star series, all the way.
About Hermes:
Hermes (pronounced /ˈhÉœrmiËz/; Greek á¼™Ïμῆς) is the Messenger of the gods in Greek mythology as well as a guide to the Underworld for lost souls. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of thieves and road travelers, of orators and wit, of literature and poets, of athletics, of weights and measures, of invention, of general commerce, and of the cunning of thieves and liars.[1] His symbols include the tortoise, the cock, the winged sandals, and the caduceus. The analogous Roman deity is Mercury.
So I believe that the Hermès sign was dense and allusive, signifying not only the previous episode, but everything above (from Wiki). Hermes is the god at the crossroads (as is Betty) & a god of interpretation (a meta shout to hermeneutics, screaming to viewers to read the signs and symbols of this scene & Mad Men more generally).
And finally, I was just reading Slate where a writer said that Mad Men is a series about lying. People lie to the consumer, to each other and to themselves–again, Hermes is the God of liars.
re: The cost of airline tickets. At the time the Drapers went to Rome, air travel was highly regulated, with airlines all basically charging the same amount for any flight, and with no pre-payment discounts. You bought a ticket and could get on any flight you wanted, and even return your ticket for cash up to the point the flight left. So it would have cost Don no more to buy Betty's ticket at the last minute than if he'd bought it weeks before. He also might have been able to cash in a first-class fare for two coach, but given the amount of $$ SC threw at him with the contract, not to mention the cool half-million he got from the sale of SC, there is no need to economize for the Drapers.
As to the cost of the fare, I have to admit I am a huge fan of disaster movies, including the original Airport, which is focused on a flight from Chicago to Italy. One of the passengers – an obnoxious ass, as it turns out – mentions he spent either $454 or $474 for his coach ticket. A lot in those days, but remember Don just got $5,000, so he might have dropped about 20% of that for Betty's ticket, assuming they flew First.
CPT_Doom: I love that movie, too. And you're right, the flight was "The Golden Argosy" on TransGlobal Airlines from the Chicago area to Rome. I believe the movie was released in 1970, so presumably airfare in 1963 was somewhat less expensive than in 1970. I am surmising the Drapers flew first class. I don't see Don and Betty crammed in the last row of coach, even though air travel was probably alot nicer then than it is now. Don doesn't seem to be afraid to open his wallet if it will keep Betty happy.
I'm not sure that we should assume that Francine and Betty have known each other so long that Betty would have known about Francine and Carlton's trip to Lake George.
I don't think that Betty Draper has had or will have many long-term girlfriends. She didn't know what had become of Juanita. We've never heard about her chatting with any old sorority sisters. She happily sabotaged the relationship with what's-her-face from the stables… Francine may be one more "Hey Don, how about some company in the shower" crack away from being left on the stoop the next time she's ringing Betty's bell in her bathrobe.
Ruthie, Francine said she & Carlton went to Lake George after their daughter (Jessica, I think) was born. We saw Betty and Francine's friendship carried on during and after that pregnancy. We saw Betty sitting with Francine in the new baby's room together. Francine went to Betty when she caught Carlton cheating, which was right after that baby was born. The trip to Lake George must have been shortly thereafter.
Deborah, you're totally right– I was thinking that Francine was referring to a trip after her older child's birth, not the recent baby.
Is anyone else wondering if mentioning "psychiatry" was just quick thinking – on her mind because Greg is now _seeing_ a psychiatrist? Pure speculation – but it did sound off-the-cuff to me, especially from Joan. But wouldn't you assume Joan would be prepared with an iron-clad cover story from day one….
"Never been better." Oh, I weep for Joan!
I think he's heading into psychiatry because it was probably a growing field back then, and we all know he can't cut it as a surgeon.
I don't want to believe that Pete raped that girl. He's the guy I love to hate, and while I do occasionally see signs of growth and superficial decency in Pete, he's still a cad. But a rapist?
She appeared to be somewhat responding to him, so, until proven otherwise, I'm going to say she was intimidated into "thanking" him for the dress with sex, or at least a heavy petting session that she managed to end, but with difficulty.
*dons rose-colored glasses by Foster Grant*