First of all – WOOHOO!! Season 4 is here … not a moment too soon.
I really got the feeling, upon multiple viewings, that stylistically, Public Relations continues right where Shut the Door left off. All the immediate anticipation from last season was addressed and satisfied – not 100%, but far more than superficially. At the same time, it’s very much a series pilot in tone and feel.
I’m not always a fan of season premiers – they have a lot to accomplish and usually the best you can hope for is to help set up the season, even at the expense of anything really happening. Public Relations has a little of that, but lots more to chew on.
Okay, let’s masticate.
AD AGE INTERVIEW
Love the close-up on the short-hand notes. Shows the interviewer is a professional.
“We were taught that it’s not polite to talk about yourself.” Even in an interview? For an article about … you?
I like that we immediately get to the issue of Don’s ability to evaluate and interpret himself – or lack thereof. He’s gone through intense changes, personally and professionally, and had to redefine himself on every level. For a guy who’s made a life using another man’s identity, this should be second nature. The experienced con-man would embrace responding to that question.
It’s like the doctor’s office scene at the beginning of FTWTY. He’s being asked all these personal questions and he’d rather just parry and get away unscathed. Except the doctor doesn’t publish his report.
“We’re grateful for your sacrifice.” Pete knows what to say, even as he’s the only one to be in a position to know Don’s discomfort.
“I’d love to bend your ear when I finish my book. I’m calling it either Sterling on Sterling or Sterling on Holloway.”
JANTZEN MEETING
“We’re very, very excited you had time to meet with us Don.” Ad Age, now Jantzen … two hints Don is the horse upon which this entire firm has hitched its saddle.
“I’ve spent some time with the catalog, and I would say … no concerns at all.” Am I the only one who thought of Roger and the paddle-ball toy when he said this?
SCDP OFFICES
“How’d it go?” asked the freelance artist. Do you think a freelance artist ever asked Bert Cooper that question in 40 years at S-C?
PEGGY’S OFFICE
“John”
“Marsha”
This didn’t sound funny when I read it in a preview, and it’s not really funny here.
I think anytime they mention ham on the show, they’re making a play off Hamm.
DON’S OFFICE
Ben Michaelson – the unseen attorney.
PEGGY’S OFFICE
“It’s a PR stunt.”
“We don’t do that.”
“Why not?”
They’re both right. Their business is helping client make ad campaigns, not publicity campaigns. But Peggy’s observation that it could lead to increased advertising is the nucleus of integrated marketing.
DON’S OFFICE
“Butter squirts everywhere.” No comment to share – I just wanted to type it.
DON’S APARTMENT
Wonder how much of this was the furnishings that were there when he moved in, and how much he’s saved. It’s lit extra dark – not much good happens here, I reckon.
Don’s relationship with Celia is just one notch down from what it was with Carla.
Don shining his shoes is a little like watching those scenes with Joan or Peggy where we see them preparing for (or recovering from) their day … the make-up, the undergarments, soreness from bra strap, etc.
The Glo-Coat ad is really good. Interesting Don equates childhood with feelings of imprisonment.
This is the Saturday Evening Post that Don has on his coffee table … Rockwell was no longer their illustrator as of December 1963.
LATER IN DON’S APARTMENT
TV’s on while he’s away … Don’s a lonely guy. First real reference to sports I can remember in MM.
“I check my look in the mirror. And I ain’t got nothin’ to say …”
No grease in the hair anymore.
JIMMY’S LA GRANGE
Bethany is charming and intelligent. And played very well by Anna Camp. Basketcast Linus thinks she is a stand-in for Betty. Interesting thought – especially considering the borrowed dress. Is this how it was when Don and Betty first started? She’s an actress, to Betty’s being a model – both taken with the trappings of show business.
I don’t know. But as we’ll see later, Bethany is not the marlin that Betty was – waiting to be reeled in by the best looking fisherman. She does resemble Betts at some moments, though, you must agree.
TAXI
Check out Don’s eye roll and sigh before he tells the driver his address. Pure exasperation. As Michael Douglas lamented in The American President, “This used to be easier.”
COFFEE SHOP
Peggy and Pete really are great co-workers. The hair pull was very funny and looked real.
JOAN’S OFFICE
“It wasn’t a vacation.” The show is great with the sight-gags. The depths of Joan’s need for a vacation shall be plumbed further … mark my word.
“I had a lot of tsuris from Lucy and Desi.” Bringing our Mad Men Yiddish usage count up to two (2), including Duck’s invitation for a nosh last season. You can say three if you include Rachel’s use of shtetl in Season 1, but that was an actual reference to the village, and not an expression, so I’m going to rule against.
“I won’t even tell people after it’s aired.” Sharp one.
ROGER’S OFFICE
Our first glimpse of Layne – he’s cool to Don. One gets the idea he knows which way the wind blows and will play politics at the highest level now that he’s a partner. He learned from the best at PPL, methinks.
Roger lets him have it, deservedly. Matt mentions on the online extras that everyone’s relationship with Don has changed, necessarily, with the establishment of the new firm. This is a great example. And Peggy’s exchange with him later is another.
“I don’t know what I could have done differently.” Song of the man who’s fucked up royally.
PETE’S OFFICE
This is great acting by Vinny … you get the sense that he’s reveling in this story to Peggy and Joe. It’s lighter, and yet also more urgent than any business conversation they had back at S-C.
CONFERENCE ROOM
Harry is drawn as buffoonish at times (see: sunburn) but he’s really good at his job. His reaction to being fired by Ho-Ho is 100% appropriate.
Daddy #2 Bert tells him he failed.
HENRY’S THANKSGIVING
Henry’s mommy runs a tight ship.
Get the feeling Moms take a bad rap on Mad Men …
Betty has the Midas touch too.
DON’S OFFICE
Alright, do we need to list all the instances, implicit and explicit, of prostitution mentioned on Mad Men? No wait, I’ll turn it into a super-mega-post at some point down the line.
So the whore-child sees a whore. Regularly. Who hits him. Perhaps the only thing larger than Don’s Daddy-issues are his Mommy-issues. Any chance her name is Connie too?
She’s sweating … seksi.
BETTY/HENRY’S BEDROOM
With the new bed, I almost didn’t recognize the room.
“Don’t expect any sympathy when he hears my side of the story.” Betty still competes with Sally. Seriously, what a childish thing to say.
Oh, Betty … don’t you know the time-honored truth? … Nobody gets laid on Thanksgiving. It’s because all the coats are on the bed.
Don being the exception, natch.
BETTY’S HOUSE
Bobby’s had a growth spurt.
“Garage door. No, not that garage door, Henry!!”
DON’S APARTMENT
Bunk beds for the kids – he’s fun Daddy.
Keeping the light on so there’s no more problems. Someone mentioned a bed-wetting problem. Is the light indicating it was because Bobby couldn’t find the bathroom in time? If so, perhaps a reference to the fact that it was not thought of as a psychological issue back then? I’ve heard also it’s hereditary.
Nice smile and good-night from Sally. Bet Betty never gets that.
BETTY’S HOUSE
Great scene – especially the ‘temporary’ jab.
Also great because it show’s Henry’s place in all this … of course he wants to move out. It’s not his house!
But he’s also trying to be practical with her, and she’s not having it.
“I know you don’t want to hear this … but he’s right.”
“Haven’t the kids been through enough change already?” Which isn’t a response to his comment, and doesn’t address the fact she agreed to move. She’s more interested in the fight. “He doesn’t decide.”
DON’S OFFICE
“No one knows about the ham stunt, so our image … remains pretty much where you left it.”
More evidence of everyone’s shifting relationship with Don. On NPR Matt called it a “compacted hierarchy” – everyone’s a little closer to one another, and fewer punches are pulled because everyone feels they have some skin in the game.
FRANCIS’ MOM’S HOUSE
Love that he’s taking the leaves out of the table. Very post-Thanksgiving.
SCDP OFFICES
Don kicks Jantzen out – this works on a couple of interesting levels …
a) He’s really kicking Betty and Henry out;
b) He immediately wants to call the writer at the Journal … meaning he’s ready to define what he wants the agency to be. He’s spent the last few weeks haggling about their image and what his job is, allowing others to paint the picture. As we know, so much of the series is about “what happens if I don’t have all this? What if it goes away?” Six Month Leave was explicit. Well for Don (and Roger too) it all did go away. The firm, the families. Then you’re left being asked, probably by a stranger, “who are you?” and you need to give an answer. Give one, or one will be given to you.
A few words about Tobacco Road, the kick-ass song that ends Public Relations. It’s a song that has been covered a thousand times, by everyone from Jefferson Airplane to David Lee Roth. This version is by Nashville Teens, who had a modest hit with it in mid-1964, so it is indeed perfectly period, and a great example of very early British Invasion rock. Sounds a little like Tommy James as well.
But the lyrics are spectacular, considering our story. I did this also with Shahdaroba after my Shut the Door post, but I don’t usually print the lyrics. But whoever’s recommending the songs to clear for the closing credits is knocking it out of the park. Great work, boys.
TOBACCO ROAD
I was born in a trunk.
Mama died and my daddy got drunk.
Left me here to die alone
in the middle of Tobacco Road.
Growin’ up rusty shack,
all I had was hangin’ on my back.
Only you know how I loathe
this place called Tobacco Road.
But it’s home, the only life I ever known.
Only you know how I loathe Tobacco Road.
Gonna leave, get a job
with the help and the grace from above.
Save some money, get rich and old,
bring it back to Tobacco Road.
But it’s home, the only life I ever known.
Only you know how I loathe Tobacco Road.
Bring that dynamite and a crane,
blow it up, start all over again.
Build a town, be proud to show.
Gives the name Tobacco Road.
99 Responses to “Not-So-Live Blogging “Public Relations””
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Burt #1 – Ben Michaelson was mentioned in the scene with the accountant. He's also been referenced several times in the past, particularly in "Seven Twenty-Three," as Don's attorney. Kind of like Burt Peterson was prior to "Out of Town".
@#1 Frank mentioned that Ben Michaelson could write up some type of agreement in regards to Don selling the house.
Re Bobby, I didn't think bedwetting at all, but that might be because I don't have kids. I just thought Bobby might be uncomfortable sleeping in a new place.
I want to know what happened over the last year to make Betty so angry again, at the of season 3 her & Don seemed like they were going to play nice. Also, she had no right to say "He doesn't decide" if she had already agreed to move out.
I know it wasn't deliberate, but the mention of "tobacco" (Lucky Strike) and "crane" in the song strike me as amusingly ironic.
I'm curious about the bedwetting (if that's the problem) because friend of mine who grew up in that period sometimes talk about how angry their parents got when they wet the bed. That they didn't seem to understand that the child truly couldn't help it. Even now, a disproportionate amount of child physical assault cases come from parents punishing children from wetting the bed. Maybe that one line from Don is all we'll ever hear about the issue, or maybe we'll find out it's an ongoing problem for little Bobby. If so, I'll be interested to see his parents' reactions.
First real reference to sports I can remember in MM.
Kenny went to a Mets game once. And I gues jai alai doesn't count.
I have no idea if it's about wetting the bed – I attributed it to maybe being scared of Daddy's new apartment or something. But it came up as a possible reason in one of the threads so I thought I'd play it out.
Taiga #6 – love the tobacco/crane observation – never occurred to me.
I'm also curious about the intensity of Betty's anger – for now, I'm not seeing it as any longing for Don. But I think the details of the divorce, and probably the disappointment that things aren't magically solved with Henry are eating at her.
At the end of the day, she's never struck me as someone who was going to take ultimate responsibility for herself – it will always be Don's fault, or her mom's, or someone she can blame.
Henry's mom's opinions will sink in as well – "she's a silly woman" – I'm not seeing a lot of Kodak moments in that house.
Man, I wish we could fix out f*ckups!
Make that OUR f*ckups!
Finally watched Mad Men on iTunes and finally back posting. The "work" part was mostly introducing viewers to the new dynamic of SCDP, although Don is being old Don (his pitch to Jantzen is eerily similar to the Belle Jolie pitch in S1, abet with very different results/reactions). Obviously, that was a turning point and it looks like Don's career persona will become edgier, in sync with the times.
That said, I found Don's personal life situation the more interesting part of the episode. Even though all signs pointed to an amicable divorce at the end of S3, we all know reality, and thus Mad Men, does not work like that. There was also a lot of predictions (myself included) that Betty was going be disappointed again, with Henry. But I'm sensing that Henry will become disillusioned first with Betty. We have usually talked about Betty's unhappiness as a consequence of her childish behavior. But like Don, Henry's going to be frustrated with her child-like behavior and Henry was never a dirt-poor son of a prostitute. Mama Francis is right on the money.
"I like that we immediately get to the issue of Don’s ability to evaluate and interpret himself – or lack thereof. He’s gone through intense changes, personally and professionally, and had to redefine himself on every level. For a guy who’s made a life using another man’s identity, this should be second nature. The experienced con-man would embrace responding to that question."
Yep. Don the con man was all about convincing people that he was who they expected him to be; "What do you want me to say?" he always asked. But here, he asks the reporter what other creative directors say — and immediately insists that he's not going to say that. It's a big step forward for him.
But it also presents a big problem, because if you're no longer willing to slot yourself into the convenient social construct created by other people's expectations, a lot of the basic rules of human interaction no longer apply. You can't just say "I'm your boss" and expect Peggy to submit, or "I'm just the creative guy" and expect Cooper and Sterling to cut you some slack. And as Matt Weiner pointed out, you can't just say "I'm married" and turn any romantic encounter into a no-string-attached fling. When those easy roles no longer apply, you have to decide for yourself what the rules are, and run the risk that other people will disagree.
didn't Betty use the "she's a silly woman" remark about Gloria? Now it's being used on her!
JOAN'S OFFICE
Love it! By the way, the sign on the door reads "3737 Traffic." That means Joan is officially in charge of traffic (which ads are booked where and when). It builds on her script reading experience.
Admittedly re-posted because I thought nobody would be reading the East Coast live blogging thread a good 24 hrs after
Yeah, I was stunned by Pete. Mature and correct in how he handled Roger and Don. I get what Don was doing at the end, but the hypocrisy of pulling a stunt akin to what Peggy and Pete did after just having yelled at Peggy about the ham was rather special. Then again, Don’s always been a hypocrite. I expect that Pete will get slimy soon (always 1 step fwd, 2 steps back with him I feel) but I really hope this season focuses more on him, Peggy, Joan, etc – basically all the characters who got short shrift as we were forced to watch the slow disintegration of Don’s marriage. I’m intrigued at how comfortable Pete and Peggy were together (he even complimented her on the slogan!). I wouldn’t have seen that coming after that awkward glance next to Trudy at the end of last season’s final episode. I know this is never going to happen, but I kinda want Trudy to get Pete to invite Peggy to their place for dinner (maybe with her new boyfriend – who seemed kinda wimpy) for some hilariously awkward moments. I also want to see how Trudy and Pete’s marriage is progressing. It’d be nice if he actually didn’t cheat on her again.
Re: Betty – they’ve made her a bit one note it seems, but I think there’s been a double standard in criticism of her parenting skills. Frankly, I find Sally to be a bit of a brat (although I do feel sorry for her) and for a girl who seems so perceptive, she seems oddly ignorant of her father’s shortcomings. Don may SEEM like a great daddy, but remember, even when they were married he was barely around (and then he’d go off and disappear during his daughter’s bday party). He got to play “good cop” to Betty’s “bad cop.” She’s cold and generally unlikeable but I don’t think she’s an awful parent. Just a bad one, like her husband is.
Sorry, but except for the 130 or so people who follow this blog religiously, the fourth season premeir was just plain AWFUL. you really need to think about closure more than anything, cause these are definitely the last few shows….
@ Dev F I really like that point about the dangers in being a con man who forgets the importance of pretending to be someone else. Although we've seen Don slip his con mask before and sometimes he probably doesn't know where the real him (Dick Whitman) ends and Don Draper starts and vice versa.
@Sally F, I think that part of why Sally doesn't see Don's shortcomings as much yet is b/c of the time she is living in. Today Dad's try a lot more and even report asking more for flex time, paternity leave etc, though they still get the side eye according to many reports. Probably Sally has very few friends with really attentive Dads who take lots of time with their kids and though Mom's of that time might do benign neglect too it isn't as common, the Mom's are around the kids more and she probably sees more warm Mommy and child relationships so she has something to compare and rebel against b/c she can say, Suzy's Mom does X but mine doesn't, whereas in some ways Don is par for the course in what she sees. Not when she is older, and realizes that her Dad cheated on Mommy and that isn't as typical behavior (and Betty seems like the type to throw that in her face 'you think your Daddy is such a saint, well he cheated on me' during a fight) she will rebel. But as a little girl who just sees Daddies as remote creatures who are gone at work all the time, and sees Mommy kick Daddy out without the context of why (b/c she is too young to see), it is easy to see why she blames Betty.
Poor Betty, she doesn't seem to know what to do with herself. I feel sorry for her and mad at her all at the same time, same with Don but I tend to not get as angry at him (perhaps my inner-sexist at work). I still want to know what was up with her literally shoving food that Sally did not want in her mouth and then taking her off to hit her when she spit it out. That seemed pretty harsh.
@Sally2, re: Pete — I really hope we don't see him revert back to his more slimy self a la Seasons 1 and 2. I really grew to love his character in Season 3, and I couldn't stand the guy in the first two seasons. I feel like we saw him get shafted with being co-Head of Accounts, slip up a bit with the au pair, but really rebound in his relationship with Trudy. I remember watching his (and her) reaction to the Kennedy assassination, and it felt like those two characters embodied the spirit of what America was feeling. "Public Relations" really felt like a continuation of that character development.
I'm also glad I'm not the only one who sees Henry getting dissatisfied with Betty. (And @cossatot, great catch with the "silly woman" throwback!)
@#14 Thank you! I couldn't tell what it said and was sooo curious to know Joan's title. How exciting for her.
The man in Don’s office was his accountant and he is named Frank Keller.
I see Betty using the fact that she knows Don's identity, and his past, against him.
Was it just me or did Betty's behavior with Sally kill the mood for Henry in the bedroom?
Very enjoyable read coop!
Don doesn’t strike me as the type of father to really worry about something as small as bedwetting. Kids have accidents. He probably understood that Bobby was nervous about being in a new apartment, not to mention all the other changes that are going on in his life. Even if the prevailing theory at the time was that bedwetting was psychological, Don wouldn’t buy into. We know what his view of that sort of thing is from season 1.
I also thought the use of “Tobacco Road” was brilliant. It was harsh, and aggressive, and in your face about a rough background. It’s what Don wishes he could say, “Here’s who I am, here’s where I came from, and if you don’t like it, to hell with you.”
Wow, reading the lyrics to “Tobacco Road” really hammers the song home as a great capstone to the episode.
I agree with many who have pointed out Betty’s descent from being a harsh mother to almost unbearable in this first episode. I know it was a focus of Season 1 (and briefly in “The Fog”), but I wish we knew more about Betty and her mother’s relationship. Possibly as a comparison/contrast with her’s and Sally’s relationship.
I think Don's finally embracing his inner asshole, and finally deciding to show that part of his anger and brilliance to the larger ad community. A man isn't responsible for breaking up a white-shoe agency without getting that rep, and instead of shying away from it, he'll only gain control of his rep if he gets in front of it.
Yes, he'll turn down respectable business, if they're not ready to step up to his vision — that dovetails with his eye-opening Glo Coat ad. This turns a bit of jiu-jitsu on SCDP's smallness, making it exclusive to get in. Not a bad solution to the problem of an agency that *can't* compete the way it used to….
Throughout the show, there are references to a "second floor".
The SCDP employees are bemoaning the fact that the place is too small, while suggesting to prospective clients that there is more to the place than there actually is — upstairs.
In Don's pitch to the Jantzen people, he (and the artwork) say, "So well built, we can't show you the second floor".
He's talking about the swim suit, of course, but it can be taken as a reference to SCDP's nonexistent second floor. He wants to get their business, (building them up) and selling them on how capable SCDP is, yet acknowledging on some level, their real limitations. (we can't show you OUR second floor)
Also, when Don referred to the Jantzen people as "prudes," I flashed back to an earlier episode when he puts the kibosh on Betty's wearing a bikini to the pool during the Memorial Day holiday.
Wow, SmilerG, good point. Don wants every woman to show off her skin, unless she's "his."
I don't think it's that he necessarily *wants* all the women showing off their skin so much as he loathes the Jansen company's behavior. They want to make money from bikinis–sorry, "two-piece bathing suits"–but they do not want to embrace the image that such suits convey. They want to sell a sexy product but not be seen as a sexy company. They can't have it both ways and Don will not do business under those conditions. If he tries to market the suits the way the Jantzen people want, the campaign will fail and it will be Don's fault. He is not bringing that culpability upon himself.
Great post. Yiddish is part of the argot for New York business, probably more so then. I believe Rachel's sister referred to Don as a "shicker" (a drunk). This was in the "daddy would hate him" phone call. I'm sure there were other yiddishisms.
The irony of the Ad Age interview is Roger's (I think) observation that it was an opportunity to advertise the firm itself. The tension between advertising and PR is the theme and Betty's story is part of that. Betty is great at advertising (her looks) but sucks at PR (her deeds). You can't buy PR.
I am curious about the "bum leg" theme – The Brit's leg gets mangled by the tractor and then an interviewer who lost his leg? Any thoughts?
Some observations on Don vs Betty:
- Betty's table manners are familiar to most parents. You have a smart, manipulative child who is engaging in a power struggle at the dinner table. Yes, the protestations of pickiness were loud, rude and exaggerated. Sally gagging was for dramatic impact. Yes, Betty doesn't handle it well. Betty should never have had kids because she doesn't really enjoy mothering. And actually, that's OK as long as you acknowledge it, accept that you suck at it and try to get others to help you compensate for what you lack. But Betty's not a monster. She's just not a very effective parent.
- Henry clearly loves her. He's trying to make the best of a rough situation. BUT, Henry is also a mama's boy. He should have thrown mama from the train or told her to shut her pie hole. Mama symbolizes all the conventional, critical, conformist women who will not let Betty move on with her life. You know, the ones who insist she become the perfect mom even tho' she doesn't have the knack for it? Henry's mom reminds me a lot of the Betty haters on this board and she's now personified, in our faces. She's not a nice woman.
- Sally is manipulating both parents. She visibly wipes Don's kiss away with dramatic effect. But what's different is that it doesn't get a rise out of Don like the same kinds of behavior get under Betty's skin. Betty wants Sally to move on emotionally while also forcing Sally to live in the same house, which makes it hard for Sally to move on. Once again, Don shows he's the slightly better parent. He seems more at ease with his kids and seems to understand them better. Poor Henry is caught in the middle of a bad situation. He is gently reminding everyone to move on but he's going to have to be more firm and this is going to get ugly in the short run.
- Sally is a latch key kid as demonstrated by the fact that she has a key around her neck. A latch key kid symbolizes a certain amount of independence but a certain amount of neglect is also implied. So, Sally is growing up on her own without supervision or emotional support. (Note: latch key kids aren't always neglected. and most kids Sally's age can safely be left alone for a couple of hours after school. But it is symbolic and MM is nothing but one symbol after another)
- Betty is wearing green in the last scene of the episode with Don. Granted, it's a pale, cool, mint green but it's still green. Green is the color of sexuality for Don. Don rarely saw Betty as a sexual person before but now maybe he does. Veddy interesting.
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Yiddish #3, "Shoot:"
Jim Hobart of McCann, "We signed Israeli Tourism."
Don, "Mazel tov."
Deb, I'm going to rule that as Hebrew, not Yiddish;
RD #27 – great comments, esp re: Betty's parenting and Henry's mom. It is very believable that her disapproval for Betty is at least in part rooted in her somewhat strict notion of family and decorum.
But I don't think we know enough for a final verdict on Mama Francis … let's see if we get to know more (e.g. is her concern for Henry more rational or manipulative?). Like I said, Moms get a real bad rap on this show.
"Mazel Tov" is also Hebrew…says she, the shiksa musician in a klezmer band.
And to #16 – troll?
Okay, okay. Yiddish is a pidgin language combining Hebrew and German (mostly). Lots of words are the same or similar in the two languages.
"Don't worry, Bobby – peeing on the bathroom floor isn't a hanging offense anymore with new Glo-Coat™!"
We saw in S1 just how hard life for a divorcée was. As bad as her marriage to Don was, the social stigma Betty's having to cope with has got to be putting a strain on her. Her old friends probably won't have anything to do with her. She's gone from every gir;'s dream to scarlet woman overnight. The best thing she could have done was make a fresh start in a new community. But I can kind of understand how part of her can't let go of the house. After all the years of crap she took from Don, it would be very hard to see him swan away getting everything he wants, and just call it even. I'm hoping Henry will step up to the plate, be a true partner, and give her the support she needs to move on.
B. Cooper: I don't know if the show is hard on moms. Maybe *we*, as a society, are hard on them. Being a mom is not easy and there are no perfect mothers out there. Every single mom I have ever known has a dark side. But we tend to put a lot of pressure on women to be perfect mothers and this pressure comes from other women.
I'm not surprised to see that the most judgmental and least pleasant person in the episode was Henry's mom. Women are brought up to stay in the lines, don't make waves, don't break rules, be good, clean, perfect, "shut your mouth, you'll catch flies". Henry promised Betty a different way to live and I think he meant it. In fact, Henry might see more clearly what it is that Betty is up against. But it is society, personified by Henry's mom, that is going to do them in if they don't gather the courage to stand up to her.
And no, I'm not hard on moms. Like I said, Betty just isn't a natural in the mom department. She's little more than a child herself. If she's allowed to grow up and develop into her own person and get to know who she is, maybe she'll be able to understand her children better. I think that's the best you'll ever get with Betty. She's not Timmy's mom from Lassie. Betty missed the boat generationally. She should have gone to law school or run an art gallery or something. She needs a life of her own not defined by marriage and children. Henry's mom is going to make sure she stays in her box. If she does, she'll be miserable.
When Henry and Betty were in the car while it was in the garage, I was under the impression he had started it but hadn't yet opened the door because she said 'the garage door'! and he started kissing her, so when Don shows up with the kids and the lights are out, he tells Sally to use her key to open the door, my first thought was "Oh, they are dead in the garage from the fumes!" Not so and nobody here had that same thought so I wondered if that was on purpose by Matt Weiner…….
B. Cooper- Regarding the closing song "Tobacco Road" (and the other great closers we've heard)…why assume it's males giving the approval? ("…Great work, boys.") Have you noticed the many female directors for past MM episodes?
Also, there have been several other sports mentions, throughout seasons 1-3.
Peg – I often use masculine terms in a gender-neutral way (boys, guys, etc.). Not grammatically correct, but there you have it. Female writers, producers and directors are a staple to the show. No slighted intended or intimated.
What do you make of the fact that Henry refers to Sally as "the little girl" in the conversation with his mother and Gene as "the baby" when discussing with Betty plans for dinner? These people have been married for almost a year! Should he not be referring to Sally and Gene by name?
As a child of divorced parents from the same time period (or any time period, for that matter), I can assure you "the little girl" would feel isolated and abandoned by her new daddy. Betty is no comfort to Sally – just the opposite is true. Henry truly wants Betty without bonds to the children or to Polly.
And the sports thing – the distinction I'm making is that Don is actually watching football. There have been numerous references – Ken invites Jane to the Mets game, Floyd Patterson in the speakeasy, and others – but we've seen no real direct participation either as spectators or fans.
Also of possible interest in S4, Cassius Clay upset Sonny Liston to become the Heavyweight Champion of the World (a title that still meant something in 1964). That was in February, and their second fight (including Ali's "phantom punch") was in May of 1965 – these were momentous cultural events at that time, especially since everyone in boxing thought Clay (Ali by the rematch) was a joke.
Wonder if these will pop up in some interesting way….
I was quite surprised that Betty wants to stay in that house. She must be the talk of the neighborhood. Does she really like people whispering about her every time she goes to the grocery store or the hairdresser? I wonder if they interact with any of the neighbors at all anymore.
Great observation!
What do you make of Mrs. Francis's comment to Henry: "I don't understand why you're living with that man's dirt."? Is the "dirt" a reference to Betty? To Don's past?
And the sports thing…
FWIW, I assumed that the program which Harry said broadcast unusual sporting events (I forget exactly the word he used) was ABC's "Wide World of Sports." They probably would have been the ONLY show even remotely interested in carrying jai alai.
MadDaddy: i *do* find it strange that henry isn't connecting to Sally or Gene. But Bobby seems to be adapting well. OTOH, Henry's children seem to like and respect him, so that kind of indicates that Henry's not a bad guy. And he knew in advance that Betty had three kids. The thing is, I think Henry married Betty for herself. He was attracted to Betty. He saw something in her that he liked and he went for it. It was love at first sight. Now, what that was may remain a mystery. He saw her when she was heavily pregnant but she didn't try to hide the fact that pregnancy made her physically uncomfortable. The second time they met, she presents him with her credentials: smart, educated, a bit romantic. But he makes her stand on her own two feet. He forces her to make decisions.
Maybe he uses "the little girl" for Sally to contrast with the implied "big girl" for Betty. I would love for Henry to force Betty to grow up.
I thought of the happy couple perishing in the garage, but it wasn't a serious thought — knew they wouldn't go there — so much as it was a "that'd make a lot of people happy" thought.
….BUT, Henry is also a mama’s boy. He should have thrown mama from the train or told her to shut her pie hole. Mama symbolizes all the conventional, critical, conformist women who will not let Betty move on with her life. You know, the ones who insist she become the perfect mom even tho’ she doesn’t have the knack for it? Henry’s mom reminds me a lot of the Betty haters on this board and she’s now personified, in our faces. She’s not a nice woman.
Oh, everybody who doesn't love Poor Betty looks just like Henry's mom?
One of (Old) Gene's regrets must have been wasting tuition at Bryn Mawr on Betty. The school is full of unconventional, nonconformist women–even if most of their graduates became homemakers back then, they had been exposed to other options. As an Anthropology major, Betty supposedly spent 4 years studying Different Ways to Live. Did she apply any of that knowledge to her own life?
Don was supportive when Betty tried modeling again. Then she was dropped, because the job she had "won" was just a ploy by an ad agency that wanted Don. He did not point out this humiliating fact, but she decided to stop trying.
Betty can afford Carla to watch Little Gene & the older kids (when they are out of school). There is nothing in the world to prevent her from "moving on" but her own limitations. Real women (on the show & in real life back then) did manage to grow. And many of them were far less fortunate than Poor Betty.
Don was right when he suggested she get psychiatric help. Not instead of a divorce, as he wanted. But she definitely has deep problems & she needs to stop blaming her kids & Don & her parents & society. Poor Henry means well, but her need to keep torturing Don isn't doing her new marriage any good.
notBridget: Yeah, I think Henry's mom personifies society's worst impulses. The unpleasant, judgmental, narrow-minded, spiteful mother-in-law from hell.
Betty's not perfect but I kinda chalk it up to her being a misfit in her own life. Henry's mom is all of the Betty haters out there who just can't stop criticizing everything she does. And that criticism is very gender specific. Betty is not conforming to perfect motherdom, she's divorced and remarried *gasp!*. We forget that Betty does have some redeeming qualities. They're just not compatible with marriage and children. So, why forced this square peg into a round hole?
That's what Mrs. Francis is going to try to do. Actually, she knows Betty's not cut out to be mother of the year so her point is to punish her for being something she can never be. Very typical of the society we live in. Women like Betty will never win this battle. Her only true option is to break free of it and learn to live with the nasty sniping.
Odd that we don't see Don facing this kind of crap. Yeah, his blind date was holding out but she seems willing to bend some of her rules. She's more understanding of his holiday plans. It's going to be a lot easier for Don, I mean *DICK* and his lying, to move on.
Let's put it this way, at what point in the episode did it occur to you that sooner or later you're going to realize that Don's going to have to tell his serious partner about himself. Will he do it before or after he gets them to fall in love with him and make a committment? I mean, when will Don learn from his experience? Will he learn? Or will he just continue to lie?
Oh, but Don's dirty little secrets aren't on public display like Betty's are, are they? So, we cut him a break and we come down hard on her.
Yep, double standards suck. Henry's mom is the face of the double standard and she is an overweight, overbearing, unpleasant person. She matches my mental concept of the typical Betty hater. I'm sure that casting her like this was no coincidence.
@45
Do you really think modeling would have been a viable career option for her and the only problem was that she quit? It was pretty obvious Don's patience was was finite and that he thought the Polly/bird thing wouldn't have happened if she'd been home. Don was supportive because he knew he was the one they really wanted and that the situation would end up pretty much like it did. I don't think he envisioned for a second this becoming a real career/a long-term disruption to his life. The ending of the episode made it clear that she felt trapped.
We all know Betty is a mess, but her modeling career ended when she got pregnant with Sally, if not when she accepted Don's proposal.
I'm not willing to say if I like Henry's mother or not. It's too soon to know if she has it right or is being the mother-in-law from hell. I know a lot of people adore her because she hates Betty, and I get that, but I think it's a little soon for anyone to be throwing her a parade. I know I've been the woman at the holiday at the in-laws or future in-laws, on edge the whole time.
#46 Whoa, such bitterness! It's a wonderfully crafted, beautiful, TV SHOW that we are all willingly addicted to!! Don't take character criticism so personally.
@RD, you seem to be saying on the one hand that the "Betty haters" are mean and spiteful and implying they are being sexist for chastising Betty for being a not so great a Mom but then you seem to be generalizing heavily people who don't like Betty and deciding that Henry's mother is some sort of shrew b/c she critiquted Betty and that it is societal and typical of certain women. So, to me it seems you are accusing some women, who you say are like Mrs. Francis, as being sexist towards Betty but then you employ an element of othering women of a certain kind by cariciaturing Mrs. Francis as some sort of nasty shrewish woman who is a emblematic of women who criticize Betty. I don't think we know enough about Mrs. F yet to determine entirely what she is like. SHe is tough, she seems to demand respect and she doesn't like Betty, but by virture of expressing concern for the kids, I think she can't be all bad. Also, though I personally don't care for Henry much, he seemed to turn out ok so she is probably an ok parent and can recognize happy and unhappy children and frightened and secure children.
Betty isn't the greatest Mom, but I don't see where is anyone saying she should be perfect. I don't even think that is what Mrs. Francis was saying, though she did point out, correctly, that the kids seem afraid of Betty and that is not a good thing. No parent is perfect and no parent always does the right thing Betty has her moments where she is warm with the kids but in general she is a fairly chilly person and that extends to her children, pointing that out isn't "hating" Betty and it isn't expecting her to be a perfect Mom. Also, as someone pointed out earlier, though by no means is it easy, Betty doesn't seem to be doing a lot to move ahead herself, irrespective of anyone "holding her back." She isn't even doing the basics, like looking for a new house. And in someways by marrying Henry, or even marrying anyone immediately after the divorce is a way of holding herself back. It is rarely, if ever healthy for anyone to jump from a long term relationship of any kind right into another one. People need time to grieve their loss, accept it, get stronger and then try again, maybe. By just getting married again that fast Betty is almost certainly setting herself up for failure again. That isn't a unique thing to Betty, lots of people do it, but it certainly isn't anyone but Betty who put herself into that situation.
I'm sure we'll see more of the reaction to her divorce by her circle of friends later and if their attitude is any different towards her than it was towards Glenn's mother (who Betty herself beat up on later once they had their falling out). So Betty doesn't necessarily have clean hands when it comes to allowing people to "move on" after a divorce.
Somewhat unrealted, as for the house issue, I think that if Betty had been a bit wiser, she'd have asked for the house as part of the divorce settlement, waited longer go get remarried, (to get some alimony saved up in the bank) so she'd have an out if things don't work out with Henry. Somehow though, unless she has a serious shake-up or someone to really push her to make some changes (maybe one of those women's empowerment discussion groups that are about to pop up sometime soonish) I have a very deep worry that Betty may become one of those people who has serial marriages and because of the "handicap" of her beauty always leans on men and never stands on her own two feet. Don might fall into the same trap of serial marriage or he might become a life-long bachelor.
MadDaddy: It's a TV show and it's also a running commentary about how much things have changed and how they have stayed the same.
I think it is significant that so many people who watch Mad Men excuse all the rotten things that Don does while they don't let Betty get away with anything.
All in all, Betty's not the worst parent in the world. I've seen people do much worse to their kids. But Sally's getting ignored by BOTH parents and we let Don slide on that.
And yeah, I think there is a reason why Henry's mom is cast the way she is. It doesn't matter if she's partially right (I don't think the kids are terrified of Betty. Betty's just not sensitive to their needs). Henry's mom is self-righteous, narrow minded, and cruel. Betty might have been unkind to her neighbor a few years ago as well but Henry's mom seems much more likely to interfere and make Betty's life a living hell.
I feel sorry for her. Yeah, she brought a lot of it on herself but still, she doesn't have the courage to break free. She's going to need some help and she's not going to get it from Mrs. Francis.
Haha! Glass Darkly, I had the same fleeting thought, about Henry & Mudge in the garage…
Just a little dab of carbon monoxide'll do yah…;O)
@35:
No, you weren't the only one thinking that! I was actually holding my breathe as they walked into that dark foyer, thinking "OMG no they aren't going to go THERE are they?"
What's with Crane's clothing? He looked pretty frumpy. And that hair – ugh. I love Peggy's new look.
Betty and Henry are clearly doomed.
Bethany does seem very Betty-like.
I don't think that modeling was a good long-term career choice for Betty, but it was apparently the only job she ever held. And Don was not going to prevent her trying it again.
Don has many a bad point–but he has good points, too. He's smart, creative & hard-working. He does care for his kids, although he has not always been a good father. (Most of the time, he was away working.)
Aside from her bad points, Betty is a beautiful blank. She has Carla to help with the kids. What does she do with that time? Does she further her education? Or do serious community work–as so many women did back then? Does she even consider what career she might like at some point in the future? No.
We saw her riding–until she alienated her new friend with a sick little game. No more riding. We saw her at a Junior League meeting–where she was pointed in Henry's direction. We saw her at the fundraiser scheduled to hide Henry's visit; he didn't show & she sulked. That would have been a great opportunity for her to learn more about politics, but she was so upset that Henry was too discreet to attend that she was rude to the woman he sent.
And why the heck hasn't Betty found a new house? Henry seems able to pay for one. Her childish behavior is threatening her new marriage.
But Henry's mother is overweight, so she must be wrong!
Don's Apartment – At first I wondered why Don would be living in such a dump but then I remembered that he probably had to use most of his assets to help fund the start-up of SCDP. Plus he's still paying the mortgage and taxes out in Ossining and, I suppose, child support.
Love your "live blog" but I want to dispute one thing – saying the bunk bed indicates that Don is the "fun" dad . . . I thought it just indicated that he lives in a 2 bedroom apt (as opposed to a 3 bedroom).
Coop: once again, excellent work.
Some observations on the thread:
1. Again, the word "perfect" pops up here. Everyone, if there's one thing I can assure you we will never see on Mad Men, it is a perfect character (now that Viola has apparently left the building).
2. #53 Mary, the first thing I said when Harry Crane walked into Joan Holloway's Office (I will cut the bold when it stops feeling so damned good): "Is Harry pregnant?"
3. I thought that Mrs. Francis was about as well-drawn as the writers could have made her, in two brief scenes. Her observations of Betty were succinct, and I liked her apparent tenderness toward the children.
4. “Garage door. No, not that garage door, Henry!!” Heh.
5. Vincent Kartheiser did some amazing things with this episode. Pete was every inch his former, mannered self; yet he'd also moved into a new, professional comfort with everyone in the office, including Peggy (unlike the other men, including Don). Pete was expansive, money-conscious (Pete, dudes! PETE!), open to the most radical of new ideas, and incredibly forgiving of others' f**k-ups.
But I do wish he'd come through for Pegs on Thanksgiving. (That's the old Pete, though. We stay who we are; thank you, Mad Men.)
6. I loved the "second floor" reference in the Jantzen pitch. Everything about that "wink" worked for me — including the fact that Don might be working out some of his old mistakes to the firm's benefit, in that fiery speech about "risky and rich". I have to wonder if the loss of Betty isn't much on his mind now.
7. #16, there's a bridge somewhere with your name on it. Get under it.
Don is supposed to have half a million dollars somewhere, on top of his generous compensation. If SCDP has indeed 30 million in billings, and pays 1964 salaries (300 a week to Crane translates to around $15,000), the company should be profitable, as in not requiring Don to pitch in with his own money (Roger squandered his, Cooper I don't know, and Pryce is not supposed to be wealthy).
So, Don could afford a better apartment, but the intimation is that he spent zero time himself looking, because Joan did the searching. No Internet listings in 1964…
A line of Betty's that did bother me:
"Sally Draper, that's rude."
The use of that last name. Not the middle name: the way I'd say Ariel Samantha, for example.
It felt especially, pointedly distancing.
If what I have read is true, and Betty Draper Francis is not being portrayed as an unusually poor mother for her time, all I can say in response to moments like this: Really?
Betty was prone to calling her daughter "Sally Draper" from Season 1 on. I suspect it's just force of habit. I can't fault her for that. Sunday I called my son by each of my brother's names before I got it right.
Excellent no-so-live blog work Coop. Lots of great insights here. Dev, #12 is great. You are saying something I’ve been stumbling around but you’ve done a much better job. A difference in S4 is Don having to be alone and deal with himself as a blank sheet. Deborah was getting at this too. Don is very adept as slipping into off-the-rack roles like “creative guy” and “charming seducer” but ask about him without a defined role handy and he dries up. It’s especially true when the probing touches on childhood-family. It’s like the difference between editing and writing – easy to tweak others writing but that blank piece of paper is pretty intimidating and this season Don has to deal with it in a more profound way.
#22 SmilerG I love the 2nd floor connection – didn’t catch that at all.
Now I have a question for you all: Was the Jantzen blow-up entirely pre-meditated or spontaneous? (Or somewhere in-between)
I have not fully made up my mind yet but I think the spontaneous exhibits include (1) the article/Ho Ho fallout and the unresolved anger there and (2) the desire to kick out Henry and Betty (as pointed out by Coop). These seem more subconscious to me and Jantzen simply crystallized the emotion. On the pre-meditated side I think the most telling evidence is Don very deliberately leaving Peggy out. He knows and respects her talent more than before and his leaving her out is not about having a woman in the room but having someone who could “save the day” and find a way for a Jantzen compromise – which is exactly what Don doesn’t want. I’d love to see what folks think and I love this show because it is smart and doesn’t compromise.
On the issue of Henry’s Mom and Betty I’m going to wait and see. I’ve been burned too many times by this show when I think there is a flat character problem.
If Bethany and Don don't have sex within three episodes I'll be very, very surprised. I know what I was thinking when Don fondled the grass during that Maypole dance: "The future acquisition to Don's Mid-Century Modern Concubine Gallery." I'm happy that Miss Farrell hasn't made a return (yet) because if Don found solace in her following his divorce (although, who knows he didn't) I would be disappointed in the shallowness of what Don was searching for. And someone replied to my post saying that Rachel Menken is the ideal mate for Don but I can't help but think, no, it's Betty, it has to be her. It all works out with the tone of the show: "travel around and around and back home again." Just like Odysseus, and he returned to Penelope. Does this mean Bobby will join arms with his father to kill Henry Francis and Arthur Case, among others? Who knows? Join us in the last season of Mad Men.
not Bridget,
I'm not the one that mentioned the woman's weight and so if reply #53 was for me, the last line really wasn't fair.
I don't believe Don would have tolerated Betty working long term. I just don't see it. I accept I could be wrong.
I'd like to think that most people do some sort of charitable work, but I don't think that's the norm. Yes, it would be nice if she used some of her time to help the hopeless and knit mittens for kittens. <— not being bitchy, just enjoying the alliteration. I think we all agree Betty is self-involved, but I can't agree with: Aside from her bad points, Betty is a beautiful blank. She has has good moments with Sally in particular, with Don, and with Francine. She also defended Helen. Later, she slapped the shit out of her, but still.
MW has in more than one interview seemed perplexed at the perception of Betty. The latest example is the Fresh Air interview. She is, by no means, a paragon of motherhood or charity, but she's not an ogre either. He points out that we don't see every moment with her and it's to be assumed she isn't terrorizing the kids 24/7.
Betty is profoundly fucked up, unlikely to ever really grow too much, and people have the right to see her any way that works for them, but a lot of this stuff is not supported in the actual show.
@d davies denver
The Fresh Air interview seems to indicate that MW finds it not premeditated, but genuine annoyance. He accepts Terri Gross's perception that he did it on purpose as a possibility, but then goes on to sounds a lot like Don in saying that it's ridiculous to pretend that they're not sexy bathing suits. That Don did his best and is not standing by his work. I think it plays great either way, and rather like the idea of it being staged.
Anne B:
Sorry to say, but the "Sally Draper, that's rude," is not atypical of the era, nor is it one of the more egregious lines of parenting circa late 50's and early 60's. Parenthood was a totally different ball of wax than it is today, and calling out your kid's rudeness (especially pouncing on poor table manners )went hand in glove with the overall formality of the era. You have to remember that people of Betty's generation were raised by people who'd essentially grown up in the Victorian era and that Betty's generation grew up during the Depression, both of which created a much more austere, boundary-driven parent-child relationship than we're used to today. Despite the publication of Dr. Spock's "Baby and Child Care," just after WWII, his message to parents of ligtening up and being more relaxed really didn't come into full flower until much, much later, more like the 70's.
Thanks for the tip GD – I gotta get away and listen to that dang interview!
Spontaneous or planned I think the Jantzen blowup will ultimately play to SCDP's benefit as the Jantzen deal was a longshot anyway and this move fits with the devil-may-care gunslinger image Don wants for SCDP.
Giddy-up!
Wow, SFC.
You're right. My guess is that Dr. Spock would not be on Betty Draper's reading list; or if he were, she'd underline the passages that apply to Baby Gene, not her older children.
I guess we're all lucky Betty did not go further with that comment to her daughter — saying something like "You're just like your father," — to hammer the point home.
But this is Mad Men. The preferred narrative instrument here is never the hammer. (The tweezers, instead? The icepick? The knife?)
I would love to know what January Jones' favorite flowers are. I think she deserves a bunch of them, right now. Who in Hollywood has a harder job?
Anne B,
Re January, I know what you mean. Poor Betty has now become someone so many of us (me included) love to hate, and yet at least in Seasons 1 and 2, I could still at least be seduced by her beauty and feel sorry for her, Don was such a prick. Now, she seems to be rapidly morphing into a Nixon (unlike a Rockefeller) Republican and all that goes with it. Not sure that's what Matt thought would happen, but then again, it's part of the fun, isn't it? Inquiring Basketcases want to know: Tulips or Roses? (Personally I love peonies
).
I've been a Betty-backer and I want to like Betty more but I've gotta admit I'm having a hard time right now. Totally agree with Coop that it is all about winning the fight right now for Betty.
It's a small gesture but when she pulls her hand away from Henry when he makes a pretty reasonable comment about the house was telling. It's his fuse thats burning now.
Eleven months out she has a right to still feel confused and betrayed but boy is she angry. All we see right now is her anger. Tough to see where this goes but it is not good.
I keep remembering what my parents were like when they got divorced. They weren't terrible people, but they were neglectful, distracted, angry parents during that time. They fought and fought, even after they both developed relationships with new partners. Divorce is a big wound and it doesn't heal quickly. I hope the show gives us more of the pain on Betty's side, not just her lashing out.
I mentioned her weight. It's not a comment on her personally. It's the fact that she is so big and she takes up so much room. She can't be ignored. She's present. All of the time.
Social conventions can be that way sometimes. You can't get away from them. Even when no one's saying anything, you still know what they're thinking.
Betty doesn't terrify her kids. She's definitely NOT the kind of woman who would jump into bed with Henry. And if "living in that man's dirt" means a nice house in Ossining with a beautiful, educated MILF, then that's probably something men of Henry's era would have thought wasn't such a bad deal. She was discreet, not tawdry, respectable. Well, until the divorce made her a silly woman and cheap thrill to Mrs. Francis.
Weiner is not the first person to make the symbol of social convention out to be a thoroughly distasteful woman.
The closing song, “Tobacco Road” was released in June 1964. Although the group was called the “Nashville Teens” they were British. And the studio guitarist on the recording session was none other than a 20 year old Jimmy Page.
How about that for foreshadowing the next 20 years?
#72: Maybe it's not just anger. I have rewatched the episode a couple of times and I think it's power that's driving her right now. For example, she told Don to drop the kids off at 9. He's there at 9 but they aren't until 10. Henry seems to think that they had agreed on 10. So, she has set Don up. He's forced to cool his jets for an hour waiting for Betty to return from a romantic weekend and where Betty and Henry are clearly still in a state of sexual afterglow. Betty says, "I've waited up for you plenty of times"
Touche.
Power is a great aphrodesiac. How much you want to bet she continues to yank his chain until he has an emotional response? Oh and she's wearing a mint green suit. Now, Don the lonely and call girl addict, can start to miss her ever so slightly. Maybe part of *his* anger in the last scene with Jantzen is partially due to his desire to reassert himself.
I predict she'll show up in more green with more passive-aggressive antics. Even poor Henry is part of her game. In the finale last season when Don yanked her out of bed and asked her who Henry was she said "no one". I don't think she loves him like he loves her- at least, not yet. But he is very convenient at getting back at Don. I hope Henry catches on soon.
Yeah, Betty is a tough one to love. But I do anyway. I love it when women start feeling their cheerios. And she has a lot of vengeance to wreck.
#68: I didn't think correcting your children at home ever went out of style. I did it just last night when my 14 year old left the table without asking. She has perfect table manners at other people's houses and in restaurants. Children can be rude sometimes. If they aren't corrected, they will continue to act like savages when with other people.
Now, was Sally deliberately acting out? Yep. That neglect thing is going to lead to problems down the road. That's where both Betty and Don are failing.
Betty's biggest problem in the parenting department is that she seems to be putting herself at Sally's level. That comment about Don hearing her side of the story was completely inappropriate. It's something that Don would never do. He is always the parent with his kids. But parents screw up all of the time.
I kind of wondered what Mrs. Francis was smoking when she said the kids were afraid of Betty. I’ve never gotten that impression. I don’t think Sally would have spit out her potatoes if she had been afraid.
A thought about finances.
From the "garage door" scene, it looks like Henry Francis is still driving that crappy car (a Ford Falcon?) that we saw in The Grown-Ups.
Where's Grandpa Gene's Lincoln? You'd think that Betty and Henry would be tooling around town in that.
It hasn't been mentioned, we can assume that Henry is still working for Gov. Rockefeller, even though the 1964 elections have just happened, as Season Four gets under way. Government work is pretty low-paying compared to the private sector, so I doubt that Henry will be purchasing the house in Ossining any time soon.
Say what you will about Don, but I think Betty definitely "married down," when she picked Henry.
A small business is often a lot like a family.
Peggy to Don – "We all followed you here, we just want to please you."
Don is an alcoholic father and his office is mirroring the dysfunction of his pre-divorce family. Peggy is a workplace substitute for Betty and the staff his children.
If you've ever worked for a drunk, you'll know what I'm talking about.
In regards to Jantzen, I offered the following on the Mad Men Unbuttoned site earlier, and think it plays well here …
I think Matt comments similarly with Terry Gross (fantabulous interview – must listen at npr.org) that it's kind of a silly ask on the part of Jantzen.
Thanks for including the lyrics to "Tobacco Road." I vaguely remembered them as being about growing up poor, but seeing them in full leaves me in amazement that the show found a song so perfectly in period that also so perfectly nails Don's past and his feelings about it.
@ pdxmadwatcher #57
Although the group was called the “Nashville Teens” they were British. And the studio guitarist on the recording session was none other than a 20 year old Jimmy Page
Never knew that about Page. I love how the first British Invasion bands wanted to be American (The Beatles took their name as a tribute to Buddy Holly & The Crickets, The Rolling Stones got theirs from a Muddy Waters song.) And ironic that, by 1965, the British bands had become so big that American bands like e.g. The Sir Douglas Quintet (from San Antonio, Texas) named themselves that hoping people would think they were from England.
Good point RD — I will look for the power aspect. Betty lacked practically any control before and now she is in a position to push back (i.e. withholding Baby Gene).
Did anyone notice the squared shoulder, hands-on-hips assertive posture of Henry during the Don meetings? I got a kick out of the juxtaposition of Henry’s rooster posture with the simultaneous “so do I stay or go” question of Betty. It was a just right touch of awkward!
I have a newfound crush on Joey the new Art Director <3. Does anyone sense a possible love triangle starring Joey, Peggy, and Pete? Or maybe Matt Weiner wont pull that?
Also, I found it interesting that Roger said to Don something along the lines of finding him in a 'vulnerable' position( When Roger enters and finds Don lying on his back on the couch) during the scene where Roger persuades Don to go out with Bethany (Jane's friend). Then later on they show the scene with Don and the prostitute and shes on top slapping him. Shes in control (on top), hes vulnerable yet still in control (asking her to slap him) Maybe the slap was kind of a wake up call? I feel as if that symbolizes his position throughout the premiere episode, hes losing his position on top (Betty, his home, work, etc).
"Children can be rude sometimes. If they aren’t corrected, they will continue to act like savages when with other people."
RD: I couldn't agree more. Unfortunately, based on what I've seen teaching school and eating out, you seem to be in the minority.
ddd #83 – I totally noticed Henry's posture – kind of like "I've been given permission to fight, so bring it on!" – he's so even keel, it was interesting to watch his dynamic with Betty as husband and wife.
Melville #81 – I heard that about Jimmy Page with the Nashville Teens – I think that's him playing on the studio version of Tobacco Road.
The British invasion was mostly US-inspired, led of course by Elvis. The Stones other primary influence was Chuck Berry (O/T – I just re-watched "Hail! Hail! Rock and Roll" – the Chuck Berry tribute from the 80's and it's amazing. Keith Richards served as musical director for the backup band).
Most of Led Zeppelin's first album was later retro-actively credited to old-time Blues artists such as Willie Dixon and Howlin' Wolf and many American originals. The charitable description would be "inspired"; the legal one might be "stolen" or "plagiarized". Many cases were settled out of court.
Anyway, the song rocks and I hope we'll be hearing more early Invasion and mid-decade rock on the show.
"Children can be rude sometimes. If they aren’t corrected, they will continue to act like savages when with other people."
RD: I couldn't agree more. Unfortunately, based on what I've seen teaching school and eating out, you seem to be in the minority.
Also interesting comment about Betty's mint green suit. Green is also the color of money, you know, and for many, Betty included, money and what it can buy are a powerful aphrodisiac. And what are most couples' fights about? Yup, you guessed it, money.
The "stay or go" dialogue between Betty and Henry is common in new relationships because the couple hasn't been together long enough to develop verbal "shorthand".
People who have been together for years, are not only able to finish one another's sentences, but they also "get" what the other mate means, with a few words or by their tone. If they've been together long enough, they will pick up on body language, unspoken cues and even pick up a partner's "vibe".
I seriously doubt that Betty and Henry will stay together long enough to ever reach that point.
Smiler – and as with everything else MM, it was in there for a reason. Was MW showing that they're still newlyweds (probably almost a year since the nuptials), or that they're still not on the same page?
My guess would be the latter – they're not a perfect match. But we'll see how it plays out because I'm sure there's more to Henry's side of the relationship than we've seen. Mama Francis is one suggestion, but also his own true feelings. He has a natural feel for justice – and level-headedness that will either soothe Betty's impetuousness, or rub her the wrong way.
I think Henry would know where he should be if he were in his own home and not in the house of his wife and her ex. That's all kinds of awkward.
True dat, Glass.
As someone who grew up in the ’60s and ’70s, I really don’t see Betty’s behavior toward the kids as being terribly shocking. If I had done what Sally did at the Thanksgiving table, I would have been in deep, deep trouble. Ditto for the smoking incident in Season 2. Double ditto for throwing the Barbie out the window in Season 3. Mama Francis may be right that the kids are terrified of Betty, but: (1) back then, I don’t think it was uncommon for kids to be at least somewhat afraid of their parents — afraid in the sense that if you did something wrong, there would be consequences; and (2) Mama Francis obviously doesn’t like Betty and has her own agenda about planting seeds of doubt in Henry’s mind about the woman he married.
The child I really wonder about is Baby Gene. Who will he recognize as his father? Don? Henry? Both? Neither? Will Betty, who seemed to favor Gene over the other two, take deliberate steps to distance Gene from Don? I thought it was interesting that when Don picked up the kids, and said to Betty, “I’d like to see him [Gene]” Betty gave a little “tough nuggets buster” shrug to Don. Gene is in a very interesting position because he’s several years younger than Sally and Bobby, and therefore may not have as strong a bond with them, and he may not have as much of a bond with Don because they don’t live together. My early impression of Henry as a stepfather is that he is nice and polite, but that’s about it.
The reason they're still in the Draper house, according to Betty, is that she hasn't found the right place, for the children. Henry reminds her that she hasn't even been looking, really.
What's up with that?!?
I mean, they've been living rent-free there for nearly a year. Henry is apparently still drawing a salary from his job with Gov. Rockefeller. He hasn't blown a lot of money on a fancy car (and did you see that awful jacket he was wearing?). So, he's not spending a bundle on stylish clothes either.
It hasn't been stated, but I'd be surprised if Betty wasn't getting money each month from Don, in child support. And, it's quite possible that Grandpa Gene's house in Pennsylvania was sold, with the proceeds being split between Betty and her brother.
All that being noted, Henry and Betty's presence in the Draper house, hasn't anything to do with funds. So, it's all just a control/power play by Betty.
Henry isn't living up to the pitch that he gave Betty last season, to take care of her – keeping her from owing him (Don) anything.
@ B. Cooper #86
Most of Led Zeppelin’s first album was later retro-actively credited to old-time Blues artists such as Willie Dixon and Howlin’ Wolf and many American originals. The charitable description would be “inspired”; the legal one might be “stolen” or “plagiarized." Many cases were settled out of court.
Music industry practices being what they were, a lot of the old-time greats lost the rights to their classics. Remember the Sopranos episode where Hesh is threatened with a lawsuit by the grandson of one of the R & B performers whose records he produced in the 1950's ? That part of Hesh's background was inspired by Morris Levy. The mob had plenty of influence in the music business in the fifties, but Levy was a gangster who actually produced records. Levy was notorious for taking over publishing rights, putting his name on songs that he hadn't actually written.
But Levy was hardly the only one. If you look at the original cover of the Rolling Stones "Let It Bleed," you'll see that Robert Johnson's immortal "Love In Vain" is credited to one "Woody Payne." Since Jagger and Richards were blues fanatics since childhood, I'm sure that they knew who really wrote the song. So either they did plagiarize it, or they had to use the name of whoever owned the rights to the song at the time.
I guess I'm in the minority, because I agree with the Jantzen boys that two-piece bathing suits don't have to be sexy. When I wore one, it was for the same reason that men wear trunks instead of the old-fashioned full-coverage suit: the less you have on while swimming, the more comfortable it is. I didn't feel like I looked any sexier or even prettier than I would have in a one-piece, and if I did it was completely coincidental to my reasons for wearing one. I guess I would have been their target audience.
Regarding watching sports on Mad Men, I believe I remember Betty's father wanting to watch a baseball game on TV and switching the channel from what Bobby and Sally were watching so he could do so.
I think there's sort of a temptation to demonize Betty because she's not being particularly 'nice' right now, or even thinking straight. But Don is the one who must be held responsible for the shambles that marriage became. I mean, who can really blame Betty for being defensive and watching her own back? Who wouldn't be tempted to push back at Don, after years and years of deceit? It's a shame that Henry is in the middle of it, but Betty had barely taken off her wedding ring before they were headed to Vegas together. Rebound relationship….hello?? The ones who really pay (as usual) are the kids.
…or rather, headed to Reno….
[...] do I count the ways? To begin with, as Coop pointed out in his “Not So Live Blogging” post earlier this week, is there any other song which so perfectly encapsulates the story of [...]
Yep. Weiner has definitely turned Betty into a one-note villain and "Mommie Dearest". How disappointing. Was that the best he could do?