Turns out Peggy’s mom was right. (SPOILER ALERT) The live-in situation has left her damaged goods following her split with Abe. Now who will marry her? Okay, so it wasn’t that simple. After all, Peggy did stab him with a spear. But it was fear of living in a bad part of town that led to the accidental stabbing. And it was Abe who dumped Peggy after acknowledging that she will always be the enemy. (No doubt Abe would have loathed the gentrification of SoHo and the Village.) And somehow Peggy hoped her break up would send a positive message to her boss Ted Chaough. But Ted is striving to be faithful to his wife. Divorce is not in the cards—not even an affair. It’s the right thing to do but on this show it’s downright bizarre—consider not only how many people are cheating on their spouses but the love children that are being produced, namely, Pete and Peggy’s son sent to adoption and Roger and Joan’s son who will be raised to believe Joan’s ex is the biological father. Peggy also tells Don that he and Ted are practically one and the same, which is symbolized in the closing of their doors to her. (Remember how Peggy’s advances toward Don were rebuffed in the series opener?)
And then there was the rekindled romance between Don and Betty at their son’s summer camp. Much like that brief moment of Tony Soprano being faithful to his loving wife, this interlude reminded me of the pool scene between Tony and Carmela during their separation. The next day she’s back to hating him again. Similarly Betty says she briefly forgot how much she hates her ex-husband, though she was willing to live in the moment. But there was an odd flicker of hope in Don that somehow things might change. Of course it’s too late. Don is left to dine alone the next morning. Betty knows it can’t happen—and she probably knows Don best of all. She takes pity on Megan, saying, “She doesn’t know that loving you is the worst way to get to you.” But this can’t possibly mean that all Don wants is to be held, does it?
Speaking of Megan, notice the great difficulty she has playing twins. When she explains her problems to Don, he has a look on his face that seems to say, “Being two different people is easy!”
So did you actually think we’d be watching two sets of lovemaking at the same time? Don and Betty in once scene, Megan and her bisexual costar in the other? That would’ve been a bit much.
It was great to see Duck Phillips again—he seemed sober, and perhaps headhunting is a good fit for him. But it was even better seeing Betty, especially in that gas station scene. I forgot how much I missed January Jones though she looks nothing like that GQ photo shoot from 2009. Still, what a face and what a body. It’s almost enough to make you forget she ate her own placenta.
Photo credit: Michael Yarish / AMC