Don has been ambitious since S1 episode 1. In talking to Pete Campbell about how he treated Peggy, he chides him that if he acts that way he'll never run the place. Don has obviously thought about what it will take for him to be in that position.

He knew if Duck were ever put in a position to lead SC, that dream would be dead. Better to start fresh elsewhere than forever be the subordinate.

I do think Hilton had a job in mind for Don. We can expect that Don will wow him in future episodes. What if Don decides the man at the top of SC will always be a Brit to keep the home office comfortable?

Could he start his own shop with Hilton and Joan by his side? Roger's not too happy being left off the new org chart. There's your account man, (if he's willing to work that hard.)

I liked Cooper's quote about what it means to be an account man, something about letting go to get what you want.

Congrats on the Emmys! Also, apparently Hamm and Jones were on Oprah today. (I wouldn't know, but it was on the AMC site.)

I really sensed something different in the last episode. Sure he always cared a little and of course was really good, but he didn't mind disappearing in Cali for two weeks without telling anyone where he was, etc. He took his job seriously but treated it like a job.

Don was always ambitious, so I see nothing new there (except for the possible storyline of Hilton trying to hire him).

There is one new thing going on this season, I believe: Betty seems to me to be a much less sympathetic character this year. Maybe because Don's womanizing has been downplayed, Betty no longer is as much of a victim. Moreover, she certainly seems harsh and even unfeeling to her children.

I expect Peggy to use Duck as leverage to gain equal pay with the boys.

Yes, I could see this...but it would only work if Sterling Cooper recognizes her value to them. Imo they haven't really been acting like they consider her that much of an asset to them and/or irreplacable with the next Joe Schmoe off the street.

pretty good Mad Men spoof here (boston version). joey macintyre's very convincing as roger.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id8ZpiMG6v8

An interesting (and neccessary) thing is that this show uses references to the very real companies that they represent. And now we have a very real person in Conrad Hilton. I wonder what (if any?) legal hurdles they have to use these real companies and people in their fiction. John Deere likely appreciates free publicity but how do they feel about cutting off someones foot?

The only product they have I had never heard of was Utz chips. I even remember Patio cola but Utz was a total blank to me. I was shocked when I was watching a baseball game on TV in the new Yankees stadium to see a large Utz billboard. Must be a regional thing but I have never seen an Utz chip in my life.

i am a little surprised at people missing this little detail. the moments when dick whitman shed his don draper mask. they happened in earlier seasons, but never like this. the most obvious one this season was of course when he revealed to the stewardess that the day was his birthday.

imo this episode had TWO such moments. the first one was when he rushed into sally's room. that was genuine caring Dick Whitman, before collecting himself and going back to Don Draper. the second one was the conversation with joan.

Peggy was a major contributor on at least three or more accounts. Playtex, popsicle. Some exercise machine. Think Peggy found a better function for it. And Peggy stepped in for Freddy when he had the bladder problem. SC should recognize her value. She may need to remind them.

I don't quite understand how you can make that assertion: how do you know who Dick Whitman is exactly? When have we the viewer really seen the full personality of Dick Whitman to be able to be able to distinguish the difference? We have seen Dick Whitman as a child in his flashbacks and then when he was in Korea, and I would argue that in each instance, his personality at those times was very different from each other. Or maybe he was really Dick Whitman in California...I just don't really know what the "Dick Whitman" personality is. And I think "Don Draper" has shown some genuine caring moments before...he was bringing Betty up breakfast for mother's day in that one episode, when he went to the asylum to comfort Peggy after the birth of her child, etc.

Sorry - this got really wordy. Main point: how exactly do you know how to separate Dick Whitman from Don Draper? Who is who and how are you able to tell?

This is pretty funny. I loved the Joan and Piggy/Peggy ladies...too funny.

The longest period of time we've seen Dick Whitman is when he was in California at Mrs. Whitman's house (don't remember her full name).

Dick Whitman is much less confident, shows more emotion and doesn't have the bravado of Don Draper. Imo Dick Whitman is, in a way, much more personable, even if Don is more social. Also, Dick Whitman has a past, Don Draper only has a future. I'd also say that Dick is real and Don is an act.

Those were both interesting scenes Sylar but I'm not sure about the second one. Don and Joan have always got along very well, haven't they?

Disagree with this. I think Pete is the type to leverage SterlingCooper and I think he'll inadvertently mention that Peggy was approached.

Pete is a low life. What did he ever do for SC aside from losing the Clearsil account?

Jai Alai!

agree with your description of dick whitman. he is definitely Dick when he is with the real Don Draper's widow, (i assume that's who you meant even though you refered to her as Mrs. Whitman). another one was when he was in california and engaged those mechanics on the street who were working on a couple of hot rods. compare how he talks about cars when he is Dick, and how he talked while buying a cadillac when he is Don Draper.

i'll have to watch that Don and Joan scene again to really point out why I think he is being genuine. it just seemed that during the conversation, he is grateful, courteous, and caring in a way that Don could never be. even though Joan is in his professional world.

Definitely, I just thought he always treated Joan differently.

Don is often genuine outside of the work environment, with his family and others.

I'd add to this that Don's wistful look at Roger & his new missus at the end of that country club party seemed a realization that whether or not people (including Don) thought Roger had been silly to turn his life upside down, Roger himself seemed absolutely happy.

It seemed implicit that Don was 'forgiving' Roger for his actions.

Don and Rog definitely made up. They had to, simply because they're dialogue together is too good.

By the way, Roger consistently gets the funniest lines in the show.

Hey now, don't sell Slattery's delivery short. I'm all for giving the writers the majority of the credit, but his performance is awesome.

+1 for the comments about Slattery. He has impeccable comedic timing imo.

I was re-watching the last episode and something struck me that I didn't really realize before: Sally is a Daddy's girl...and perhaps in a similar way in which Betty was obviously a Daddy's girl. It's interesting to see that Betty's family dynamics are repeating themselves. Everybody really does become thier parents in the end, I guess.

I din't know. I have some serious doubts that Don would turn out to be the father Gene was. I ambitious saying better or worse, but Don is way too emotionally unavailable to anyone to really resemble that relationship in any way.

This was the first episode of the year I didn't love, although I liked the last few minutes a lot (where Don's contract was resolved). I also thought Don exploding at Peggy was a great, though disconcerting, scene.

One way you know you're into a show is when you get disappointed with how the characters behave. I found myself irritated at Peggy for sleeping with Duck, though it made a certain amount of sense for her character to do that. I just want her to be smarter.

I'm also disappointed that Don will be hanging less with Roger, apparently, simply because I've always enjoyed their interactions.

Well, now I feel silly after reading this very detailed analysis of last night's episode.