Good episode*

I loved Roger sticking up for Don and what it all came down to (and what sealed the deal) was the possibility of Don working at some other competing firm. Don's dangerous because he's talented - it's one thing to not have him work for you, but it's entirely another to have him work for the competition.

*I didn't get the point to Betty's inclusion this episode. Questioning her mothering skills? Wanting to go back to work? Either way, I don't care.

The editing was weird. They cut to Betty/Bobby setting up a picnic area, Betty leaves and another kid's about to sit there and Bobby says the spot is saved for his mother - then they cut to the office. The scene was only 20 seconds and hardly worth including.

Joan's reaction towards Don was harsh. Yes, she has skin in the company - but she still seemed out of place.
Peggy I can somewhat understand - she feels Don ruined her relationship with Ted, and she's lonely as fuck. But she'll soon realize that having Don on her side will be a good thing, since Lou treats her like shit.

Liked Joan in those boots. Yummy.

I think maybe I'm hard on Peggy because her relationship with Ted was never going anywhere. He's not Don. He was going home to his wife. Don saved her a lot more of a mess and a lot more heartache.

I think I'm not hard on Joan because...well I get distracted when I see Joan. She could tell me anything and I'd be happy because it's Joan talking to me. Somehow she's even hotter than Christina Hendricks. I also think you can't discount Joan's concern about this agency being a success. Everybody else gets jobs somewhere else. Not Joan. Not as an account woman. Maybe she could move to academia based on the connection she made. Even that's probably dodgy. This is the work she can get that isn't secretarial.

First good episode of the season. Really liked this episode barring the Betty scenes, as per usual. Glad to see Don back at work... it's going to be interesting.

Harry and Pete are always ahead of the curve, and Don is always dismissive.

Does your cable company carry AMC on OnDemand? Mine doesn't carry BBC America in HD, so I have to wait until Sunday afternoon to watch Orphan Black in HD on OnDemand.

John Hamm's facial take at the very end was perhaps his best acting ever--and done without words.

I thought this was an excellent episode, the best of the year so far.

There's only 11 more episodes right? So things are winding down and heating up at the same time.

I also wasnt expecting Don to say OK, but I think this lays the groundwork for him to be able to get back to work, either at this firm, or get canned for being a renegade and off to the new firm. He absolutely needed to get back to work.

So is Harry fired? It was a quick flippant comment by Roger was it? But that was an interesting side note. And how demographics and computers were all starting to heat up.

Whats up with Peggy's nasty comment to Don, you weren't missed. Wow, shes stone cold right now.

Is Don really done with Meghan? I wasnt expecting that one.

I liked the Betty scenes ok, she's completely hopeless, and even a class trip she can't keep it together for her poor kid.

This show will be missed when its gone, savor the last 11....

I think Mad Men will end

I really don't understand why Betty still has a place on this show. Other than that it was a very solid episode.

Indeed. She was .... intriguing. Who played her?

BTW : Some GREAT editing in this episode. I loved how they cut from the restaurant interuption with that girl in the top-floor hotel room to Don knocking on a 12th story apartment door and having Roger answer. Also the bit where you're not sure if Don is really going into SC&P or just imagining it. Very well done stuff.

Agreed. His expressions alone are worth a thousand words. He had a similar one in the Valentine's Day episode the other week. I'm often reminded of Gandolfini's Tony Soprano when watching Hamm based on their facial expressions.

I agree with you. I'm not a "Betty hater", I felt a lot of the insults she received from fans for the first half of the show's run were undeserved. But once Don got remarried, Betty just drifted too far outside the circle of the real runners in this show (Don, Peggy, Pete...). Sally surpassed her mother in importance because her relationship with Don is much more dramatic and reveals more about him.

I thought The Sopranos ran into the same situation with Dr. Melfi. After a certain point, her character was just finished, and every time we went to her it was a distraction from the real story we all cared about.

I never watched Entourage but didn't they have a similar situation with an actress who was a main character in the early seasons and then her character drifted off?

I don' think it had that type of situation. One of the group had an on and off girlfriend, but she wasn't focused upon unless he was with her, or trying to be with her.

I think he's referencing Shauna, but she wasn't ever really in the show that much. Certainly not a Betty Draper situation.

Oh yeah she wasn't really a player.

Yeah, She was cute. In some of her expressions, she reminded me a little of Bridget Fonda.

Me too! That's probably why I liked her. Bridget's my all-time fave; I have such a thing for her -- to the point where I married a girl who looked a little bit like her

Don working for adequate Lou will be interesting.

I have a feeling it will be less drama than we may expect. He I think pretty much signaled he is just in it for the pay. I bet he sits in the corner and says "great meeting everybody" for the most part while Don runs things, after perhaps one or two disagreements where the partners want to back Lou but see he's pretty much a dumbass and Don is still the man. I think Don is in for a fall, but these last few episodes have to build him back up before we get to it.

I hope not. He's fallen enough. Of course, there is always the (car spoiler)

It's a shame she doesn't still act. Maybe she'll pull a Meg Tilly and come back to it at some point.

So Don had a chance to start over with his wife in California at a new firm, being paid good money.
And he said no to that, to stay in NY, effectively leaving his wife, and pretty much kept on a very short-leash at SCP among people that resent him. Does he hate California and his wife that much, or just love NY that much?

I was wondering the same, Don really had an opportunity to start over and it doesn't sound like he needs the money. Or if he stayed it seems like the firm could solve most of their problems by moving Don to the California office to help it get started.

I thought he did it to save ted's marriage as he could not stay in NY with Peggy anymore...

Okay as to why he didn't go to California, he can say that was about Ted's marriage.

As to why he didn't take the job at the other firm, he does have a non-compete problem. They had to have a conversation at SCP and do something one way or the other. He still worked there. They were still paying him. It's true he could have said fine buy me out but then there's still the non-compete. They either had to keep him, keep him suspended with pay, or fire him. Probably the suspension could only go so long, too.