I’ve seen a couple reviews giggle over Trudy’s “Pete? Can you come in here a moment?” trill from outside the living room (which was good) but, even better in my opinion, was Roger’s casual “Goodbye Trudy” at conversation level to the Trudy he knew was standing in the hallway.
Speaking of living rooms, the Draper son (whatever his name is) is pretty worthless and forgettable as a character but “Then why are we in the living room?” was golden.
God, the telling-the-kids-about-the-divorce scene killed me. 
It reminded me so much of the talk my folks had with my younger brother and I… except that the Drapers never said the word divorce, did they? Only that Daddy’s moving out.
In case anyone is interested, Best Buy has season 2 (both DVD and Blu-Ray) on sale for $19.99 this week.
No, it was shot themselves in the leg.
This stuck out to me because my dad told me that, in Vietnam at least, this was a good way to get yourself sent home. Yeah you were wounded but at least you were no longer in the middle of a goddamn war. Best if no one found out about it, of course.
Seems to me that’d be a practice used by any soldier in any war, so if that’s what Roger was talking about, it made sense to me.
The Charleston (or whatever) they danced at Don’s “Mammy” party was strangely sexy considering there was no dirty dancing involved.
It’s the glow of new motherhood.
There’s has been some discussion in other online forums like the Slate critics conversation about what Don meant when he gave Peggy the “you understand loss” speech. I thought it was fairly overt that he has referring to her baby which she (assumedly) adopted out, but others don’t see it that way.
What was your take on this?
I think the analysis you posted above is pretty much spot on astro. I’d add this: Don knows that Peggy has been through a loss–the pregnancy that he so memorably urges her to forget in order to preserve the kind of future that she wants for herself. Conversely, she knows that he has no one but her to reach out to when he gets in trouble–no real friends in other words–which is his loss (or the part of it that she knows). So they share a bond of loss which informs their work: which consists of selling powerful illusions to empty people.
Don is genuinely affected by the expression of feelings of loss. This was supposed to be the basis of his initial interest in Suzanne who was concerned about Sally’s loss of her grandfather and who shared her own feelings about her father’s death. Although the latter was pretty hokey and Suzanne never developed into an interesting character, the idea that Don would be attracted to her empathy for experiences of loss is consistent.
Just an afterthought. To me the Don/Peggy relationship is one of the coolest things on the show–sometimes the coolest. I loved it, even though it risked obviousness, when he said he thought of her as an extension of himself (and who knows if he really meant it and wasn’t just snowing her but the thing is it’s true whether he actually knows that or not).
I’d really hate it if they ever became an item–or even if we were meant to understand that it’s what Peggy wants (which I don’t believe she does).
She said during this season that she wants want what he has–which I believe. And he’s now said something that’s been implicit: that he identifies with her struggle to become something.
It works…
I’m amazed at all the little things that people are seeing that I missed on first viewing. Pete’s gun, the Clearasil reference, etc. Was the dip platter that Trudy put out the other one they got?
What else should I be looking for before I watch it again?
Have we speculated on what Duck is going to do now? Do you think Peggy will keep sleeping with him, letting him “woo” her over to Grey, or is the door shut on that one?
I love good television. I love it when everything clicks…the writing, the acting, the sets, the costumes. I haven’t been this thrilled over a show since West Wing.
I was kind of surprised to find out that Peggy was still sleeping with Duck. IMHO they quickly got over the notion that he just wanted her as new talent for Grey and they are in a real, honst-to-Og relationship of some sort. I’m convinced they’ll continue their tryst despite Peggy’s new job. The job is a non-issue now.
Then I’ll ask the obvious…what the hell does she see in him?
As opposed to, say, Pete? Or that kid she picked up that time? I get the impression that the relationship is at least sexually satisfying for her. I don’t think she’s planning on marrying him or anything, but he’ll certainly do as a “for now” guy.
Yeah, I still see her as fairly inexperienced. Who hasn’t had a what-the-hell-was-I-thinking relationship in your early 20’s. I don’t see it as anything more than dabbling. And, hell, Don was being a Dick to her. Duck’s at least aware of her talent. Plus she gets laid. And who doesn’t like that?
Long term, nothing. Near term, sex from a guy who she doesn’t have to pretend to be a secretary around.
And I think Duck was dumped seconds after she found out about the Kennedy assassination (or more to the point, after she found out he knew about the assassination and didn’t tell her or let her find out because it might get in the way of the nooner.)
Though I thought ill of Duck when she first came into the hotel room, I changed my mind when he turned the TV back on. He owned up to having heard the beginning of the report, and I don’t think he knew the details anyway. Had he wished to keep his knowledge from her, he could simply have kept his mouth shut. I doubt she’ll hold that against him.
Which is not to say she won’t eventually dump him, but that’ll be when she realizes she’s so freaking hot and can do infinitely better.
How does one get a formal nickname like Duck anyhow. The guy’s name was Herman. What about Crab Colson, too?
amarinth I hope you are right.
Skald, you are generous. 
DianaG. and others on this theme: maybe I was just very lucky years ago but am I the only poster here who doesn’t assume that sex with a college student is death of eros?
And wasn’t his big connection at American named “Shell”? Now maybe that was “Shel” as in short for Sheldon.
Or maybe it was just another one of these mysterious 60s monikers that visit the Ducks of the world.