Mad Men Season 3 - Page 5

Here is how I see the Don-Betty relationship: Don's behavior is inexcusable, and, sadly, fit in with many of his contemporaries. As we see throughout the show, nearly all of the married men think it is their right to be involved with as many women as they please. Betty, like many of the women on the show, is realizing that this isn't how life should be (cue up Trudy; she's next), and recognizing the vacant marriage that results from it, and she is reacting to it. All of her decisions aren't correct (the affair in the bar, for example, and, I'm afraid, Mr. Francis) but she is struggling and she is trying. Don either doesn't understand why his extramarital affairs hurt their marriage, or he doesn't care.

Much of the show is about women discovering ways to empower themselves - look at Peggy and Joan, or Midge (Don's mistress from season 1). The heart of the show, it seems to me, is about gender roles and how they changed in the time period depicted. It's not a coincidence that the lengthy bonus feature on the BD is called Birth of an Independent Woman.

In general, there seems to be a lot of hostility toward Betty, and while I don't have any issues with her desire to leave Don, I think he is an exponentially better parent than she is.

Sure she spends more time with them, but except for baby Gene, has she even once shown her children even a sliver of affection? At least when Don is with the kids you get the idea that he has some affection for them. I suppose this could be a product of the situation. Betty's acting out, it's resentment against Don and his absenteeism. But even in her escape to Reno, baby Gene is the only child who can't do without mommy for the extended trip. Carla is more of a mother to Sally and Bobby than either Draper parent.

As a random aside, did anyone else notice that to meet his quota for partnership Pete brought Clearasil. He and Trudy have definitely seemed aligned this season. I supposed she helped to convince her father. Wonder if Pete's resistance to a baby will again rear it's head in season 4?

Personally, I think Don (who has LOTS of issues) is the better parent.

That's the second season, not the first. And it's a direct result of her discovery of Don's betrayal of her by getting her phony "therapy". (Note that, when Don made a last-ditch plea in the final episode of season 3, he suggested a shrink, "a good one this time" -- probably not the best-chosen pitch from someone who's supposed to be an expert at sizing up what the audience wants to hear.)

I really have no idea where you get this "BBD" stuff from. There's nothing about Henry Francis to suggest that he's a "Bigger Better Deal". His chief appeal (and this is what's so dangerous) is that he looks at Betty with loving eyes.

I'd understand the question better if cheating had anything to do with the attractiveness of one's partner.

Yeah, when Don burst into their bedroom in that last episode, grabbed Betty and called her a "whore", that was really taking the moral high ground.


I was going to say the same thing about you and Betty's parenting skills. And, BTW, I think the conversation between her and Sally about "first kiss" revealed genuine affection (in addition to other layers that wouldn't have been apparent to Sally).

I'm genuinely astonished that anyone would think Don Draper, who would rather spend his nights at work or in some other woman's bed than at home with his family, is the better parent. Even assuming that, when he actually is home, he shows the kids real affection (and I don't agree with that characterization), what good is it when he's so seldom there? Absentee affection is no substitute for being present.



Don't overlook the obvious explanation: Baby Gene is the only child who wouldn't have to be taken out of school for the six weeks that Betty has to stay in Reno to establish residency.
Edited by Michael Reuben - 11/11/09 at 2:06pm

Since he is now more of a pivotal character it's probably best to use the correct name. Lane's last name is Pryce, not Price.

Looks like Sal (Bryan Batt) won't be back for season 4:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/28/sal-leaving-mad-men-bryan_n_441112.html

Really too bad; he was a great character.

I liked the Sal character but given what happened this season, I can't see a believable way that they'd bring the character back full time. I certainly hope that he makes a guest appearance at some point in the future though (working at another agency, someone runs into him on the street or at a bar, etc.).

The new firm has Lee Garner Jr. and Lucky Strike as a major client. That alone should mean no Sal.

just finished teh blu-ray (awesome PQ/Audio too BTW) 'early' this morning so to speak ;).

what an incredible series! shocker after shocker towards the end of the season! =). the simmering issues finally boils to the surface! &the way they handled the children (the sit down scene) was so realistic ahaha. i never had any divorced parents... but man i've heard so many stories already... it was so heartbreaking especially for the daughter! so many issues, man just a trail of problems afterwards hahaha. this will make her life worse!

Hey guys,

 

Thought I'd jump in here!

 

I've been watching Mad Men on blu-ray for the past 6 months. I've not seen it before, so blu-ray is my way of watching as I don't have cable. What a great show so far! 

 

I just started watch watching Season 3 a few weeks ago and am slowly watching a show a week. 

 

Can't figure Don out yet as he's so messed up! I'm afraid to see what happens to he and Betty in the coming season 3 episodes. I was surprised and not surprised he was going to sleep with the flight attendant and right after he got back together with Betty. Was surprised to and not surprised to see Sal and the bell boy too.

 

Loved the line that Don says to his British colleague, "Why did you buy us?"

 

So now I am torn, whether to buy Season 4 via iTunes with a season pass or wait for the blu ray.

 

nelson, i personally would wait for the Blu-Ray. the production of the sets/costumes are awesome... BD reveals it better than iTunes' 720p imho.

 

like you, i also have seen mad men 1-3 on BD. i'll wait for s4 on BD. i've given up on live HDTV broadcasts. 2much macroblocking, synching issues. plus i hate commercials and the weekly wait between the episodes.

Yi,

 

Thanks for the feedback! That's what I was leaning towards. Besides, it seems crazy too to pay for Mad Men twice! Once on iTunes, and then the BD! 

 

The blu-rays do look fantastic! What is fun to see is the real furniture and props that don't look new because they are 40 or 50 year old objects!

 

I checked the release dates on the past sets. Season One and Two were released July. Season 3 was released in March. I guess we have a long wait! 

meh... when i say i stopped i meant i stopped watching ALL live HDTVs. that means that the shows i missed sept. 09 through may '10 are now starting to arrive. so i have many, many series to catchup, which i'm perfectly fine with =D

 

i'm assuming mad men isn't the only TV you watch. when you get used to it, it stops being an issue =P. the only issue i had was everyone was talking about Lost's final season. so i basically watched that live this year... but after that i find that not many people watch all the TV series i follow (like mad men).... so it didn't matter to me when i watched them.

Yeah, I watch TV broadcast over the air. Works fine for me. And I have other DVD's to watch. 

 

I've just been spoiled by Mad Men because I bought Season One and watched an episode a week, liked it and before the last episode of S1, I bought S2 and was able to watch uninterrupted! Same with S3. So once S3 is over, I have to wait!

 

I can watch S1, 2 and 3 over.

join me Nelson!  no more live broadcasts! =P ofc that'd mean stopping discussions lulz. which i've done pretty much w/the live TV Programming threads so as to avoid spoilers,

Yeah, it keeps me from reading these Mad Men threads!

There isn't that much I see that I want to own, Mad Men is the current exception.

Wow, I just saw the episode with the John Deere mower. That was great!

 

What a terrific turn of events! It's funny how Don comments that even if his foot was injured, why he couldn't still do his job and the British automatically say it's over for him. Sign of the times. And it will be interesting to see how the Hilton situation evolves.

 

I did peek at the earlier posts here to this episode. It will be interesting to see the rest of the 1963 season. What I'm curious about is whether James Bond and The Beatles will come into play. And of course, how they handle JFK. I think read some comments that the Jet Set episode was an homage to James Bond already.

 

I hope that Don and Betts work out their marriage. Naming the baby Gene sure caused some problems. The Barbie doll on the dresser shot reminded me of The Twilight Zone too. That had to be a subtle reference, plus Sally's reaction to it!

Thanks Matt and thanks for not spoiling anything!

 

I can't wait to see S4. I'll have to wait it out for the BD release or succumb and get it on iTunes.

 

What I also found so interesting about this episode is that I can identify with it. Having been part of a design consultancy agency in the 80's, we merged with another firm in the 90's. So I feel at home at Sterling Cooper. Having a mower in the studio wasn't out of the ordinary. And I can feel for the guys who are wondering what's going to happen from the buy out!

Wow, I just finished the season 3 blu ray last night. What a great season ending episode.

The JFK assassination and the "what is going on?" line that Betty exclaims made me realize how 911 affected my life in so similar ways. It was a catalyst for these characters. And it also propelled me in new directions. What great stuff!

Great to see Joan back and running the new firm! I'm wonder how heartfelt Don's plea to Peggy is. It worked and Peggy is with the new firm. I want to think Don has changed and will be better to her and Pete, he realizes that they are forward thinking and not only needs them for the firm to succeed, but respects them a lot more.

In reading the posts above that I avoided, I can see your arguments about Betty being more old school then the ladies such as Peggy and Joan. I really hated to see that marriage fall apart. I guess I'm a romantic and hoped they could make it work. I agree her storyline will be intersting to see as it unfolds in S4. I really hope the new firm succeeds!

I really enjoyed that last episode, how Don took the reins and got the partner's to wake up and take the firm back.

Now for the wait for the S4 blu ray....I'm avoiding any spoilers.

Just finished season 3. . .I kind of agree with ALL of you about Betty -- she's a cold, snobby, immature bitch, but that doesn't excuse Don's treatment of her. She never shows any of her kids the slightest affection that I can see -- even the "first kiss" talk with Sally came across as her not wanting HER daughter to get a loose reputation more than it did her wanting to share a moment with her kid. Don works long hours and goes away all the time, but when he's actually with his kids, I get the feeling that they're important to him more than I ever do with Betty. Then again, the kids aren't a focus of the show, so we only see snippets of the time the family spends together. (Of course, we see the parts that the filmmakers *want* us to see.)

If the show has one noticeable flaw, it's that so few of the characters are truly likeable. It can be hard to relate. Interestingly, I find Roger Sterling to be getting more and more likeable as time goes on. In season 1 I would never have expected him to become so (brutally) honest and trustworthy. Maybe the coronaries' effect on his outlook had something to do with that.

Trudy is becoming more intriguing. At first it appeared she'd just be a younger version of Betty, but she's reacting to the changes in her life (and her douchebag husband) in a much more, um, Peggy kind of way. And she's getting more screen time. I wonder if she'll play a larger role in season 4, helping out with the new firm and all.

I want to point out one thing: Carla is not a nanny; she's more of a part-time housekeeper (someone, either Betty or Mrs. Pryce, made a comment in one episode about being able to hire a "real nanny" if she lived in Europe). She's only there for a few hours a day, and has her OWN FAMILY at home. (When I was a kid, we're talking late '70s or early '80s here, we had someone similar, who picked up me and my sister from school and did a little house-cleaning until my mom got home from work.) Asking her to watch the kids for 6 weeks was extremely inconsiderate. Par for the Betty course, I guess.

On to season 4 next week. . .

Just finished S3, watched S1-S3 pretty quick. I like a lot of the characters, Trudy makes me laugh eventhough she isn't really that funny on the show, Paul acting sophisticated makes me laugh too. Pete is sometimes great but he is a douche a lot of the time. I miss Sal though. Betty is a bitch but she is quite good looking, I always am amazed at how attractive she is, I only knew her from her bad SNL episode and X-Men.