Don Draper doesn't need to pay for sex. He's the dashing and distant man that brown-haired women can't resist. But last night, a prostitute strode into his apartment and smacked him around.
Is this another case of a high-powered executive needing his career-driven ego slapped away so he can surrender to fornication's id? His need to be dominated is new, suggesting that it stems from his recent divorce. His untenable identity was given a pillar of stability as husband. But without the ring on his finger, he's thrown into confusion. In the opening scene he's asked, 'Who is Don Draper?" and he can no longer fabricate his stolen identity. The shackles of marriage are off and he's unable to cope with his new-found freedom. Camille Paglia theorizes that 'whenever sexual freedom is sought or achieved, sadomasochism will not be far behind.' He's found a new way to enslave himself through a bit of hanky spanky.
Not to be overlooked is his Oedipal return to the mother figure. Don the whore-child escapes the confines of wife only to bring a prostitute to his bed. Projected in his work, his heralded Glo Coat floor cleaner commercial shows a little boy literally imprisoned by his housewife mother. In an earlier scene, he goes on a date with a Betty-type rules-girl. He is the constant prisoner of women... will he ever resolve his Madonna-whore conflict?
Professionally, he embraces the burgeoning sexual liberation of the 1960s. However, the clients, stuck in the priggish 1950s, are disappointed because the image isn't 'wholesome.' They even attempt to desexualize the bikini by calling it a two-piece bathing suit. Understanding the power of innuendo, Don cuts through their conflicting agenda by pointing out that his suggestive advertisement is a way to get your clientele into the store. As a customer of sex, Don knows its selling power.
Elsewhere in SCDP, Peggy conceives of a guerrilla marketing performance to sell ham. She hires two actresses to stage a fight over her client's brand of the pink meat. Only this staged aggression makes the easy leap to reality and one of the actresses lands in jail from assault charges. Like sex, aggression and violence are difficult fires to control.
Ex-wife Betty is certainly taking her ugly pills. She's become a monster of a mother to Sally, the little blonde girl able to sustain Don's devotion and love. In a genius scene, Betty transforms nurture into violence when she shoves sweet potatoes into Sally's mouth, humiliating her and making her gag at the Thanksgiving table. Jealousy is the driving force here -- Sally is the little girl that Betty wants to be, unconditionally loved by Don. The poor thing just endured her parents' divorce and now she's living with a frigid and unloving mother. I used to pity Betty as it seemed that her marriage to Don made her miserable. Alas, misery's the river of her world.
From the bedroom to that blue Cadillac Coupe de Ville that Don purchased in Season 2, Henry Francis is having a field day rubbing his scent all over Don's house and ex-wife. Bent on erasing Betty's ex, he's so whipped he refuses to see Betty's belittling treatment towards her daughter. As his mother said, "I know what you see in her, and you could've gotten it without marrying."
So common in divorce, Betty is using the children as passive aggressive vengeance on Don. Cunningly, she gives baby Gene to Carla before Don has a chance to see him. She purposely returns home late from her date with her new husband, all the while knowing that Don is forced to wait in his house he no longer inhabits. At first emasculated by new Daddy and spiteful Mommy, Don finally asserts himself and tells them to leave the house or start paying rent. When asked again, 'Who is Don Draper?' he's able to define himself. Betty's behavior was the final slap in the face he needed.
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During the first 45 Don was not acting like himself... he seemed like a very weak parody of himself. The slapping scene was really weird, they had obviously done it many times before and I'm not sure of the time lag between the divorce and the paid for sex.
It is really funny, I was sort of wishy washy on Don last season, felt bad for Betty but I tell ya, I felt really good for Don when he got his game back in the end.
I think a key line was when Henry said "It's temporary" and Don responds "Trust me, everybody thinks this is temporary"
It's the best way to pass the time until the next show.
This was a sterling piece of writing.
Loved that kicker!
The glow mop ad with the kid in the cowboy hat, in the "jail; Don passing through the saloon style swinging doors after saying good night to the kids, then laying down the law to Betty, and Jantzen; then to the WSJ reporter, "...two choices, die of boredom, or.strap on my guns."
The American myth of remarking oneself has been front and center in Draper, ala Gatsby; but the mysterious hero who rides into town and saves the day has been prominant in American mythology since The Virginian, circa 19 ought ?...This episode was surely mining that trope..
Do we know for sure that Don is actually Baby Gene's father? He still doesn't know about Betty's bathroom escapade, does he? Not that he didn't deserve it ...
1. The show-stopp
Also, it's pretty bleak that after all the savage verbal dressing-d
I don't understand ppl who say she should kill herself in the show. Don is partially to blame for the circumstan
I don't understand why Henry Francis doesn't just get a new house. Wasn't he supposed to take care of them? It does seem cheap and odd that he won't do anything. Sadly, I think that he is going to turn out to disappoint Betty. The scenes at night in the bed are a little foreshadow
I hope Suzanne comes back. she is still Sally's teacher...
The episode was great, though, and I love how Peggy has grown so much. I couldn't believe I was looking at the same person. Elisabeth Moss has such great range. What a great job she did!
Great first episode.
The house issue doesn't appear to be a money thing, or a Henry Francis thing, but a Betty refusing to look for another house thing.
Why would Suzanne still be Sally's teacher?
Betty is far from a victim and I don't think she is being portrayed that way on the show. She didn't have to marry Henry Francis, she did it because she thought he could give her what her husband couldn't.
I do agree that Elisabeth Moss is amazing and it's wonderful to see that Peggy feels comfortabl
Most were freedom-se
The Bettys of the world suffered badly from not being allowed freedom, risk, or fun. And they were too "play-by-t