<p>I found Betty’s entire behavior hard to understand. Except that she’s unhappy. We know she’s unhappy. That’s her persona. She’s always done inappropriate things: like her strange talks with that kid. I thought the bedroom scene fit once I connected it to her past. I assume it means Henry is happy - with her, with the family, with what he’s doing in life - and we know she isn’t. I’m not sure the content of the speech matters as much as it was a way of showing she’s not in sync with him, not content to be Mrs. Francis, not happy as Betty. That she said this to Henry could be positive: she feels safe with him. His reaction when she came in with brown hair was to invoke Elizabeth Taylor. He seems to really adore her so maybe at least she can be inappropriate more with him than randomly. Remember her weird comments to Sally’s therapist? She’s a woman child, just as Sally is a child woman. Just as Sally acts out, maybe Betty acts out to the fatherly figure of Henry. At least a little. </p>
<p>I don’t think Don has “lost his edge” or anything like that. They showed the firm doing work for Dow, which was that big, no chance pitch Don made last season to get work from a client way beyond their reach. We may well see the “stepping off point” idea develop into a campaign - or be shown as a final result - without seeing the work in between. But I may be influenced by the fact the idea was basically right: shedding your skin, your suit, your cares is exactly what Hawaii is about so I assume they’ll work out the details. </p>
<p>Another point: there was no mention of desperation on the part of the agency. The last few seasons have been filled with financial anxiety, with getting past Lucky Strike, with landing business at all, with getting paid. This seemed like an ordinary meeting for a client who wants work for their Hawaii property, not a pitch for someone new, for some client they need or they’ll lay people off.</p>
<p>If you contrast with Peggy, you can read in much more stuff. What is Peggy really doing? She finds film that allows them to show the headphones being used for fun. She got that from looking at Abe listening to music. That’s a bit of insight. It’s better than the “lend me your ears” crap she had before; it’s real. (Kaliamom, IMHO, caught that exactly right: you’re supposed to realize both taglines are meh. They are cute, but not insightful.) She did it but she didn’t do it the first time, only when she had no choice. Don has a real insight: Hawaii is where you shed your skin, represented by the suit and tie on the beach. He has the idea right but the execution is off. I can’t say one is better or worse, just that there are connections between them. </p>
<p>One of the great things about the show is it touches things and moves on. That is, in some ways, the essence of why it’s great: it doesn’t clarify, doesn’t satisfy, doesn’t come to conclusions and closure. When Lane is dead, Don tries to do the right thing and Lane’s widow barks at him. Unexpected, but then she’s gone unless she somehow returns. I remember hearing Matt Weiner answer a question about Sal, the original art director. He was a real favorite and his issues as a closeted gay man were interesting but Matt said sometimes you have to move on even though you like a character. </p>
<p>I don’t expect resolution. I expect interesting disappointments, some shocks, interesting triumphs, lots of insight, and a deeply woven set of metaphors and references.</p>