Mad Men and a baby

I was surprised that last week's episode did not end with a trip to the hospital, but, after watching this week's episode, it makes sense. A nice framing device to have Betty with Don at Sally's school dealing with her oldest child's difficulties over losing Grampa Gene and finish with her new responsibilities for her baby boy.

Betty's labour was a nightmare of loneliness, drug-induced over-bright fairylands and horrible 60s medical practices. She managed it just fine, this being her third child, suffering under the hands of disinterested nurses, without her husband or her doctor (who was out a dinner instead). If labour was like that still today, I'd never want kids.

Don, meanwhile, got to sit in the waiting room and wonder at the concern of another father. Dennis's wife was clearly having their first child. Will his wife be alright? Will he love the child if she is not? And Don didn't really seem to register that it was a big deal.

Once the baby was in the world, in the arms of his mother, Don did the right thing, telling Betty she was beautiful despite her desires to put on her face. Then he ignored her wishes to name the child after her father.

Also, there are more indications that Don and Sally's teacher may end up having some sort of something. What that is and where that is going, I do not want to know...but I'm sure I'll find out soon enough.

Peggy and Pete finally had a scene together this season, brought together by Duck who has found himself and a different company and hopes to woo the two away. Pete was furious and left quickly, but Peggy enjoyed herself. She even requested a raise from Don, saying it was to be the law that women receive equal pay for equal work. He said it wasn't going to happen.

The scene was even more painful since Don's office was filled with gifts for the baby. As Peggy fingered a pair of booties and told him "I look at you and think I want what he has. You have everything and so much of it." She wishes she could have kept her baby. She wishes she had a devoted house husband and the pay her work deserves.

The most entertaining part of the episode was Pete's attempt to get old white men to focus their advertising campaigns towards the black population. It did not go well, and neither did his brief chat with an elevator operator, from whom he was trying to get the black perspective on purchasing. Oh Pete...what have you got going for you again? Right...your mother's family...

The whole episode makes me so glad that, despite the lack of convention today, and the lack of such beautiful clothes, I live now. Now is better. Discrimination is not nearly as bad.