AMC's Mad Men Season 3, Episode 5
The Fog
Although Betty was wrong in her assumption that the newest member of the Draper family would be a girl, she seemed more than happy to name her new son after her father. Before she gave birth to Eugene Scott Draper, however, Betty spent some time in a drug-induced dreamland where her dead parents insulted her and she regarded a caterpillar with childlike wonder before crushing it in her palm.
The latter hallucination is good reflection of Betty’s parenting skills. In attempting to shield Sally from Gene’s death, Betty won’t allow her daughter a chance to grieve. And the unhappiness Betty displayed at the hospital seems to have followed her back to the Draper home, where she responded to her new baby’s cries with weariness and hesitation. Perhaps she should have tried harder to keep Carla around.
Don the Daddy
Don, on the other hand, seems to be continuing his efforts to be a better husband and father — although he was definitely not onboard with the name Eugene. Before spending some one-on-one time with Sally at home, Don opened up to another expectant father at the hospital and admitted that he doesn’t spend enough time “throw(ing) a ball around” with Bobby.
And although his waiting room buddy was not quite on the mark when he called Don an “honest guy,” he seemed to hit a nerve when he said, “This is a fresh start. … I’m gonna be a better man.” Of course, if Don really wants to be a better man, he should probably stop his meaningful exchanges with Sally’s teacher. Apparently he wasn’t thinking about Patio when he watched her dance around the maypole.
Penny-Pinching Pryce
At Sterling Cooper, the tension between Don and Lane Pryce escalated as Don fought to maintain his department’s creative process in the face of Pryce’s efforts to save money. So, it was no surprise that Don later refused Peggy’s request for a raise, although she made a strong case for herself — and the child she gave up was the elephant in the room among the Drapers’ baby gifts.
Peggy and Pete
Peggy was inspired to assert herself after lunch with Duck Phillips, who tried to steal her and Pete away to his new agency. Peggy seemed to consider it, but Pete was none too pleased when he saw her there — especially after Duck correctly guessed at their “secret relationship.” Pete’s anger with Peggy continued as she refused to reveal whether she told Don about Duck’s offer, and Pete reminded her, in a remark laced with subtext, that “(her) decisions affect (him).”
However, Pete had more to worry about. After his idea to cater an Admiral Television campaign to the African-American market fell flat, he received a fierce reprimand from his bosses, particularly Roger: “I don’t know if anyone’s ever told you that half the time this business comes down to ‘I don’t like that guy!’” However, Pryce seemed interested in the idea because it could make money, so there might be hope for Pete yet. Ken and his new watch better look out.
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