Mad Men Episode 8 - The Souvenir

This week Betty suddenly and inexplicably rocked.

Not to worry though, Peter more than makes up for the suckage quota
More... If there is a theme this week its kissing and no, I'm not joking.

First Betty's arc - Betty "makes a stand" with the hausfraus for greater Westchester County on the Pleasanton development proposal. Thanks to the influence of Henry the Gubernatorial aide. Creepy Henry kisses Betty. She does not reject his advances... much to my surprise. Last season's finale was the first time we saw this danger streak in Betty. I will be honest I attributed that to a fear that the world was ending. Given where she and Don are in their progression maybe she feels the same thing right now. Still she is somewhat triumphant and greats Don with a smile he finds surprising. Later, she insists she join Don on his business trip with Conrad Hilton to Rome. It's somewhat interesting to learn things about Betty here. As an Ossning housewife she is generally painted as a vapid occasionally childlike woman. In Rome, she is a new woman. She speaks servicable Italian, she understands how much a porter earns a week and an appropriate tip. She impresses Don. Me too. Nice job Betty. There is a rather sudden visible transformation mid trip where Betty suddenly looks very modern and Don looks downright dated. So much so, that two Italian sleezeballs hit on her and mock him in a bar. This is where things get interesting - they actually do some light role playing in the bar, acting as though he is picking her up for the first time. This is obviously, for Don's benefit. Who again is impressed and suddenly turned on. This is sort of important - I think its the first time in a very long time that Don sees Betty as his equal. Many of his trysts are with self possessed women. Much of his frustration with Betty is that she seems entirely dependent on him. Anyway it works and they are suddenly back in the throes of a passionate romance. The key part is that it does not go away. Upon returning home, Betty is still - I dunno - self actualized(?). She handles a Sally issue deftly and later gives her daughter an important life lesson on the importance of a first kiss. Betty has turned a corner.

Pete on the other hand, has no such luck. He sucks. Trudy goes away for the summer leaving Campbell the tragic bachelor. While throwing out the trash he comes across a distraught au par who has ruined her mistress's dress. Peter in what looks like a fit of manners offers to resolve the issue on her behalf. A quick trip to the department store and an assist from Joan (come back Joan!) resolves the issue pretty quickly. Peter tries to encourage some celebration, which our little fraulein wants nothing of. Peter gathers himself (gets drunk) and somewhat forces himself on her. Campbell, Campbell, Campbell you had me fooled. Of course, mega chump that he is, he allows his equally sleezy neighbor to chase him off and then basically dissolves when Trudy comes back from holiday. Peter, I know Don Draper and you sir are no Don Draper. Trudy bails him out of his guilt a little too easily for my liking. Trudy, go be Sal's beard - he would treat you better. Peter grow a pair...please, we saw that under all that childishness there was a woman in Betty, when are you going to man up?

More Joan, less Peter!