I do agree that Pete is often drawn to women who seem sad or lonely—I think with Beth Dawes especially that was the main draw. But there's a big difference between that and the other narrative where he's drawn to women who are emotionally dependent on him so he can feel strong and macho. I think those two things are…

That sounds like a bit of a dodge, though. I'm not denying that Don suffers internally. But iirc, the original comment was about Don being punished by the show, which I think would involve a few more moments of "glad I'm not that guy" over Don suffering internally while his beautiful wife and children try to comfort…

I think Pete's more immature than Don, but also far more self-aware and intelligent about who he is than Don. Last year both characters came to conclusions at the end of the season. Don came to a conclusion about Megan (that she wasn't going to be what he needed) and Pete came to a realization about himself (that his…

Pete was also upset about Kennedy's assassination for similar reasons, so I don't think it was just about his home situation. That probably made him more ready to blow about it, but I don't think it was just a cover.

I do get the interpretation. I just think that in the context of the conversation, Harry is complaining about wanting things getting back to normal while Phyllis saying that she doesn't see the point of rioting, but  is also upset by the news personally.

Or the subject is all of those people outside who are rioting: It's like all those people smashing things up won't be happy until they destroy the city.

I can't see how it would occur to Harry Crane, who's position in that whole scene is irritation at the disruption going on, to hold the entire human population of NYC responsible for anything. There's a fear of riots going on. That's what's turning the place into a shithole. The riots would be in response to MLK's…

In 2013, the Realtor would still be saying to Peggy "Once the 2nd avenue subway is built…!"

I really don't think either exchange was significant to the black people. Don was a white guy in 1960 who had a question he wanted the busboy to answer and the guy was obligated to politely answer him. If Don wanted to chat, of course the busboy would do that too. I don't think he considered it that big of a…

How is Don being punished, though? He's got a hot young wife who loves him and sympathizes with his problems, nice kids, his own agency and a mistress downstairs. However much he's suffering on the inside, he doesn't seem like he's really being punished in a meta way…yet.

No, it was horror at the blackface. It was the same face he made last season when Y&R sent over the African statue with the racist joke with it.Nobody on this show's a champion for any social movement, but Pete's opinions on this political question have been consistent.

But she wasn't less confident when we met her, which was when he was marrying her. Honestly, I just think the idea that Pete wants a weak childish woman is a myth. His wife is and has always been a steamroller who stood up to him. Peggy was new the city, but still Peggy. Beth Dawes controlled every single interaction…

I think it's more that he's a bottomless pit of need and can be fine with an evenly matched person (as he was with Trudy, since he often admired the things she was good at and how smart she was etc.), but once her attention seemed to drift away he felt unloved and justified in seeking out something else. I can't…

I don't think he thinks he's a terrible person. Which may be horrifying, but many people on the show justify terrible behavior and still hold principles about other things and don't hesitate to express them. I don't think Pete was just grandstanding in the scene with Harry, putting on a show for somebody.

I don't think that came down to Pete in tears because of MLK personally. Pete gets beside himself about things he sees as unfair, imo, and admires people who are trying to change that—basically the same idea as Kennedy. So I think there was that thing that always gets to Pete, plus this was the only place he could…

I think it's more that racism is always there for a white person to use. Joan felt like using it in that instance but here didn't.

Yes, he does do that, but I think we're beyond not pouring the coffee now. Now we're into people who've jerked around in a relationship and maybe it's not the best idea in the long run for him to jump back into doing what he thinks she wants instead of what she says so they get back into a maybe I don't mind having…

Of course, Philip probably has a library card in the US so he might have read lots of Russian novels since getting here. Maybe even in English translation.

From what I remember: She asked him if he was going someplace because he was already packing to leave for the apt. when she arrived. He said that he'd been at the motel long enough, that he didn't like bringing the kids there. She mistakenly thought he was telling her he was coming home (without asking her first) and…

Yes, the "I supported you and you're a quitter! Now you're trying to kill my dreams too!" is like the elephant in the room. It's hard to imagine coming back from those words but it's hard not to imagine Jim thinking them. Especially, as you say, after Roy's wedding where Roy refers to his broken engagement as "dodging…