I'm not liking this trend of flash-back memories jammed into a  "character dies" episode.

I would say he's protective of Joan; more macho chivalry than empathy. Even in the Jaguar dirty business Don tried to shield her from the ugly world like a daughter…

Best episode of the season so far. I was happy to see them move time along so that the new ruling family could settle in and put us past the winter back into the raiding season.

You just described Bill Gates. Who is one of the only billionaires who's actively trying to give it away to make the world better rather than trying to amass even more money that he can't spend.

He's definitely an Alcoholic and (as they continue to hammer on) heavy smoker. So addiction is certainly in the genes.

Stray observation… everyone stop typing SCDP… P is dead. Sterling Cooper Draper now. 

That reminds me… since they've cut out every fool to date… does that mean Catelyn won't be giving the red smile to poor jinglebells?

Nope, that was all Lysa and Littlefinger with some abortion mumbling for spice.

Given Pete's continued denial and parting words about her not knowing anything for sure, I'm pretty sure Brenda didn't say anything about the fling. 
It was all so obvious she didn't need to ask.

Peggy is new Don (her dialog to her subordinates could be written for Don but she's saying it now).
Pete is more like the new Roger.
Don is still Dick Whitman as he can't graduate to being the new Bert Cooper.

This season is making it even more clear that Alison Brie is completely wasted on Community. She needs to get as far away from the dying animal before the rot starts to get infectious.

…Don’s back-story increasingly seems to be the sort that would explain the origins of a serial killer, not an adulterer… 

Or maybe that’s sort of the point. The characters on Mad Men often act as if they don’t entirely know why they behave the way they do, even as they have completely obvious reasons for why everybody…

[spoilers be here]

They're ahead on the vag though.

Yeah, I'm all for the reek changes. Though I would have preferred they stuck to the "chain of Reeks" and had Ramsey playing Reek #2 @ Winterfell before giving the name to Theon of douche island.

Noticed there is also a city "behind" Astapor, so it looks like Mireen will be getting labeled when they're *done* with Astapor.

That would have been a very good idea. 
Do all the Sam above the wall stuff first and then circle back to Jon and Ygritte. 
Hope he at least gets laid though, they've been doing a pretty piss-poor job of using the hot Irish red head they cast for her. 
You know nothing GoT writers.

seriously… the only thing of any import from those chats is the Little-fingering of Lysa's maidenhead while thinking it's Cat. 
Adds to Lysa's back-story spiral into crazy-town, but they can do that later with her, rather than in a 3rd person conversion with two soon to be dead characters.

Trying to explain anything involving the Brave Companions is just going to make her head spin.

As soon as the puppets started singing I turned it off…