Yes, that scene was cringe-inducing in its plausibility. Part of why it's so well executed, though, is that you get the impression Kitty very likely doesn't have a full understanding of what "gay" is or that her husband is acting that way, just that there's something about the way her husband acts, and the way he…

Don didn't have a car. They probably took her car to get up there. And Stephanie likely just decided that whatever she was looking for wasn't at Esalen, and that she didn't need Dick "let's just tell ourselves the bad things never happened and that it's all okie-dokey" Whitman in tow to find it.

Another thing to keep in mind is that supposedly (I only read it as a rumor, so don't quote me) Bryan Batt had a dust-up with Matthew Weiner, hence his sudden exit. This is probably also the genesis of Bob Benson, as a new character to deal with the experiences of closeted executives in that era.

Having had a full day to digest this episode, I think I like the end more even now that when I initially watched it. And the reason still is because it's strongly implied that Don's "enlightenment" was limited to a killer pitch and a return to Madison Avenue. One of the ongoing themes of Mad Men has been that people…

I really didn't get the impression Betty had any intention of becoming a practicing therapist. My guess was that beyond a genuine interest in the topic, she also wanted to be able to speak with more authority at her husband's parties, and during spousal arguments.

Add to that the constant references to Coke in the last episodes (particularly how the guy wants Don to "fix" the Coke machine at his motel, even though Don wants to get going), and it does seem at least more likely than not.

Re: Kinsey and Sal - I re-watched the pilot before the finale last night, and you really do forget how much of a central player Kinsey was in those first three seasons. But I can't say his absence really held the show back going forward, and they wrapped his story up fairly effectively in season 5. Better to spend…

The '82-'93 NBC show will go down in TV history as the better, more innovative show. As terribly as NBC handled Carson's retirement, they did have a point: the anarchic, "cult" status of Late Night would never have translated into the 11:30 Tonight Show, which was (and in many ways still is) the very epitome of the…

This fluctuates on where I'm at any given moment, but right now:

Indeed, there have been Coke references throughout the last few episodes. And we can really read Coke as the ultimate challenge that Don runs away from, only to come back and face head on.

I'm reading a lot of comments where people hope that Don didn't come up with the Coke ad because he found some higher way of being or some such thing… Well, have you considered that the reason Don found his inner peace was he finally realized, "Hey, I actually don't have to be something 'better' than just another…

I was going to say that but you beat me to it. Related: I read or heard somewhere that ABC executives were always antsy about people thinking Oscar and Felix were gay, and were constantly bothering Gary Marshall about it. As a practical joke, Marshall filmed a few shots of Oscar and Felix kissing, and would…

Well, she kind of liked being the white glove housewife. Recall she reacted sort of catily when one of her friends disclosed she was working as a realtor. She didn't really want to be liberated in the 70's "second-wave" feminism sense - she just had very strong opinions and wanted the people in her life to respect…

"I don't want this to end." Well, that's the thing, isn't it? Henry doesn't want Betty's life to end, and it feels too soon to HIM. He wants to do everything he can to forestall the inevitable. Henry's sort of a proxy for the fans out there who don't see why the show can't just keep on going, or cling to the hope…

They could still sue him in New York for breaching the agreement.

Or maybe Don and the kids could recruit ex-wife Megan into a family singing act. They could even get Megan's goofy, (apparently) hapless manager to book them some really crummy gigs that lead to all kinds of comedic situations.

Betty's storyline was, ironically enough, a mirror image of Rachel Menken's: Ultimately, she lived the life she wanted and had everything. There was some struggle involved, and it ended much sooner than she'd have wanted. But she appears at peace with herself and the choices she made. What we're left to ask is which…

Well, it's some sort of progress - remember, when Anna Draper was falling down and breaking bones right and left, nobody would bother telling her what was wrong with her. The thinking went, "She'll be gone soon enough, why ruin the little time she has left?" And I believe that was actually fairly common, until…

And apparently at that time the DGA mandated that all directors appearing on television wear beige colored sport coats.

Z Channel was not public access television. Public access TV is a station provided by cable companies where pretty much anyone from the community who shows up can get air time (and sometimes use of equipment). Z Channel was a paid channel much akin to HBO or Showtime, only with really, really good taste in movies. You…