All We Need is Love?

Pondering Sonny and Cher:

Facebook and Twitter seem to be just as shocked as Peggy was.

So, first the big question: Why did Don fall in love with Megan so quickly?

• She handles her own trauma (big teeth) so well.
• She is good in a crisis (getting rid of the dead secretary).
• She worships Don like no one else has for some time
• She is bilingual.
• She is a female from Montreal.
• She does not berate the kids for spilling the milkshake.  
• Perhaps because she is so naive: "you have a good heart."!??
• Perhaps it has little to do with her but with impact of California and Anna's death on Don.
• Most importantly, she has a college roommate who worked on Hogan's Heroes!!!!  Interesting choice, Matthew W.

It was a strange, surprising move, but, then again, once Don has an engagement ring in his pocket, it almost seems inevitable.  The fallout from this will be extremely interesting.  It already deflects a Betty reconciliation (although it is not clear how far that was going to go).  Peggy is upset, and Don seems to get why.  Will Megan get promoted at work to copywriter, remain a secretary or become career-less?  It can go in any direction. 

Other shocker or not: Joan is still pregnant and spinning the husband as the father.  Which almost certainly means he dies in Vietnam.  Or not, as Matthew Weiner does not like to be too predictable.

Line of the night: When Peggy says b.s. to Joan after the latter insists that she does not get most of her satisfaction from her workplace.  That was just a great scene.

2nd best line of the night: Roger: "Did you get cancer?" Referring to the Cancer institute folks.

3rd best line of the night: Don: "We all try, we do not always make it!"

4th best line of the night: Don: "We'll tell everybody."  A break for Mr. Non-disclosure.

5th best line of the night: Joan: "Smiling like a fool, first guy to marry his secretary."

Did people buy Don's pitch about teenagers mourning the end of their youth?  Rebellion and adulthood would seem to point in the other direction.  I guess they will get that account and spinoffs as well.

Most notable line of the night: answering his kid's question about Dick and Anna, Don says that is his nickname.  Is that more or less acknowledgment of his past?  Lying to his kids, but almost not.  Your take?

I did like how Ken refused to be Pete and abuse his family ties: that he has life outside of work that is his priority.  Shocked the room.  But he still cares.  I love his joy about Peggy's success.  Is Ken the most likable person at the firm, after Peggy, of course?

Peggy!!!  What a great pitch!  She sees the opportunity and runs with it.  Just fantastic.  Not that much Peggy in this episode but she just rocks. 

Betty, Betty, Betty!  Firing Carla?!  I do like how Carla responded to Betty, not taking her crap.  It meant her job, but Betty did not respect her and let her Glenn obsession overwhelming everything else.   It led to a great scene where Henry reveals not just a small out of buyer's remorse.  "There is no fresh start!  Lives carry on."  Not for Don, but everyone else, sure.

I did like the chagrined smile that Betty had when Don finds his bottle of booze left behind by the movers.  Nice touch and nice scene, especially how she is so insincere that Don has found someone serious.

And then it ends on I got you babe.

I know that the California sequences have always been unpopular amongst a certain part of the viewership, so I like Matthew Weiner's refusal to course-correct for that.  He has a story to tell and he will tell it his way.  Including no historical hook for this season, unlike the previous ones.  Such a very strong season, it is going to be a long wait for the next one.

We will have much time to obsess over:

1. Joan, her pregnancy, and her husband's fate.
2. The fate of the firm (it will live on, but how).
3. How much time to move into the future?  I would guess not as much simply because the actress playing Sally is so terrific and is not going to age that much in real life (the anti-Walt) problem.
4. Megan's work-future.
5. Will Bert return?  What is Roger's role now that Joannie is out of reach?
6. How will Peggy impress us next?
7. Will Sal return now that Lucky Strikes is gone?
8. Will Don cheat on Megan?  How soon?  With whom?

Your take? I may have more to say after reading all of the reviews and while we wait for season five.