Perhaps I am just projecting my own perspective into Don's life, but Faye seems like a better bet because she's more mature and, I think, self-assured. She's got a career and a doctorate and seems to know what she wants. Megan is sharp, but the implication is that she's just working as a secretary until she gets married. I'd hate to think Don chose her because he doesn't want a working wife, but that appears to be part of it.

I think you're right about Don's motives, but probably wrong about Megan's. She's mentioned career ambitions, possibly in advertising, and admires Peggy (a big hint Don apparently hasn't picked up on yet.) Also, although she likes Don's kids, it's a long way from becoming a surrogate mother to them. That, plus the fact that Don has yet to tell her about Dick, suggests significant issues are looming next season.

Perhaps I am just projecting my own perspective into Don's life

Aren't we all doing that?

I forgot that she said that about admiring Peggy. Maybe she will be a copywriter. I was just thinking that the secretary jobs seem designed to be dead ends and Peggy was a fluke. Them again I don't know what other avenue to that career, or any career, a young woman could take in those days.

Obviously Betty's treatment of Carla was utterly despicable. Betty lashes out at anybody who gives her some truth. But it wasn't cold-hearted and calculated; beneath that ice, it was a hysterical response to being challenged. At some point, that new husband — whose always weak moderating influence on her is diminishing further — is going to cop it big time for not siding with her.

Betty's behaviour is not rational because she is in no mental state to act rationally, and (as matej suggests, she is innately immature). She is in a very dark place, and her actions must be measured against that.

Amor de Cosmos wrote:
(a big hint Don apparently hasn't picked up on yet.)

Well, he did tell Peggy that Megan reminded him of her. Which I thought was a ludicrous thing to say - but interesting that he felt the need to justify the decision to Peggy, who after all is in some ways meant to be a replacement for Anna.

Megan was 100% the wrong choice because she represents a flight back to the Don Draper persona. He saw the "Dick" on the wall at Anna's place, was reminded of his old identity, and then ran like hell from it by spurning the one woman he felt comfortable discussing it with and proposing to some child while making up some fairy story about how Anna'a ring from the "real" Don Draper is some kind of family heirloom.

This is what I mean about sinking beneath the possibility of redemption.

His cowardice certainly seems unquenchable (but, again, I don't know whether the show could survive without that at its dramatic core.)

Megan certainly seems to be the "new Betty" in Don's mind, but I suspect there's more to her than that. She's young but bright, and no Princess. On some level Don knows he needs a woman like Faye, or Rachel, or any of the sensitive, intelligent women he's had affairs with, but his lack of honesty always betrays him. Megan will likely be another failure.

That puts it much better than I could have.

Is there another show on TV where cowardice plays such a central role? I can't think of any. Is that why it's so compelling, do you think?

I can't think of one. There have been several notable movies of course,The Cain Mutiny and Rebel Without a Cause spring to mind. But most, with male protaganists, deal with physical cowardice rather than deceit of the Draper kind. I do think the fact that it's such a common phenomenon, but so rarely explored, does make the show compelling. Women, it seems, recognise the weakness in men more than we do ourselves. Almost all my female friends claim to have met one or more Don Draper in their life, but few men seem to notice them, except as an enviable aspirational figure.

You're forgetting Scooby-Doo.

No, I never saw Scooby Doo.

Obviously I'm projecting my own perspective here too, but I warmed to Megan more than Faye. I'm not saying it's chalk and cheese, Faye was good for him in her own way for a while there, but Megan is much more of a people person.

And I read it very differently from AG, I don't think he was running from Dick in California at all, I think he felt he could be more like "himself" with Megan, regardless of the fact that Faye knows the details and Megan doesn't. Faye is more competitive, calculating, less empathetic, Megan is warmer of heart - I'm thinking especially of their respective reactions to Allison in episode four. Doubtless there will be problems along the way or else it would make for a dull fifth series, but nonetheless - good decision.

Hah. It's a credit to the show that we sometimes sort of forget that these aren't real people and therefore any decision that seems like a good idea because it will bring stability is certain to be wrong because stability doesn't make for interesting drama.

Yoss wrote:
And I read it very differently from AG, I don't think he was running from Dick in California at all, I think he felt he could be more like "himself" with Megan, regardless of the fact that Faye knows the details and Megan doesn't.

How does that square with the decision to tell Megan that Anna's ring is in fact a family heirloom that he wants her to have?

He immediately corrected himself "... not my family, really ... it belonged to someone who was very important to me."

all perfectly true, it just wasn't the time and place for a full explanation.

I too thought it was an unusual ending for the Season. Interesting the points being made about cowardice, for me I would look at him doing nothing and continuing to live his empty life the way he was as being more cowardly. He could have his cake and eat it with Faye as the main woman in his life and Megan there on the side when he needed it.

A coward would want to avoid putting his head above the parapet and making a life changing decision he must have known he had no confidence he could make with his track record and the other problems around him with the agency crumbling. A coward would do anything to avoid the ghastly conversation he knew he would have to have with Faye too.

Making an extravagantly large life changing gesture which caused convulsions in a number of lives has parallels with Roger giving up everything for Jane in the last season, again when it seemed misguided and again when he could have had her in his life without destroying his wife, family and personal respect from his peers. It seemed an odd plot move at the time and it didn't really work out much at all, either for him as a character nor for us as viewers. Jane was like a rarely seen extra in Season 4 and Roger appeared to be bored of her really quickly and was reduced to pining for Joanie again. They made a big thing in the last season of his so called devotion to her, the time when he had the lunch with a former flame from decades before and totally out of character turned down an afternoon session with her because Jane was 'the one'.

I will be interested to see if Megan ends up the same way, marginalised and temporary or if indeed she can be the person who brings elements out of Don that no-one else can. It seems a stretch, she is a young girl with pretty limited life experience, would she handle the information about Don's past with the sensitive maturity that Faye did for instance?

There are many kinds of cowardice. Don's is born out of his failure to face the consequences of Dick's impulsive deceit. Which in turn, is driven by his fear of being found out. He's terrified that one day the world will discover he's really white trash Dick, rather than confident, successful Don. His cowardice doesn't force him to hide. It makes him flee. Psychologically he's on the run all the time, he has to stay one step ahead — it's what makes him good at his job. Other men might not be able to give Faye the kiss-off but he's done it many times before, to Bobbi, to Suzanne and others we assume, it's unpleasant but it doesn't challenge his vulnerability in any way so he doesn't fear it.

Don Draper says "what" a lot.

I never noticed that, to be honest.

And: Sesame Street do Mad Men.

There's a part of me who feels that having watched series 3 and 4 in the same calendar year that I am not appreciating it as much as I should. A touch of overkill you might say.

That said, it's good to see them keeping it real. Going solo was always going to be a tough ride for Don and the agency and the writers have pulled no punches in revealing the vulnerability of both. Still the best drama by a fucking mile.