While most recaps focus on the entire aspect of a show, this one’s going to be a little bit different.  As this is a feminist blog deconstructing images and portrayals of women in pop culture, why spend an entire post rambling on about the men of Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Price.  Instead, these recaps will focus on the women of Mad Men – the main ladies: Peggy, Joan, and Betty, and any new additions or guest stars – hence the title “Mad Women.”

Apologies for the late recap this week.

Peggy
I feel this week’s episode proved that this is turning out to be a very Peggy-centric season.  In my opinion, it was the best episode of the series so far.  Although I haven’t felt this type of vibe from her and Don’s relationship in the past, I really felt in this episode that they should be together.  They balance each other out, and neither judges the other for their past, their current mishaps, or their secrets and anger.  They both opened up to one another in emotionally revealing ways, and Peggy telling Don that he didn’t lose the only person who truly knew him, was spot on.  I believe that Don could sit down and tell Peggy all of his secrets, and she wouldn’t hold it against him, or be angry.  I thought when Peggy and Don were talking at the bar, she would tell him that Pete was the father of her child, and while she didn’t say who it was, I think that she’ll tell Don at some point down the line.

While I think Trudy’s comment to Peggy in the ladies room noticeably bothered her, her actions proved she isn’t caving to the pressure to be a “real” or “good” woman of the time, and let her life just become about marriage and children.  By the end of the episode, it didn’t bother her that instead of dinner with her boyfriend and family, she spent her birthday brainstorming, drinking with, and consoling a grieving Don Draper.  She is smart, and knows the stigma attached to her choice to focus on her career instead of landing a husband.

Joan
While I think Joan had only two lines the entire episode, I loved her exchange with the guys.  She proved that she is no longer just the girl who cleans up after the messes other employees make, she now has the power to tell people what to do.

Betty
No thoughts on Betty this week, she was absent once again

Leave your thoughts on Peggy and Don’s relationship, Trudy’s comments, and anything else from this week’s episode in the comments.