i don't know about anyone else, but i was annoyed by don's "flashbacks" of his birth. obviously, he wouldn't remember any of it and i thought it seemed a little disconnected from other flashbacks we've seen.

Of course Don cannot remember the events of Abigail's still birth and the events surrounding his birth. He is remembering the retelling of those circumstances which were repeated many times.
He was commonly known as a "whore child". He  described himself as such  in the "Hobo episode".  He knew that Abigail (his step mother) had several still births.  He knew that he was the illegitimate child of his fathers adulterous affair with a prostitute, ( who died giving birth to him).  From the day of his birth until he left that life behind, he lived in the shadow of Abigail's resentment and hostility.  I am sure it all seemed very real to him.   He had heard the stories so many times they seemed like memories.

We are about a quarter  of our way into the third season now and I have seen every episode since the first.  I am content to let them tell the story their way, they are doing well enough for me to dedicate two  hours  of my time every Sunday night to watching this show.  Something I have never done before... What doesn't make sense now will make itself clear as these most interesting characters allow us to watch as they try to figure out the complications of this thing called life.  Pretty much no different than we are all doing out here in the real world...

I was  impressed by  the contrast between Betty's legacy and Dons.  Hers all wrapped up in a manilla folder, and Don's, in a shoe box, a faded photograph from 1928 showing the two people who shaped his life, people he has said he hates. Betty's, an oil painting of the her mother, the person I believe made her who she is today. (She is mothering as she was mothered). Then of course, the large amount of cash.  It is his "security blanket". Perhaps it will become a college fund, or maybe that summer house Betty has wanted.  That would be a good sign for the  Don Draper family...

I hope the negative birth images (Abigail's stillborn child, Jackie Kennedy's ill-fated pregnancy) that have found their way into the storyline don't foreshadow an unhappy ending to Betty's pregnancy.

... I hope so too.

I didn't think of the comparison between "Betty's legacy and Don's".  But you're right and it's very telling.  The woman is mothering exactly as she was mothered.  I remember the psychologist saying something like, "You resent your mother."  And her becoming very offended.

That was the dichtomy of psychology in the 60's and 70's. Blame your parents. Later, it expanded to become--blame everyone except yourself.

I took her offense as a sign of denial.  She may not have enjoyed the way her mother brought her up but Betty also seems less than willing to admit to herself or anyone else that she was a flawed human while at the same time, being her mother.  Almost as though Betty would, in same way, be diminished in some way if that were true.

I am new here and a bit confused.  I came over from another much less desirable Mad Men site.  That said, am I responding to the last poster or how does this work?  At the last site everyone was all over the place, talking about everything under the sun and I am not sure where to begin here.  Please helo!  If I am supposed to respond to the last poster or just in general, yes, I too think Betty is flawed but so are all the characters.  Without their flaws there would not be much of a show.  And I agree with the poster who said that in the 60s and 70s, everyone blamed their parents for their flaws, and that now we just blame everyone for everything.  Couldn't have said it more clearly!  If am not doing this correctly, please someone let me know.  Thanks!

Hmm... I didn't know about the trends in psychology - all I picked up on in the show is how little Don thinks of the field.  But what you said, mneely, sounds very familiar.  I think many people still do that, but in Betty's case she won't even give herself that.

jkerouac, I saw her reaction similarly.  She really won't admit she is flawed or ever wrong, let alone as petty and vindictive as she can sometimes be.

@ Indiangiver:  Welcome!  You respond generally to the lead post in the thread.  Of course you are free to comment on anything you like, but it makes more sense to place your comments in the appropriate place.  If you don't see a thread on something that you wish to comment on, you can start a new thread.

@jackspratt:  Thanks for the assistance!  Now, I've got it!

@Ladylike:  I too am annoyed by Don's flashbacks.  They seem disconnected and intrusive. And sometimes, I have no idea what's going on when he has one.