While the previous episode focused on business, the Season 1
finale is all about family. When Francine shares with Betty her husband is
having an affair, it sets off a chain reaction in Betty that eventually leads to the dissolution of the Draper marriage (two seasons later). She suspects Don’s cheating on her but what she discovers is nearly
as humiliating and demeaning—Don’s been calling her psychiatrist behind her
back. Meanwhile, as Don works on a campaign for Kodak’s slide projector, he
starts to re-examine his own relationship with his family, just in time to learn he caused the death of the last member of his original family when
Adam committed suicide. As Betty notes, Don’s never known what it’s like to
have a real family. However, his work on the Kodak account causes him to
finally understand what this may mean. Unfortunately, he realizes too late, and
the damage he’s caused cannot be undone.
Best Scene: Don’t
pitch for “The Carousel” is one of the greatest single scenes in television
history. But I’d like to throw an honorable mention for the scene immediately
prior, where Betty has her own soliloquy in the psychiatrist’s office; here she
finally admits to herself that Don is unfaithful—all the while knowing Don will
find out about this conversation eventually; this may be January Jones' best work in the entire series.
Best Line: Don to
Betty: “Who knows why people do what they do?”
Grade: A+
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