“Mad Men”: A Fond Farewell to Betty Draper Francis

As in amp8230 What is going to happen to Don DraperIamp8217m as curious to learn the answer to that question as everyone else But my big concern at the moment though not wholly disconnected from the fate of the former Dick Whitman is somewhat differentI want to know amp8230 What is going to happen to Betty FrancisDespite the formidable distractions of Upfront Week which feels increasingly unnecessary in the Age of Twitter check out Upfronts2015 to see why it seems that everyone everywhere or at least in the media business is obsessed with the end of amp8220Man Menamp8221 in every way a reflective work of profound intelligence wholly unlike any other drama series I can think of Iamp8217ll bet you feel that way about it too It has been an important part of my life since its 2007 debut in fact since that time I donamp8217t think an entire week has gone by during which I have not thought about one moment or another or many from this challenging showMy aching curiosity about Betty doesnamp8217t seem to be shared when I talk about amp8220Mad Menamp8221 with the many extraordinary television critics I consider to be friends or the many ordinary friends outside of the media who are themselves capable of extraordinary criticism especially about TV But right now for me it is top of mindI have always appreciated Betty for a variety of reasons but this renewed fascination with her started a couple of episodes back when Glen Bishop played by Marten Weiner son of seriesamp8217 creator Matthew Weiner amp8211 now in every way a young man amp8211 showed up at the Francis house looking for Bettyamp8217s daughter Sally and told her that he had enlisted in the Army meaning he would soon be sent to Vietnam Sally didnamp8217t take it well But it was Bettyamp8217s response to Glen that grabbed me and instantly became one of my favorite moments from this last season and perhaps from the entire run of amp8220Mad Menamp8221 Betty at first didnamp8217t recognize himamp8220Mad Menamp8221 had done it again delivering a somewhat awkward unarguably realistic exchange between two people the likes of which we hadnamp8217t seen before on TV at least in primetime All kinds of weird shit goes down between young adults we first met as kids and the grownups in their lives on daytime dramas but none of it really means anything or prompts the viewer to reflect on the passing of time and the loss of innocence in his or her own life In mere seconds this Betty and Glen moment did exactly thatIamp8217m so glad Glen was among the many characters from past seasons of amp8220Mad Menamp8221 meaningfully and purposefully brought back during these final episodes If anyone from the former SCampampP runs into Sal Romano somewhere in New York City my satisfaction will be complete I say that because the relationship in Season One between Betty and Glen when he was only nine years old was as unforgettable as it was uncomfortableMy one big gripe with amp8220Mad Menamp8221 has to do with the inexplicable downsizing or marginalizing or status reduction or whatever you want to call it of Betty after the showamp8217s first few seasons each of them having been filled with amazing Betty goodness Plus who wouldnamp8217t want to watch January Jones in this role as often and for as long as possibleUnlike many stay at home suburban wives and mothers in the Fifties and Sixties Betty seemed to have it all amp8211 a handsome and successful husband a gorgeous home in a desirable neighborhood beautiful children etc amp8211 but inside she was almost boiling over in frustration on every level and dealing with the subsequent depression that results from an inability to express oneself or share oneamp8217s problems Think of Betty and the pigeons Betty and the washing machine Betty and all those cigarettes And especially Betty and her strange almost mystical encounters with little GlenGlenamp8217s return had me reaching for my Season One DVD set to see how that particularly bizarre relationship began It was as fascinatingly creepy as I remembered Primarily I wanted to find the scene in which Betty comes upon Glen sitting in a car in a parking lot and tearfully telling this odd child how unhappy she wasTheir exchange went like thisBetty amp8220Glen I canamp8217t talk to anyone Itamp8217s so horrible Iamp8217m so sad Please tell me Iamp8217ll be okayamp8221 Glen amp8220I donamp8217t know I wish I was olderamp8221The other Betty and Glen scenes were equally attention grabbing Glen walking in on Betty while sheamp8217s in the bathroom Glen telling Betty he wants some of her hair Betty clipping off a lock for him and later Glenamp8217s mother expressing her disgust at Bettyamp8217s behavior with Glen and slapping herAs I watched Season One in its entirety for the first time since 2007 I ended up falling for Betty all over again and missing her as if the show were already over amp8211 and also being somewhat annoyed at the decision years ago to have the Drapers split up and get a divorce Several seasons of riveting dysfunction in the Don and Betty marriage would have been more satisfying than anything I can recall from the Don and Megan relationship which didnamp8217t amount to much in the end Thinking back Megan should have been the repeat mistress but never the wife Consider the time when a longdivorced Don and Betty hit the sheets at their sonamp8217s summer camp in season six or the quality of their sweet connection in last weekamp8217s episode when Don stopped by the Francis home looking for Sally but ended up chatting with Betty in the kitchen while he gently massaged her shoulders exactly the way she liked it Even more telling was Betty asking Don to stop Did she do that out of respect for her husband Henry or to prevent something more from happeningEveryone will be writing everything they can about this show as it moves towards its May 17 finale The empty space when it ends may prove to be even larger than the one created when amp8220Breaking Badamp8221 ran its courseI highly recommend a rerun binge of Season One for anyone feeling the impending or aftermath loss of amp8220Mad Menamp8221 Then as now it remains a masterful work and a thing of great beautyThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Media Village management or associated bloggersamp160amp160amp160

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“Mad Men”: A Fond Farewell to Betty Draper Francis

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Ed Martin

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“Mad Men”: A Fond Farewell to Betty Draper Francis

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