A friend wrote: "Don is a guy that's really good at something he's not quite sure he believes in."
I don't think that's "supported by the text," as the English majors say. In no way do we see that he has stopped believing in advertising.
Nor does that fit my mental picture of Don. I think advertising is the only thing he believes in. Advertising and appearances.
He appears to be the dashing, debonair Don Draper, and not Dick Whitman, farmboy, unwanted whore's son, and Army deserter.
He appears to have a lovely, loving wife and the perfect family.
That's what he believes in.
Clearly, that stopped working for him when Betty threw him out -- but we don't know what his solution will be. He seems to have found a solution that involves him going back to his old life and job, but we don't know what that solution is. The road to redemption would be to take all those appearances and make them real. But I don't know how interesting that would be for television.
Julie pointed me to this very good episode recap and analysis of Mad Men,, which says Pete confided in Don because Pete felt a little loyal to Don. I don't see that. Pete is a weasel, loyal to no one but himself. He was hedging his bets, is all. And wisely too, as it turns out, because I expect the Brits are going to kick Duck to the curb. "Yes, Pete has grown up," TV Guide says. Yes, he's a grown-up weasel now.
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