Now, here’s where Matt Weiner is playing with us. I’ve mentioned before that he dealt with Alzheimer’s before on The Sopranos. So when the police car shows up at the Draper house, I found myself thinking “Yep, this is just about the time that the cops had to bring Uncle Junior home, too.” I think Gene’s death was actually more surprising if you’re familiar with Weiner’s previous work. Well played, sir. Well played indeed.
I liked the scene of Don pulling out the picture of his parents. Now, I do think that keeping his Box of Secrets in the house can only backfire on him. Bobby and Sally are getting into things, and one of them’s going to find it sooner than later. Aside from that, I think Don was mourning in the only way he can. Like Myndi said, he’s trained to bottle up his feelings. But also, I think the loss of Gene means he lost his last chance at having a father figure. As I’ve said before, he didn’t seem particularly close to Gene, but for a fatherless kid, it’s better than nothing. Don is running out of people who can fill the gaps in his life.
