One of Kevin’s questions — what was the point of the Betty Francis story arc — seems to be the most pressing issue to come out of Mad Men 7.3. The scenes with Betty and Bobby were frustrating in their blandness. It’s a stretch to find much meaning in any of those scenes, but Kevin’s comparison of Bobby to a young Dick Whitman, and Betty to Don’s childhood caretakers, seems apt.

More than anything, I was frustrated at the continued waste of potential for the Betty character. January Jones has always taken her lumps for her portrayal of the former Draper family matriarch. But since her and Don’s divorce, Betty has had almost no meaningful story to tell. The ill-fated weight gain story arc from a few seasons ago was as laughable as the (digital?) fat suit required to show it. The only time I’ve been interested in Betty as a character was when she and Don briefly rekindled their relationship while out of town visiting Bobby’s camp.

I’m left to wonder if this show has anything left in the tank for Ms. Francis. I assume we’ll continue to plod through a few more painstaking episodes about her lack of maternal nature. Sadly, it’s a pretty tired storyline.

This episode did bring us the return of something I had missed: Don in the workplace. His awkward visit to SC&P, culminating with a caveat-filled return to duty, felt like the freshest breath of the season so far. I’m enjoying the slow-burn pace of the season, but let’s get to it: we need to see Don back in action!

He didn’t have much to do once there, as Roger didn’t feel it necessary to show up at the office before noon or tell any of the other partners about Don’s imminent return. It was fun to see Don’s brief interaction with Lou, and now that we know Don will be reporting to SC&P’s newest creative director, I can’t wait to see how it unfolds.

We know Don will take up space in Lane Pryce’s old office. I thought that was a particularly cold move by the remaining partners and surely, as Kevin mentioned, the red herrings could soon be flying as we’re left to wonder if Don is headed down the same road as our dear, departed Lane.

I still don’t think so. Don’s road to redemption has been bumpy and I’m still not sure if that’s the direction he’s headed. But there is still hope. The drinking has slowed. The womanizing has, too; we actually see Don in this episode take a pass on a string-free rendezvous with a mysterious blond at a restaurant. If you’re keeping score, that’s two women who’ve thrown themselves unsuccessfully at Don this season — maybe the man really is changing!

I thought Don showed some maturity by flying to California to check in on Megan, but that didn’t go very well. I think the writing is on the wall for that couple. Divorce is in the cards. I just fear that, with Megan’s increasingly erratic behavior, she may be the one to hit rock bottom long before Don does.