PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE.

In episode 9, Don's psychiatric love object assumes a greater and more prominent role. The best exemplification of Faye's importance is seen at the end of the episode; Faye expresses her anger in a clear and confrontational way to Don. Not hysterical anger, not out-of-control anger, simple and direct anger focused at Don.  This professional woman is able, unlike many of her contemporaries, to confront Don with her anger, and survive unscathed.

And what is her anger about: Don assumes that since she is a mental health professional and, most importantly, a woman, that she will be great managing his daughter.  Faye has a right to be angry: Don has set her up to fail. At the end of the episode she unloads at Don all the embarrassment, shame, guilt and feelings of failure engendered by professional women facing severe social stigmatization at this time in US history.

At the vey end of the episode we see Joan, Peggy and Faye all standing in the elevator:  These are respectively, the past, present and future of the evolution of women in our society.

EMASCULATION

In episode 9, the ever in control, compartmentalized and heavy defended Don, finds his well-ordered  work-life thrown into chaos because of the overwhelming emotions generated by the women in his life.  His secretary dies, his daughter runs away, he orders his wife to pick his daughter up but she defies him and then he tries to forcefully to remove his daughter from his office and she resists him.  Don has became impotent both at work (his auto-parts advice was ignored) and in his family life, especially in his ability to influence his daughter.

Don's emotions are in turmoil and he reverts to a male stereotype where he suddenly believes that not he, but a variety of women should be thrown in his daughter direction as a stop-gap solution to his own feelings of emasculation.  He attempts to throw his wife, his older secretary, his psychiatrist love interest and finally his younger secretary at his daughter, all in an effort to keep Don from actually talking to his daughter and sharing his feelings.  There is only one woman in Don's life that he shared deep feelings with, and she's now dead.  At the end of the episode Don takes out his journal, the only place for him now to share his feelings, but this will change...