History Recap / MadMenS6E9TheBetterHalf

* BladeOnAStick: exaggerated. Peggy's home-defense weapon is literally a kitchen knife duct-taped to a pole.

Don and Ted, the dual creative directors of the firm, are at loggerheads over how to handle the Fleischmann's margarine account, with Peggy caught in the middle. She's still ambivalent over the kiss she shared with Ted [[MadMenS6E6ForImmediateRelease three episodes ago]] and attempts to take a diplomatic middle between them. At home, she discovers that the travails of the alleged home she shares with Abe are not over: he has been stabbed, and is refusing to press charges ''or'' move out of the dangerous neighborhood (though he does hope to write an article about the whole experience). It comes to a head when Peggy, hearing a fight outside, seizes a polearm she improvised out of a carving knife and a stick and attempts to investigate; when Abe comes to investigate as well, she whirls in fright and accidentally stabs him. In the ambulance ride, Abe does a DifferingPrioritiesBreakup with her, the realization driven home by the stabbing.

Megan's performance as twins on the set of ''To Have and to Hold'' gets criticized by the director. Arlene later visits Megan at the apartment, at Megan's invitation, to console her. When Megan says she feels lonely, Arlene tries to kiss her but is rebuffed. Peggy is fearful after Abe gets stabbed in the hand in their neighborhood. She later gets startled at home and accidentally stabs him in the abdomen. During the ambulance ride to the hospital, Abe breaks up with her. Pete and Duck Phillips have a discreet lunch, where Duck questions Pete's role at the merged agency. Betty gets lost on the way to Bobby's summer camp, and after seeing Don at a gas station, follows him the rest of the way. The three bond again, and later that night Betty and Don have sex in Betty's room at the lodge. The next morning the encounter is repressed, as Betty and Henry sit together while Don sits by himself. Roger gives Joan a gift for Kevin, saying that he wants to be part of his son's life. Joan counters that Greg, who is absent and perceived as a war hero, is the better father figure and Roger is not dependable.

* ShesGotLegs: Betty's legs are very much emphasised by her short shorts.

* WhiteGuilt: The reason why Abe claims he didn’t get a good look at his attacker, who (as the policeman correctly guesses, given the neighbourhood) was likely black or Puerto Rican.
* WhoWearsShortShorts: The slim-again Betty shows plenty of leg at Bobby's camp.

* NotSoDifferent: Peggy points out to Don he and Ted are pretty similar:

* CallBack: To [[Recap/MadMenS6E5TheFlood "The Flood"]]. Following Don's example, Roger takes his grandson to see ''[[Film/PlanetOfTheApes1968 Planet of the Apes]]''. Unfortunately, the kid's a few years younger than Bobby [[note]] who is supposedly ten or eleven in 1968, going on a reference to him being five in the season 2 episode "The Mountain King which was set in October 1962, although he looks younger thanks to [[TheOtherDarrin actor recasts]] [[/note]], and is terrified.

* CallBack: To [[Recap/MadMenS6E5TheFlood "The Flood"]]. Following Don's example, Roger takes his grandson to see ''[[Film/PlanetOfTheApes1968 Planet of the Apes]]''. Unfortunately, the kid's a few years younger than Bobby [[note]] who is supposedly ten in 1968, going on a reference to him being seven in season 4 which was set in 1965, although he looks younger thanks to [[TheOtherDarrin actor recasts]] [[/note]], and is terrified.

''You're a scared person who hides behind complacency.''

* CallBack: To [[Recap/MadMenS6E5TheFlood "The Flood"]]. Following Don's example, Roger takes his four year-old grandson to see ''[[Film/PlanetOfTheApes1968 Planet of the Apes]]''. Unfortunately, the kid's a few years younger than Bobby [[note]] who is supposedly ten in 1968, going on a reference to him being seven in season 4 which was set in 1965, although he looks younger thanks to [[TheOtherDarrin actor recasts]] [[/note]], and is terrified.

* KickTheDog: Peggy doesn't have a great week:
** Don berates her for not siding with him over Ted. When she notes that Ted doesn't make her feel like shit, he replies "He doesn't know you."
** Abe breaks up with her after she accidentally stabs him, saying "Your activities are offensive to my every waking moment. I'm sorry...but you'll always be the enemy".

* CallBack: To [[Recap/MadMenS6E5TheFlood "The Flood"]]. Following Don's example, Roger takes his grandson to see ''[[Film/PlanetOfTheApes1968 Planet of the Apes]]''. Unfortunately, the kid's a few years younger than Bobby [[note]] who is supposedly 10 in 1968, going on a reference to him being 7 in season 4 which was set in 1965, although he looks younger thanks to [[TheOtherDarrin actor recasts]] [[/note]], and is terrified.

* CallBack: To [[Recap/MadMenS6E5TheFlood "The Flood"]]. Following Don's example, Roger takes his grandson to see [[Film/PlanetOfTheApes1968 Planet of the Apes]]. Unfortunately, the kid's a few years younger than Bobby, and is terrified.

* DidntThinkThisThrough: Oh, Roger. Taking a four year-old to see [[Film/PlanetOfTheApes1968 Planet of the Apes]] because Don took his somewhat older son [[note]] Bobby's supposedly 10 in 1968, going on a reference to him being 7 in season 4 which was set in 1965, although he looks younger thanks to [[TheOtherDarrin actor recasts]] [[/note]] to see it? Not a smart move. Margaret bans him from seeing the kid without another adult supervising.

* DidntThinkThisThrough: Oh, Roger. Taking a four year-old to see [[Film/PlanetOfTheApes1968 Planet of the Apes]] because Don took his somewhat older son [[Bobby's supposedly 10 in 1968, going on a reference to him being 7 in season 4 which was set in 1965, although he looks younger thanks to [[TheOtherDarrin actor recasts]] [[/note]] to see it? Not a smart move. Margaret bans him from seeing the kid without another adult supervising.

* NotSoDifferent: Peggy points out to Don he and Ted are pretty similar:
--> '''Peggy''': You're both demanding and you're both pigheaded. You're the same person sometimes. The difference is that he's interested in the idea and you're interested in your idea.

* MsFanservice: The slim-again Betty shows plenty of leg at Bobby's camp.

* WhiteGuilt: The reason why Abe claims he didn’t get a good look at his attacker, who (as the policeman correctly guesses, given the neighbourhood) was likely black or Puerto Rican.

* WhiteGuilt: The reason why Abe claims he didn’t get a good look at his attacker, who (as the policeman correctly guesses) was likely black or Puerto Rican.

* ShoutOut: Megan's red star tee-shirt is reminiscent of the one worn by Creator/SharonTate in her 1967 photo-shoot for ''Esquire'' [[note]] which fuelled the [[WMG/MadMen fan theory]] that Megan would end up being murdered[[/note]].

* ShipTease: Ted reveals that he hasn't stopped thinking about kissing Peggy.

** Abe breaks up with her after she accidentally stabs him, saying "Your activities are offensive to my every waking moment. I'm sorry...but you'll always be the enemy."