Marital Infidelity
Behind closed doors, the perfect American family cracks under pressure.
Marital infidelity is a central force in the second season of Mad Men, driving the primary conflicts between Don and Betty Draper. The season, set from February 14 to October 24, 1962, expands on "the marital strife between Don and Betty Draper as Don's infidelities further intrude on his family life." Don has an extramarital affair with Bobbie Barrett, the wife of comedian Jimmy Barrett. After a resentful Jimmy tells Betty about the affair, she kicks Don out of the family home. During his exile, Don disappears on a business trip to California, meeting with Anna Draper, the wife of the original Don Draper, who comforts him about his "current marital troubles and identity crisis." Betty, learning she is expecting another child, has sex with a stranger at a local bar before Don begs to come home.
Quick Facts
- Primary protagonist involved
- Don Draper
- Key relationship fracture
- Don and Betty Hofstadt
Lore & Background
After discovering that Bobbie Barrett and other women have been discussing his sexual prowess, Don leaves her "tied to a hotel bed in her lingerie." The affair directly leads to Betty kicking him out, and during his exile, Don seeks comfort from Anna Draper, the widow of the real Don Draper, highlighting how his false identity fuels his marital instability. Betty's response to Don's betrayal is equally complex. After learning she is pregnant, she has sex with a stranger at a local bar, a rare act of rebellion against her prescribed role. The season closes with Betty informing Don of their new child, and they hold hands in the kitchen—a fragile truce rather than a resolution. The season "expands on Peggy's rise in the workplace and the marital strife between Don and Betty Draper," showing how infidelity is intertwined with professional ambition and personal reinvention.
Reader's Guide
The second season uses Don's affair with Bobbie Barrett to expose the fragility of the Drapers' marriage. Don "ends up having an extramarital affair with Barrett's wife, Bobbie." After Jimmy Barrett tells Betty about the affair, she kicks Don out, leading to his disappearance in California. This plotline mirrors the season's historical setting, culminating with the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962, as personal and political tensions escalate simultaneously. Betty's own infidelity—having sex with a stranger after learning she is pregnant—illustrates her growing dissatisfaction with her domestic role. Betty "has sex with a stranger at a local bar" before Don begs to return home. The season ends with a tentative reconciliation, as Betty informs Don of their new child and they hold hands, suggesting that infidelity has both fractured and redefined their relationship.
Did You Know?
- The season takes place from February 14 to October 24, 1962, culminating with the Cuban Missile Crisis.
- During his exile, Don visits Anna Draper in San Pedro, who comforts him about his marital troubles and identity crisis.
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