Warning: the following entry contains spoilers regarding “Mad Men’s” third season’s finale, which aired on Nov. 8, 2009.

This must have been a really special episode if had to I immediately write down my thoughts. I mean, Betty really went through with leaving Don! I couldn’t believe it; not quiet Betty!

There was so much heartache; clearly the Drapers didn’t know how to have the divorce talk with their kids. That went horribly. I mean really badly. Poor Sally and Bobby had me in tears. We, the viewers, know how Don really is, but they see him as a warm figure in contrast to Betty the Ice Queen.

From the start, this season was all about change. I knew going into the season that Kennedy would be assassinated and the civil rights movement would really take off. And because we’re talking about “Mad Men,” obviously these events would reflect in the characters. But I did not see the female empowerment coming. Look at where the show started off: Joan introduced secretary Peggy to a typewriter that is so simple “even a woman can use it.” Misogyny was a huge part of the early episodes.

But this episode was all about girl power. Betty grabbed power from Don two episodes ago, learning all about Dick Whitman. I assumed she didn’t know how to wield it, but boy was I wrong. She went right for the jugular, getting a divorce attorney and taking the kids. Don hated that; I was holding my breath as he confronted his wife over her other man. I thought he was going to turn abusive, something he almost did in a first season episode. But no, he held back. It wasn’t Don’s proudest moment, but at least he didn’t give Betty a legal reason for divorce. I believe that at that time in New York State, adultery and abuse were legitimate reasons for divorce. As Betty’s divorce lawyer says, “New York doesn’t want people to get divorced; that’s why they go to Reno.” Even back then, it was “anything goes” in Nevada.

Peggy owes a lot to Don. He got her her promotion; he even gave her advice on standing her ground. But he always believed she would do as he said. And she knew that. So when Don asked her to join the new agency, she pushed back. I think she wanted to say yes, but she needed to prove her point: she wasn’t Don’s puppet, nor was she his punching bag. Eventually she relented, but not before she made it clear that she was her own woman with her own successes and failures. Can’t believe our little Peggy has all grown up.

Also, when the boys got together to empty the Sterling Cooper Offices, only Joan could point all those men in the right direction. With her leadership, the admen (and Peggy) were able to grab everything necessary to start their business. Without her, they wouldn’t have had such a complete inventory. She might not have her name on the door, but she proved she was as valuable as any of them.

Even Harry’s wife played a role, despite never being on screen. When he was blindsided with the covert plot to start a new agency, his first thought was to inform his wife. In contrast, Don Draper didn’t feel the need to inform his wife he was without a contract earlier in the season. Pete’s wife Trudy was vital in getting him to try to ditch the sinking ship that was the old Sterling Cooper. Certainly the roles in these marriages are changing, even becoming more like an equal partnership.

I have no idea where the next season will go, but it stands to reason that it will be a very different program. I doubt our admen will be able to take those three-hour lunches with eight martinis anymore. It looks like they’re at square one, but I don’t think Don is bothered by that. When he took up as Don Draper, he had no problem building a life around a new name. He could have totally done it with the old name, but there’s a certain freedom about having your old self declared deceased. Now Don’s got to almost start over and rebuild his whole life. He’s back where he started, (technically) jobless and alone. If he is looking for a fresh start, might I suggest the hiatus before season four? Let’s see if he gets himself a steady for next season.