I've already gone out on a limb regarding a major plot twist for Season 6. Contrary to the consensus of professional reviewers, I believe that the relationship between Don and Sylvia is more significant and deeper than they think. Rather than expressing an interest in ending the affair, my belief is that Don's enigmatic line "I want to stop doing this" was his way of saying he would like to have a more open relationship with her and to be able to stop sneaking around.
My interpretation is based on the idea that Don wants to be free of his marriage and Sylvia to be free of hers. The only reason for that would be the desire to share their lives in a marriage. As I also stated, it is clear that she is a Roman Catholic and thus unwilling to divorce, no matter how miserable and perhaps loveless her marriage to Dr. Rosen might be.
For the record, I also do not share the common assumption that Dr. Rosen is a wonderful human being. That's certainly the impression that we were given, although seeing him through Don's eyes doesn't necessarily prove it to be true. It simply means that Don thinks highly of him. Or seemed to, at least.
For all we know, the saintly Dr. Rosen might be a serial cheater or emotionally abusive. We were led to believe that the doctor was summoned to the hospital. But was he really?
All we know is that he got a call from his service. We don't know what was said on the other end of the line. Maybe it was somebody else who left the message with the answering service. We just don't know what kind of person he is.
Perhaps there is more to Sylvia's story than merely a cheating heart. It's equally as likely that she is in a similar situation with her husband as Betty was with Don: a homemaker with a relentlessly unfaithful husband. Perhaps we'll find out in tonight's episode, entitled "The Collaborators."
Which leads me to my startling prediction. I have a feeling that Dr. Rosen is dead. We last saw him waving to Don and then skiing away in the middle of the night on New Year's eve. I suppose the idea of skiing down the street is an interesting one but it does leave open the possibility of him getting hit by a car. It could be as a result of the snow and ice or, given that it's after 1:00 AM on New Year's eve, it's more likely to be a drunk driver. Whatever the reason, I would not be surprised if we learn that Dr. Rosen was hit by a car and killed.
If my assumptions about Don and Sylvia are correct, then this would be a way to free her from her marriage and eliminate the obstacle presented by her unwillingness to get a divorce. This would put the pressure on Don to either make his marriage work or abandon it in order to be with Sylvia openly. Therein lies the trajectory of their story arc for the season.
Matthew Weiner has stated that the final line uttered by Dr. Rosen last week: "People will do anything to alleviate their anxiety" was the theme of Season 6. It would be fitting if this crucial line of dialogue was Rosen's final comment. Of course, I could be completely wrong about all of this. I look forward to finding out!
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