Pen tool options not displaying, connecting lines and doing weird stuff.

Ok so I'm using the latest version of Illustrator.

When I double click the icon for the pen tool, it's not displaying the dialog box for it. I'm trying to pen a line, that connects to another line, and then arch the new line so that they sort of form an upside-down cursive 'm" shape (I'm drawing a French braid)

but it keeps connecting with another line (that is not selected - it's selected in the screenshot though) and curving it in the opposite direction of the new line I'm drawing (so together they form an 'S' shape)

Previously, to change this I simply double clicked the pen tool icon in the tool bar, and unchecked a box that said something to the effect of "adjust lines" or something like that. But now that dialog box won't open.

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