THE ULTIMATE MAD MEN MATRIX

A definitive ranking of every episode of AMC's Mad Men, created with a numerical scoring system.

Few dramas raise your level of consciousness quite like AMC's Mad Men. Matthew Weiner's magnum opus follows the lives of several ad men and women working on Madison Avenue in the 1960s, with all the turmoil, heartbreak, reform and exuberance of the period. If you haven't seen it, now would be a fitting time to start. Not only is it available for free on IMDBTV until October 2020, but the themes and overall sense of unstoppable change is relevant to the nationwide evolution we find ourselves in today. Thus, I give you my definitive ranking of every episode, to be used as a guide as you sail through the life-changing series.

The Parameters of the Ranking

Every episodes has 100 points:

10 for Memorability - Iconic moments or particularly unforgettable scenes in an episode.

25 for Performances - Level of performance delivered within the episode.

25 for Storylines/Writing - Storylines are compelling and the script is well written.

10 for Period Atmosphere - Episode contains important moments of the period, and/or the set reflects a particularly accurate depiction of the period.

20 for Directing/Style - Well directed and/or visual style and cinematography were notable.

10 for Extra Credit - Fun tidbits, exemplary images, famous/infamous exchanges, wow factors, etc.

Enjoy!

92. "Chinese Wall" 4.11

The unthinkable has happened - Lucky Strike, SCDP's most important client, is leaving after 30 years. The agency scrambles to control gossip and keep their other clients from panicking, but as the news trickles out, other clients nervously flee, leaving SCDP with diminishing billings. There's also the subplot of Pete's impending baby, who is born after a long labor. The SCDP also attends a funeral of a colleague to try to land some meetings with clients. To be clear, this is a maintenance episode, albeit a good one. We see the beginning of Don and Megan's relationship (and the beginning of the end of Don and Faye's) and Roger's carefree facade beginning to crack.

The agency is clearly about to undergo some major changes.

Memorability: 5/10

Performances: 20/25

Storylines/Writing: 19/25

Period Atmosphere: 8/10

Directing/Style: 17/20

Extra Credit: 6/10

= 75

91. "Tea Leaves" 5.3

SCDP continues to court Heinz, and finally lands Mohawk Airlines! Which means the agency will need a new copywriter to generate work for Mohawk on a regular basis. Enter Michael Ginsberg (Ben Feldman), a kooky young writer with a voice for irony and zero social intelligence. Peggy interviews him and decides he's not a good fit, until Roger forces her to hire him so Mohawk will be pleased with SCDP progressive hiring of a Jewish person. Betty's first appearance this season tells us she's heavier than when we last saw her (a detail that made it into the story due to January Jones' real pregnancy, but Jones dons prosthetics here). She visits the doctor in hopes of a diet pill prescription, but the doc finds nodules on her thyroid with life-threatening potential. She visits another doctor to get the nodule checked out and bumps into a friend who's been fighting cancer. They get their fortunes told by a tea leaf reader and Betty weeps over her assessment, which posits that she "means so much to the people around you." Don and Harry go to a Rolling Stones concert to try and get face to face with their manager about Heinz's idea, "Heinz Is On My Side". They meet a couple of precocious teen girls (who feel miscast to me) who symbolize the wave of

youth coming for their comfort. Harry manages to get backstage, except the only band backstage is The Trade Winds, not the Rolling Stones, fail!. Poor Harry continues to be pathetic and sad. When Betty finds out that her tumor is benign, she's both relieved and also sort of bummed that the reason she's gained weight has nothing to do with a life-threatening illness. What her cancer scare does do though, is show us how hers and Don's relationship has evolved now that they're not together anymore, and how tied to Betty Don still is. With some more heavy handed symbolism

about "the youths" kicking out the old guard, Pete steals Mohawk out from under Roger's nose. Times they are a'changin. This episode introduces to a lot of new dynamics, but the pace feels strange, and in some parts it's weirdly acted, which could be a result of Jon Hamm's direction. Extra Credit: "Baked beans and the Rolling Stones? A client's idea of I ever heard one.

Memorability: 7/10

Performances: 19/25

Storylines/Writing: 19/25

Period Atmosphere: 8/10

Directing/Style: 15/20

Extra Credit: 7/10

=75

90. "The Forecast" 7.10

When Roger asks Don to write a speech about the future of the agency for him (the forecast if you will), it sparks some existential dread. Amid writing the speech, Don is dealing with petty grievances at the office and trying to sell his penthouse. Joan visits the LA office to meet with Lou and a client, and accidentally meets a handsome silver fox named Richard. They hit it off right away and spend the night together. Sally is getting ready to go on a summer bus trip with some schoolmates. While visiting her mom before the trip, an adult Glen Bishop drops by. The Glen and Betty reunion we've been waiting for! Betty doesn't recognize him when she sees him and the energy is....weird. As Glen and his girlfriend are about to leave, he discloses that he's enlisted in the army and will be reporting soon, sending Sally into hysterics. Back at the office, Don continues to struggle writing the speech, Peggy asks for a performance review, and Mathis gets into hot water. When Mathis uses the F word during a presentation, he approaches Don about how to get the clients back on his side without apologizing and looking weak. Don gives him a few jokes and pointers, but Mathis' dissemination falls short. He's kicked off the account, and subsequently

fired after telling Don he has no character, only good looks. Tensions rise when Richard comes to New York to see Joan and she confesses that she has a four year old son. For Richard, this is a deal breaker, since his child rearing days are long behind him. Joan's devastated but the next day, he visits the office with flowers and gives into being with Joan despite her baggage. Glen comes back to Betty's while Sally is gone to say goodbye, and profess his love for her one last time. Again, the energy is...weird. When Don takes Sally and her friends out to dinner before they depart on their bus tour, one of Sally's friends starts flirting with Don, much to Sally's disgust. In

a pivotal Sally & Don moment (and there are many), Don explains to her that no matter how far she runs from her parents, there will always be parts of her that are just like her mom and dad. Extra Credit: Betty calling Sally Jane Fonda LOL. And Joan's been married twice, WHAT?!

Memorability: 6/10

Performances: 20/25

Storylines/Writing: 19/25

Period Atmosphere: 8/10

Directing/Style: 16/20

Extra Credit: 6/10

= 75

89. "Dark Shadows" 5.9

One of the weaker episodes of season five, 'Dark Shadows' is about envy and comparing yourself to your enemies. SCDP prepares to pitch Snoball, a new refreshing drink for kids. Don peeps Ginsberg's ideas for the pitch, and comes up with his own. Their respective ideas are neck and neck at the office, but Don's gets picked by the client after he leaves Ginsberg's artwork in a taxi cab, deliberately. Roger courts Manischewitz, a Jewish wine company who is trying to branch out into gentile territory. He asks Jane to accompany him to a dinner, and despite her attempts to move on from their relationship, Roger marks his territory in her new apartment. While picking up the kids, Betty finds herself in Don and Megan's apartment and accidentally spots Megan changing. The encounter sparks some jealousy in Betty, and causes her to lapse in her Weight Watcher's meeting. When Betty finds a love note meant for Megan in Bobby's pile of homework, her envy encourages her to tell Sally about Anna Draper. Sally takes this information and punishes Megan with it, citing that Megan lied to her when helping her with her family tree project. Megan is privy to Betty's attempts to poison her's and Don's marriage, and when Don doesn't take the bait, Betty is sour. We've known Betty is depressed since 'Tea Leaves,'but 'Dark Shadows' confirms that her depression is connected to her envy of Megan. She's bored again, and perhaps she always will be, no matter how much Henry loves her. As long as someone has more than her, she'll always be unhappy. The episode poses a lot of interesting ideas, but something in the execution feels too scrappy. Perhaps it's meant to emulate the silly soap that Megan and her friend are reading lines for? Extra Credit: Betty's final line at Thanksgiving dinner "I'm thankful that I have everything

I want...and that noone else has anything better." Oh, Birdie.

Memorability: 6/10

Performances: 20/25

Storylines/Writing: 20/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 15/20

Extra Credit: 6/10

= 76

88. "New Business" 7.9

The one where Megan gets a million dollars. Don and Megan are officially done, and Megan has arranged for her, her sister and her mother to pick up some stray clothing and furniture at the apartment. Don continues to see Diana the waitress (it's less dating and more mutually projecting onto each other), who divulges that she had a daughter who passed away two years ago - hence her divorce and subsequent move to Manhattan. Betty has decided to go back to school to get her masters in Psychology. The agency has hired a racy photographer named Pima Ryan (Mimi Rogers) to take photographs for their latest campaign for Cinzano. Pima courts both

Stan and Peggy to get what she wants, which ends up biting her and Stan in the process. While Megan is in town, she meets with Harry to discuss finding a new agent. Harry continues to be the

greasy little pimp he is when he attempts to bed Megan in exchange for his help. Megan leaves the lunch date and Harry immediately goes to Don to tell him how "unstable" Megan is to save his own ass. While Megan is at lunch, her mother Marie manages the move Megan's things and steals all of Don's furniture because it's what Megan "deserves". When the move costs more than what Megan left for her, Marie calls Roger to bring cash over. Inevitably, they hook up. When Megan returns to an empty apartment, she discovers Marie and Roger's affair. Don and Megan

meet to sign their divorce papers, and out of something resembling guilt, Don writes her a check for 1 million dollars. When Don visits Diana at her place later that day, she breaks everything off because she'd rather be miserable and remember her late daughter then find any happiness and forget about her. The episode is a little Megan and Diana heavy for my taste, but it's interesting to ponder the significance of Diana in Don's life at this moment. Extra Credit: Awkward elevator Rosen encounter!

Memorability: 6/10

Performances: 20/25

Storylines/Writing: 20/25

Period Atmosphere: 7/10

Directing/Style: 17/20

Extra Credit: 6/10

= 76

87. "The New Girl" 2.5

"The New Girl" could possibly be in reference to Don's new secretary Jane, or maybe Peggy's new identity, or perhaps even, Joan's new title of fiance. It's been a few months since the last episode, and everyone's lives have moved froward in significant ways. Pete and Trudy are actively trying to get pregnant. Joan is engaged to a doctor, and Bobbie and Jimmy Barrett have sold their show "Grin and Barrett". This, of course, doesn't stop Don and Bobbie from continuing their torrid dalliance. They plan to go away to Bobbie's beach house for a weekend but on the way, they get in a nasty drunken car accident. Don calls Peggy for bail money and Peggy is forced to host Bobbie while she heals so Jimmy doesn't discover where she's been. This is all interesting and

stress-inducing, but this is really Peggy's episode. The most important part of these 50 minutes is twofold; the flashback to the day Peggy gives birth and Don tells her to forget about it all and when Bobbie advises Peggy to avoid trying to be a man and play to her strengths as a woman in a male-dominated world.

Memorability: 6/10

Performances: 19/25

Storylines/Writing: 22/25

Period Atmosphere: 7/10

Directing/Style: 16/20

Extra Credit: 6/10

=76

86. "Hands and Knees" 4.10

Uh oh! Joan is pregnant with Roger's baby. Lane's father visits to take him back to his wife in London, but Lane has made a nice little space for himself in New York with his Playboy bunny girlfriend. Nevertheless, his father convinces him by force to take time off to return to London. Meanwhile, Pete's account, North American Aviation, is requiring SCDP to get security clearance, meaning employees are subject to questioning on behalf of the Department of Defense. Don's identity theft and desertion is always a cloud that looms large over his daily life, but it rears its ugly head again when the FBI pays Betty a visit to question her about Don's background. Suddenly Don is desperate for Pete's help, who is the only one who knows about his past besides Betty (and now Faye, whom Don confides in after suffering a panic attack). In order to keep Don from being prosecuted, Pete has to let go of North American Aviation to cease the background checks, causing SCDP to lose out on a 4 million dollar account. To worsen matters, Lucky Strike informs Roger that they are cutting ties with SCDP. Roger gets them to agree to not make the news public for 30 days.

Memorability: 6/10

Performances: 21/25

Storylines/Writing: 20/25

Period Atmosphere: 7/10

Directing/Style: 17/20

Extra Credit: 6/10

= 77

85. "The Summer Man" 4.8

Don is trying to get right - drinking less, journaling, and swimming. He makes a date with Bethany Van Nuys (Anna Kamp) and runs into Henry and Betty while on the date, which puts Betty in a tailspin. The whole encounter makes Henry feel threatened by Don and angry at Betty. At the office, Joey, the most loathsome character of this season by far, is succeeding at being a thorn in Joan's paw. He continually undermines her, until he finally takes it too far when he draws a lewd cartoon of her and Lane. Joan is clearly pissed, but only removes herself from the situation.

Peggy takes the justice into her own hands and fires Joey in one of the most satisfying sequences

of the series - even if Joan isn't grateful for Peggy fighting her battles. Don finally gets Faye to agree to go on a date with him, and he shockingly does not take her home with him. Maybe he is getting right! In an attempt to persuade Henry that Betty is unphased by Don after all, she invites him to Gene's second birthday party.

Memorability: 6/10

Performances: 20/25

Storylines/Writing: 22/25

Period Atmosphere: 8/10

Directing/Style: 16/20

Extra Credit: 6/10

= 78

84. "For Those Who Think Young" 2.1

We start season two with Sterling Cooper on the prowl for younger creative talent (and brandishing a new copy machine!). Peggy is flexing her loyalties to Don as she flaunts her new title as junior copywriter. Sterling Cooper has landed Mohawk Airlines, and Don struggles to find an ad angle until him and Peggy reach a satisfying perspective. It's Valentine's Day, and Don takes Betty to the Savoy, where they bump into one of Betty's former roommates who is now a "party girl" as Don euphemistically puts it (a prostitute). Trudy is dying to have a baby and Pete doesn't really care for the idea. At the end of the episode, Betty's car breaks down and she wagers a tow truck driver to repair it for much less than cost - a little prostituting of her own. Notably, Meditations In An Emergency, the book of poetry by Frank O'Hara, makes it first appearance and we see Don mailing a copy toa mysterious someone (who we will discover is Anna Draper). It's a good episode, but mostly a setup for the rest of the season.

Memorability: 7/10

Performances: 21/25

Storylines/Writing: 21/25

Period Atmosphere: 10/10

Directing/Style: 14/20

Extra Credit: 6/10

=79

83. "Three Sundays" 2.4

Peggy's church has a new priest, Father Gill (Colin Hanks) and her family is hot for him. He asks Peggy if she can help him with his sermons and she gives him some sound advice. Betty is having issues with Bobby's behavior and chides Don to discipline him more. Bobbie Barrett continues to hang around Don. The American Airlines pitch gets pushed up a few weeks, so

the team at Sterling Cooper is forced to come to the office on Palm Sunday, and Don has to bring Sally with him, causing its own kind of chaos. In typical Don fashion, he throws out all the work the team has been generating and urges everyone to start over, only to learn that their contact at AA has been fired. In one of the episodes best scenes, Peggy's sister confesses to Father Gill about her anger towards Peggy for being so easily able to forget her greatest sin, as if nothing ever happened (her child out of wedlock), especially when she remains coddled by thier mother as if she's still naive. Meanwhile, Roger has a dalliance with a prostitute. In a rare moment of frustration, Betty stands up to Don about wanting more help raising the kids and the argument gets physical. Extra Credit: Pete's little Sunday shorts.

Memorability: 6/10

Performances: 20/25

Storylines/Writing: 22/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 15/20

Extra Credit: 7/10

=79

82. "Christmas Waltz" 5.10

This episode marks the beginning of the end of Lane and his embezzlement of SCDP, which we've only seen glimpses of until now. Panicked about taxes he owes back in London, he secures a $50,000 line of credit so that he can write himself a "Christmas bonus" even though the agency doesn't have the money to pay it off. Harry gets a call from Paul (rememeber Paul???) who is now a Hare Krishna and in love with a fellow Hare Krishna named Lakshmi. Harry spends the afternoon with Paul and learns that he's only staying a Hare Krishna for Lakshmi, but longs to start making money so he can start a family with her. He gives Harry his Star Trek spec script in the hopes that Harry can get him hired as a writer for the show. The script is terrible, and to make matters worse, Lakshmi shows up at Harry's office to fuck him and subsequently blackmail him away from Paul (apparently Paul is a very good recruiter and the Hares need him to stick around). Harry gives Paul $500 and a ticket to LA to start his life over. Meanwhile, SCDP is back in the running for Jaguar! When Joan gets served papers at the office (by Greg, booo), Don takes her to scope out Jaguar cars with him. They end up at a bar, having a heart to heart about divorce, the good ole' days, and why Don never made a move on Joan (something we've all wondered, I'm sure). For me, the Don and Joan moments are the best of the episode. When Don finally comes home, drunk, Megan

throws a fit, which seems to be rooted in her worry about Don's morale at work. This has been an overarching theme throughout season 5 - Don pulling away from work, whether it be because of his newlywed status or because Megan is no longer at the office. In any case, he finally shows some hunger for Jaguar in the final scene, and Lane is left in even more panic than at the start of the episode when the partners decide to forgo their Christmas bonuses.

Memorability: 6/10

Performances: 21/25

Storylines/Writing: 20/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 17/20

Extra Credit: 6/10

= 79

81. "Collaborators" 6.3

Pete sleeps with his neighbors wife in his Manhattan apartment. Don and Sylvia continue to sleep together while her doctor husband is away and Megan is at work. After a long hiatus from Don's childhood flashbacks, we get one of his pre-pubescent years when his step mother moves him into her sister's whorehouse. It's there that Dick Whitman witnesses his Uncle bedding his pregnant mother, perhaps a contributor to his ability to compartmentalize his affairs and his family life? At the office, Heinz Beans brings in Heinz Ketchup for a meeting, but subsequently warns SCDP that if they take any more meetings with Ketchup he'll dump them (there's an apparent rivalry and mentorship-gone-wrong there). Jaguar's disgusting sales arm, Herb, comes into the office to propose that SCDP shift their campaign focus on local car sales rather than a national campaign. Don hates this idea, and kills it in the room when they're forced to pitch it to the high ups.

Megan reveals to Sylvia that she suffered a miscarriage and Sylvia, surprised to discover that Megan and Don are still fucking, takes her jealousy out on Don. The two couples have a dinner date planned, which ends up being just Don and Sylvia when Dr Rosen is called into the hospital and Megan stays home sick. Of course, that dinner ends with the two of them in bed together. When Don comes home, Megan finally tells him about her miscarriage. Peggy accidentally

tells Ted about the Heinz debacle at SCDP (after Stan relays the informationto her in a private phone call). When Ted encourages her to go after Heinz, she not only feels like she's betraying her old friends, especially in light of the fact that she has no friends at CGC. Later, Pete's little tryst with the neighbor gets back Trudy when she arrives bloody on their doorstep after her husband has beaten her (presumably she told him about Pete). Trudy, in a shockingly baller move, kicks Pete out for his lack of discretion, and delivers one of the best lines of episode "If you so much as unzip your fly to urinate, I will destroy you."

Memorability: 7/10

Performances: 21/25

Storylines/Writing: 20/25

Period Atmosphere: 8/10

Directing/Style: 16/20

Extra Credit: 7/10

= 79

80. "The Color Blue" 3.10

Don and Miss Suzanne Ferrell are officially in the throes of an affair, date nut bread and all. Sterling Cooper is celebrating its 40th anniversary, but Putnam Powell & Lowe see it as an opportunity to hype the sale of the agency. Nobody but Lane knows about this plan. One evening at Suzanne's house, her epileptic brother Danny pays a visit, and interrupts mid coitus. It becomes clear that Suzanne is often the one who takes care of him when his condition loses him a job. The creative team at S-C is working on copy for Aquanet and Western Union. Kinsey pulls an all nighter trying to think of an idea, and once he gets one, he falls asleep and wakes up having forgotten it. After two seasons of Betty trying to open Don's desk drawer, which is continually locked, she finally finds the key in his dirty laundry (took some dirty laundry to find his dirty laundry ehhhh!) and discovers loads of cash, Dick Whitman's identity, and Don's "divorce" from Anna Draper. This discovery is all the more painful knowing Betty has been restraining herself with Henry. Understandably, she's freaked out, but decides to keep what she knows close to her chest. When Suzanne secures a job for Danny in Massachusetts, Don offers to drive him. Danny explains to Don that he doesn't plan on going to MA or taking the job his sister found him because no matter where he goes, he ends up getting fired after people realize something is wrong with him. Don gives him money and his card and drops him off on the side of the road halfway. At the big anniversary bash, Bert decides to show his face despite his reluctance to attend and Roger in a very

Roger-y way presents Don with an award, as Betty watches in fury. Extra credit: Lane's wife calling his assistant a toad and the quote "Churchill rousing or Hitler rousing?"

Memorability: 6/10

Performances: 20/25

Storylines/Writing: 22/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 16/20

Extra Credit: 6/10

= 79

79. "Souvenir" 3.8

No matter how many times I watch this series, I'm always amazed at the performances, but January Jones and Vincent Kartheiser in particular astonish me with the way they've made Betty Draper and Pete Campbell so perplexing. This is a Betty/Pete heavy episode so if they're not your cup of tea, you may be squirmy. It's August in New York, and everyone is either sweating in the city or gone on vacation at S-C. Conrad Hilton has Don visiting numerous places around the globe checking out hotels. Betty and the Junior League attend a city council meeting with Henry and get the erection of the water tower delayed. When Henry walks Betty to her car, he kisses her (!!) which spurs her to follow Don to Rome on his next Hilton mission. While Trudy is away on

vacation, Pete is home alone in Manhattan. He has a run in with his neighbor's au pair who is attempting to dispose of a dress she borrowed without permission and stained with red wine. He takes it upon himself to fix the problem and brings the dress to Bonwit Teller to try to exchange it. There we find Joan working as a store manager, much to her utter embarrassment. She helps get the dress exchanged and Pete brings the new one to the au pair. But alas, Pete gets drunk and feels entitled to a reward for helping out, in the form of a rather rapey dalliance. In Rome, we see that Henry's kiss has emboldened Betty to abandon her housewife identity for a weekend. She seduces Don, has randoms light her cigarettes, and speaks fluent Italian. When they return, the seduction and the flirtation turns sour and Betty goes back to hating her life. When Trudy returns, Pete confesses without confessing that he strayed while she was gone. For having no Peggy or Roger present, it's still a good episode, even if their attempt at making us believe we're in Rome and not Downtown LA is laughable, LOL. Extra credit: "You don't kiss boys. Boys kiss you." and

"Every kiss with him after that is a shadow of that kiss." Betty rules.

Memorability: 8/10

Performances: 22/25

Storylines/Writing: 21/25

Period Atmosphere: 6/10

Directing/Style: 16/20

Extra Credit: 7/10

= 80

78. "The Mountain King" 2.12

The show's sentimental core (at least in seasons 2 & 3) is Anna and Don's relationship and 'The Mountain King' does much to flesh that out for us. We finally learn who Don sent that copy of 'Meditations in An Emergency' to - Anna Draper, the real Don Draper's widow, who Don

has been in contact with since she went looking for her husband's identity thief decades prior. It becomes crystal clear that Anna and Don share a truthful, platonic and loving relationship, albeit one that lives in a realm very far away from Don's reality in New York. There are flashbacks to when Don and Anna used to spend holidays together, when Don had first met Betty and is still smitten by her joy. Before he feels stymied and suffocated by the life he now leads. Pete loses the Clearasil account after refusing to visit an adoption agency with Trudy. The middle school girl passive aggression between Sarah Beth and Betty finally comes to blows when Betty harangues

Sarah Beth for sleeping with Arthur (even though Betty did her part to bring them together like a puppeteer). While Don relaxes in San Pedro with Anna, the Sterling-Cooper and Putnam, Powell and Lowe merger forges ahead without Don's input after a meeting of the partners. Bert is somewhat sullen about going into retirement, despite his vote to go through with the merger. In a truly harrowing scene, Joan is raped by her fiance in Don's office as a direct result of him being threatened by her sexual prowess the night before (and her close relationship with Roger). She maintains her composure almost to the point of numbness, which is most evident when she manages to be polite to Peggy while she moves into Freddie Rumsen's old office. It's a good episode, but one that has the trappings and maintenance of a penultimate episode. I found myself eager for Don to return to New York, depsite my affection for his relationship with Anna, and the

storyline with Betty and Sally fell a tiny bit flat.

Memorability: 7/10

Performances: 22/25

Storylines/Writing: 22/25

Period Atmosphere: 8/10

Directing/Style: 15/20

Extra Credit: 6/10

= 80

77. "Severance" 7.8

'Severance' is a rumination on mortality and unlived life. It's been almost a year since we last saw our guys, and it is now 1970. Don and Roger are enjoying their wealthy, playboy statuses and SC&P is adjusting to life under McCann-Erikson. Don has a dream in which Rachel Katz (nee Menken) from season one appears and tells him "I'm supposed to tell you, you missed your flight." Don seeks out Rachel and learns that she passed away only a week before. In some way related to Rachel, Don is inexplicably drawn to a diner waitress named Diana, whom he visits for a quickie after he learns of Rachel's death. Don visits Rachel's shiva to pay his respects and learns that Rachel died of leukemia. In the years they were out of touch, she married and had two children. Her sister, who greets him at the gathering, knows exactly who Don is and makes it a point for him to know he's not welcome. When Ken's father in law retires from Dow Chemical, he

gets booted off the account and fired from the firm by McCann who is still bitter about him leaving with 4 million dollars worth of their accounts six years prior. The timing is apt, since Ken's wife wants him to quit anyway, but instead, Ken takes a job as Head of Advertising with Dow Chemical - so he will now be a client of SC&P. Joan and Peggy have an infuriating meeting with a trio of chauvinist pigs at McCann-Erikson about getting Topaz pantyhose into department stores. The meeting results in the ladies getting into an argument about their different levels of treatment. Feeling defeated, Peggy agrees to go on a date with Mathis's brother in law. The date goes

swimmingly, and in a drunken haze, the two decide to fly to Paris. Only, Peggy can't find her passport and sends him home. When she wakes up hungover the next morning, she wants to forget the whole thing. In the end, Don pays the waitress another visit and tells her about Rachel dying. Her response is rational, and seems like perhaps she's been through this before. "When people die, everything gets mixed up...Maybe you dreamt about her all the time." Sigh. Extra Credit: Rachel always felt like the one that got away, so it's compelling that out of all the girls on the carousel of Don's life, she gets somewhat of a full circle. Also, I love the use of Peggy Lee's "Is That All There Is?".

Memorability: 7/10

Performances: 21/25

Storylines/Writing: 21/25

Period Atmosphere: 8/10

Directing/Style: 17/20

Extra Credit: 6/10

= 80

76. "Long Weekend" 1.10

For it being a Labor Day holiday episode, 'Long Weekend' is very office heavy. Sterling Cooper

tries to uphold Nixon's lead. Joan's roommate comes out and confesses her love for Joan, which

Joan swiftly ignores. With Mona and Betty both out of town for the long weekend, Roger and Don

host a little soiree with a set of twins in the office. The party derails when Roger has a heart attack. The attack gives both Don and Roger a wake up call about the lives they're living - Roger has

an outburst of affection for Mona and Don pays Rachel a visit. Rachel is such a curious figure throughout the first season, a smart business woman who tries to dodge Don's advances until she can't. Once she finally gives in, he does something he's never done before - he confides in her about his childhood.

Memorability: 7/10

Performances: 22/25

Storylines/Writing: 22/25

Period Atmosphere: 8/10

Directing/Style: 16/20

Extra Credit: 6/10

=81

75. "The Benefactor" 2.3

Sterling Cooper is forced to do damage control after Jimmy Barrett, a prickly shock comedian, insults the owners of Utz Potato Chips. As they emerge on the brink of losing the Utz account, Don has to convince him to apologize, but runs into his wife/manager Bobbie before he makes it to Jimmy. Can you guess what happens between Don and Bobbie?...Yes. They fuck. Because Don has to have women who threaten him and hold a mirror to his face. In upstate New York, Betty sustains a mildly bizarre little flirtation with a young man at the equestrian center. Harry opens Ken's check and discovers that Ken is getting paid significantly more than he is, prompting him to be more aggressive about his department. Don gets a fancy apology dinner together to give Jimmy

a chance to apologize to the Schillings, with Betty and Bobbie in attendance. At first, Jimmy doesn't plan on making the apology, until Don essentially assaults Bobbie and makes her persuade Jimmy to do so. Did I mention Lois gets fired? Lois is fired. Bye Lois.

Memorability: 7/10

Performances: 22/25

Storylines/Writing: 21/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 15/20

Extra Credit: 7/10

=81

74. "Out Of Town" 3.1

SO we discover that Dick Whitman got his name from his mother's last wish - to cut his father's dick off and "boil it in hog fat." Cute. In this Season 3 opener, we find Betty pretty pregnant and Don having flashbacks of his dark childhood (we later discover these are appearing because it's Don's- well, Dick's - birthday). It's 1963 and Sterling Cooper is bustling with Brits as the merger reverberates throughout the office. The latest casualty is Burt Peterson, who does not go quietly, which has left an opening for Head of Accounts. We're introduced to my beloved Jared Harris in the form of Lane Pryce, a Putnam, Powell and Lowe guy who's overseeing the transition. After Perterson's firing, Lane tells both Ken and Pete (separately) that they will be Head of Accounts. The choice to make them equals is deliberate, and throughout the episode they take the news very differently. Pete is angered and Ken is stoked. It's fun to watch. Meanwhile, Don and Sal take a business trip to Baltimore to do damage control at London Fog. A flirty flight attendant aggressively pursues Don back at the hotel. On another floor, a bell boy tries to bed Sal, and he almost

succeeds except a fire alarm goes off mid-make out, causing a building evacuation. As Don and his mistress climb down the fire escape, he spots the half-naked bell boy in Sal's room. It's so heartbreaking to see Sal nearly get what his heart - and his body - desires and then have it all ruined in one fell swoop. On the way home, Don comes up with a sexy ad for London Fog, and much to Sal's relief, does not bring up the bell boy. As the episode begins with Dick's birth, it ends with Sally's. Sally asks to hear the story of the day she was born, and Don can't recount, ouch. We also see a tiny inkling of guilt from Don when Sally finds the flight attendant's wings in his suitcase. Double ouch. Extra Credit: Sal's presence in the earlier seasons really added a complex layer to

heteronormative tendencies of the show. I think the dimension he adds to the show is so sorely missed that the writers attempted to rebuild it with the addition of Bob Benson later on.

Memorability: 7/10

Performances: 20/25

Storylines/Writing: 20/25

Period Atmosphere: 10/10

Directing/Style: 16/20

Extra Credit: 8/10

= 81

73. "The Doorway Part 1" 6.1

The Season 6 opener begins with a man giving someone CPR as Megan screams in the

background. Then, we cut to Megan's tanned stomach on a beach. It's Christmastime and the Drapers are in Hawaii, scoping out the Royal Hawaiian resort. It's been several months since we last saw our gang - Megan is now a series regular on a TV show and Don is doing business outside of New York, a good sign for SCDP. On their Hawaiian vacation/work trip, Don can't sleep and visits the bar in middle of the night. He meets a soldier in the throes of his bachelor party, who is set to get married the next morning. Don agrees to give his bride away and Megan captures the moment. Sally's friend, Sandy, whose mother has recently passed away, is visiting the Francis residence. She's a violin prodigy and the boys of the house are smitten with her, including

Henry (prompting Betty's extrememly bizarre and uncomfortable joke about raping her). When Sandy comes clean about being rejected to Julliard, she has a heart to heart with Betty about wanting more for her life than becoming a housewife. Notably, Betty feels much more understanding and attentive to Sandy than she's ever been with Sally. Roger is in therapy, and appears to be having some sort of existential crisis. The usual suspects at SCDP are all back and swinging in the new two-story office (along with some new faces in creative) and have apparently landed Dow Chemical in between last season and now. Peggy is still at CGC and dealing with a controversial joke that puts her new Super Bowl ad in jeopardy. She can't get a hold of Ted who is in Colorado for some reason. When Roger's mother dies from a stroke, his reaction is...no reaction at all. A new character has joined the ranks, Dr Rosen, who is the man that was giving Jonesy, the doorman of Don's building, CPR. He's a doctor who lives in the same building as Don and Megan and will presumably take on a larger role this season. Extra Credit: Even though this episode plays

as a foundation for the rest of the season, it's extremely funny. Caroline's reaction to Roger's mother dying, Peggy's phone conversation with the Pastor. Also - Bob Motherfucking Benson is here!!!

Memorability: 8/10

Performances: 20/25

Storylines/Writing: 20/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 17/20

Extra Credit: 7/10

= 81

72. "5G" 1.5

This episode begins with an epic hangover and kind of leaves you with one when it ends.

Don Draper (also known as Dick Whitman, we will discover) gets a surprise visit from one Adam Whitman who we find out is actually his little brother. Meanwhile, Ken Cosgrove gets a short story

published in a national magazine and it sends the office, namely Pete, into a tizzy. Pete's so worked up by Ken's publication that he decides to write his own story (about a hunter and a bear?) and asks Trudy to convince her former lover to publish it. It does not go well. Peggy is beginning to understand that her job includes juggling the misconduct of grown men, as she learns about Don's mistress (Midge, whose intrigue starts to wear off a bit in this episode, but she still serves as an adequate contrast to Betty.) The long-lost baby brother storyline doesn't really land until the final five minutes of the episode, when Don gives Adam $5,000 to leave New York. It's then that we realize the pain of reuniting these characters. Adam is so happy to have someone after having nobody for so long, and Don is so fearful that Adam's emergence will lead to his demise. Extra Credit: One of Roger's best lines (and there are many) in reference to Cosgrove's story: "The story itself was not much to my liking, but I think it showed an uncanny understanding of what most people like."

Memorability: 6/10

Performances: 23/25

Storylines/Writing: 22/25

Period Atmosphere: 8/10

Directing/Style: 16/20

Extra Credit: 6/10

=81

71. "The Beautiful Girls" 4.9

Don and Faye have made it past casually dating and are now casually fucking. Joan's husband has been called to Vietnam after basic training and she's understandably distraught. Peggy gets set up with Abe, the guy she met a few episodes back at an underground art show. The date goes sour after Abe makes his politics, which are critical of consumerism and racism, known. This episode is memorable for two major reasons; 1) Joan and Roger are mugged and end up sleeping together, 2) Sally shows up unannounced to SCDP after running away, and Miss Blankenship unceremoniously dies at her desk while Don is in a meeting with Fillmore Auto Parts (all of this happens at the same time, which makes for a wickedly funny sequence). There is a lot of inner work going on in this episode. Sally is desperately trying to make herself indispensable to Don so she can stay with him permanently (it's heartbreakingly tragic how much she wants to play house with her dad). Joan is dealing with the fact that her husband will be deployed, and she had no say in him joining the army in the first place. Peggy is grappling with the morality of her career choice and Don is stringing Faye along. Extra Credit: "I'd have my secretary do it but she's dead."

Memorability: 7/10

Performances: 22/25

Storylines/Writing: 22/25

Period Atmosphere: 7/10

Directing/Style: 16/20

Extra Credit: 7/10

= 81

70. "The Jet Set" 2.11

We're entering the Reign of Jane, one of my favorite eras because she's such a bitch and because Roger's mid-life crisis is so deeply rooted in self-entitlement and it's obvious to everyone but him. In the first five minutes of 'The Jet Set', Roger proposes to Jane to which she of course says yes. The young European newbie at SC, Kurt, asks Peggy out on a date, but we later discover it's meant to be platonic because he's gay. Meanwhile, Don and Pete land in California. We love to see a 1960s hotel moment! The juxtaposition between Los Angeles and New York is utterly palpable, from the color to the pacing. After Don chides Pete for wanting to lounge poolside rather than target clients, Don is approached and courted by a mysterious group of glamorous nomads including Viscount Monteforte d'Alsace aka Willy and a young lady named Joy. Don is intrigued but hesitant. However, in typical Draper fashion, he abandons Pete to fend for himself so he can leave for Palm Springs with Joy after she utters the Thesis Of Episode Part One: Why would you deny yourself something you want? Thesis of the Episode Part Two aims to answer that question, as we find out (a little) more about the nomads. At the house in Palm Springs, Don faints but recovers for a Mexican food dinner with the quirky gang of moneyed....eccentrics?? I don't know. Don and Joy hook up and when they awake in the morning, we find out Willy is Joy's father. It's safe to say that this weird little group is an example of untethered freedom for Don, which isn't always ideal. Back in New York, Duck suggests he be considered for partner at Sterling Cooper but Roger informs him he hasn't really proved himself to be an asset yet. This blow to Duck's ego prompts him to make a deal with his former employers at Putnam, Powell & Lowe to buy a 51% stake in Sterling Cooper, as long as he is made head of creative (shockingly, Roger and Bert are game from the get-go). Duck also breaks his long held sobriety. Across the bridge in Brooklyn, Kurt gives Peggy a makeover. There are many dogged metaphors in the episode - Don's mistress's name is Joy, the crack he notices in his glass when a man and two children suddenly appear at the Palm Springs house. In the face of freedom, Don quickly realizes he can't actually escape reality. Turns out, you deny yourself something you want sometimes because being rootless and unbound can be an empty existence and frankly, it's just not possible. It's also notable that both Don and Roger are biding their time with twenty year olds while reality catches up with them. In the end of course, we know Don will leave the weird culty group. What we don't know is who he is making plans to meet up with over the phone! (Spoiler alert: it's Anna).

Memorability: 7/10

Performances: 22/25

Storylines/Writing: 22/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 15/20

Extra Credit: 6/10

=81

69. "Waldorf Stories" 4.6

"Waldorf Stories" features many moments that take place in none other than...the Waldorf Astoria. But more importantly, the episode is concerned with the parallel lives of Don and Roger. Amid the excitement of Don's Glo-Coat commercial being nominated for a CLIO, Jane's cousin Danny comes in for an interview wielding a portfolio stocked with old ads that aren't his, and one original tagline, a riff off of the idiom "a cure for the common" fill in the blank. At the CLIOs, Don wins in his category, prompting a weekend long bender. But first, the gang swings by the office to give Life cereal a quick, and alcohol soaked pitch. Don, high off his win and drunk off his ass, accidentally pitches Danny's tagline and Life wants it. Oops. Joan, Roger and Don head to an after party where Don shoots his shot with Faye and gets rejected. But have no fear, he finds another girl to take home and suddenly it's two days later and Don has a different woman in his bed AND he's forgotten to pick up his kids. This is a tale of two men though, as suggested by the flashbacks of Roger and Don meeting for the first time, when Don was only a fur salesman who did ad work as a side passion (and back when Roger and Joan were in the early aughts of their torrid love affair - he was buying a fur for Joan). "Waldorf Stories" really illuminates just how similar Roger and Don are and how history is bound to repeat itself. Don is able to swing a gig at Sterling Cooper because he gets Roger drunk at lunch and conversely, Danny is able to swing a gig at SCDP because of Don's alcoholism, which has significantly intensified since his divorce from Betty. They're two sides of the same coin, once young and hungry, and now coasting on reputation and leaning on alcohol to lubricate their sorrow. In other news, a new Art Director, Stan Rizzo, is here and he rubs Peggy the wrong way. In Don's drunken stupor, he forces the two of them to brainstorm ideas for Vick's cough drops in a hotel room, where Peggy encourages Stan to "get liberated" and strips down to her skivvies to prove a point. The campaign gets done, and Peggy wins in the battle of smugness. Also, Ken Cosgrove is back! SCDP has opted to poach Cosgrove and his accounts from Geyer to help Pete with his load. Pete is less than pleased, and makes Ken agree to answer to him if he does end up with the agency. Only time will tell if Ken is agreeing to placate Pete or if he really is ok with being Pete's subordinate.

Memorability: 8/10

Performances: 23/25

Storylines/Writing: 21/25

Period Atmosphere: 8/10

Directing/Style: 16/20

Extra Credit: 5/10

= 81

68. "Wee Small Hours" 3.9

The episode might be entitled "Wee Small Hours" but the plot points in the episodes are anything but small. There is a lot, quantity and quality wise. Conrad Hilton has Don by the balls and continues to work him to the bone at all hours of the day and night. On one of these busy nights, Don catches Miss Ferrell jogging and strikes up a conversation. He continues to drive around her neighborhood in the early morning hours to try to run into her. But don't worry, Betty is up to some shady business too. She takes it upon herself to start writing letters to Henry and they become daily penpals. After days of this, Henry shows up at the Draper home and Carla senses something fishy. To try to convince Carla away from what she already knows, Betty and Henry make up an excuse about a fundraiser for Rockefeller, which Betty actually goes through with. When Henry doesn't show, Betty confronts him (and throws a cashbox at him) and then quickly backtracks and decides maybe they shouldn't be entertaining an affair after all. At S-C, Lucky Strike and its young heir, Lee Garner Jr. are working on a commercial. After an evening of editing, Lee comes on to Sal and when Sal doesn't reciprocate, Lee asks for Harry to get him off the commercial. Harry chalks up the request to a drunk misunderstanding and doesn't remove Sal, prompting Lee Garner to storm out of the office in a fit when he sees Sal is still there. Because of Lucky Strikes massive 25 million dollar account with S-C, the agency has no choice but to fire Sal to make Lucky Strike happy (we'll always wonder what could have been had they kept him around). After weeks of working on a campaign for Hilton's international hotels, Don presents a pretty spectacular pitch that leaves Connie disappointed because he didn't mention the moon anywhere. As Don always does when he's feeling dejected, he finds a woman to make him feel better, and his flavor of the week (well, many weeks at this point) is Miss Ferrell. He shows up on her doorstep and the rest, as you may know, is adultery.

Memorability: 7/10

Performances: 20/25

Storylines/Writing: 23/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 17/20

Extra Credit: 6/10

= 82

67. "Public Relations" 4.1

The season four opener answers a lot of questions we've had since season three ended, but it also posits plenty of new questions, too. It's November 1964, almost a year since we last saw Don. The episode starts with Don being interviewed by a man who drops mentions of a Glo-Coat commercial, which has apparently been a runaway success in the ad world. SCDP is thriving, with a new office and a new cast of characters (and some returning, like Don's secretary Alison). We learn that Betty and Henry have married and Don is seeing a prostitute regularly (we can assume) even though he has become the pity project of Roger and Jane. They set him up with Bethany Van Nuys, who is essentially Betty at 25. The interview Don gave in the first scene turns out to really bite him in the ass later, as the article makes Don seem like an asshole and in turn, makes SCDP look bad. It's clear that the agency is once again hinging upon the reputation of Don as a humble genius. Meanwhile, Peggy and Pete devise a PR stunt to give Sugarberry hams a boost in sales, but the stunt goes haywire. The agency has a new Art person too. In the uproar from the botched interview, Jai Alai drops SCDP, much to Harry's dismay since he just secured a TV spot for the sporting event. In the end, Don has a real dick-swinging fit when the people at Jantzen declines his risque campaign for their bikinis and schedules another interview with the Wall Street Journal in which he puts on the show everyone was hoping for. This is a good episode, especially in terms of catching us up to where Don and SCDP are since leaving PPL, but it's also a very foundational

episode in that way.

Memorability: 7/10

Performances: 20/25

Storylines/Writing: 23/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 17/20

Extra Credit: 6/10

= 82

66. "Man With the Plan" 6.7

Dr Arnold Rosen and his wife Syvlia, also known as Don's latest mistress, are having problems. She calls Don to meet her and they embark on a days long dalliance at a hotel. Don, however, is trying out some new dom/sub scenarios that Sylvia isn't sure she likes or dislikes. CGC moves into the SCDP offices and it's clear there will be a learning curve as far as integration is concerned. Layoffs (including poor Burt Peterson, again) and office changes permeate the firm. Peggy worries that all of Don's bad qualities will rub off on well-intentioned Ted. Pete's mother is showing signs of dementia and has to shack up with Pete in his Manhattan apartment for the time being. When she accidentally leaves the kettle on, Pete has to rush home to her, leaving Don and Ted to take a meeting without him. Ted struggles with Don and his place within the agency and gets some sound advice from Gleason, who doesn't show signs of beating his cancer. Joan experiences extreme pain in her side, and Bob Benson comes to her rescue, which pays off for him in the end when her

influence gets him off the layoffs list. After a few days of their dom/sub hotel tryst, Sylvia decides to call off their entire affair, citing her shame about the whole thing. Don is devastated and returns home to Megan. In the final moments of the episode, we learn that Bobby Kennedy has been shot.

Memorability: 6/10

Performances: 21/25

Storylines/Writing: 21/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 18/20

Extra Credit: 7/10

= 82

65. "Tale of Two Cities" 6.10

Roger, Don and Harry are off to LA to woo Sunkist, Carnation and "the avocado people". SCDPCGC mulls over a new name and tensions continue to rise as the two firms merge. Cutler, in particular, clashes with creative, namely Ginsberg, and Pete still feels squeezed out. Joan meets with the head of marketing at Avon thinking it's a date, but realizes it could be a potential client and flexes her unknown account muscles. She's hesitant to bring the lead back to the office for fear that it will be given to one of the account men - which it is. However, just as swiftly as Ted hands Pete the account, Joan schedules a meeting with only her, Peggy and Avon, leaving Pete out

altogether. When Pete discovers this transgression, he essentially tattletales on Joan to Ted, but Peggy saves her when she fakes a call from Avon. Amid the backdrop of Richard Nixon's 1968 election campaign, Don, Harry and Roger's visit with Carnation is rocky at best. Their series of meetings turn out to be duds, so they attend a party in the hills in hopes they'll bump into some VIPs. Instead, they bump into Danny (remember Danny? Jane's cousin?) and a lot of hippies. Don smokes hash and hallucinates that Megan is at the party, pregnant. Suddenly, he's being dragged out of the pool and Roger is reviving him. In other news, the firm is now called Sterling Cooper & Partners (SC&P), Bob is being promoted, and the firm has lost Manischewitz. But Chevy remains strong! In a lot of ways, this episode is just laying groundwork for the final three episodes of the

season, but it's still fun. It's also a time marker - we're officially in The Sixties. Extra Credit: Pete in

the last image, smoking a joint to Joplin. I die!

Memorability: 8/10

Performances: 20/25

Storylines/Writing: 20/25

Period Atmosphere: 10/10

Directing/Style: 16/20

Extra Credit: 8/10

= 82

64. "The Hobo Code" 1.8

In "The Hobo Code," we take a step into males expressing or rejecting their individualism. Pete and Peggy fuck again, resulting in a weird, quasi-possessive Pete who essentially pumps and dumps her but only after he makes her feel shitty for being happy. Peggy's copy is presented to Belle Jolie and it's a hit, sparking her long affair with copywriting and grappling with her talent in a male dominated industry. So excited is she just to get thrown a lowly bone in the form of a single drink by her male peers. Of course, in light of Peggy's success, we start to see what may look like jealousy from Joan, but what is actually envy - not to have what Peggy has, but a longing to be as bold as her. Meanwhile, Don gets a significant bonus and pays a visit to Midge to celebrate (it's puzzling why Don keeps hanging around Midge and her beatnik crew). This visit ends up as a party of sorts with Midge and her Village friends, who think Don is the capitalist enemy, but offer him some drugs anyway. In a drug induced flashback, Don remembers when he was a kid and a hobo visited his home for a meal. The hobo leaves a mark for other passerbys on the Whitman

family farm to indicate that a dishonest man lives there (Don's dad). The flashback prompts Don to wake Bobby up in the middle of the night to tell him he will never lie to him, which is heartbreaking considering Don is the master in lies of omission. On the other side of town, Sal meets with a client to seemingly check out some architecture?....If you're looking, Sal's sexuality is quite evident from the get-go, but here we finally see his struggle with his sexuality in motion with another man. It's a solid episode.

Memorability: 8/10

Performances: 23/25

Storylines/Writing: 23/25

Period Atmosphere: 8/10

Directing/Style: 15/20

Extra Credit: 5/10

=82

63. "Indian Summer" 1.11

The Exerciser! Also known as the best vibrator ever! Many things happen in this episode - Adam hangs himself, Don continues to see Rachel, Peggy is noticeably bigger than last we saw her, Betty fantasizes about fucking a traveling salesman while she masturbates with the washing machine, and Lucky Strike is nervous about Roger's health issues. To console their worries, they bring Roger out of the hospital to save face, which quickly backfires when he starts having chest pains in the middle of the meeting. Because of this unfortunate turn of events, Bert makes Don a partner at Sterling Cooper. Peggy writes copy for a new product that thinks it's an exercise machine, but is actually a vibrator. We start to see the early inklings of Don's mentorship of Peggy and we continue to find Betty pushing limits, then realizing the consequences, and then spinning her story to fit her narrative. She's so fascinating, and only becomes more so as the show goes on. The most important part of the episode, story wise, is in the last five minutes, when Pete steals Don's package from Adam.

Memorability: 7/10

Performances: 23/25

Storylines/Writing: 23/25

Period Atmosphere: 8/10

Directing/Style: 15/20

Extra Credit: 6/10

=82

62. "Mystery Date" 5.4

Mystery Date' begins with Joyce bringing in pictures from the Speck murders of 1966, in which Richard Speck of Illinois murdered eight student nurses. A grim cloud to start the episode, made even more sinister by the excited reactions from the copywriting team at SCDP (save for Ginsberg, who is utterly horrified by the photos). Sally, on the other hand, is obsessed with learning about the details. On their way into the office, Don and Megan run into an old colleague of Don's who mistakes Megan for a random woman as she makes a pass at Don in the elevator. Don is under the weather but makes it through a meeting with Ken and Ginsberg before heading home and hopping into bed. Greg is home from war, but reveals to Joan that his duty has been extended a year. We later find out he volunteered to go back, and Joan dumps his ass THANK GOD. Roger bribes Peggy to come up with a campaign for Mohawk over the weekend after realizing he forgot to get Ginsberg started on the account. While she's working late, she finds Dawn sleeping in Don's office and invites her to stay at Peggy's place. While Don is mid-nap at home, the lady from the elevator appears at Don's apartment. He begs her to leave, but she ignores his pleas and he finally gives in to her advances. After they fuck, she continues to taunt him about his sexual appetite, until he chokes her to death and pushes her under the bed (!) It's very intense...BUT JUST KIDDING. It was all a fever dream, and Don wakes up to Megan bringing him breakfast. Extra Credit: Don calling the Francis residence a "haunted mansion" because that's exactly what it looks like; Pauline's absurdly large chef knife a.k.a. a "burglar alarm" nestled beside her, and Sally being given a Seconal. I LOL'd. Also, the final song is *chef's kiss* perfection.

Memorability: 9/10

Performances: 20/25

Storylines/Writing: 20/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 17/20

Extra Credit: 8/10

= 83

61. "Ladies Room" 1.2

Much like the pilot, this episode has a lot of cliches, but unlike the pilot, we get to learn a lot

more about Betty who is anything but cliche! The main storyline of this episode is Betty's mental

health and Don's every move to curtail her getting real help. It's clear that Betty's been depressed

since the recent death of her mother and the anxiety has manifested in her hands going numb at

random. She gets in a car accident with the kids and Don finally agrees to her seeing a psychiatrist. In the end we find out Don is secretly getting downloads of her sessions from her doctor. Meanwhile, Peggy reels from the sexist and predatory atmosphere of the office and pines for Pete while he's away on his honeymoon. The episode is a little ham-fisted with the men vs. women of it all, but it's still delightful.

Memorability: 7/10

Performances: 23/25

Storylines/Writing: 21/25

Period Atmosphere: 10/10

Directing/Style: 16/20

Extra Credit: 6/10

=83

60. "The Better Half" 6.9

Peggy struggles to find her place between Don and Ted. Megan grapples with playing two different characters on her show, and can't seem to crack how to make them different. Betty, returned to her fighting weight, is back to being oggled by men, which turns Henry and herself on. Peggy and Abe argue over their new apartment and the crime in their neighborhood. Feeling underappreciated at work, Pete meets with Duck who is working as a headhunter. Duck advises him to invest in his home life more, which is obviously challenging now that Trudy has kicked him out and his mother is wreaking havoc on his bachelor pad. Don and Betty take Bobby on a

school camping trip. In a somewhat startling turn of events, Betty channels her newfound confidence into a night of passion with Don. They reminisce about their marriage and their views on sex. Betty's turned a corner it seems, and has finally realized that being ungettable is the way to get Don. Of course, it can't last since Henry comes to camp the next day. After the Fleishman's presentation Ted admits he has feelings for Peggy. While Don is away, Megan meets with her co-star Arlene to go over lines. When Megan confesses how lonely she is, Arlene tries to kiss her. Meanwhile, in a more boring storyline, Roger gets in trouble with his daughter for taking her son to see "Planet of the Apes." Joan and Bob Benson are becoming fast...friends? They plan a trip

to the beach and before departure, Roger stops by Joan's apartment, likely attempting to be a good father to Kevin after failing at his grandfatherly duties. When Roger finds Bob at Joan's place, it makes for an awkward love triangle. Back at Peggy's apartment, things have escalated. When she hears a commotion outside her window, she accidently stabs Abe in the stomach with her makeshift spear. In the ambulance, Abe breaks up with her stating that she'll "always be the enemy" because she works in advertising. On Monday morning, Peggy tells Ted that she's newly single, and he doesn't take the bait. Bob Benson comes through for Pete and gives him the name of a

nurse for his mother. Extra Credit: All of the camping trip, although very soapy, really is great stuff.

It's fun to see Betty and Don together again.

Memorability: 8/10

Performances: 21/25

Storylines/Writing: 21/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 17/20

Extra Credit: 7/10

= 83

59. "Field Trip" 7.3

Don gets a call from Megan's agent Alan, who tells him Megan has been behaving desperately in light of her diminishing returns on the audition circuit. Don visits her in LA to talk her off the ledge, and she's immediately skeptical about his visit. When he tells her Alan contacted him, she freaks out and eventually turns the conversation around on Don. He comes clean about being put on leave, which leads to another fight and Megan kicking him out. Their relationship has all but ended at this point. When Don returns to NYC, he meets with Dave Wooster of Wells Rich & Greene who've been courting Don for years. Don leverages an offer at WRG to come back to SC&P. Roger invites him to return, except when Don arrives, Roger is nowhere to be found and nobody has been informed of his arrival. The office clamors with the news of Don's presence and he realizes Roger has not run Don's return by the partners. Realizing that buying Don out of his partnership would be too expensive, they offer him his job back under a series of harsh restrictions, including no drinking at the office and disallowing him to be alone with clients. Don takes the deal.

Meanwhile, Betty goes on a field trip with Bobby's class and is ostensibly the "cool mom." She has a riveting conversation about Wolf Man with Bobby on the bus and drinks milk straight out of a bucket! The field trip is going swimmingly until Bobby barters her sandwhich for some candy while she's in the restroom. The trade marks Betty's return to Ice Queen Betty. Extra Credit: Betty telling Bobby to "Eat your candy." is one of the most wrenching exchanges in the season, or the show really.

Memorability: 9/10

Performances: 21/25

Storylines/Writing: 20/25

Period Atmosphere: 7/10

Directing/Style: 18/20

Extra Credit: 8/10

= 83

58. "The Strategy" 7.6

'The Strategy' is reminiscent of 'The Suitcase' in that its centerpiece is a beautiful Don and Peggy moment. SC&P is actively pursuing Burger Chef with Peggy at the helm. They've devised a strategy that Pete and Lou like, but Peggy doubts it when Don suggests thinking about it from a different point of view. Furthermore, Pete has asked Peggy if she'd consider letting Don give the pitch. Pete is in town with his girlfriend Bonnie, whom he won't let Tammy meet. When he travels upstate to visit Tammy, he's furious to discover that Trudy is out on a date (hypocrite). Bonnie ends up leaving the city to go back to LA after Pete abandons her for Trudy and work. Bob Benson is visiting from Detroit with some of his Chevy buddies, one of which gets arrested after attempting to give an undercover cop a BJ. When Bob bails him out, he informs him that Chevy is letting go of SC&P and Buick is interested in scooping up Bob. This information prompts Bob to propose to Joan, but

she immediately understands he needs her as his beard. The proposal turns into Bob telling Joan about Chevy dropping SC&P, leaving Joan in a panic. Don is in a good mood after Peggy asks him to do the Burger Chef pitch, and it comes through when he spends the day with Megan, even if things feel strained between them. Peggy comes into the office to do extra work after Don's new idea for the strategy eats away at her confidence. Surprisingly, Don shows up to help her and they finally reconcile after all the post-Ted drama of last season. They settle on an even better and stronger idea for Burger Chef and share a sweet dance to "My Way." In other news, Harry is up for partner now, and McCann is worried that SC&P is going to steal Buick.

Memorability: 7/10

Performances: 22/25

Storylines/Writing: 20/25

Period Atmosphere: 8/10

Directing/Style: 18/20

Extra Credit: 8/10

= 83

57. "Christmas Comes But Once A Year" 4.2

It's Christmas time in New York! Freddie Rumsen is back! And he's brought Pond's Cold Cream to SCDP. With his return comes some discomfort from Pete, who is worried about Freddie's sobriety, but he appears to be not only sober, but with an AA sponsor from the Pond's camp. The dynamics of the old SCDP leak through upon Freddie's return as old habits involving bossing Peggy around die hard. They eventually get in a fight about how old fashioned Freddie is. Glen reunites with Sally and counsels her about what to expect with divorced parents (before he and a pal break into the Draper home, ransacking the kitchen and destroying the bedrooms, except for Sally's which is left untouched). The Motivational Research Group is introduced, led by Dr. Faye Miller who is...not my favorite. When Don declines to take her psychological survey, she pegs him as a type, which both intrigues and annoys him. To pinch some pennies, SCDP opts for a low-key Christmas party, but this plan all goes to shit when Lucky Strikes' Lee Garner Jr decides to drop by, prompting the office to pull out all the stops. Let us not forget, Lee Garner Jr. is a repressed psychopath who gets off on playing Roger like a puppet. He forces Roger dress up as Santa and take pictures with all the guests, which is particularly wrenching knowing that he has to do it to keep over half of

SCDP's business alive. Don skips out on the party and forgets his keys at the office, leaving his secretary Allison to bring them to his apartment. He's obviously drunk, but manages to seduce her on his couch, where they briefly fuck before she leaves to find her friends. It's clear that she's expecting some sort of...acknowlegement? romance? flirtation? the next morning when they arrive at the office, but Don is business as usual, which really stings when he gives her a Christmas

bonus that now feels like hush money, or maybe even quid pro quo. Peggy has a new boyfriend who is pretty vile and looks like a teenager. He also thinks she's a virgin. Notably, this is our first Megan sighting! That might mean "hurray!" for some and a resounding "booo" for others. This episode has a great script but something about the way it's shot feels off. The pacing is at a strange clip and I wonder if it's by design. Extra credit: Of course extra credit comes from a Roger line - "We need to change it's rating from convalescent home to Roman orgy." And also, Freddie's awkward reference to blue balls.

Memorability: 8/10

Performances: 22/25

Storylines/Writing: 23/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 14/20

Extra Credit: 7/10

= 83

56. "Flight 1" 2.2

In Flight 1, an American Airlines flight crashes and Pete discovers his father was on the ill-fated plane. Pete is understandably in shock, but Sterling Cooper takes the opportunity to swoop

in and help rebrand American, even though it would conflict with their clients at Mohawk. Interestingly, Don holds a moral high ground on this, insisting that they remain loyal to their current clients instead of scrounging for maybes from an airline who couldn't keep their plane in the air. Peggy is noticeably bolder after her pregnancy in season one, exploring her newfound confidence in work and dating, but tensions are high with her family members as we learn that the baby has since been adopted. In the wake of Pete's father's death, he finds out that his father was broke.

Meanwhile, Kinsey and Joan have a row after Joan is grossly condescending towards Kinsey's Black girlfriend. Pete is unsure if he should join the fight for American Airlines and in the end, he does, using his unique position to boost Sterling Cooper's chances of landing the account with equal parts guilt and pathos. Shout out to Carlton's weird prosthetics on his face for unknown reasons.

Memorability: 8/10

Performances: 22/25

Storylines/Writing: 22/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 15/20

Extra Credit: 8/10

=84

55. "Maidenform" 2.6

The episode opens with Betty, Joan and Peggy tucking, zipping and clasping their respective undergarments as they get ready (notably Joan in a black bra, Betty and Peggy in white ones) to the tune of "The Infanta" by The Decemberists (one of a handful of anachronistic music choices). Playtex wants to jazz up their ad campaign in the likes of Maidenform, their competitor. Roger forces Don and Duck to make amends after the American Airlines fallout, and we get to see a little bit more of Duck's tumultuous personal life (Chauncey!). The guys come up with an enticing pitch for Playtex based on the idea that every woman is either a Jackie or a Marilyn, which Peggy somewhat resents. Don continues to see Bobbie Barrett (not my fave plotline). Pete hooks up

with a random girl from the Jackie/Marilyn casting call. Peggy is feeling lost and excluded in the boy's club and struggles to get her foot in the door. In the end, Playtex passes on the Jackie/Marilyn angle and takes the guys of Sterling Cooper out to a strip clip, where Peggy shows up unannounced. In a devastating final scene, Don shaves his face while Sally gazes at him adoringly, sending him down a spiral of self-hatred after all the shit he's pulled with Bobbie. Extra Credit: Lots of cool extras in this episode - many, many mirrors; that awful scene where Don tells Betty her new bathing suit is desperate, Joan once again telling Peggy to buck up.

Memorability: 7/10

Performances: 21/25

Storylines/Writing: 22/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 17/20

Extra Credit: 8/10

=84

54. "Shoot" 1.9

One of my favorites, mostly for the final scene, wherein Betty shoots up the neighbors pigeons,

launching hundreds of GIFS across the internet. Our first mention of McCann Erickson, Sterling/Cooper's rival ad agency which is much larger and much more flush. McCann begins to court Don in an attempt to get him to leave Sterling Cooper, and in the process, they use Betty as a pawn. Jim Hobart coaxes Betty into modeling for a Coca Cola campaign in the hopes that her revived modeling career will convince Don to make the switch. We learn of Betty's former Manhattan modeling life, and her's and Don's origin story, how they met on a photo shoot. But what really makes the episode memorable is the palpable sense of Betty's misery and boredom in being a housewife, and only a housewife. The episode nails the stifling boredom and the thankless tedium of domestic servitude as a stay-at-home mom. Betty is looking for purpose, and is simultaneously feeling guilty for looking. When her modeling aspirations are dashed after Don decides to stay at Sterling Cooper (per a substantial raise), she can't help but feel like her newfound purpose, her only way out of her endless cycle of feeling stunted, of feeling old, is over. Extra Credit: Does anyone else find her line about wanting to get a picture of Sally crying one day completely endearing?

Memorability: 8/10

Performances: 23/25

Storylines/Writing: 23/25

Period Atmosphere: 7/10

Directing/Style: 16/20

Extra Credit: 7/10

=84

53. "The Inheritance" 2.10

There is so much going on in this episode that it feels like there are three epsiodes crammed into one (with a much stronger second half).While Don rides out his punishment at the Roosevelt, Betty's father, Gene has a stroke, prompting her reunion with Don to take place at her father's home. Gene is seemingly ok, until he starts mistaking Betty for his late wife. Turns out, this is not Daddy's first stroke. Meanwhile at Sterling Cooper, Pete and Kinsey are going to LA to woo some clients much to the dismay of Kinsey's girlfriend who was hoping he'd canvas with her. Trudy continues to pester Pete about a baby - naturally or by adoption - and he's still not super thrilled. This information is relayed to Pete's mother (along with the information that her late husband left her no money) who is vehemently opposed to the idea of adoption. In the tumult of Gene's mental decline, Betty has a moment of weakness and succumbs to Don in the middle of the night, only to abandon him in the morning - her distorted version of a one night stand. When they return home, Don thinks he's welcome again, but Betty refuses his reentry. The dust is still settling since the reveal of the Roger and Jane affair which has forced Joan to cover Don's desk. Now that Don is still excommunicated from his home, he decides to take Kinsey's place and go to California. Joan makes a meal of this sudden change of plans by informing Kinsey of this new arrangement in front of everyone at Harry's office baby shower. In a riveting final ten minutes, Betty discovers Glen has been camping out in her backyard for days to hide from his parents. Betty and Glen's relationship is one of the creepy delights of this series, and this may be one of its strongest examples. When Glen's mother comes to retrieve him, Betty confides in her that her marriage is on the rocks. Extra credit: Pete asking Peggy what she thinks of him hating his mother lol.

Memorability: 7/10

Performances: 23/25

Storylines/Writing: 23/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 15/20

Extra Credit: 7/10

=84

52. "The Gypsy and the Hobo" 3.11

An episode where not much happens and yet everything happens all at once. Primarily three things occur in this episode. First, Roger's former flame, Annabelle Mathis, of the Caldecott Farms dog food empire visits Sterling Cooper to try to squash a bit of bad publicity after the film "The Misfits" makes dog food made of horse meat a national repulsion. Annabelle, a recent widow,

seems to be after more than a good campaign to save her company. She's also interested in rekindling with Roger. She recounts the days they spent as ex-Pats in Paris and throws herself at him. Roger shockingly (or maybe just out of bitterness) denies her advances. Second, Joan and Greg continue to struggle to find their financial footing. Greg loathes the idea of being a psychiatrist and Joan loathes his whiny pity parties. After bombing an interview and taking a vase to the head from Joan, Greg decides to join the army as a surgeon. It's hard to tell if Joan is happy or not, but we can assume she's relieved that he'll be bringing home an income. Third, Betty asks for legal advice from her family lawyer about what to do with the information she's found in Don's drawer. The lawyer tells her that divorce without proof of adultery will be very difficult and she would get nothing. So, Betty confronts Don about what she found in the drawer, while Miss Ferrell hides in Don's car, awaiting their weekend getaway. Don tells Betty everything - about his family, how he took Don Draper's name, how his brother died - and although she's shocked and clearly angry, she taken aback by his nerves and takes pity on him. We're left not knowing where the Draper marriage stands, but there are no secrets about Don's past left to reveal.

Memorability: 7/10

Performances: 23/25

Storylines/Writing: 23/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 16/20

Extra Credit: 6/10

= 84

51. "Person to Person" 7.14

The Mad Men finale is a reveal wrapped up in introspection amid a backdrop of

a new era. It starts with Don speeding down a desolate dessert, sporting goggles and a tight grip on the steering wheel. We learn he's in Utah, helping some garage rats soup up a new car for racing. Sally tells him about Betty's cancer prognosis and he immediately postures as the responsible and caring father he thinks he should be. Of course, we, Sally and Don all know that his intentions are good but this isn't going to happen. After his phone call with Sally, he calls Betty and has his final conversation with her (yes, it's as sad as you can imagine). That's two of his three vital phone calls in this final episode. He makes his way to California and finds Stephanie who has given up her son and is living alone. Back in New York, Joan gets a call from Ken who needs help putting together an industrial film for Dow. Joan sees this as a new beginning for her career and calls on Peggy to help with the script. At lunch, Joan asks Peggy if she'll go in as a partner at her new production company, which has already secured three more Dow industrials. Peggy contemplates the idea and runs it by Stan who thinks she's only considering because she'll have the illusion of power, not because she thinks the job would be fulfilling. Marie has left Canada and her husband to be with Roger. Stephanie brings Don along to an Esalen-esque retreat where activities include "Psychotechnics," "Anxiety and Tension Control" and "Divorce: A Creative Experience." Don is not buying any of it, until Stephanie storms out of a workshop after another attendee judges her for abandoning her son. She leaves Don at the retreat without saying goodbye sending Don into a downward spiral. He calls Peggy from the retreat (who hasn't heard from him in weeks) and delivers some troubling statements about how he's squandered his life. When he hangs up, Peggy calls Stan and the phone call parlays into Stan confessing to Peggy that he loves her. In a moment most satisfying, Peggy reciprocates and they share an impassioned kiss. Don, however, is reeling after his call with Peggy and attends another workshop. It's in this workshop that we hear perhaps the thesis of the entire show by way of Leonard's monologue about being unable to accept love. Listening to Leonard, Don has some sort of breakthrough/breakdown and embraces Leonard and they cry together. At the end, Don is meditating on a cliff with a gaggle of other retreaters while a man calmly leads the group, saying "New day. New ideas. New you." We hear a ding and see a smile spread across Don's face. Cut to the famous 1971 Coca-Cola "Hilltop" ad (created by McCann-Erikson in real life). Don created it guys! Extra Credit: Admittedly, this is not my favorite episode. For me, some of the choices felt rote for such a subliminal and subtle show. But, there are lots of wonderful little mini-moments throughout the episode, like Roger and Joan's scene discussing Kevin's inheritance; Joan and Richard doing cocaine; Bobby burning toast trying to help out when his mother can't do anything but lie down; and Roger and Marie in Paris. P.S. Brett Gelman's presence is always so weird and alarming to me. It makes the entire retreat feel like it's supposed to be a joke.

Memorability: 10/10

Performances: 22/25

Storylines/Writing: 20/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 17/20

Extra Credit: 7/10

= 85

50. "New Amsterdam" 1.4

In which Betty gives Glen a piece of her hair...The wonderful thing about Mad Men is that after the first episode's exposition, were plunged directly into character development. To me, this episode really delves into two characters specifically; Betty and Pete. As Pete struggles to get Don to take him seriously (in the midst of buying an apartment he can't afford), he commits an advertising faux pa when he takes a client out for drinks and pitches his own ideas. Meanwhile,

Betty agrees to babysit Helen Bishop's children and her and Glen connect on an unpredictable level. Don tries to get Pete fired for his antics, but is unsuccessful due to Pete's family's pull in Manhattan. Extra credit: One of my favorite ending shots/music cues.

Memorability: 6/10

Performances: 23/25

Storylines/Writing: 22/25

Period Atmosphere: 10/10

Directing/Style: 16/20

Extra Credit: 8/10

=85

49. "The Phantom" 5.13

Don has a hot tooth that won't quit, and he keeps seeing Adam (his dead brother) everywhere. With new business's cash flow coming in, SCDP considers expanding their offices. After the company receives a payout for Lane's death of $175,000, Don takes Lane's original collateral of $50,000 to his widow who is understandably bitter about the office's role in his life and demise. Pete sees Beth on the train and finds out she's undergoing electroshock therapy at the request of her husband. He spends one last afternoon with her before she undergoes treatment. He visits her at the hospital only to find that she's lost her memory of him. When Pete sees her husband on the train, they get in a brawl resulting in Pete getting a black eye and kicked off the train. Megan asks Don to help her get an audition for Butler shoes. She's struggling to get a break and becomes even more depressed when her mother tells her she's chasing "a phantom." Speaking of Marie, Roger and Marie hook up while she's in town. While Marie's out banging Roger, Megan gets wildly drunk and whines about her career to Don. Don finally gets his tooth removed (it's a metaphor, do you get it? remove the rot!). In the season five finale's final moments, we see SCDP's new second floor, Megan has been given the role in the Butler shoes commercial, Pete will be getting an apartment in the city like he asked for, Peggy has finally been on a plane, Roger takes LSD again, and perhaps most importantly, Don is alone at a bar getting picked up by hot girls. I guess the rot is here to stay. Extra Credit: That entire final sequence, WOW. Also, Kartheiser is particularly great in this episode.

Memorability: 8/10

Performances: 22/25

Storylines/Writing: 21/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 17/20

Extra Credit: 8/10

= 85

48. "A Night to Remember" 2.8

"A Night To Remember" is a turning point for Betty's arc. She is not-so-subtlely punishing Don for his alleged dalliance with Bobbie and takes out her frustration in the form of nagging him to do menial tasks. That is, until her rage manifests into a full blown breakdown after she throws a party and Don embarrasses her. This episode shows the full range of Don's psychopathy. He not only lies straight to Betty's face when she confronts him, but gaslights her into thinking she's crazy for even thinking such a thing. At Sterling Cooper, the firm takes on Heinecken and Harry enlists Joan's assistance to help him prop up the TV department. Father Gil asks for Peggy's help with marketing the church dance. When S-C agrees to hire someone to take on Joan's script reading duties, she's bummed. The Priest probes Peggy about her distance from the church to no avail. Betty continues to waffle about her relationship with Don and in the end, disinvites him from returning to their home.

Memorability: 7/10

Performances: 24/25

Storylines/Writing: 23/25

Period Atmosphere: 8/10

Directing/Style: 16/20

Extra Credit: 7/10

=85

47. "Six Month Leave" 2.9

Marilyn Monroe's death looms over this episode as every women in Sterling Cooper mourns her, especially Joan. This is also the episode in which Freddie Rumsen pisses his pants in a drunken stupor right before a meeting with Samsonite. Mad Men is at its best when it rides the comedic and the tragic in tandem, and Freddie is an emblem of this balance. His alcoholism is terribly sad, but it often makes for great reactions from Peggy (who unconditionally defends her first supporter) and Pete. Despite Freddie's sad "leave of absence" after his "snafu" there are plenty of jokes and visual gags in this episode if you're looking for them. These moments are of course met with melancholy in Don's home life. Betty is slowly unhinging alone at home while Don is exiled at a hotel. She plans a weird sadistic matchmaker date between Mr. Arthur Case and Sarah Beth without their knowledge to amuse herself. To soften the blow of Freddie's layoff, Don and Roger take him to a speakeasy to send him off right, only Jimmy Barrett shows up and Don punches him in the face, causing the gang to be escorted out. This leads to perhaps the greatest crux of the episode - after Don confesses that he and Betty have been having issues, he emboldens Roger to live his life to the fullest, which Roger interprets as a reason to leave Mona after 25 years to be with Don's secretary, Jane. Ooof.

Memorability: 8/10

Performances: 24/25

Storylines/Writing: 23/25

Period Atmosphere: 8/10

Directing/Style: 16/20

Extra Credit: 6/10

=85

46. "The Doorway Part 2" 6.2

Don shows up drunk to Roger's mother's funeral and Mona brings a date. When Don unexpectedly pukes mid-ceremony, Roger takes it as a green light to kick everyone out and throw a tantrum about Mona's guest. Megan is presumed to get more screen time on her TV show, much to Don's hidden dismay. When Sandy tells Sally she's leaving for Julliard early, Betty goes looking for her in the city knowing she's been declined by Julliard. She ends up in a rat infested squatter's home and finds her violin but no Sandy. Peggy continues to solve her problem with the Koss headphones campaign. There's a grimness to this episode and that grimness finds its way into Don's creativity as well. As a preliminary campaign for Royal Hawaiian, Don comes up with an image that evokes suicidal associations which disturbs the men at Royal Hawaiian (nobody in the office but Stan saw it's morbidity). After feeling numb about his mother's death, Roger finally breaks down when he learn that his shoe shiner Georgio has died. For New Year's, Don and Megan host a little soiree with their neighbors including the Rosens. They show their guests a slideshow of their Hawaiian vacation, eat fondue and drink, until Dr Rosen is called into the hospital. When he leaves (braving a literal snowstorm on New Year's Eve to save lives) Don pays a visit to his wife, Sylvia, who he has been having an affair with. Extra Credit: Roger continues to have great moments in therapy and Betty goes brunette!

Memorability: 8/10

Performances: 22/25

Storylines/Writing: 21/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 17/20

Extra Credit: 8/10

= 85

45. "The Crash" 6.8

It is a crash indeed. This could be one of the funniest episodes of the series if it wasn't so sad and stressful. But hey, this is Mad Men after all. 'The Crash' somehow manages to capture both what it feels like when you are at the peak of your high, and what it feels like to be surrounded by high people when you're sober. 'The Crash' is one of those mid-season fever dream episodes, and the WTF-ness of it all is the most endearing part. Chevy is driving the agency into the ground (and has physcically injured Kenny in the process). Amid the Chevy brainstorm, Frank Gleason dies. Jim Cutler brings a doctor to the office to give everybody a little boost for work on Chevy. The boost includes an "energy serum" injected into the gluteus, which we can presume has some sort of stimulant in it, in addition to vitamins, etc. The injections cause the entire office, except for Peggy and Ginsberg, to start operating at 11 - sprinting around the office, throwing sharp objects at each other and babbling about things that feel important but actually amount to nothing. Don is nursing his wounds left by Sylvia, who is trying to move on from their affair. Don keeps having flashbacks of when he was sick in the whorehouse (we learn about Don losing his virginity). While Don is working high on "energy syrum," and Megan is out at a play, Sally is home alone watching the

apartment and her brothers. She finds an intruder has entered the apartment and appears to be looking around for goods. Sally's immediately skeptical, but the intruder, Ida, tells Sally she raised Don and that she's visiting to surprise him. Sally calls the police but Ida interferes and then leaves with Don's watches. When Don comes home, Megan, Henry and Betty are speaking with the police about the break in and Don faints. On Monday, all the work from the weekend proves to be gibberish, as everyone was high on whatever the fuck was in the serum. Don informs Ted he won't be generating work anymore, and will only be judging other peoples work from now on. Extra Credit: Kenny's tap dancing!!!!!!!!!!!! Peggy and Stan's first kiss! Even though Stan ends up fucking Frank Gleason's teenage daughter in the office moments later :(

Memorability: 9/10

Performances: 22/25

Storylines/Writing: 21/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 17/20

Extra Credit: 7/10

= 85

44."The Chrysanthemum and the Sword" 4.5

The crux of this episode is SCDP's attempt to secure business with Honda. Roger's residual WWII anger (and racism) gets in the way of working with the Japanese auto company. Turns out some things are more important than money for Roger, and that is his allegiance to his fallen friends. Honda gives three agencies an opportunity to wow them by giving them each $3,000 and a set of rules stating that they can't turn in a finished product, like a commercial for example. An unknown agency, or at least one we haven't yet heard of, Cutler, Gleason & Chaough (CGC),

is also in the running and Ted Chaough fancies himself the second coming of Don Draper. When Roger ruins the agency's chances to win, Don devises a plan to fool CGC into thinking SCDP is making a commercial. I'm not going to go into detail here because there are many, many details worth watching, but ultimately Honda stays with their current agency and Don is able to bleed CGC out of some of their money. Meanwhile, Sally. Sally, Sally, Sally. Sally is...struggling.

She hacks into her own hair, masterbates on a couch at a sleepover and is just generally lost. Henry suggests she should see a psychiatrist, and we know how the Drapers feel about mental health (read; they don't feel like it exists). Of course, when we talk about Sally, we must talk about Betty, who seems to be trying really hard to force her kids into the mold of her new life with Henry. Other developments, Faye admits she isn't married, you know what that means! Extra Credit: This exchange in regards to civil rights - Bert: "They got what they wanted, why aren't they happy?" Pete: "Because Lassie stays at the Waldorf and they can't." I'm literally lol'ing at the idea of of Don taking Bethany to Benihana's to get a better sense of Japanese culture.

Memorability: 9/10

Performances: 22/25

Storylines/Writing: 23/25

Period Atmosphere: 8/10

Directing/Style: 16/20

Extra Credit: 7/10

= 85

43. "Red In The Face" 1.7

There's a pissing contest in the boys club, and the prized fight is between Roger and Don.

When Roger's wife leaves town, he leeches onto Don and comes over for dinner, leading to a

truly unfortunate moment in Roger's trajectory when he hits on Betty. One of the many Season 1

moments where we are forced to dislike Roger. Don punishes Betty for "flirting" with Roger and devises a plan to put Roger in his place involving oysters, martinis, cheesecake and 23 flights of stairs. Meanwhile, this episode is deeply concerned with Pete's chip'n'dip wedding gift, which he trades in for an unnerving bolt action rifle. Trudy is furious that he returned their wedding gift for such a silly toy and Pete gives Peggy a disturbing monologue about killing a rabbit and eating it while a woman watches. Peak Psycho Pete. This episode is the first time Don uses the information he's getting from Betty's therapist as ammunition against her, and we also get to see the backlash of Betty giving Glen her hair. It's amazing. Lots of Kennedy/Nixon stuff too.

Memorability: 8/10

Performances: 23/25

Storylines/Writing: 23/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 16/20

Extra Credit: 6/10

=85

42."The Monolith" 7.4

The titular Monolith refers to the giant new computer that has replaced the creative lounge in the middle of the office, much to Harry's glee. The office is updating in more ways than one. Pete runs into an old colleague from Clearasil, who is now working at Burger Chef and looking for a new agency. Lou puts Peggy in charge of the account and also in charge of Don, who nobody wants to babysit. Don, who has been placed in Lane's office (a pretty ham fisted symbol, even for Mad Men) is less than thrilled about being Peggy's underling and attempts to undermine her at every turn by missing deadlines and skipping out early. He breaks one of the stipulations of his return when he starts drinking in the office and calls Freddie to see if he wants to go to a Mets game. Freddie knows this song and dance as an addict in recovery, and takes Don home. When Don wakes up, Freddie gives him an epic pep talk so he doesn't blow his second (third?) chance at the firm. He returns to work ready to impress Peggy. Roger's daughter Margaret has run away to a hippie commune, leaving her husband and son to fend for themselves. When Roger and Mona come to take her away (she's Marigold now, not Margaret), she balks and Roger agrees to stay overnight with her. He realizes she's happy at the commune, likely because he sees his own reckless spirit in her, but tells her she doesn't have the luxury of abandoning her kid. Margaret aka Marigold's rebuttal is that Roger should understand how easy it is - he did it all the time under the guise of work.

Memorability: 9/10

Performances: 22/25

Storylines/Writing: 21/25

Period Atmosphere: 8/10

Directing/Style: 18/20

Extra Credit: 7/10

= 85

41. "The Runaways" 7.5

Stephanie calls Don from LA and reveals she's pregnant and in need of some money. He advises her to go stay with Megan until he gets to LA. However, when Stan makes fun of Lou's secret cartoon 'Scout's Honor", Lou forces the creative team to stay after hours. Stephanie and Megan share a tense exchange resulting in Megan convincing Stephanie to leave before Don arrives and writes her a check for $1,000. By the time Don finally makes it to LA, Stephanie is gone. At an open house event, Betty makes it known that she is pro-war, a stance that's opposed to Henry's and causes friction in their household. Not to mention, Sally is back home after nearly breaking her nose at school. Megan throws a party for her acting class and Harry shows up not knowing it's Megan's house. Don and Harry leave for a bar and Harry spills the beans about Cutler and Lou going after Commander cigarettes on the down low, which is not good for Don because he's pubicly renounced tobacco and will have to leave the agency if they land the deal.

When Don returns from the bar, Megan and her friend Amy ilicit a threesome with Don. When they all rise the next morning, Stephanie calls and speaks with Don before he heads back to NYC. Back in NYC, Ginsberg has had a literal psychotic break. He believes the new computer is causing pressure in his body and making everyone in the office homosexual. To "relieve the pressure" he cuts his nipple off and gifts it to Peggy (yes, I'm serious. This is not a dream

sequence). Peggy calls an ambulance to retrieve him. That's the end of Ginsberg fo SC&P :( When Don returns, he finds out where Cutler and Lou are meeting with Commander and bombards the meeting, planting ideas in their heads that will only make him indispensable to SC&P. We'll see if his plan works! Extra Credit: I mean, it's not every day a character on a TV show has a mental break and slices his nipple off, you know? The Ginsberg storyline is deeply tragic, and extremely impressive when you think about his trajectory throughout the series. Additionally, Sally continues to out teenage herself and be a dick to her mom. She gets some good jabs in there.

Memorability: 10/10

Performances: 22/25

Storylines/Writing: 20/25

Period Atmosphere: 8/10

Directing/Style: 17/20

Extra Credit: 8/10

= 85

40. "Time and Life" 7.11

'Time and Life' is not an ending, but it feels like one. Roger receives a letter that states the lease of the SC&P offices has been terminated. When he calls McCann-Erickson to get to the bottom of it, he learns that McCann is moving SC&P over to their building, dissolving the agency and absorbing its leftovers. Basically, it's what everyone was afraid of happening a few episodes back when they sold a majority stake to McCann as an independent subsidiary. Furthermore, the partners have a 4 year contract and a non-compete clause, so options are slim going forward. Upon hearing the news, Pete tells Peggy about the merger. Peggy offers some words of encouragement, and then hires a headhunter who tells her to just stay with McCann to build her resume at a big company. Lou leaves the agency to move to Tokyo where they've agreed to make 'Scout's Honor" a cartoon. Don cobbles together a plan to take some of their bigger accounts that will conflict with McCann's to California so the gang can work from there independently (without Dow). These efforts are thwarted when they present to McCann, who have already banked on the merger. Pete and Trudy meet with the headmaster of the Greenwich Country Day School to discuss Tammy's declined admission. They thought she was declined because of her cognitive skills, but turns out the headmaster's lineage has long rivaled the Campbell family. Peggy is casting a kids spot with Stan, and is rattled after getting in an argument with one of the children's mothers who

left her at the office alone. The encounter brings forth some of Peggy's dormant feelings about the son she gave up, which she reveals to Stan in a poignant conversation. In other news, Don tries to visit Diana but she's no longer living in her apartment and Roger finally tells Don about his relationship with Marie.

Memorability: 8/10

Performances: 22/25

Storylines/Writing: 23/25

Period Atmosphere: 8/10

Directing/Style: 18/20

Extra Credit: 6/10

= 85

39. "Marriage of Figaro" 1.3

A lot happens in this episode. Our first introduction to Dick Whitman, and also the unfortunate

"Who put the Chinamen in my office?" prank. Pete returns from his honeymoon itching for Don to like him, everyone is talking about Volkswagen's 'Lemon' ad, and Rachel Menken is toying with Don's sense of self. Rather, Don is toying with his own sense of self due to Rachel being the only person who calls him out on his shit. This episodes digs a little deeper into Rachel's deal which is fitting to place it side by side with a minor Dick Whitman mention. Rachel is trying to reinvent her father's Jewish department store into something resembling a Chanel, in the same way Dick Whitman fashions himself a Madison Avenue exec named Don Draper. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Rachel kicks Don off her account after he kisses her and reveals he's married. He then gets drunk at Sally's birthday party, disappears and then repents by getting her a dog. This is also a fascinating look at Helen Bishop, the pariah divorcee.

Memorability: 7/10

Performances: 23/25

Storylines/Writing: 23/25

Period Atmosphere: 10/10

Directing/Style: 16/20

Extra Credit: 7/10

=86

38. "To Have and To Hold" 6.4

Don and Pete meet with Heinz Ketchup despite Heinz Baked Beans plea for them not to. They devise a plan to do work for Ketchup (under Project K) in secret with Stan. Harry helps Ken land a big TV spot for Dow Chemical, who has been struggling with their image due to their involvement in the war. When Scarlett leaves the office to get Clara a birthday gift, she asks Dawn to punch her time card so she doesn't have to return to work. Joan finds out and fires Scarlett, who is then swiftly rehired by Harry. When Harry assumes Joan is telling the partners about his bringing Scarlett back, he interrupts a partner's meeting to stick up for himself, while insulting Joan in the process.

Megan's character on the titular soap opera "To Have and To Hold" gets more screen time, which includes an affair storyline that requires a series of "love" scenes. Megan and Don have dinner with the lead actress and head writer (they're married) and are propositioned for an orgy to which they politely declined. Joan's friend Kate, of Mary Kay Cosmetics, is in town to interview with the competition, Avon. Kate and Joan go out for a night on the town after Joan's knocked down a peg by Harry, but the affair feels more sordid than exciting. When they wake up hungover, Joan finally gets the ego boost she's been after when Kate admits that Joan's life and her executive title is

enviable. The following morning, Harry is still adamant about being made partner, even after Roger and Bert give him the entire commission check for the Dow Chemical spot to placate him (more than what Harry makes in a year). Don, Stan and Pete pitch their campaign to Heinz Ketchup and

on their way out, they bump into CGC who are on their way in. Turns out Peggy used Stan's confidence to her advantage, and not only that, she uses Don's line in her pitch! Heinz Beans finds out about the meeting with Ketchup and fires SCDP. Bye bye Heinz. At the end of the episode, Don visits Megan on set during her lurid love scene, which leads to a fight. Don winds up at Sylvia's door. Extra Credit: Season 6 Don is really an unlikeable douche. He still has all the same womanizing characteristics but he's judgmental as hell. Weiner has mentioned that the season 5 and 6 storyline involving Don coming to terms with his wife working is the most period storyline the show touches. I can only assume Don's sourness is due to this. It was fine when Megan was in reach at SCDP, but now that she's independent, he can't handle it.

Memorability: 8/10

Performances: 22/25

Storylines/Writing: 23/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 17/20

Extra Credit: 7/10

= 86

37. "The Rejected" 4.4

After a slew of emotional bricklaying episodes, "The Rejected" starts by getting down to the business at SCDP. The agency is still pandering to Lee Garner Jr. every whim, Dr. Faye Miller and Peggy are working on Pond's Cold Cream and Pete has to break the news to his father-in-law that SCDP has to drop Clearasil for Pond's. Only, when they meet to discuss it, Trudy's father reveals that Trudy is expecting! The Pond's team assembles a little focus group made up of SCDP secretaries led by Faye. It evolves past a group and into a full blown therapy session with Allison bolting out crying as Freddie, Don and Peggy watch through the two way mirror. When Peggy

goes after Allison to try to console her, she realizes she's upset because of her feelings for Don (Allison assumes Peggy understands since she must've "gone through" what she's gone through, to which Peggy is extremely offended). We get a visit from Ken, who is getting married to a rich gal and hates his job at a bigger firm. Peggy meets Joyce Ramsey (Zosia Mamet), a pretentious LIFE magazine photo editor who invites her to a hip art show/party. We find out at the party that she has a little crush on Peggy, but that's all for not since Peggy meets her soon-to-be boyfriend Abe.

Along the line, Pete parlays the misfortune of Clearasil being conflicted out by Pond's into getting his father-in-law to agree to give SCDP his bigger accounts - which he has to comply with now that a baby is on the way. Allison decides to quit Don's desk and asks him to write her a recommendation letter. When he says she can write whatever she wants and he'll sign it, she

freaks out and storms out of the office after throwing a lighter at Don. The results of the Pond's focus group come in and Dr. Faye suggests a campaign that focuses on the product leading to marriage which Don does not want to hear. I like this episode for many reasons, one being that it's a perfect example of how much Peggy has evolved since the first season. She has her finger on the pulse of young people, but occupies a space in an old man's world. She's so much more porous than ever before, whereas Don is as impenetrable as ever. Extra Credit: Ida Blankenship: "Dr. Miller is here to see you. It's a she."

Memorability: 7/10

Performances: 22/25

Storylines/Writing: 22/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 18/20

Extra Credit: 8/10

= 86

36. "A Little Kiss Part 2" 5.2

The office is buzzing with the aftermath of Don's birthday party, specifically Megan's little performance. Megan is upset that Don didn't enjoy his party, and takes out her frustration on Peggy before leaving the office. Speaking of offices, Pete is unhappy in his cramped office and asks the partners for a bigger, more impressive one. Roger bribes Harry to switch with him so that he doesn't have to. After SCDP put an ad in the paper as a joke at a rival company's expense, Joan freaks out that her job is being eliminated and visits the office. Lane assures her that they are all

desperate without her. When Don realizes Megan has left the office, he hurries home to find her in a robe and underwear cleaning the apartment. In a strange, BDSM? game of foreplay, Megan keeps telling Don he doesn't "get to have this" while she strips down and continues to clean. Don, does in fact, have this, right there in the living room, and the two share an emotional conversation about disliking people in the office. (Did Don really say "I don't care about work?") This episode does a lot of heavy lifting in terms of catching us up on characters that have been living for 7 months without us. Pete is feeling professionally neglected, Joan is losing it at home with her baby,

Roger & Jane are miserable, Peggy is still in a relationship with Abe, Lane is unsatisfied (and starting to get a little suspicious about money) and Don & Megan, although still in love, have a power struggle to overcome. And we shouldn't forget, it's 1966.

Memorability: 8/10

Performances: 23/25

Storylines/Writing: 20/25

Period Atmosphere: 10/10

Directing/Style: 17/20

Extra Credit: 8/10

= 86

35. "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" 1.1

As far as pilots go, this one is pretty solid. With the exception of the show really laying

into the nostalgia (you can practically see the men's fangs as they prey on women incessantly) and the overload of "look how crazy it used to be!" moments, the performances are really great. There's a lot of ground to cover in this first hour; Don's work, his affairs, and in the last moments, his home life. We gave it a ten in extra credit solely on the execution of the first scene, which upon this rewatch, we realized basically defines the entire series. Don speaks with a Black waiter about why he prefers his Old Golds cigarettes over Lucky Strikes. The man says his wife read that tobacco is deadly and then goes on to state "Ladies love their magazines," to which Don replies, "Yes, they do," with a winning smile. The scene could go unnoticed. There's a lot going on against it, the music the ambient smoke, the racism, but what it spells out for us is that this show is actually

about how women make the world go 'round. Plotwise, we're introduced to the hustle and bustle

of Sterling Cooper and their inimitable Creative Director, Donald Draper, who is currently trying

to figure out how to sell a product that kills people. He's seeing an artsy fartsy Village painter named Midge and has a new secretary named Peggy, fresh out of secretary school. Sterling Cooper is taking on a new client, Menken's department store, helmed by Miss Rachel Menken.

Memorability: 8/10

Performances: 22/25

Storylines/Writing: 20/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 17/20

Extra Credit: 10/10

=86

34. "Meditations In An Emergency" 2.13

Surprise! Baby Gene is coming. Betty finds out she's expecting baby number three, likely

conceived during their visit to see Betty's sick father. She goes back and forth on whether to keep it throughout the episode. Don returns from California after "taking some time" to think, to which Betty responds, "Must be nice." We Stan a sassy queen. Amid the backdrop of an actual thunderstorm, Don returns to Sterling Cooper during a professional storm too - the official merger between SC and Putnam, Powell & Lowe. In a meeting to announce Duck as the new President of Sterling Cooper, Duck relays his plans to strip the creative department of its power. Unaware that Don doesn't have a contract, Duck relies too heavily on a non-compete clause that doesn't exist allowing Don to walk out in protest of Duck's promotion and his vision for SC/PPL. There's also a political storm a'brewing as the Cuban Missile Crisis has everyone distracted and scared for nuclear war. With the threat of the world ending, everybody is sort of bent out of shape. On a path to

self-destruction while struggling with her...condition, Betty picks up a guy at a bar while the kids are visiting Don. Pete professes his love to Peggy, and Peggy responds by finally confessing to Pete that she had his baby and gave it away. Betty invites Don to move back in, and she tells him she's pregnant. The world lives to see another day, and so does Betty and Don's marriage. A fabulous finale.

Memorability: 7/10

Performances: 23/25

Storylines/Writing: 23/25

Period Atmosphere: 10/10

Directing/Style: 16/20

Extra Credit: 7/10

= 86

33. "The Arrangements" 3.4

I love this episode. It's seemingly quiet, but has so much to say about our relationships with our parents and how they shape our identities and desires. Sterling Cooper humors the grand delusions of Mr. Horace "Ho-Ho" Cook Jr. who is hell bent on making jai alai (a sport that uses hand-held wicker devices and a ball called a pelota) as popular as baseball in America. S-C has zero faith in the project, but is willing to take it on for one million of Ho-Ho's daddy's dollars. When the director for the Patio campaign drops, Don taps Sal to direct the commercial. Although Sal gets the job done, the people at Pepsi are not impressed. Peggy decides it's time to leave Brooklyn for a new Manhattan apartment, but her mother does't take the news well (even after Peggy gifts her a new TV). After the office makes fun of Peggy's roommate ad, Joan takes it upon herself to help Peggy with the message. Gene has been living with the Drapers for some time now and has forged a significant bond with Sally, making a connection and an allyship that she's never experienced with her own parents. Gene, although prickly and self-absorbed (perhaps a little MAGA-ish if we were in the present day...) has a soft spot for Sally, different from the spot he has for Betty. But unfortunately, Gene dies in this episode, after collapsing at the A&P. This drags Sally into deep despair and we start to see the start of her becoming a significant character in the show. "The Arrangements" could be referring to Gene's wishes and will that he tried to discuss with Betty before he died which she swiftly avoided. "I'm your little girl!" It's terribly sad. It could also be in reference to what we leave our children in the larger scheme of things. Is leaving hoards of cash for them the best thing, wonders Ho-Ho's father. Is it ok to want something that your parents didn't wish for you, wonders Peggy. No matter how awful they were and how far you've distanced yourself, can you ever really leave them behind? Don ponders. Extra Credit: Peggy: "I'm fun. And I love to have...fun." Sal performing 'Bye Bye Birdie' to his adorable wife i.e. beard with the fervor of a Rockette is excruciating.

Memorability: 8/10

Performances: 22/25

Storylines/Writing: 24/25

Period Atmosphere: 8/10

Directing/Style: 17/20

Extra Credit: 7/10

= 86

32. "The Grown Ups" 3.12

THE JFK EPISODE. Watching this episode was such a strange experience in June 2020. I found myself crying at the national shock and subsequent grief of the United States after the assassination of John F. Kennedy to be so incredibly poignant in this modern day period of grief we find ourselves in. But let's discuss the episode shall we? After a period of sharing the title of Head of Accounts, Ken is promoted over Pete as Senior Vice President which sends Pete into a decline of despair and rage. Duck and Peggy are still meeting up for nooners. Margaret is dreading her impending wedding and finds herself not wanting to get married at all (a fitting prelude to where she ends up much later). Jane keeps trying to make amends with her and it only makes things worse. The day before the wedding, the President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, is assassinated in Dallas and the nation goes into utter shock and mourning. The Sterlings decide to

go forth with the wedding and as expected, it's a disaster and barely anyone shows up. Among those is Henry Francis, who keeps eyeing Betty from across the way. They meet in secret the next day and he tells her he's going to marry her (honestly, WTF...it's pretty unbelievable to the point where it took me out of the episode completely). When Betty comes home, she tells Don she doesn't love him anymore which is particularly painful since he's obviously been trying harder since Betty found out about his past. Extra credit: The temperature changing in the office fluctuating from freezing to sweltering, from scarves and gloves to sweat stains, is such an emblem of the dramatic and sudden change to come. So many striking details - Betty and Carla crying on the couch (Carla smoking no less!), Roger and Joan's conversation on the phone, the kids glued to the television.

Memorability: 9/10

Performances: 22/25

Storylines/Writing: 22/25

Period Atmosphere: 10/10

Directing/Style: 16/20

Extra Credit: 7/10

= 86

31. "Favors" 6.11

'Favors' is basically irrelevant until the final ten minutes, and boy, are those ten minutes epic. Pete's mother and her caretaker Manolo (whom Bob Benson introduced to Pete) are apparently in a sexual relationship. When Pete goes to Bob about this inappropriate behavior, Bob responds by hitting on Pete. Turns out, Bob Benson's great secret is that he's gay (not a government spy as the internet once believed). Pete ignores the advances and fires Manolo. Anyway. Arnold and Sylvia's son, Mitchell, is classified as A-1, meaning he could be drafted for the war at any second. The Rosens are beside themselves and Don takes it upon himself to help Mitchell out of his predicament. Sally and her friend meet Mitchell in the lobby and are smitten right away. So smitten that they come up with a list of things they like about him. At the office, SC&P continues clashing. As Ted, Peggy and Pete make headway with Ocean Spray cranberry cocktail, Don and Roger court Sunkist, which is obviously in direct conflict with Ocean Spray. At a dinner with Chevy, Don floats Mitchell's plight to the clients, trying to gauge the temperature to see if anyone at GM might be able to help. The change of subject makes the entire table uncomfortable and Ted confronts Don about this tactlessness. As a gesture of peace, Ted offers to help get Mitchell a position as a pilot with his friend in the National Guard. When Don tells Sylvia, she's overwhelmed with joy and invites Don back into her bed. Here's where things get juicy...Sally's friend plays cupid and slips the list they made into Mitchell's apartment, forcing Sally to go back to her building to try to steal the note back. When she gets into the Rosen's apartment using the doorman's keys, she finds Sylvia and Don in the middle of a steamy rendezvous. They see her watching them and Sally bolts. Don chases after her, but it's not until dinner that night they are face to face again, when Mitchell and Arnold visit to thank Don for helping. Sally storms off and Don follows her, trying to convince her that he was "comforting Mrs. Rosen," but the damage is done. Extra Credit: I have to give extra credit and performance points for Elizabeth's Moss's face alone. The emotion she can convey in a matter of moments is astounding.

Memorability: 9/10

Performances: 22/25

Storylines/Writing: 22/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 17/20

Extra Credit: 8/10

= 87

30. "Time Zones" 7.1

It's Winter 1969 and we are in the final stretch of this glorious series. In the final season's opener, Don is already back to his scandalous ways; he's lying to Megan about his leave of absence and pretending he's still working, he's cuddling strangers on airplanes, and he's still drinking heavily. In short, their relationship is strained. SC&P has been chugging along without him, with Lou Grey at the helm of creative, although his style of settling on whatever is easiest seems to clash with that of Peggy's. They've hired Freddie Rumsen as a freelancer, who's been bringing in great work (more on that later). With Pete in LA and Bob in Detroit, Ken is overwhelmed with managing all the accounts and calls on Joan to pick up some of the slack, specifically with Butler Footwear. Butler is considering taking all advertising in-house. Joan meets with a business professor for tips and talking points on how to dissuade Butler and comes out successful. Peggy struggles with the new structure at SC&P, and nearly crumbles when she finds Ted back in the office. She's living alone, and frustrated with the work that's being created. Roger and his daughter meet for a bizarre brunch where Margaret "forgives" him for everything he's done. Don visits Megan in LA (conveniently while Ted is visiting NYC) and meets her agent who delivers the news that she has a callback. He also visits Pete, who has taken to California quite well, nabbing himself a blonde real estate agent girlfriend, a standing reservation at Canter's lol, and a nice tan. On his way back to NYC, Don sits by a beautiful woman (Neve Campbell) coming home from spreading her husband's ashes. They share an intimate moment, but when she alludes to going home together Don refuses - he has to "get back to work." Little do we know, Don has been feeding Freddie his ideas and having Freddie sell them to SC&P as his own. The episode takes on a lot of establishing, but it does some heavy emotional work for an opener as well. Let's go season 7!

Memorability: 8/10

Performances: 22/25

Storylines/Writing: 22/25

Period Atmosphere: 10/10

Directing/Style: 18/20

Extra Credit: 7/10

= 87

29. "Lost Horizon" 7.12

Lost Horizon' is mostly laying the groundwork for the final two episodes of the show, bringing forth the impetus for Don's cross-country odyssey, Joan's exit from McCann and the final death knell of SC&P (which is most fittingly an organ played by Roger Sterling). SC&P has moved into the mammoth McCann-Erikson offices and the transition is jarring. Joan struggles to make nice with Dennis, one of McCann's most vile pigs, who keeps burning all the bridges she's built with her clients. When she goes to Ferg for help getting Dennis off the account, Ferg makes it even worse by forcing her to report to him (and making unwanted advances at her). In the middle of a meeting for Miller Beer, Don leaves after seeing an airplane soar through the sky. The corporateness of

it all is getting to him. He heads to Rye to take Sally back to school, but when he learns that she's already left he decides to drive to Wisconsin to find Diana. He arrives on her doorstep only to discover her evangelical ex-husband and his new wife. He continues his journey west, all the while McCann has no idea where he is. When McCann assumes Peggy is a secretary, they fall behind on getting her an office in the building. To kill time, she hangs out at the now gutted SC&P, where she finds Roger killing time as well. Feeling stifled by Ferg, Joan meets with Jim Hobart to discuss her grievances. Hobart makes it clear that he doesn't care about her working conditions, let alone her feelings. When she threatens to report her working conditions to the ACLU and the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission, he offers to pay her out with only half of the money she is owed from the merger. At first, she declines the offer, until Roger convinces her to take it and

move on. Extra Credit: Peggy and Roger in the old offices, drinking, playing organ and rolling blading is ICONIQUE. The only moment more ICONIQUE is Peggy entering the McCann offices with her new octopus painting and a cigarette dangling from her mouth, in sunglasses!

Memorability: 8/10

Performances: 22/25

Storylines/Writing: 21/25

Period Atmosphere: 8/10

Directing/Style: 18/20

Extra Credit: 10/10

= 87

28. "For Immediate Release" 6.6

This episode has a lot of moving parts, so hang on. SCDP wants to go public, which will of course make all the partners very rich. Pete and Trudy are trying to repair their marriage, but it's going too slowly for Pete's taste. Roger has taken up with a cute stewardess who helps him meet traveling businessmen. Megan's mother Marie is in town for Mother's Day. When Herb from Jaguar calls an emergency meeting, Megan and Marie are forced to cancel their plans and attend the dinner with Don and Roger, except Roger doesn't show up because he's busy courting a businessman at the airport. At the dinner, Herb suggests his local flier guy as a contact for Don to bounce his ideas of. Insulted, Don drops Jaguar then and there. Bob and Pete go out for a night on the town and run into Pete's father-in-law at a brothel, which begs the question - who is going to tell on who? When Jaguar calls SCDP to deliver the news that Don has severed ties, Pete has a fit in front of the office and divulges that they were about to go public. Of course at this most inopportune (or opportune?) moment, Roger finally surfaces with news that the firm will pitch to Chevy in a matter of days. He was in Detroit getting in good with Mikey from Chevrolet. Even though this is good news, it doesn't soothe the likes of Pete or Joan, who were banking on a sure thing like Jaguar to get them a decent sized check after going public. Cutler, Gleason & Chaough are also in the running for the Chevy account, but Ted is contending with Gleason's cancer diagnosis. After hours at the CGC office, Ted kisses Peggy, a moment we've been expecting since the beginning of the season, which causes her to question her relationship with Abe. On the way to pitch Chevy, SCDP gets word that Vicks is dropping them (due to the fallout of Trudy's father seeing Pete at the brothel) but Roger keeps the information from Don before the big presentation. In Detroit, Don bumps into Ted at a bar and they devise a plan to join forces to convince Chevy they're big enough to take on the majors. In an act of completely desperate audacity, Pete tells Trudy about seeing her father at a whorehouse in retaliation for pulling his business and Trudy drops Pete for good. In the final moments of the episode, we learn that CGC and SCDP win Chevy and have opted to merge. Peggy is tasked with writing the press release. Here we go! Extra Credit: Why are Ted's outfits so deliciously bad? Will Pete ever be able to look cool? Must they have him fall down the stairs? LOL

Memorability: 9/10

Performances: 21/25

Storylines/Writing: 23/25

Period Atmosphere: 8/10

Directing/Style: 18/20

Extra Credit: 8/10

= 87

27. "Nixon vs. Kennedy" 1.12

One of the greatest things about Mad Men is its seamless incorporation of real life events into this fictional world. Nixon vs. Kennedy, obviously, delves into the 1960 presidential race between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy. It's clear that the office wants and expects a Nixon victory, as a pre celebration takes place when returns start to come in. Chaos ensues; an unfortunate game of pin-women-down-and-lift-their-dresses to-reveal-their-underwear takes place - just another example of seemingly benign misogyny that isn't so benign at all. Harry and Hildy hook up, Kinsey stages a play he wrote and dances with Joan. The next day, Nixon's chances seem to be slimming. Meanwhile, Don entertains hiring Duck Phillips as Head of Accounts, and Pete has opened Don's parcel finding photos from his past inside. He blackmails Don with the information he finds in order to get promoted. We finally see how Dick Whitman became Donald Draper. The flashbacks in this episode are a true testament to Hamm's acting, as a young Dick Whitman, he's timid and meek. A stark contrast to 1960s Donald Draper, ad man. After Pete approaches Don about his identity, Don panics and tries to convince Rachel to run away with him. Don is one to process his trauma or intense emotions by making impulsive decisions, usually involving taking control of a women's life and/or fleeing. When Rachel calls him on his shit and breaks up with him, he returns to the

office, willing to call Pete on his bluff. He doubles down on hiring Duck Phillips and Pete tells Cooper about Don's identity. In a most satisfying twist, Cooper replies with "Who cares?" and Pete is left to wallow in his defeat. Don Draper continues to win, even if Nixon couldn't.

Memorability: 9/10

Performances: 23/25

Storylines/Writing: 23/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 16/20

Extra Credit: 7/10

=87

26. "Blowing Smoke" 4.12

The agency is working to find their footing after the Lucky Strike departure. Running around town, Don runs into Midge, an old flame from season one. The encounter seems sweet, until we discover that she's a heroin junkie who scouted Don in the hopes of squeezing some cash out of him. Sally and Glen have become good friends who spend a lot of time together. They discuss their dreams, and how to maneuver their divorced parents - that is, until Betty discovers their secret pow-wows and finally pulls the trigger on leaving Ossining. Things are looking incredibly grim at SCDP so the partners are asked to pitch in their share to keep the agency afloat for a few more months. Pete is short of the amount, and Don is finally able to repay him for his discretion and help by paying his share. As a hail Mary for the business, Don takes out a full page ad in the New York Times in the form of a confession, "Why I'm Quitting Tobacco," which not only states that SCDP will no longer work with tobacco companies, but that Don feels relieved to be rid of a product that never improves and makes people sick. Of course, Don doesn't believe this - he's an avid smoker - but the ad shifts the conversation away from the sting of the loss of Lucky Strike leaving, and it's really all anyone can talk about. That, and all the layoffs. It remains to be seen what will come of the agency with this new reputation but it's clear it's a new beginning.

Memorability: 10/10

Performances: 22/25

Storylines/Writing: 23/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 17/20

Extra Credit: 7/10

= 88

25. "The Fog" 3.5

Sally's acting out and Sterling Cooper is pinching pennies like they never have before, thanks to their new English counterparts. When Sally gets in a fight at school, Betty and Don meet her sentimental and dewy-eyed teacher, Miss Suzanne Farrell (whom Don will bed soon enough) But the most important thing about this episode is Betty finally gives birth to baby number 3 who we discover is a boy! Named Gene! In the waiting room, Don meets a prison guard who is DYING to talk about his job and vows to be a better man for his new baby. While Betty goes into a Demerol-laced labor, she has a harrowing fever dream featuring her mother, father and Medgar Evers. The labor and the dream are the first scenes to ever make me squeamish while watching the series. There's a lot to unpack here, but we don't have time in this format. In the city, Duck Phillips, who is now working at Grey, headhunts both Peggy and Pete to come work for him. Pete realizes it would do him no good nearly immediately (perhaps he's offended by being lumped in with Peggy), but Peggy considers taking the job, especially after getting denied a raise from Don. This is not the first time the show touches on racial tension of the period, but it's certainly the most memorable so far. From Sally's obsession with the murder of Medgar Evers to Pete's obnoxious insistence on a Black man's help with understanding why Admiral television sets appeal to African Americans, it's beginning to scratch at a shift in the era. Extra Credit: This is a somewhat divisive episode. For many, it's too surreal, and the birth stuff verges on grotesque. For me, that's what makes it so memorable. It's so wild to see the men just sent off to a waiting room, and even wilder still that the mothers need their husband's permission to see a specialist???

Memorability: 9/10

Performances: 23/25

Storylines/Writing: 23/25

Period Atmosphere: 8/10

Directing/Style: 18/20

Extra Credit: 7/10

= 88

24. "Lady Lazarus" 5.8

Megan is up to something sneaky...She tells Don she has to work late, and then tells Peggy she's meeting Don for dinner after getting a call from a mystery man. Pete meets his friend Howard's wife, Beth (Alexis Bledel, Vincent's Kartheiser's real wife!) and strikes up a dalliance with her, knowing Howard is with his mistress in the city. Pete is shaken by the affair and continues to try to see Beth, going so far as to pretend he needs life insurance from her husband. We find out that Megan is sneaking off to auditions because deep down, she still aspires to be an actress and not a copywriter (I guess her Dad really got to her in the previous episode). Peggy confronts Megan about putting her in a position to lie to Don, and Megan reveals her secret. Of course, Peggy is annoyed that someone with talent who doesn't even want the job is taking a coveted spot. The next day, Megan confesses to Don that she snuck off to an audition, and that her real passion still lies in acting. She doesn't want to do advertising anymore. Don is surprised and disappointed, partially because Megan is ignoring her natural talent for ad work and partially because he won't have his wife at his beck and call at the office (and maybe because Megan made him look better because she's good at everything). Don is mad, but he's conflicted. Rather than make Megan's choice to quit the agency about her dreams of acting, he places the blame on her cohorts for not making her feel welcome (this is exacerbated by Peggy's inability to nail the Cool Whip bit). Don knows encouraging Megan to do what she wants is the best way to ensure she doesn't end up like Betty (he says as much), but there's also a sense that he feels it's a big mistake. Extra Credit: "Pizza house!" Peggy and Joan's asides are always delightful, and who doesn't love a Beatles closer?

Memorability: 8/10

Performances: 21/25

Storylines/Writing: 23/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 18/20

Extra Credit: 9/10

= 88

23. "The Quality of Mercy" 6.12

Since Sally caught Don in the act with Sylvia, he's been spiraling. Sleeping in Sally's bed, spiking his orange juice with vodka in the mornings. Megan doesn't know what's going on, but she assumes he's overworked. To make matters worse, Sally refuses to visit Don and Megan in the city and wants to go to boarding school at Miss Porter's. She visits the school for her interview and an overnight stay. The current students haze her and she invites Glen and his friend Rolo to bring weed and liquor back to the dorms. When Rolo tries to hook up with Sally after she's already rejected

him, Glen punches him and the boys leave. But Sally leaves her mark on the girls and gets accepted into the school. Back in Detroit, Kenny gets his eye shot out, literally, while hunting with a bunch of Chevy brutes. He wishes to return to New York, and gives Pete the Detroit spot. Ted and Peggy's flirtation is palpable to the entire office. When Don and Megan catch them out together at the movies, Don goes back on his agreement with Ted and leverages Sunkist over Ocean Spray. But that's not the most pressing office business. Peggy and Ted's new campaign for St. Josephs is. They think up a great angle based on Rosemary's Baby, but it requires a significant budget increase. Ted is blinded by his crush on Peggy so badly that he overlooks the massive budgetary restriction so that Peggy has a chance at a CLIO. However, when St. Josephs hears how much much the spot is going to cost, they decide to postpone the commercial and have a meeting with SC&P. In this meeting, Don simultaneously sabotages and saves the ad by telling the client that it was Frank Gleason's last idea - successfully convincing them to increase the budget, but disallowing Peggy and Ted to get creative credit. The pressure between Pete and Bob Benson builds as Pete discovers that Bob is not who he says he is. Pete having been through this before with Don strikes up a deal with Bob instead of using it to exploit him. They settle on a truce.

Extra Credit: Sally: "My father's never given me anything." Ugh.

Memorability: 9/10

Performances: 22/25

Storylines/Writing: 21/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 18/20

Extra Credit: 9/10

= 88

22. "The Milk and Honey Route" 7.13

We're almost there! The penultimate episode of the series is a doozy, especially if you're a Betty fan. Grab the tissues. Don continues to road trip across America until his car breaks down in Oklahoma and he's bound to a motel until its fixed. There he meets a young hustler trying to make ends meet by doing expensive favors for guests. Betty breaks her rib falling on the staircase at school and learns at her doctor's visit that she has advanced lung cancer that has already spread to her bones and lymph nodes. The doctor predicts she has about a year with treatment, and less

than that without. Henry is adamant that she undergo treatment, but Betty insists that she would rather let the illness run its course. In an attempt to sway her, Henry tells Sally about the diagnosis and brings her home from school. Betty is enraged, but eventually finds the time to explain to Sally her thoughts and leaves her instructions for when she passes. Pete thinks he's helping Duck by meeting with Learjet and suggesting they bring in a marketing executive, but quickly realizes mid-dinner that Duck has set him up on a job interview with Learjet. Pete is ostensibly uninterested in a new position (and he has 4 more contracted years with McCann), but when Learjet sweetens the deal, he finds himself considering. Back in Oklahoma, Don attends a veteran fundraiser at the behest of the motel owner and his wife. There, he gets extremely drunk with a bunch of fellow soldiers and confesses how he accidentally killed his commanding officer while the gang tells war stories. In the middle of the night, some of the veterans break into Don's room and beat him up claiming he stole all the money they raised. They take his car keys as collateral until he returns the money. Of course, it's the hustler who has stolen the money and has framed Don. The hustler

visits Don in the morning, likely to check and see if his plan worked, and Don intimidates him to return the money. After having a revealing conversation with his brother, Pete realizes he not only wants the job, but he wants to start his life over again with Trudy and Tammy in Wichita. He professes his love for her and the feeling is mutual. They decide to reconcile. When Don returns the stolen funds, the veteran thugs give him his car and he agrees to drive the hustler to the bus station on his way out. In the final moments, Don gives the hustler his car and gets out at the station himself, with nothing but a paper bag. Extra Credit: Isn't it amazing how greasy and red all the veterans look at that fundraiser? Also, I'll never get over how Sally has become the adult among all of her family members. Her comforting Henry after telling her Betty is dying is an apt illustration of the plight of an oldest child.

Memorability: 9/10

Performances: 23/25

Storylines/Writing: 22/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 18/20

Extra Credit: 8/10

= 89

21. "Love Among the Ruins" 3.2

Sterling Cooper gets an opportunity to snag a Pepsi product called Patio, a diet drink for women who want to "reduce". Pepsi's idea for the ad is to match Ann Margaret's Bye Bye Birdie number frame for frame, which Peggy either doesn't understand or finds terribly triggering. Over in Pete's camp, the Madison Square Gardens project, which plans to demolish Penn Station to make space for the new arena. The project comes with a lot of backlash, as local protesters (including Kinsey) and the New York Times push back. At home, Betty fights with her brother about their father's care now that his wife has abandoned him. After a fallout with MSG casued by Kinsey's disapproval of their plans to get rid of Penn Station, Don convinces them to stay with S-C. But, it's all for naught because Putnam, Powell & Lowe have deiced they're not interested in having MSG as a client anyway. Peggy, out of jealousy or FOMO or rage, goes out and finds her self a young college boy to sleep with. Don demands that William agree to have Gene move in with the Drapers to make Betty happy despite his dislike of Gene. It's kind of endearing. The tension between the New Yorkers and the Brits is mounting and Betty is sporting a particular brand of

irritable as her pregnancy forges on, it's a very thrilling start to season 3!

Memorability: 8/10

Performances: 23/25

Storylines/Writing: 23/25

Period Atmosphere: 10/10

Directing/Style: 16/20

Extra Credit: 9/10

= 89

20. "Shut the Door, Have A Seat" 3.13

Shit hits the fan in this season three closer, and it all goes down quickly so listen up! Although we've known Sterling Cooper was for sale for three episodes, it still comes as a shock when Connie Hilton informs Don that McCann-Erikson will be purchasing Putnam, Powell & Lowe, and thus Sterling Cooper, meaning he will be taking Hilton elsewhere. Bye Connie. Don is less concerned about losing the pesky Hilton and more troubled by being a mere cog in the McCann-Erikson machine. He approaches Bert about buying the agency back from PPL (it takes a minute to get him on board) and they both approach Roger with a plan. When Lane discovers that it isn't just Sterling Cooper being sold, but PPL as a whole, he takes a deal with the Don, Roger and Bert

to fire them so they can get out of their contracts and become partners in their new agency. The foursome works together to poach the best of the best from the office including Pete, Peggy, Harry and Joan, who are all approached in different and equally thrilling ways. Don's personal life isn't as thrilling. Betty has taken steps to secure a divorce from Don (she visits a lawyer with Henry who advises her to establish residency in Reno since it's nearly impossible to get a divorce in New York). Don is upset, but doesn't seem to understand it's real. When Roger accidentally lets Betty's involvement with Henry slip, Don is irate and threatens Betty with taking the kids and every cent they have. Even amid the marital chaos and the ramshackle Sterling Cooper Draper Price,

the episode ends on a high and hopeful note.

Memorability: 9/10

Performances: 24/25

Storylines/Writing: 24/25

Period Atmosphere: 8/10

Directing/Style: 17/20

Extra Credit: 7/10

= 89

19. "The Good News" 4.3

This episode is entitled "The Good News" so obviosuly we are in store for some terrible news. 'The Good News' functions as a bit of a two parter. It's New Years and Don is off to Acapulco, with a quick stop in LA to visit Anna Draper. There we meet Anna's sister Patty and her niece, Stephanie, a precocious college student who thinks old people are weird. Inevitably, Don hits on her, but Stephanie intercepts the come-on by dropping the bomb that Anna has cancer...and is unaware of her own diagnosis. Don wants to tell Anna about her health but her family seems

to think it's better underwraps so he leaves so as not to accidently spill the beans. He returns to New York to find Lane who has also abandoned his New Year's plans to visit London. They embark on a day of friendly hooky, and by hooky I mean hookers, drinking, eating steaks, seeing Godzilla at the movie theater, and talking about their failed marriages. Jared Harris is a real marvel as Lane. He imbues a such a strong sense of desperation while still being so unwavering.

Meanwhile, Joan is struggling with her husband's impending deployment and his wacky work schedule. At this point, we're just counting down the end of that marriage. The episode ends at the start of 1965, a very good place to start. Extra Credit: Don leaving Anna knowing he'll probably never see her again, ugh! This is also the first time we get a sense of how Don feels about losing Betty, besides being pissed about Henry. Don in the movie theater: "You know what's going on here don't you? Hand jobs."

Memorability: 8/10

Performances: 24/25

Storylines/Writing: 23/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 17/20

Extra Credit: 8/10

= 89

18. "A Day's Work" 7.2

The heart of a 'A Day's Work' is Don and Sally reuniting for a brief and unexpected homecoming after all of the damage their relationship endured at the end of season six. It's beautiful, and brilliant and emotional and I love it. It's Valentine's Day and Don is still on leave from SC&P. He's desperately lonely, and has been having Dawn relay correspondence and information back to him at his home. Lou is not in favor of this, and finds Dawn's preoccupation with Don a hindrance on his own workday. He asks Joan to move her off of his desk. This prompts a series of musical chairs within the office that all fall on Joan's plate. Additionally, SC&P is clashing over Pete's new Dealer's Association account. Sterling and Pete agree that the firm should go after it, but Cutler and Cooper think they should ask for Chevy's blessing before signing them. All the while, Ted is gloomy af and has no opinion one way or the other. Peggy assumes that a vase of roses on her secretary's desk are a gift from Ted to her, when really they were a gift from her secretary's fiance. Her secretary is too scared to tell Peggy the truth so Peggy spends the day leaving Ted cryptic messages and obsessing over the flowers. When her secretary finally tells her they're not for her, she blows up at her and asks Joan to remove her from her desk. Another girl Joan now has to rearrange. Sally comes into the city for a friend's mother's funeral, and loses her purse. She goes to the office to find that Don isn't there. When she finds him at his apartment, he lies to her and tells her he was at the office but he came home sick. Dawn calls him to tell him that she was at the office just before he offers to drive Sally home. On the way back to school, they stop at a diner and share a series of rare moments in which Don actually tells her the truth about what's going on. In the final scene, he drops Sally off and she utters the simple words "Happy Valentine's Day. I love you." before heading back to school. It may sound tedious in this recap, but let me tell you, it's a fucking tear jerker.

Memorability: 9/10

Performances: 23/25

Storylines/Writing: 23/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 18/20

Extra Credit: 7/10

= 89

17. "Commissions and Fees" 5.12

"Take the weekend. Think of an elegant exit." Oof. Don's final words to Lane. In the penultimate episode of season five, we see the departure of one of the most dear characters, Lane Pryce. When Cooper investigates Jaguar's new fees policy, he discovers Lane's Christmas bonus check that was never supposed to be cut. He brings it to Don's attention (since Don's name is on the check), who then gives Lane a chance to come clean. Despite Lane's desperate plea and explanation, Don asks him to resign. Lane spends the day getting drunk and arrives at home where his wife has bought him a brand new Jaguar. Lane attempts to suffocate himself in the car but true to the temperamental nature of a Jaguar, it doesn't start. Sally skips out on vacationing with Betty

and Henry and opts to spend the weekend with Megan and Don instead. When she's left alone for the morning, she meets up with Glen and they visit the Natural History Museum together, until Sally starts to feel sick. When she visits the restroom, she finds blood in her underwear and panics. She takes a cab home where Betty is pleased to be the one she wants in a moment of crisis. After an eventful weekend, Monday morning comes and Don and Roger have a meeting with Ed Baxter of Dow Chemical, who also happens to be Ken's father-in-law. Ken has made it clear that he doesn't want to mix business with home life, so he strikes up a deal with Roger that he'll agree to Dow Chemical coming aboard as long as Pete stays far away from it. At SCDP, Lane's office stays closed up until Joan tries to get in at the end of the day. After enlisting the help of Pete, Harry and Ken, they discover that Lane has hanged himself in his office, leaving only a boilerplate resignation letter behind. When Don and Roger return from Dow Chemical (where Don gives an impassioned pitch, reminiscent of old Don) they're informed of Lane's passing. Don is stricken and when he comes home, he finds Megan and Glen. He offers Glen a ride back to school, and lets him drive the car on the way there. Extra Credit: I have to give 'Commissions and Fees' credit for the way it handled Lane's suicide. Mad Men is not a show that necessarily needs a wrenching death to heighten stakes. Lane's death isn't treated with the typical dramatization that typifies many cable dramas. It's refreshingly unceremonious - there aren't any lingering shots on his dead body, no close ups or swelling of the score. In a weird way, it does become sort of elegant. Points for Turtleneck Don.

Memorability: 10/10

Performances: 24/25

Storylines/Writing: 24/25

Period Atmosphere: 8/10

Directing/Style: 18/20

Extra Credit: 6/10

= 90

16. "Signal 30" 5.5

'Signal 30' circles around the many dissatisfactions of Lane and Pete. It's a brilliant episode, even for its relatively bare plot. Lane meets a potential contact with Jaguar, and takes him out for a lackluster dinner. Meanwhile, Pete and Trudy host a dinner party with Don, Megan, Ken and Cynthia in attendance. The dinner party is the bulk of the episode and it's delightful for the same reasons that it's tragic. Pete (and Trudy to some degree) are desperate to impress the Drapers, Ken is embarrassed by his wife's pride in his writing, Don is biding his time with drinks, and Pete's repair to the sink goes awry, causing Don to remove his shirt (wooo!) and fix it during dessert.

Anyway, to try and seal the deal with Jaguar at a second dinner, Pete, Don and Roger take Lane's new friend to a brothel where everyone but Don indulges. The next work day, Lane confronts Pete and the guys about ruining their chances with Jaguar after his friend's wife found "chewing gum on his pubis." Pete only makes matters worse by 1) laughing and 2) insulting Lane by calling him a homo and telling him he's useless to the office. This confrontation leads Lane and Pete to settle their differences in a physical brawl in the conference room while Don, Roger and Bert watch (and Joan listens in the other room). The fist fight ends with Pete on the floor with a bloody nose and Lane with a bloody hand. In a heartbreaking moment, Pete tells Don he has nothing - a sad amalgamation

of all the scenes before it - Pete pining for a pretty young thing in driving school and losing out to a jock, Pete being unable to fix his own faucet, Pete missing Manhattan and feeling trapped in the suburbs. It's a thrilling episode that abnormally places Don at the moral center. Extra Credit: The simple yet so complex line from Pete: "We're supposed to be friends."

Memorability: 9/10

Performances: 24/25

Storylines/Writing: 22/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 17/20

Extra Credit: 9/10

= 90

15. "My Old Kentucky Home" 3.3

Sterling Cooper's creative department (namely Peggy, Kinsey, and Smitty) is forced to stay at the office over the weekend to come up with copy for Bacardi which calls for the assistance of some...herbal refreshments. Meanwhile, Roger and Jane are hosting a garden party at which Roger performs in black face...unfortunate. Other things that happen at the garden party; Don meets Conrad Hilton (though we don't know who he is yet) and tells him a story about when he used to work for rich people and pee in their trunks, Betty meets Henry Frances for the first time, Jane gets wildly drunk, and Don tells Roger everybody is laughing at him. Gene has settled in as a permanent guest in the Draper household, and although he's a nuisance, him and Sally are becoming best buds despite his debilitating dementia. That is, until Sally steals five dollars from his money clip and pretends she has no idea where it went. She ultimately returns it, and their bond is restored. Joan's husband Greg is proving to be even more of a loser than we previously thought. Joan and Greg have two surgeon couples over for dinner and it becomes glaringly obvious that Greg is the weakest link of the bunch, and that he needs Joan to look interesting. It's not lost on her that she's the catch in this relationship. Extra credit: A high Elizabeth Moss saying, "I'm Peggy Olson and I want to smoke some marijuana." If I could watch Alison Brie and Vincent Kartheiser dance in every episode, I would. Also, Joan plays the accordian and speaks French.

Memorability: 9/10

Performances: 23/25

Storylines/Writing: 22/25

Period Atmosphere: 10/10

Directing/Style: 17/20

Extra Credit: 9/10

= 90

14. "Seven Twenty Three" 3.7

In this mid-season episode, a lot of wheels are set in motion. The episode begins with a flashforward - Peggy in bed with an unidentified man, Betty lounging on a sofa and Don face down on the floor, blood dried on his face. Then we're back to the present. Chemistry of all kinds percolates throughout this episode between very unforeseen couplings; Betty and Henry Francis,

Don and Miss Farrell, Don and Conrad Hilton, Peggy and Duck. Betty has had the house redecorated and the ever-enigmatic Connie Hilton is waiting for Don in his office. He offers him his New York hotels, but hints that more might be coming. Of course, there's that little speed bump called "Don doesn't have a contract," and both S-C and Hilton are pressuring him to sign a three year deal. Duck is still wooing Peggy and Pete with lavish gifts, and although Peggy has decided she won't be leaving S-C, it doesn't stop her from visiting Duck to return his gifts, which leads to a little afternoon delight turned sleepover. She fucked a Duck! Betty has decided to take up politics and join the Junior League in her neighborhood which has taken up the cause of stopping the

erection of a water tower nearby. The group asks her to reach out to a man she knows (they've met once), Henry Francis (the dude that touched her pregnant belly at Roger and Jane's garden party). They have a lunch loaded with "I wanna fuck you" vibes and then suddenly Betty has a fainting couch in the middle of her living room. After Roger calls Betty to sneakily convince her to nudge Don into signing the contract, Betty confronts Don about not filling her in. He storms off and picks up two young grifters who share their drugs. Turns out, however, they only share their drugs so he'd pass out and they could rob him. When the drugs aren't working fast enough, one of them punches Don in the back of the head. They leave him the Cadillac though. In the end, Don is blackmailed into signing the contract by Bert, who casually motions for Don to remember that he knows Don's little secret.

Memorability: 9/10

Performances: 24/25

Storylines/Writing: 24/25

Period Atmosphere: 8/10

Directing/Style: 18/20

Extra Credit: 7/10

= 90

13. "Tomorrowland" 4.13

Season four's finale is a whirlwind. The episode begins with Don's meeting with American Cancer society, who showed interest in him after his uproarious anti-tobacco ad in the New York Times. Peggy's friend Joyce stops by and gives Peggy a lead on Topaz pantyhose. Things are looking somewhat up for SCDP after 10 weeks of nothing! Anyway, what the fuck is up with Betty and Glen's beef? What are we to make of all that? I think Betty is threatened by Glen becoming friends with Sally, because she knows that her and Glen are one in the same. So threatened, in fact, that when Carla allows Glen to say goodbye to Sally, Betty fires Carla (it's one of Betty's ugliest moments, and that's saying something. And kudos to Henry for standing up to Betty.), leaving Don without any childcare for his trip with the kids to California. So really, we have Betty to thank for Don and Megan's relationship! Don asks Megan to cover for Carla. In California, Megan proves to be a wunderkind nanny that the kids take to easily. Don takes the kids to Anna's house to meet Stephanie and square away Anna's things. Stephanie gives Don Anna's engagement ring from the real Don (are you starting to see where this is going???). Back at the hotel, Don and Megan hook up (sorry Faye!) Here's where things get weird....Don confesses that he's in love with Megan and proposes to her. Sorry again Faye! It's a move that makes perfect sense, and yet makes no sense at all, and that's Don Draper. We knew when Faye predicted that Don would be married within a year many episodes ago that he would be in a serious relationship by the end of season, but we weren't signaled to think it'd be Megan until a few episodes ago. Don is impulsive, and he's drawn to Megan's idealic view of him, but in reality, they know nothing about each other. We can talk about how this choice echoes Roger's marriage to Jane another time...When they return to NY, they break the news of their engagement to the office much to everyone's shock. Subsequently, Peggy and Ken break the news of landing the Topaz account. Don breaks up with Faye over the phone (even though she wasn't my fave, it's still sad). In other whiplash news, Joan did not abort her baby with Roger, but rather, fooled her husband into thinking it's his. So Joan is pregnant, and nobody knows. In the second to last scene, Don tells Betty that he's engaged. It's a scene that can't be properly examined in a little excerpt like this one, much like the rest of the episode, but it's a significant turning point in Betty and Don's tumultuous relationship. On to season five! Extra Credit: Joan and Peggy's delightful pow-wow gossiping over Don and Megan's news. Love a kiki!

Memorability: 10/10

Performances: 22/25

Storylines/Writing: 22/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 18/20

Extra Credit: 9/10

= 90

12. "A Little Kiss Part 1" 5.1

A new season, a new Bobby. LOL. The season five premiere starts with all of our usual suspects in new places in their lives. Don and Megan are married, living in a swanky Manhattan penthouse, and Don is turning 40. Pete, Trudy and Tammy have moved out of the city and into the suburbs. Joan had her baby - a little boy named Kevin, and is taking time away from the office while her mother helps out. SCDP is still fighting for more clients, but remains steady, and hungry for meetings with companies like Heinz and Mohawk Airlines. Roger, now bored to death after losing Lucky Strike, tries to poach businesses out from under Pete. Megan plans a surprise party for Don's birthday and invites most of the office. The party is poppin! Even if Don hates it. It's mostly an episode meant to set up the season, but the delicious extras make it one of the most memorable. Extra Credit: Peggy's "Okay..." after Megan tells her everyone is going to go and have sex after her party for Don. And Zou Bisou Bisou, I mean DUH.

Memorability: 10/10

Performances: 23/25

Storylines/Writing: 21/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 17/20

Extra Credit: 10/10

= 90

11. "Guy Walks Into An Advertising Agency" 3.6

Sterling Cooper is getting a visit from its English counterparts at Putnam, Powell & Lowe which includes the titular Guy McKendrick, a sparkling and impressive Englishman who is essentially taking over Lane's position. In the reorganizing of the office, Harry is promoted, Don is not, and Sterling doesn't even make the flow chart. Lane is being sent to Bombay to "do what he did" at S-C, but we all know it's a demotion. All of this is going on amid Joan's departure, which she realizes is ill-timed when her husband discloses that not only did he not get a residency in New York, but he will never be a surgeon because he "no brains in his hands." While wallowing in his sorrow about not getting promoted (and losing the prospect of moving to London), Don gets a call from Conrad Hilton - yes, that Conrad Hilton - who as luck would have it, Don met at Roger and Jane's garden party! Connie, as he likes to be called, wants Don's help with ads for his hotels and Don takes the opportunity. Life at home is a little chaotic as Sally can't seem to get over her fear of Baby Gene who she thinks is her Grandpa reincarnated. While Don is out with Connie, a celebration at S-C goes haywire when Smitty whips out the new John Deere tractor and lets Lois drive it through the office (we know something is about to go wrong when Lois shows up). Lois, who doesn't know how to drive, runs directly over Guy's foot, spraying blood on the walls (and a few employees). Oh, and all of this happens while Peggy attempts a heartfelt goodbye to Joan. In the end, Guy loses his foot, and effectively loses his position at S-C, so everything goes back to normal. One of my favorite episodes, it's weird and funny and out of left field, and yet never feels like a departure from the series.

Memorability: 10/10

Performances: 23/25

Storylines/Writing: 24/25

Period Atmosphere: 8/10

Directing/Style: 18/20

Extra Credit: 7/10

= 90

10. "At the Codfish Ball" 5.7

Megan's French Canadian parents, Emile and Marie, have come to town to visit Megan and watch Don accept an award from the American Cancer Society on the same weekend that Sally and Bobby have to stay with Don (due to an unforeseen injury incurred by Pauline Francis). They are a volatile couple, constantly arguing, speaking French, and spewing their disappointments at one another. Emile is a socialist who doesn't approve of Megan and Don's lavish lifestyle, and Marie, is clearly unhappy with Emile's close relationships with his grad students. While serving Sally spaghetti (Megan loves serving spaghetti, it's a thing) at the family table, Megan gets an idea for Heinz involving time lapses and the tagline "Heinz, Some Things Never Change." She pitches it to Don, who loves it, and the team works on the new campaign. Only, Heinz has plans to fire SCDP. At dinner, Megan pulls the trigger on her idea just as SCDP is about to be let go, saving the account while giving Don credit for the idea. Meanwhile, Peggy thinks Abe is going to propose to her, but he only asks her to move in together. When they tell Peggy's mother the news, she warns that Abe is only using Peggy for "practice." At the American Cancer Society dinner, all sorts of different brands of shit hit the fan. Sally accidentally walks in on Marie giving Roger a blow job; Emile expresses his disappointment in Megan giving up on her dreams; and Don finds out that nobody on the board at American Cancer will ever work with him because of his NYT letter.

The episode captures that particular moment when you realize your parents are fallible humans, with lives outside of taking care of you. It's a beauitfully devastating episode. Extra Credit: I love Roger and Mona. And isn't post-LSD Roger so pleasant?

Memorability: 10/10

Performances: 23/25

Storylines/Writing: 23/25

Period Atmosphere: 8/10

Directing/Style: 17/20

Extra Credit: 9/10

= 90

9. "The Flood" 6.5

The centerpiece of 'The Flood" is the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. The episode follows the characters through both their grief and their distractions in the aftermath of the event. The news breaks at an advertisement awards ceremony at which Megan has been nominated for her work with Heinz. A random patron asks Paul Newman, who has just endorsed Eugene McCarthy during his speech, if he knows that MLK has died. The entire event is up in arms at the news and everyone flees to find family members and head home before the rioting begins. Ginsberg finds out while on a date set up by his father, but the date is cut short. Don, who knows Sylvia is in DC, watches the news in panic trying to find out if she's safe. Peggy tries to take advantage of the riots by bidding on an apartment that may see its value go down. Abe leaves the ceremony to cover the story for The New York Times. Pete attempts to use the tragedy as a way to get back into Trudy's good graces, to no avail. Megan is distraught and takes the kids to a vigil, but she worries about Don's lack of emotion. Don takes Bobby to the movies to see Planet of the Apes. Nobody in the office really knows what to do or say. When Harry expresses how much money the news coverage will lose him, Pete (who always surprises me with his progressiveness and at times, empathy) yells in his face that it is "a shameful, shameful day!" and calls Harry a racist. It's unsurprising that Harry sucks. Peggy finds out she didn't get the apartment, but the loss leads to Abe's illuminating thoughts on having kids with Peggy. Amid the chaos, Henry decides to run for senate. Extra Credit: Don's monologue about seeing his kids for the first time is terrific. Elizabeth Moss's appearances are few in season five and into season six, but goddamn, the emotions she can convey on her face with no words in a matter of seconds. Randall...WTF? That was so weird. I just want to say another word on Harry and Pete's fight in the office. It's always so interesting to see and hear Pete defend something other than the firm's bottom line. As an account man, his job is dollar signs, but when the businesses ask Harry for their money back on spots they lost due to assassination/riot coverage, Pete calls them disgusting. Maybe it's the time we find ourselves in in 2020, but the argument feels relevant now. When Harry says, "That's the latest thing isn't it? Everybody's a racist!" it feels like a line that someone might say these days. Which only underlines that yes, everybody is a racist. And it's been this way for centuries. Many of Pete's lines in the argument are obviosuly meant to be funny, but he's impassioned. I'd be curious to see Pete with a Twitter account.

Memorability: 8/10

Performances: 23/25

Storylines/Writing: 23/25

Period Atmosphere: 10/10

Directing/Style: 17/20

Extra Credit: 9/10

= 90

8. "The Other Woman" 5.11

One of the most devastating episodes of the series, 'The Other Woman' carries us from one SCDP to an entirely different agency. Herb from Jaguar has made it clear that if SCDP wants to be in the lead for their business, he'll need a night with Joan. Peter takes the initiative to ask Joan if she'd be interested. She's understandably insulted until she hears the number they're willing to offer her. Initially, the agency agrees upon $50,000, but Lane goes behind the partners' backs and convinces Joan to ask for a 5% partnership, knowing the agency is strapped for cash. Peggy, meanwhile, has been left in the dust of Jaguar and trailing behind Ginsberg who started way after her. Suddenly, the idea of branching out and working at a new agency doesn't seem so crazy. She meets with Ted Chaough who offers her everything she wants and then some - as long as she doesn't take any more meetings. Speaking of Ginsberg, he creates the winning tagline for Jaguar "At last, something beautiful you can own." A creepy ode to Joan's settlement. Joan, who is under the impression that all of the partners approve of her agreement, sleeps with Herb. When she gets home, Don pays her a visit to tell her she shouldn't do it. Obviously, the damage is done. When Jaguar calls to inform SCDP of their win, Don realizes Joan went through with it. A partner's meeting is called and she shows up. As everyone is celebrating, Peggy informs Don that she's

leaving. It's heartbreaking and hopeful all at once. In a teeny tiny subplot (although I'm sure we'll be getting more of this) Don and Megan continue to quarrel over Megan's burgeoning acting career. She's struggling, but struggling upward, getting callbacks but not quite booking anything. When a prospective role comes around that would plant her in Boston for two months, Don blows up. It's a stunning episode, even with the heavy-handed car metaphor. Extra Credit: "I'm using all my energy putting my foot down!" a Pete Campbell line if I ever heard one.

Memorability: 9/10

Performances: 23/25

Storylines/Writing: 24/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 18/20

Extra Credit: 7/10

= 90

7. "Babylon" 1.6

"Babylon" is when we first start to see the subtle and subversive feminist themes that permeate the show's later years. Don sits in bed readingThe Best of Everything by Rona Jaffe, a real 1958 novel about women in New York trying to navigate their desires for both love and work. The episode sets itself up to be a mirror of that story, weaving in and out of major advancements in the lives of Peggy, Joan, and Rachel Menken (with quiet dips into Betty's and Midge's lives too). The episode also heavily features another 1958 bestseller,Exodus, the historical novel by Leon Uris about the founding and birth of the new Jewish State of Israel. In one of its more brilliant metaphors, Mad Men compares the plight of its women with the plight of Uris's characters - much like marginalized Jews in Exodus, women living and working in 1960 are bucking the system in their own ways after centuries of indignities. The episode is about finding meaning and identity in a restricted social world, but a world that finds its patriarchal restrictions as an asset. This is when we learn of Joan and Roger's affair (which has been happening for a year now), when Peggy is plucked from her secretarial duties to write copy for Belle Jolie ("It was like watching a dog play piano!"), and when Rachel finally admits she feels something for Don. All females living in exile from power, and from what they know their lives could look like. And of course, Betty's desire is exiled by Don. Female desire and Jewishness (not Judaism, but Jewishness, specifically) is something ignored, but also presented as something that should be so lucky to be ignored. Rachel's dual definition of utopia really hits the idea home - utopia, both the good place and the place that can not be. We're all doomed to be looking and longing for what we don't have, and yet, maybe that doesn't exist. It's a great episode, with so many important moments and details. Betty waxing miserable about how she hopes she doesn't get ugly in old age is entirely gutting, knowing where life takes her in the final season.

Memorability: 7/10

Performances: 24/25

Storylines/Writing: 24/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 18/20

Extra Credit: 9/10

=91

6. "The Gold Violin" 2.7

Our first Anna Draper sighting! The episode opens with Don on the fence about buying a new $6,500 Cadillac. He chickens out. Only after Sterling Cooper's success with Martinson Coffee's new jingle does Don allow himself to purchase the symbol of status. When Harry is invited to a meeting with Cooper, Paul tells him Cooper is probably going to ask Harry about his new painting. Jane convinces Ken, Sal and Harry to sneak into Cooper's office to get a look at the painting, a Rothko. Ken has a surprisingly poetic reaction to it, spurring Sal's attraction to him. Ken is inspired to write a new story, the titular "The Gold Violin" and asks Sal to read it. Sal then invites Kenny to dinner with him and Kitty. The tension is palpable as Sal ogles Ken from afar completely ignoring Kitty. Meanwhile, Joan finds out Jane led the break in and fires her. But Jane, being the newer and perhaps more cunning version of Joan, runs to Roger to use her sexuality to save her own ass. A delicious gauntlet is laid. To celebrate Jimmy Barrett's new TV spot, Don and Betty attend a party where Jimmy reveals his knowledge of Bobbie and Don's affair, to both Betty and Don. I'm giving this episode a whopping 10/10 in Extra Credit for three reasons: 1) Bert's line - "People buy things to realize their aspirations"; 2) The Drapers leaving all their trash from their picnic in the park and 3) the painstaking attention paid to not dirtying the new Cadillac. Don tells Betty to check the kids' hands before getting in and forbids the kids' putty for fear of soiling cushions, but these precautions are utterly obliterated when Betty projectile vomits in the final second of the episode and it is glorious.

Memorability: 8/10

Performances: 23/25

Storylines/Writing: 24/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 17/20

Extra Credit: 10/10

=91

5. "Far Away Places" 5.6

Far Away Places is a triptych of Peggy, Roger, and Don's lives over the course of 24 hours. The episode takes a big risk with this format, and it pays off. The plotlines crash and collide with each other at different moments throughout the day, but each character is on a different journey. Peggy and team are pitching a new idea to Heinz when Megan is unexpectedly whisked away by Don to accompany him as he scopes out a Howard Johnson's upstate. The presentation goes horribly and Peggy is taken off the account. She leaves for the movies midday where she gets high and gives a rando a handjob in the theater. Peak DGAF Peggy (and peak Peggy is the new Don isn't it?). Back at the office Peggy gets a phone call from Don urgently asking her if she's gotten any calls. We don't know why Don is in a phone booth or why he's alone or why he's so freaked out, but we will soon. Roger begins the day thinking he is going on a boy's bender with Don to

the Howard Johnson's but his plans get derailed when Don wants to take Megan instead. That night, Roger reluctantly ends up at a dinner party with Jane and her friends. Dinner quickly shifts to a communal LSD trip, and Roger and Jane partake. Both high on LSD and "the truth," they decide that it's time to get a divorce. Then it's Don's storyline. Tensions are increasing on Don and Megan's trip upstate. Clearly upset about being forced to abandon Peggy and the Heinz team, Megan acts a bit cold towards Don on the drive. When they finally arrive, they sit down for a meal wherein Don urges Megan to try the famous orange sherbert. Megan tries it and hates it, and thus a domestic argument ensues. Megan feels only Don is allowed to care about work, and only Don can decide what's good for her. In a fit of rage Don drives away from the hotel, abandoning Megan. When he realizes his mistake, he returns to find she is no longer there. Hence, the phone call. He finally makes it back home and finds Megan there (after taking a 6 hour bus ride). Don chases her around the house (it's weird) and they have it out. They arrive at work the next day in good spirits. Extra Credit: This is the episode where Ginsberg tells Peggy he's a Martian, which

he really believes to be true, and which foreshadows his fate later in the series. It's one of my favorite scenes in the entire show. I'm also deeply partial to Roger on LSD.

Memorability: 10/10

Performances: 23/25

Storylines/Writing: 23/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 17/20

Extra Credit: 10/10

= 92

4. "The Wheel" 1.13

In the Season One finale, many joys and many heartbreaks. There's a reason why many revered episodes usually contain a version of Don's erudite and poignant pitches, and that's because they're entrancing. 'The Wheel' features perhaps the most entrancing of the lot. The Wheel, of course, refers to Kodak's new slide projector product which needs a new advertising campaign and name. Don's mission in this episode is to come up with it. Don finds out his brother Adam hanged himself and he swiftly moves on from the news. Meanwhile, Peggy and Ken look for the voice of the Rejuve-cisor, and Peggy realizes the limitations of her experience. That doesn't stop Don from making her a junior copywriter though, if only to piss Pete off after bringing in a new account (courtesy of his father-in-law's Clearasil connection). After Francine reveals that Carlton is having an affair, Betty is compelled to check their phone records to peruse Don's activities. She discovers that he's been in contact with her therapist, which devastates her and then quickly becomes something she uses to her advantage. About five minutes after Peggy is promoted, she goes to the hospital for stomach pains and finds out she's pregnant, and literally about to give birth, which she does. Extra Credit: Much extra credit goes to this episode for Betty's scene with Glen in the parking lot. Sometimes it's lines as simple as "I'm so sad" that really get ya.

Memorability: 9/10

Performances: 23/25

Storylines/Writing: 24/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 17/20

Extra Credit: 10/10

=92

3. "In Care Of" 6.13

This season six finale is a hard hitter that I'll never be able to watch without feeling like I've

been punched in the gut. Sunkist has requested that a representative from SC&P come live in LA to service them directly. Stan approaches Don and offers himself up for the gig in hopes of getting a fresh start. In a particularly sleazy Don move, he takes Stan's idea and offers himself up to the partners for the LA gig (after a night in jail due to excessive drinking which leads to punching a minister). When he tells Megan about California, she's elated and quits her job. In addition to Sunkist related changes, SC&P is now in the running for Hershey's chocolate, who will be visiting the office. Pete gets a telegram that his mother is believed to be dead after going overboard on a cruise with Manolo. It emerges that Manolo married her before presumably throwing her overboard in order to get her fortune...only, she doesn't have a fortune. Speaking of Pete, his prospects for a life in Detroit working with Chevy become nil after Bob pressures him into driving a Chevy in the showroom. Pete doesn't know how to drive a stick, and crashes the car. Chevy removes him from the account. SO it's back to New York for Pete, but not for long. He's also going to California! Peggy and Ted consummate their love, and Ted assures Peggy that they'll be together after he leaves his wife. Except, when he comes home to his wife, he's overwhelmed by losing his family and asks Don if he can be the one to move to California so he's no longer tempted by Peggy. Are you following? Ok...At the Hershey meeting, Don pulls out a dazzling pitch, but then ruins it when he waxes poetic about his sad childhood growing up in a whorehouse and how a Hershey bar was "the only sweet thing" in his life. The clients are spooked by the anecdote and so are the rest of the partners. Don agrees to let Ted take the position in California. Megan is rightfully mad and Peggy is rightfully hurt. Meanwhile, Sally is still mad at Don and lashing out at school. She's been

suspended for buying beer with a fake ID, forcing Don to pick her up in time for Thanksgiving along with her brothers. Before he leaves to pick up Sally, Don stops by the office for a partner's meeting, only it's not a meeting, but an ambush. Bert, Roger, Joan, and Cutler (and Ted, who isn't present) have decided that Don should take a leave of absence to straighten himself out - and it's non-negotiable with no return date. Don storms out. On the way home from picking up the kids, Don stops at his childhood home and shows his children where he grew up. An indelible moment. Extra Credit: The whole episode is a Hershey bar! From Pete's iconic "Not great Bob!" to that final Joni Mitchell cue.

Memorability: 10/10

Performances: 22/25

Storylines/Writing: 23/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 18/20

Extra Credit: 10/10

= 92

2. "The Suitcase" 4.7

Since Don learned of Anna's cancer diagnosis, he's been on edge and continually drenched in alcohol, waiting for the day he'll get the call that she's gone. Today is that day, and it happens to be the same day as the Cassius Clay vs. Sonny Liston fight of 1965 AND Peggy's birthday. SCDP is working on a campaign for Samsonite, and the prospects are grim. When Don gets an urgent message from Stephanie in California, he knows it's bad news and avoids calling her back. As everyone is leaving to watch the fight at a movie theater, Don asks Peggy to stay behind and figure out Samsonite causing Peggy to cancel her plans with her boyfriend, who has gathered her family for dinner to surprise her. A long overdo fight between herself and Don ensues. Of course, the evening doesn't end there. They eventually make up when Don finds recordings of Roger dictating his memoir "Sterling's Gold" LOL. The recordings recount how Miss Blankenship used to be a real perv and Bert has no testicles. The night continues with more antics - Don and Peggy have dinner and talk about their childhoods, they get drunk at a bar and discover Clay has won the fight, Don vomits at the office and Duck pays Peggy a drunken visit (and tries to shit in Don's office), Don and Duck get in a brawl, and eventually, after falling asleep on the couch together (and getting a visit from a ghostly Anna), Don calls Stephanie back and gets the news that Anna has died. We always knew that Peggy and Don had a certain chemistry together, especially since Peggy's pregnancy, but it isn't until "The Suitcase" that their bond is put into perspective. They are different, but they balance one another. Don is clearly acting out in grief, but in a way he's only able to do with Peggy. It's an amazing turning point in the show, and it's a funny and poignant portrait of the heart of the most important relationship in the show - Don and Peggy's. Extra Credit: Lyle Evans!!!!

Memorability: 10/10

Performances: 25/25

Storylines/Writing: 23/25

Period Atmosphere: 9/10

Directing/Style: 18/20

Extra Credit: 8/10

= 93

1. "Waterloo" 7.7

Waterloo' might actually be perfect??? It has everything you want in an hour of Mad Men - a historic event of the period, myriad Napoleon references, a poetic sales pitch, and a tearjerking death. The episode takes place over the course of the weekend that Apollo 11 landed on the moon in 1969. Cutler is adamant about getting Don thrown out of SC&P and Harry in as a partner (LOL stupid Harry). Ted, on the other hand, is dying to get out. The Burger Chef team prepares to pitch the Monday after the moon landing, God willing everything turns out well. With Chevy out and Commander Cigarettes dead on arrival, the firm needs Burger Chef. Right before the team is set to leave NYC for the presentation, Cutler drafts a memo stating that Don is in breach of the amendments made on his contract after he attended the Commander meeting unannounced. Cutler and Joan support his firing while Bert, Pete, and Roger vote for him to stay. But Don knows the writing is on the wall that his firing is coming. He also knows that the end is nigh between him and Megan, so much so that when he bounces the idea that he could come live in LA, Megan all but tells him it's over. A friend of Betty's brings her family over for a weekend visit and Sally has eyes

for one of her hunky sons who can't keep his shirt on. Knowing Don is likely going to be removed from his position, he entrusts Peggy with giving the presentation so that when he departs, she'll be given full ownership of the account. The night before the presentation, the Apollo 11 successfully lands on the moon. About one hour later, our dear Bert Cooper passes away in his living room. He lives to see a man walk on the moon before he goes. In light of Bert's death, Roger knows that he doesn't have the votes to keep Don at the agency. In the wee hours of the morning, he meets with Jim Hobart of McCann and brokers a deal for them to buy 51% of SC&P. Don & Ted as a team are essential for the deal to go through. Peggy nails the presentation, almost bringing Burger Chef to tears (ok fine, I was the one in tears, again). When everyone comes home to NYC, Roger breaks the news of the acquisition and holds a vote. Everyone is in. Extra Credit: I MEAN. Where do I even begin? How about I begin with this haunting line from Pete Campbell - "Marriage is a racket."

Bert's last conversation with Roger about being a leader and a visionary really hits home after Roger gets the deal with McCann together. Also, during the Burger Chef pitch when Peggy makes reference to what we know is the neighbor boy, but could easily be misconstrued as the baby she had with Pete, who would be 10 years old now. I love that Sally ends up kissing the nerdy kid over the hunk. I would be remiss to not give Bert's final number a deserved nod. His barefoot rendition of "The Best Things In Life Are Free" had me leaking like a sprinkler. I'm a true sucker for a ghostly musical number. I also have to give ample to credit to the treatment of the moon landing. As someone who wasn't alive for this life-altering event, I was so struck by the stillness of those scenes. Everyone quietly watching the astronauts walk on the moon is absolutely arresting.

Memorability: 10/10

Performances: 22/25

Storylines/Writing: 23/25

Period Atmosphere: 10/10

Directing/Style: 18/20

Extra Credit: 10/10

= 93