With
the finale still rattling around in my head, I don't think there's any
better time for this list. I'll caution that it's been a long while
since I've seen the episodes from the earlier seasons, and there are
some minor spoilers ahead in the various entries. As always, episodes
are unraked and ordered by airdate. And since "Mad Men" refrained from
multi-parters, no need to cheat this time out.
"Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" - The pilot episode that introduces us to Don Draper and his world. It so wonderfully sets the tone for the rest of the series, showing us the ins and outs at Sterling Cooper, giving us a peek at forgotten gender dynamics of the era, and setting up all the questions and conflicts the show wants to tackle. I love that the divide between Don's work and home life is already hinting at his duality. The pilot was lauded for its unusually high production values, and no surprise that it still looks great today.
"The
Wheel" - One of Don's defining moments is the Carousel pitch to Kodak.
After an episode full of family crises big and small, Don takes comfort
in nostalgia. The irony, of course, is that it's nostalgia for
something that doesn't exist. Don's marriage has been built on constant
deception, resulting in him coming home on Thanksgiving to an empty
house. Trying to leave his past behind leads to his brother's awful
goodbye. The first season ends with the divide between Don's image and
his inner world more incompatible than ever.
"Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency"
- We simply must have the episode where the new London executives
arrives at the firm in the midst of Joan's farewell party, and there is a
terrible accident involving lawn care equipment. Nothing can match the
climactic moment for sheer, visceral, jawdropping, impact. However, I
also love the subplot where Sally is convinced that baby Gene is a
reincarnation of her recently departed grandfather, which is resolved by
one of Don's best - and too rare - paternal moments.
"Shut the Door. Have a Seat." -
The gang pulls off a thrilling heist in this episode, stealing away the
firm's biggest assets and clients from under the noses of their
overseas superiors. It's a lot of fun watching everyone band together,
raid the offices, and strike out on their own. However, this is also
the episode where a far more sobering separation takes place. Betty
demands a divorce from Don, and no matter what he promises or threatens,
she won't back down. She's the one who ends up pulling off the harder,
more daring departure.
"The Suitcase" - Don and
Peggy spend an eventful evening together trying to come up with ideas
for a Samsonite campaign. In the process, they address many of the
long-simmering tensions and resentments between them. It's an
excellent, focused, small-scale piece of drama featuring the show's two
best characters. The performances are excellent and the writing is
spectacular. We learn so much about Don and Peggy as they clash,
commiserate, and finally connect on a deeper level than we've ever seen
before.
"The Other Woman" - By far the most
controversial episode on this list, and possibly of the show's entire
run, as it provoked strong responses when it aired. Joan is asked to
sleep with a loathsome Jaguar executive to secure the much-needed
account, which prompts varied reactions from the SCDP partners.
Meanwhile, Peggy is wooed by Ted Chaough to leave the
firm. Several storylines come to a head here, but it's Peggy and Don's
tumultuous mentor-protege relationship that ends up stealing the show
again.
"Commissions and Fees" - Lane Pryce's
downfall is the darkest point of "Mad Men's" darkest and most
unforgiving season. The episode is also absolutely gorgeous, with its
chilly visuals and nocturnal intimacy. I was tempted to include "Signal
30" for Lane and Pete's fisticuffs, but Jared Harris's performance here
is a heartbreaker. I found his suicide attempt in the damn Jaguar more
affecting than anything that came after, though Don taking matters into
his own hands at the end of the hour comes awfully close.
"In
Care Of" - You could have ended "Mad Men" at the close of the sixth
season, with the Hershey pitch serving as a mirror to the Carousel
pitch, and the pair of them bookending the whole series. Don's inner
turmoil is finally affecting his work in ways that can't be ignored, and
we see the first real signs of impending change. Pete and Peggy also
hit low points, including the capper to Pete's season-long struggles
with the infuriating Bob Benson. It would have been a glum way to go
out, but in some ways very fitting.
"Time & Life" - Another big crisis is looming for the firm, and another daring
plan is executed by the Sterling Cooper team. Except this time, things
don't go the way anyone expects. The established patterns are being
broken and "Mad Men" is quickly drawing to a close. The episode draws
heavily from the characters' past exploits together, and it's here that
we see everyone starting to say their goodbyes, or at least planning
them. The show's creators could be abrupt, but they understood it takes
a while to let the big things go.
"The Milk and
Honey Route" - Betty was always a complicated character, but ultimately
one of the most rewarding to follow over the course of the show. She
gets the most satisfying ending, along with Sally, though it's certainly
the saddest. Pete also sorts out future plans while Don is out west
exorcising his demons, but the main event is really Betty's fate and the
reactions of everyone around her. Don's ability to reform will forever
be in doubt, but Betty demonstrated that she could and did change with
the times.
Honorable Mentions: "Meditations in an Emergency," "My Old Kentucky Home," "A Little Kiss," "Signal 30," "Faraway Places," "The Phantom," "The Strategy," "Waterloo."
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