I have a confession to make: I’m obsessed withMad Men. Everyone has their favorite shows that they can watch repeatedly, and this is mine. I’ve rewatched the series more times than I can remember. Here are the episodes that stand out the most.
Back whenMad Menwas on Netflix, I started watching it after a few seasons had already aired. I quickly caught up and was lucky to experience the ending with the rest of the world. The aesthetic of the 1960s pulled me in, but the characters kept me coming back.
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2009
3
Episode
11
One of the main storylines of Mad Men is Don’s identity, or rather, the identity he stole. For three seasons, it builds up, and finally, Betty discovers the truth and confronts Don about it. This is a very big deal in the show, but for me, it was never that compelling of a storyline. Don, Dick, whatever—he is who he is. Still, it was great to see it all come out in the open after so long.
2015
7
14
2012
5
1
Mad Men really knew how to do season premiers. The main character of this episode might as well be Don and Megan’s apartment. We see it for the first time when Sally wakes up in the morning, and later on it’s center stage for Megan’s infamous “Zou Bisou Bisou” solo. That scene was so unexpected at the time, but it has become one of my favorites.
2010
4
Another excellent season premiere. This time, we get to see the brand new Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce offices in all of their stunning mid-century modern glory. This episode also gives us our first glimpse at what Don and Betty’s lives look like post-divorce.
2014
So much happens in this episode. Jim Cutler tries to get Don out of the company. Megan essentially ends things with Don. Peggy makes the big “It’s Family Supper at Burger Chef” pitch the day after the entire world witnessed the moon landing. Bert Cooper dies. Roger serves up the company for acquisition to McCann. It’s the last episode that takes place in the ’60s.
6
One of the most memorable scenes in Mad Men history takes place in this episode. The folks from Puttnam, Powell, and Lowe visit the Sterling Cooper offices to deliver news of their reorganization of the company. Everyone, including Don, essentially gets demoted. But it all ends with a horrific lawn mower accident.
2007
13
Everyone has their favoriteMad Menpitches, and mine is the Kodak Carousel. It’s so good that Harry leaves the room crying. Meanwhile, Peggy is running lead on one of her first accounts, but more importantly, she discovers she’s pregnant—a huge revelation at the time.
“The Suitcase” is considered by many to be the best episode ofMad Men, and while I won’t go quite that far, I like it a lot. The undercurrent of the entire episode is Don avoiding a phone call he knows will be bad news. In the process, he takes Peggy down with him, but the two share some very heartfelt moments in the aftermath. It really is an excellent episode.
The very first episode ofMad Menmay not be the highest rated, but it will always be special to me. I don’t remember why I started to watch the show, but I vividly remember how I felt. You spend the entire episode watching this guy, Don Draper, sleep around and flirt with multiple women. Then it ends with him pulling up to this picturesque house with his beautiful wife and two children. It’s such a good plot twist, and it really sucked me in.
There are moments in TV shows and movies when you think, “Holy crap, are they actually going to do this?” and they really do the thing, and it’s awesome. After learning that Sterling Cooper is about to be sold to McCann, Don devises a scheme to buy back the company. He gets the partners and others to buy in, and they’re able to pull it off. The episode ends with the “new” agency running operations out of a hotel room. When I first watched this episode, I was pulling so hard for it to all work out. I still feel that way every time I watch this episode, even though I know how it ends.
There you have it—one obsessed fan’stop 10Mad Menepisodes. There are so many things to love about this show. I love the mid-century modern aesthetic of the 1960s. I love how deeply you get to know the characters. I love the old companies and the retro ad campaigns. I love how it begins, and I love how it ends. What more can you ask for?
