Mad Men Character Report Card Seasons 1-7

Don Draper was the dark knight of Mad Men for seven seasons but then  he saw the light in the finale.

It was a glorious seven-season run for Mad Men.  The show's fascinating and complex characters pulled viewers in episode after episode, season after season.  Sunday night's haven't been this good since the Sopranos.  (Well, come to think of it, we still have Homeland, The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones.) Here are my grades for all the major Mad Men characters who made Sunday night a such a special night since 2004.  (Thank you DVR technology who made ad-skipping so easy.)

And thanks to all the readers who visited this blog over the years.

Howard Polskin

May 17, 2015, 

New York City (where Madison Ave lives)

Honor Roll

• Don Draper: A.  The man with the shady past cast the longest shadow throughout the seven  seasons.  The character was a lion in the office and a tiger in the sack.  He lit a cigarette with the sexy flair of Zorro drawing his sword.  No one wore a suit better or could take a belt of booze with more style at 11 a.m. than Don.  This character stands as a giant in the pantheon of tv drama history.  The character faltered in the final season -- we viewers like to see him as a shark, not a lost soul -- but Don kept us hooked for the better part of a decade.
• Roger Sterling: A-.  The Lou Costello to Draper's Bud Abbott.  He provided comic relief throughout the years although his witty one-liners often masked the black heart of a ruthless capitalist.  Like Don the character sagged in season seven (and that ridiculous mustache didn't help).  
• Lane Pryce: A-.  Lane Pryce stole almost every scene in the few short years he was on the show.  The uptight Brit had an enormous stick up his royal butt but he had a more complex dark side which made him one of the show's most interesting characters.  He had a fling with a black Playboy bunny and he embezzled company funds.  His solution: hang himself in his office. Now that's an interesting exit strategy.  

  

  Memory Lane: Let's not forget what a wonderful character Lane Pryce was.

Teacher's Pets

• Peggy Olson: B+.  Great character arc for Peggy.  She starts as Don's secretary and eventually works her way up to a senior creative position.  Oh, and she was raped early in the show and had a child out of wedlock (that storyline was never fully realized and perhaps it was never really needed).  It was always interesting watching Peggy but this was a character so uncomfortable in her own skin, that sometimes it created difficulties watching her.
• Duck Phillips: B+. Duck felt like a real creature of Madison Ave.  On the surface he was charming but he was flush with character flaws.  In one of the show's surprising (and surprisingly entertaining) plot twists, he winds up as Peggy's sexual partner for a while.  He shows up in season seven as a boozy, semi-tragic figure on the back nine of his career.   

  

  Duck acts more like a sly fox with Peggy.

• Joan Harris: B: Another great character arc.  One of the pleasures of watching Mad Men was watching the career development of Peggy and Joan.  Joan simply didn't take crap; she was also a take charge type.  Her buxom figure often worked to her disadvantage and at times it was tiresome to see that theme exploited so much.  And the character could never be described as fun-loving or lovable (see Sterling, Roger).
• Sal Romano: B. The married, Italian-American gay art director.  He didn't last many seasons but his plight as a closeted gay man in mid-60s corporate America set the ground-breaking and fearless tone of the show.  (When he refused to submit to the advances of a client, Roger fires him.)

  

  Sal gets propositioned by client.

• Peter Campbell: B. Rapist. Liar. Adulterer. Yet somehow this character made us care about his plight and at times we couldn't help but root for his success. He made the job seem like it was all about boozy client lunches and call girls.  But hey -- it was the 60s -- so maybe that's the way it was.  
• Jim Cutler:  B.  He didn't get enough screen time (and he was AWOL in the second half of season seven) but this character always created drama and tension.  Props to the costume department for giving Cutler beautiful suits and cool horn-rimmed glasses.
• Freddy Rumsen: B.  The nice guy office drunk.  It was usually Happy Hour when Freddy showed up in a scene.  
• Lou Avery: B.  Mad Men's most hated character.  We've all probably had bosses like him at some point in our career. Lou appeared only in a few episodes but he made a lasting impact.  
• Sally Draper: B-.  If we made a movie about Sally Draper, we'd call it "Girlhood." It was fascinating and often disturbing to see the type of messed-up teenager she blossomed into during the seven seasons living in the Draper/Francis household.  
• Stan Rizzo: B-. Over the years, the SCDP art director evolved from a shallow, hippie-ish hipster into a talent and sensitive professional.  Not the most exciting character but most of his scenes worked.
• Bert Cooper: B-.  The strange patriarch of SC, he always added gravitas to whatever scenes he appeared in.  The character didn't have a lot of dimension but you gotta love the erotic painting above his desk and his policy of no shoes in his office.

Average Joes

• Harry Crane: C+. Harry changed nicely over the years -- although he was anything but nice.  Both his sideburns and his responsibilities as the head of the burgeoning tv department grew significantly during the last few seasons.  Unfortunately, Harry had little to do in the show besides act as a schmuck.  
• Betty Draper: C.  The character had stronger scripts early in the show (remember her fling with a lucky stranger in a coatroom?) but it was hard for viewers to warm up to her cold personality throughout the years (even after she was diagnosed with lung cancer).  The character never recovered after her marriage to Henry.  

  

  Betty Draper: better put down that butt. It's not good for your health.

• Megan Draper: C.  The character had stronger scripts when she was Don's groovy secretary and in the beginning of her marriage.  The character got weaker as Megan pursued her acting career more earnestly.  Great threads though. 

  

  Megan Draper: always dressed for success (although she rarely succeeded).

• Ken Cosgrove: C.  The account executive who lost an eye mid-way through the series.  For viewers, it was easy to lose interest in this character who showed more promise as a budding novelist earlier in the series.  
• Trudy Campbell: C.  Desperate housewife.
• Marie Calvert (Megan's mom): C.  Desperate housewife (French version).
• Dr. Faye Miller, Rachel Katz, Midge Daniels and any other of Don's bedmates:  C. Over they years, they all morphed into the same character; Don's action on the side to be disposed of after a season.  
• Ted Chaough: C-. The character had promise when he was first introduced but he became an after-thought in the last two years.  
• Glen Bishop: C-. Wildly uneven character (not helped by poor acting) although it was an intriguing twist when the youngster asked for a lock of Betty's hair -- and she gave it to him.  And then there was the scene in season seven when Glen got real up close and personal with Mrs. Draper Francis...that was perhaps Glen's most riveting scene of the series.  

  

  Here's to you Mrs. Robinson: Glen puts the moves on Betty in season seven.

Remedial Readers:

• Henry Francis: D. Henry never really developed as Betty's husband or as an Albany political functionary.  The show basically stopped in its tracks whenever he showed up.
• Abe Drexler and Michael Ginsburg: D.  Bother character were annoying Jewish stereotypes and were probably the worst written roles on the show.

Incomplete

• Bobby Draper.  Can anyone think of a memorable scene with him in it during the last three seasons?

Mad Men Season 7 Finale (Episode 14): Person to Person

Don Draper achieved a higher consciousness....and perhaps wrote the most famous Coke commercial of all time.

Why Mad Men Episode 14 (Season 7) Worked:

• Sally's "Mom's dying" phone call with  Don.  She was really talking to him adult to adult.  What a satisfying way to see Sally grow up (although in very sad circumstances).  
• Don's subsequent phone call to Betty.  Finally, they have a real conversation (although I'm not sure who's going to wind up with the kids when Betty dies).
• Roger's discussion with Joan about his will and his intention to marry Marie.  The relationship between Roger and Joan was one of the enduring joys of the series.
• Joan's conversation with Peggy about forming a production company.  That rang true.  And Joan finally had a smile on her face.
• Stan's "I love you" phone call with Peggy.  It was a bit trite.  But they deserve each.  
• The phone calls.  Lots and lots of them in  this finale.  And each call was a riveting zinger.
• The tidy packages.  Joans gets a new career and her own company.  Peggy gets her man. Pete gets a great job (but in Witchita so I guess that balances the scales). Roger gets married.....again. And Don gets enlightenment.  Great way to wrap up the show.

Why Mad Men Episode 14 (Season 7) Didn't Work:

• Joan and Richard snorting Coke in Key West.  That came out of left field.  Is this to suggest that Joan will become an 80s coke fiend?  
• Stephanie's relationship to Don.  It was asking a lot of the audience to remember exactly how they were connected.  

Overall Grade for Mad Men Episode 14 (Season 7): A.  Props to Matthew Weiner for bringing the seven-season run of Mad Men to a satisfying conclusion.  Don wound up on an interesting journey of self-discovery.  The only loose thread appears to be the "Buy the World a Coke" television spot which ended the show (it is one of the most famous ads of all time).  I'll interpret the show's ending to suggest that Don achieved enlightenment at the hippy dippy California retreat, went back to McCann, and wrote the commercial. (McCann Erickson did in fact have Coke as a client in the 70s). I would have liked the last shot to have been the McCann executives patting Don on the back in a meeting with Coke executives or maybe Don receiving a Clio for the ad.  But I can live with this ending.  It will certainly have people talking for as long as people talk about Mad Men.

Which is to say a long time.

Mad Men Season 7 (Episode 13): The Milk and Honey Route

In this episode Pete got blindsided with a surprising job offer and Don finds himself stranded at a midwestern motel.

Why Mad Men Episode 13 (Season 7) Worked:

• Betty's cancer.  This plot development was a bold step for the show but it worked.  Betty faces death like meeting a neighbor --with her usual cold, distance demeanor.  It didn't feel realistic given her grim prognosis but for the first time in years, we can actually care about Betty.  When Sally comes home to see Betty, Betty walks toward her and then right past her.  (She was pissed that Henry told Sally.)  Heartbreaking. 
• Some of the small details such as the peace sign on the pay phone at Sally's dorm and the college students calling Betty "Mrs. Robinson" (the saucy mom from "The Graduate").  
• Don adrift in the middle of the country.  The producers hit this note a bit too hard in this episode but it was interesting to see Don shedding the last vestiges of his former life and identity.  He even gives away his car in the last shot.  Where is Don going? How will he get there?  Is he going to kill himself?  The only way to find out is to tune in next week, folks.

Why Mad Men Episode 13 (Season 7) Didn't Work:

• Don stuck at the motel.  This felt too much like a writer's gimmick than a riveting plot development.  This was Don's purgatory.....a place with no room service, no bar, no working television, no hot water (probably) or hot waitresses (for sure).  Enough with the existentialism Matt Weiner.  
• Pete's career dilemma.  Do we care about him taking the job in Witchita? Not really. It felt like a hasty plot device written in  to get him to leave McCann.  There's no way Pete and his spouse are going to settle down in Kansas.  
• Duck's scenes.  He used to be one of the show's more interesting characters.  Tonight's episodes had him drinking first thing in the morning, barging into Pete's hotel room late at night, and telling Pete to enjoy the peak of his career (because it goes downhill quickly, kiddo, lemme tell you!).  
• Betty talking to Sally about the end of her life she was discussing a lawn that needed to be reseeded in the spring.  Nobody is that cold.  
• The VFW scene.  This scene didn't work for a number of reasons.  Primarily, it seemed like the show needed to create an incident that would allow the busboy to steal $500 from the VFW so everyone had to get drunk.  But Mad Men portrayed all the men (except Don) as a bunch of flag-waving, poorly dressed, hayseed drunks that bordered on offensive.  Don's revelation that he killed his commanding officer was slipped in there but it didn't register with the Vets....and it really didn't create any kind of big dramatic moment for the show either.  

Overall Grade for Mad Men Episode 13 (Season 7): C+.  Have to give the show credit for throwing in Betty's cancer (although someone had to get lung cancer after seven seasons of nonstop puffing).  That was a surprising twist.  Don's "journey" has its moments but his "trip," like the show, seems to be sputtering to an end.

Mad Men Season 7 (Episode 12): Lost Horizon

Will Peggy be able to "skate" her way to success at McCann?  If she can find a decent office, she might have a chance.

Why Mad Men Episode 12 (Season 7) Worked:

• The McCann-SCDP merger....which rivals the Time Warner-AOL union as the worst corporate merger ever.  Some razor-sharp observations and writing made the agony of this pairing especially compelling to watch.  For the SCDP executives, it looked like the first day of school at a snooty private school where you're not sure if you're going to fit in.  Almost every one of the SCDP executives had some uncomfortable moments (especially Joan).  And they're all on different floors, which creates the impression of McCann as this vast faceless and impersonal corporation.  
• Joan's ongoing problems with men.  Yes....Mad Men plays the "Joan's so hot that men can't help but keep hitting on her" note too often but it really paid off in this episode.  The scene with McCann CEO Jim Hobart featured a fine piece of blistering writing as the two adversaries dueled fearlessly with each other.  Joan never backed down and arrived the meeting fully prepared.  The only let down was later in the episode it seemed apparent that Joan was going to settle with McCann for fifty cents on the dollar of her contract.  
• Peggy alone on her own floor waiting (existentially) for her McCann office to be ready.  These scenes had a Seinfeldian feel to them echoing the Seinfeld episodes in a parking garage and waiting at a Chinese restaurant.  Peggy winds up getting drunk with Roger as he plays the organ and she roller skates in the empty room.  (Maybe this way a bit too broad....) And the coolest scene of the episode (in a show with a lot of strong scenes) had Peggy coming to work the next day in shades and smoking a cigarette.  Finally, Peggy gets to be hip.  And bonus points to Peggy for snaring Bert Cooper's racy picture of an octopus "pleasuring" a lady.  
• Don goes Jack Kerouac on us.  He's driving aimlessly around the farmlands of the midwest in his giant Caddy with great read leather seats (in a scene with the feel of Hitchcock's "North by Northwest" except there was no crop duster), picking up a shady hitchhiker.  Very existential but Hamm pulled it off.  All he needed was some speedballs to keep him up and some Allen Ginsburg poetry.  

Why Mad Men Episode 12 (Season 7) Didn't Work:

• The organ in the office.  Huh?  How did that get there?  Didn't make sense.
• Don's visit to Betty.  Not needed.  January Jones' agent probably demanded that she get some more scenes before the show ends.  Elisabeth Moss is sucking the oxygen out of her career.
• Don's visit to Diana Bauer's home in Racine, WI.  Felt implausible. 

Overall Grade for Mad Men Episode 12 (Season 7): A-.  This riveting episode really belonged to Joan and Jim Hobart.  The dysfunction meshing the two companies also elevated "Lost Horizon" and produced many fascinating cringe-worthy scenes.  Don barely had a presence in the show except for his strange trip to Wisconsin and his abrupt departure from the Miller Beer meeting.  But his fascination with his not-quite-airtight office window (is that where he makes his final exit?),  his dangerous behavior picking up a scruffy hitchhiker (is this one of Charlie Manson's lost souls who will turn Don into a piñata?) and his ongoing obsession with the waitress Diana Bauer will have us eagerly awaiting next week's episode.

Mad Men Season 7 (Episode 11): Time & Life

Remember him? Jared Harris, who played the memorable but ill-fated character Lane Pryce like he had a giant 2x4 stuck up his you-know-what, directed this episode.  

Why Mad Men Episode 11 (Season 7) Worked:

• The dismantling-the-agency scene.  You had to feel sorry for Don, Roger, Pete and Joan.  
• Don's plan to save the agency.  Finally, he wakes up (literally)....gets his ass off the couch....and comes up with an action plan. He's always at his best in Mad Men when he's on the attack.  
• The head of McCann giving Don, Roger, et al the "You're getting the five most coveted jobs in all of advertising" speech. He made it sound so good.  Yet you knew they'd get screwed over.
• Peggy letting Stan know about the child she gave up for adoption.  It's about time that loose (story) thread was woven back into the plot.  Yes....the set up for the revelation was tedious but it ultimately paid off.  And who knew that Stan could be such a mensch?

Why Mad Men Episode 11 (Season 7) Didn't Work:

• Pete's showdown with the principal at the Greenwich Day School, which ended with him punching the principal in the mouth.  Probably the worst scene in the seven-year history of the show.  Just ridiculous.
• Peggy's argument with the mother of the child who got a staple in her finger.  Another ridiculous, poorly written scene.  
• Confusing office chatter about the conflict of interest with various clients.  Not exactly nail-biting drama.  And who cares?
• Lou Avery's decision to go work for the Japanese.  A sub-par exit for an interesting minor character.  

Overall Grade for Mad Men Episode 11 (Season 7): C-.  The show is definitely sputtering to an end.  It's hard to get worked up about the work dilemmas.  We've seen entire seasons consumed by efforts to save the agency so this plot line in Episode 11 didn't exactly have us on the edge of our seats.  Don and Roger have no sparkle left.  Peggy and Joan are complete downers.  Pete seems lost and pathetic.

Mad Men Season 7 (Episode 10): The Forecast

Don Draper has a number of headaches that he must contend with.

Why Mad Men Episode 10 (Season 7) Worked:

• Sally's speech to Don at the bus station before she leaves on a teen tour.  She was good and pissed that Don was responding to her friend's flirtatious behavior, and she called him out on it.  More than any other character on the show she sees Don for what he is.  (Let's hope she gets a well-paying job because she's going to need a lot of expensive therapy.)
• Don's struggle to devise a corporate vision for Roger.  His inability to articulate what the company should be and where it's heading reflected his own rudderless life.  He is a man truly adrift without an idea of where his ship should sail.  
• Don's showdown with the copywriter.  It wasn't a perfect scene but it had energy; that's for sure.  And the copywriter called him basically just a pretty face. Don, of course, is more than that but there's no denying that his looks and perfect hair give him a lot to work with. 
• Don alone in the hallway outside his apartment after the real estate agent finds a buyer for his penthouse.  Great fade-out music (Roberta Flack's "The First Time I Saw Your Face") and Don looks terribly lost and lonely.  A bit artsy and pretentious but it helped lift this uneven episode.  

Why Mad Men Episode 10 (Season 7) Didn't Work:

• Joan's romance.  Whatever happened to one night stands?  Joan has sex with a divorced older guy and the next thing he's in New York telling her that he's not into her four-year-old son.  Before you can scratch your head, she's telling him that she'll send him off to boarding school (was that for real????) but no, he then says he'll take the boy and her mom and buy a place in New York. Sorry, I didn't buy it.  It was like the Cliff Notes version of Mad Men.
• The drama around the Peter Pan peanut butter account.  Usually, the account problems provide the best drama in the show.  Not tonight.  It was convoluted, confusing and poorly plotted.
• The return of Glen (part I).  The scene in the hallway with Sally, Glen, Betty and the random girlfriend fell flat.  Some outrageously stilted acting and contrived writing.
• The return of Glen (part II). His scene with Betty barely made sense.  She offers him a beer while alone with him in her kitchen.  He comes on to her.  She rebuffs him because "I'm married."Then she puts her hand to his face and puts his hand on her face.  Where was this going?

Overall Grade for Mad Men Episode 10 (Season 7): C+.  This was the night of crazy shit where so many scenes seemed rushed and outrageous.  It was good to see the hard-bitten Joan finally involved with a man and it created some interest and tension in the subplot, but the speed in which the relationship unfolded was so quick that it seemed like the writers were trying to cram everything in before the show ends in a few episodes.  Other scenes also seemed poorly written like the real estate agent criticizing Don and the copywriter insulting the client.  This episode showed Don and Betty's compulsive need to be attractive to the opposite sex no matter how inappropriate that interest might be.  That was a good thread woven through the  episode.

Mad Men Season 7 (Episode 9): New Business

Mr. Lonely: Don Draper charts a solitary path as the final season of Mad Men winds down.

Why Mad Men Episode 9 (Season 7) Worked:

• The action and dialogue relating to Don and Megan's split including the furniture removal from Don's apartment.  Turned out that Roger footed the bill (he gave Megan's mom $180).  Also good, the scene between Don and Megan in the lawyer's office (and a million dollars to her!!!).  Good writing and good acting especially by Jessica Paré.  She called him "an aging, sloppy liar" and sold every word of her line.
• Don's response to the waitress Diana showing up at his apartment in the middle of the night: "It's 3 a.m.  You know why you're here."  And good retort when she asked him why he was dressed in a jacket and tie: "I'm vain."  Glad he didn't have on a smoking jacket.
• The scenes between Don and Diana.  It's still a bit of a mystery whey they connected and it feels like Don has suddenly become a compassionate social worker with her -- where did that personality trait come from? -- but there's no denying that the scenes were intriguing especially when he showed up at her apartment.  The big question: will we see more of her in the final episodes?
• The thread featuring Harry and Megan.  He is such a weasel and Don totally caught on to his lame attempt to cover his botched seduction.  

Why Mad Men Episode 9 (Season 7) Didn't Work:

• Bad hair.  Roger's hair and mustache is so out of character that it makes all his scenes too cartoonish.  His look is slick....and now he looks anything but slick.  And Pete's hair won't win any awards this season either.  Sideburns are too long and he's sporting something of a semi-combover.  
• Bad sex scenes.  Pema the photographer -- doing a Pussy Galore imitation -- jumps Stan the hostile art director in the darkroom.  Huh?  That was telegraphed immediately but it was poorly staged and written.  And then she hits on Peggy in another awkward, poorly written scene.  When Roger rushes to Don's apartment with moving money for Megan's mom, they quickly hop in the sack (er...make that the floor...the moving men might have taken the bed).  Another cartoon-like scene in a show that used to have more flair and sophistication.
• Random milkshake scene with Don's Connecticut family.  Their agents must have been squawking about not being in enough scenes this year.  
• Scenes with Megan and her sister.  Who cares? Besides, it very late in the series to bring in another character and her baggage.  

Overall Grade for Mad Men Episode 9 (Season 7):  B.  Wildly uneven but the show ended with some strong scenes.  While it seems out of character for Don to be showing interest in the well-being and emotions of another woman, his relationship with Diana seems like a path for his redemption.  Will the show continue in that direction?  So far in this half season, Roger's scenes are flat and disappointing.  And agency life -- a reliable plot point in Mad Men's seven years -- has not really been a factor either in the first two shows.

Mad Men Season 7 (Episode 8): Severance

The Mad Men gang is back and decked out in a lot of plaids.  Betty does not look like a happy camper....but what else is new?  Don looks a lot better in dark suits.  The tan slacks make him look like a swinging accountant.  

Why Mad Men Episode 8 (Season 7) Worked:  

• No scene worked completely in this episode. They were all marred at times by implausible or incomprehensible plotting, weak writing, and subpar acting.
• Peggy's date.  Perhaps the best-written plot thread of the episode.  It revealed how sad and lonely she has become as she achieves more professional success.  (Her date not sending back the dish he didn't order was sloppy, lazy writing.  There were others way to show that Peggy is assertive.)
• The meeting Joan and Peggy had with the McCann account executives.  Yes....it was marred by over-the-top writing, but it yielded the best line of the evening as Joan and Peggy conversed in the elevator.  Joan: "I want to burn this place down."
• Don lying on his couch during working hours.  Come on....we've all wanted to do that at work, but only Don pulls it off with such style.

Why Mad Men Episode 8 (Season 7) Didn't Work:

• Don and the waitress.  What the hell?  Maybe it pays off later in the half season but this was a real head scratcher.  And Don just walking out the back door and having sex with her in the alley without blinking an eye was also baffling.  Where are these plot turns coming from and for what purpose?  Maybe Don will come up with a new drink for a whiskey client: Sex in the alley.  
• Roger's mustache.  Distracting.  Felt like Sam Elliott was suddenly hired at the agency.  
• Joan's hairstyle.  Did they not have time to comb her hair before the cameras rolled?
• Joan's attitude.  When did she become such a boring and depressing character?
• The Ken Cosgrove storyline.  Yawn.  Haven't cared about him for six seasons and we're not going to start now.  The scene with his wife was poorly written and acted. 
• The Topaz vs L'eggs account issues.  Usually, agency business makes this show soar.  Not tonight.  It just wasn't that interesting.  

Overall Grade for Mad Men Episode 8 (Season 7): D+.  Completely disjointed episode.  Very few scenes really hooked the viewer.  The whole hour felt sluggish and drawn out.  Even Roger's scenes lack energy and wit.  Has "Mad Men" stayed on the stage one season too long?  Let's see what next week brings.

Mad Men Season 7 (Episode 7): Waterloo

Why Mad Men Episode 7 (Season 7) Worked:

• Culter's take-down of Don.  Vicious.  His assessment of Don's talent was chilling: "I am deeply unimpressed." The depth of Cutler's evil corporate ways is bottomless.  He's really blossomed as a character.  j
• Don's forceful response to Cutler trying to push him out of the agency.  Don finally grows a pair this season.  A BIG pair.  
• Don's split with Megan.  A masterpiece of minimal writing.  Hamm's face says so much.  And great use of dead air.  
• Bert Cooper's assessment of the leadership talent in his company in a discussion with Roger.  Incisive.  The guy may be weird but he knows how to manage.
• Bert Cooper's death.  Brilliantly handled the way it was brought up.  For a few minutes, we weren't sure exactly who from the agency had died.  It was easy to speculate that Don committed suicide after the breakup  of marriage and the attempt to push him out of the agency.
• Sally kissing Neil.  Neil's response: "What do I do now?" He returns to the office.  And Sally?  She whips out a cigarette.  A future ice queen is born.
• Peggy's pitch to Burger Chef.  Pitch perfect.
• Joan's slow change to a cold-hearted businesswoman.  Chilling.  
• The moon landing.  Well produced as the show cut from various groups of Mad Men watching the landing, cementing the theme that television was the great unifier of the time.  
• Cutler's surprise vote for the McCann merger: "It's a lot of money," he reasons.

Why Mad Men Episode 7 (Season 7) Didn't Work:

• Don's squeaky-voiced secretary and her surprise kiss.  Out of character and out of left field.
• Peggy's chubby young neighbor.  The bond is baffling.  Worse yet, it's really boring.
• The merger.  The partners agree to a $65 million sale in a two-minute meeting.  Completely implausible especially for a show that really sweats the details in the office.
• The ghost of Bert Cooper singing and dancing to "The Best Things in Life Are Free." What a weak wrap-up to a very strong episode.

Overall Grade for Mad Men Episode 7 (Season 7): B+  Don and Roger asserted themselves big time in this episode and that really made this episode sing. (Although the song and dance number really hit the wrong notes as a first-half conclusion.)  The bare-knuckles politics in the office continued to  provide great dramatic fodder although the McCann buyout was a bit hasty.  It's hard to know exactly how the ball will bounce in the second half of this season but there are enough loose ends to make us wish the season begins sooner rather than later.  

Mad Men Season 7 (Episode 6): The Strategy

Why Mad Men Episode 6 (Season 7) Worked:

• The early tension between Don and Peggy over the Burger Chef campaign.,
• Don admitting that he just came from the movie "I Am Curious Yellow." Probably only 27 people watching even knew about the movie but it was a very cool thing to do in 1969.  (It was a porn film, in case you're interested.)
• Don explaining to Peggy about how he works creatively.
• The Madras sports jackets.  Pete and Bob Benson really rocked them.
• Bob's "proposal" to Joan.  He needed her to be his beard so he could rise in corporate America. He thought she'd need his security.  Her response: "I want love." One of the better scenes in recent weeks that didn't revolve entirely around the office.

Why Mad Men Episode 6 (Season 7) Didn't Work:

• The work for the Burger Chef tv commercial.  Usually, "Mad Men" shines when it focuses on the creative work that goes into an ad campaign. However, almost all of the scenes about the Burger Chef campaign were about as bland a limp lettuce.
• Bob bailing out the gay client from jail.  The scene in the cab as they left the jail was confusing and poorly written.
• Pete's fight with Trudy at their Cos Cobb house.  Another confusing and poorly written scene. 
• Don and Peggy drinking in the office, having a heart to heart, and then dancing to Sinatra's "Strangers in the NIght."  Another scene where one could only wonder: What is this about?
• Stan's beard.  It's so bushy, it's practically its own zip code.  Distracting.

Overall Grade for Mad Men Episode 6 (Season 7):  C-.  A lot of nothing happened in this episode.  Don still hasn't recovered his mojo.  His marriage appears tenuous. He's become...uh....what's the word -- boring! Peggy feels pathetic now. Pete's relationship with his girlfriend doesn't ring true. Let's hope for a first half season-ending wallop next week. This was pretty thin gruel tonight.    

Mad Men Season 7 (Episode 5): The Runaways

Why Mad Men Episode 5 (Season 7) Worked:

• Don's barging in on the tobacco pitch meeting at the end of the episode. Ballsy.  That's the Don we love.
• Stan getting high in the office.  He was taking a semi-hidden puff at his desk, right? Did you catch it?
• The mini-skirts.  Can't get any shorter.
• Don's management advice to Lou. Lou's reply to Don: I'm not taking management advice from Don Draper.
• Ginsberg spying on Cutler and Lou in the computer room.  Shades of Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey."
• Henry's outburst at Betty. Finally, he has an interesting scene. But who knew he was such a male chauvinist pig?

Why Mad Men Episode 5 (Season 7) Didn't Work:

• Ginsburg's nervous breakdown.  Poorly played. Over-acted. Didn't ring true. Enough with his obsession with the computer.
• Stephanie the pregnant niece. Hard to know what that was about. And hard to get emotionally involved in her story.
• Megan's party. Eh.
• Sally's nose. Eh.
• Don's threesome with Megan and her friend. The most cringe-worthy threesome since "House of Cards." And those awkward morning after moments.

Overall Grade for Mad Men Episode 5 (Season 7):  C.  Another mediocre episode.  Only Don's scene at the end with the tobacco executives saved it and gave viewers something to look forward to next week. His relationship with Megan is going in reverse, and even worse, it's boring.  The only upbeat part of the episode is that hopefully Ginsberg become institutionalized and never sets foot again in an ad agency -- or on "Mad Men."

Mad Men Season 7 (Episode 4): The Monolith

Why Mad Men Episode 4 (Season 7) Worked:

• Freddy's rah-rah speech to Don after he goes on his bender. Finally, someone gives Don some useful advice and some harsh medicine to swallow.
• The computer installation in the office.  Yes....computers represented disruption in every sense of the word.
• Lou's salary increase to Peggy -- with nasty strings attached. 

Why Mad Men Episode 4 (Season 7) Didn't Work:

• Don's degradation.  It doesn't feel like an interesting plot twist now; it's more like he's being dragged through the mud for 60 minutes.
• Don's alcoholism.  Yes, we know Don has a drinking problem but this episode really brought it front and center instead of keeping it in the background.  And that pushes the show in a dangerous direction. We don't want Mad Men to be a program about substance abuse, we want it to be about the 60s and advertising.
• Roger's visit to retrieve his daughter at the commune. Grade D melodrama featuring some of the worst writing and plotting of the season. It was like a watching a completely different show.
• Peggy. She used to be one of the show's most interesting characters.  Now she's a one-note bummer.
• Lloyd, the computer installer. It was hard to figure out his role in tonight's episode. The interactions with Don were strange and stilted.  

Overall Grade for Mad Men Episode 4 (Season 7):  C-. This episode was way too downbeat.  Don's boozing in the office. Don's degradation. Roger's dysfunctional family.  There was nothing remotely entertaining or upbeat about "The Monolith." Let's hope Don comes roaring back with some great copy and takes his place at the top of the food chain.

Mad Men Season 7 (Episode 3): Field Trip

Why Mad Men Episode 3 (Season 7) Worked:

• Don calling his secretary Dawn in the opening scene.  We feel Dawn's tension as the phones in the background are ringing off the hook.  We also get a front row seat at Don's anger and humiliation at his increasing marginalization at work.  Then the ultimate insult happens: his secretary puts him on hold!
• The meeting Peggy, Stan and Michael had with Lou Avery.  So uncomfortable.  And Lou Avery secures the crown as the world's worst boss by taking the meeting with his legs wide open. Ick! He looks like he does "strategic consulting" for Spiro Agnew.
• Megan giving Don the boot minutes after they made love. Wow....that was a powerful scene.  It was difficult not to feel sorry for Don.
• Betty's non-stop smoking. So interesting.  (And the only thing interesting about her these days.)
• Don's job hunting dinner at the Algonquin.  It was a small scene and generally good, except that the blonde coming to the table -- and apparently coming on to Don -- was a bit confusing.  (Or I am stupid in not fully understanding it?)
• Don's return to the office. That had to be the most awkward scene of the  year in television.  It was impossible not to squirm watching it.  It was SO apparent that he wasn't supposed to be there. Don's humiliation apparently knows no bounds.  It was brutal -- but absolutely compelling to watch.
• Roger (John Slattery) states his case for Don to return to the agency. Fiery! Slattery's finest dramatic scene (not humorous) on the show in years, perhaps ever.
• Don agreeing to the awful terms for coming back to work.  The humiliation continues.  And reporting to Lou Avery?  Gotta tune in next week to see this food fight.

Why Mad Men Episode 3 (Season 7) Didn't Work:

• The school trip to the farm. We'd rather have watched corn grow.
• Bobby Draper. We'd rather have watched corn grow.
• Betty. So boring.
• Henry. Can't remember the last time he was in an interesting scene.

Overall Grade for Mad Men Episode 3 (Season 7):  A-. Another excellent episode. The office scenes just explode off the scene and they crackle with tension and energy. Don's plight and downward spiral are driving the show to new heights this year. Will these developments lead to a Don Draper redemption  for the season finale?

Mad Men Season 7 (Episode 2): Happy Valentine's Day

Why Mad Men Episode 2 (Season 7) Worked:

• The Valentine Day's flowesr gimmick.  That was an exceptional plot device and only faltered when Peggy blew up at her secretary (see what didn't work).
• The faulty squawk box gimmick.  Nobody liked the squawk box, not even in 1969.  Clever writing.
• Don's failed attempts to cover up his absence at the office.  It was easy to feel sorry for him.  The show is better when he's a cad, but this adds an interesting new dimension to one of prime time tv's most compelling characters. 
• Don letting his hair down with Sally. Another well-written, completely believable scene.  Don is changing and it's happening before our eyes.  
• Sally.  She played a critical role in this episode and it helped make this a memorable one.  Her unexpected visit to the office to see Don after she lost her  purse was dramatic and Kiernan Shipka made the most of these scenes.  
• Secretary merry-go-round.  Everyone seemed dissatisfied with his or her secretary and all those personnel problems rolled up on Joan's desk. Nice subplot.
• Lou. Such a dick.  But so believable.
• Shirley's (Peggy's secretary) groovy orange dress.

Why Mad Men Episode 2 (Season 7) Didn't Work:

• Downbeat tone.  We're not having a lot of fun in Season 7. 
• Pete's (Vincent Karheiser) bad hair piece. Distracting.
• Pete's hot LA girlfriend. Really? She can do better.
• Peggy's rant about her flowers. A bit much.
• Pete's rant about the ineffectiveness of his role in LA. A bit much

Overall Grade for Mad Men Episode 2 (Season 7):  .  A-. Great writing and intriguing subplots made this episode memorable.  Everyone at the agency seems unstable and on the verge of collapse.  It's highly stressful to watch -- but completely addictive.  Can't wait until next week to find out what happens next.

Mad Men Season 7 (Episode 1): Time Zones

Why Mad Men Episode 1 (Season 7) Worked:

• Fashion.  The producers (and costume designers) really caught the groovy late 60s fashion zeitgeist, especially Megan (and especially the head scarf!). Don is looking dapper but pretty square.
• The music. Using the  60s music is an easy call, but the producers worked it in deftly, especially the last scene of the episode with Peggy.
• Freddy's opening monologue.  Clever.  Now that's a series opener!
• Don gliding on the electric walkway at LAX.  The scene was brilliantly stolen from the opening sequence of "The Graduate."
• Joan's scenes with the CMO from Butler Shoes.  She kicked ass.
• The delivery of the tv console the size of a coffin to Megan's Laurel Canyon home.  That's how the rich watched tv back in the day.
• Roger's breakfast with his daughter.  Extremely well written, especially the daughter's line.  He's so out of touch with his child that it was sometimes painful to watch.

Why Mad Men Episode 1 (Season 7) Didn't Work:

• Don and Megan's relationship. We know that there are huge problems between the two of them.  However, it's just not that much fun -- or interesting -- watching the relationship implode.
• Don's encounter with a strange woman on the LA-JFK redeye.  Yawn -- Don's excessive philandering is becoming a drag.  And it feels a bit implausible that every woman he meets in every encounter wants to bed him.
• Ken's rants.  Over-the-top.
• Roger with the hippie woman.  60s cliche alert.
• Peggy.  She's a bummer, man.  (However, we are interested about what's going to happen to her.)

Overall Grade for Mad Men Episode 1 (Season 7):  B.  The final season got off to a strong but not spectacular start.  It's a bit downbeat but overall we're optimistic about where the series will go from here.  

Mad Men Recap Season 6 (Episode 13): In Case Of

Why Mad Men Episode 13 (Season 6) Worked:

• Ted and Peggy.  What a complex relationship.  He's a good guy who can't help himself from doing bad.  And he's turning Peggy into a bitter, professional, single, career woman.   The back-and-forth between them was excellent in this episode.  Her final blast at him was chilling.  "Get out!" she hissed.  "Just get out!"
• Megan's great 60s clothes.  She could have been a dancer on "Hullabalo."
• Bob Benson manipulating Pete to drive the car at Chevy HQ.
• Ted's conversation with Don about him wanting to move to LA.  It's always great when Ted lays himself emotionally open with Don.  He knows that Don knows what he's all about.
• Don falling apart in the Hershey's pitch meeting.  Another great off-the-rails moment for Don this season.  And wonderful WTF looks on the faces of his colleagues as they wonder where he's going with his spiel.  
• The partners meeting where they tell Don to take some time off.  Yep...that's exactly how it's done in real life.  Cold as ice.  But they were right.  Don was tough, though.  Good scene.
• Lou Avery to Don at the elevator right after he gets kicked in the ass:  "Going down?"  Oh yeah...Don is going down for the count.

Why Mad Men Episode 13 (Season 6) Didn't Work:

• Pete.  Too shrill, like he's been all year.   His mother falling off the cruise ship to her death just seemed like a lazy way to write her out of the script.  
• Ted's seduction scene with Peggy.  The writing and acting wasn't solid, especially Elisabeth Moss. She needed to show more ambiguity.  Instead, she was cold and angry, and then she was suddenly hot.
• Joan.  Not sure what she's been doing the last few episodes.

Overall Grade for Mad Men Episode 13 (Season 6):  B+.  If this wasn't the last episode, it would have received an A.  However, it ended more with question marks then exclamation marks....and that's not how a season finale should be.  We'll have to wonder if Don and Megan split, if Don gets his job back, if Pete gets his mojo back, and if Bob Benson reveals his game (do we really care about this last point?).

Mad Men Recap Season 6 (Episode 12): The Quality of Mercy

Why Mad Men Episode 12 (Season 6) Worked:

• The Ted/Don conflict.  This has been a fascinating, well-played chess match all season and it continued brilliantly with this episode.  Don is wise to Ted's infatuation with Peggy and he can't let it go.  He knows Ted wants to spend more money on the St. Joseph's aspirin commercial so Peggy can get a Clio award.  And it culminates in the awkward meeting with the client where viewers think for 10 endlessly long seconds that Don is going to tell the client that Ted wants to spend the additional funds for Peggy.  In the end, Don gets most of the money and doesn't publicly reveal what he knows.
• Jim Cutler pushing Bob Benson to work with Pete.  Harry Hamlin (as Butler) steals every scene where he utters a line including this one.  He's been great this season.
• Pete uncovering secret information about Bob Benson.  Finally, Pete has a cause this season.  And finally, we're getting to see what Bob is all about.  (Although it was somewhat confusing about how Pete is going to deal with Bob going forward.)
• Betty offering Sally a cigarette.  Naturally.  That's what blonde Republican moms did back in 1968.  But did you catch that Sally didn't really inhale?

Why Mad Men Episode 12 (Season 6) Didn't Work:

• Don being sick and weak.  It's like Superman without his cape or Zorro without his sword.  He's just not that interesting when he's not a shark.  And it's becoming a mystery what he actually does at work besides napping, going home early and fighting with Ted.  
• Ted's infatuation with Peggy.  Too heavy-handed especially in this episode.  Taking her to the movie in the middle of the day....come on!
• Pete's anger at his mother in the office and other over-the-top behavior in the office.  He's become a one-note instrument and the sound is shrill.
• Peggy's visit to the prep school dorm.  Some of the worst scenes of the season.  It felt like a dress rehearsal for a camp play.  The staging -- especially the fight -- was poorly staged.  The acting was completely wooden. 

Overall Grade for Mad Men Episode 12 (Season 6):  B-.  Some decent office scenes but overall this episode felt slow and lacked the punch of the previous few shows.

Mad Men Recap Season 6 (Episode 11): Favors

Why Mad Men Episode 11 (Season 6) Worked:

• The entire subplot about Arnold and Sylvia's son trying to get out of the draft.    It was brilliantly conceived and had many different aspects to it.  First, there was Don's indifference ("Not our problem," he huffed to Megan.) but then Don slowly began to think of ways he could help.  And he clumsily reached out to GM clients at a dinner annoying Ted in an uncomfortably but strong scene.  Finally, he gave up his pursuit of Sunkist so Ted could land Ocean Spray but only if Ted helped Arnold and Sylvia's son get into the National Guard.  This led to a conversation with a grateful Sylvia and we know where this led to.  But the power punch of the night -- no, the whole season -- was Sally walking in on Don and Sylvia.  She truly saw the Emperor without his clothes.  But what happens next?  We'll have to tune in next week.
• Peggy and Pete sharing boozy confidences at a restaurant while out with Ted.  There is a real connection there.  Good dialogue.  

Why Mad Men Episode 11 (Season 6) Didn't Work:

• Pete's mother's relationship with her home health care worker.  Were they really physically intimate?  Do we care?
• Bad acting from the teenagers, especially Sally, her friend and Mitchell.  Like lousy summer stock theater.  
• Domestic blahs.  Everyone's home life is suffering:  Ted's, Don's, Peggy's, Betty's, and Pete's.  But it's not all that interesting.
• Peggy's rats in her home.  Seriously, what was the point of that?  Just bite the bullet Peggy and move to the Upper East Side already.  

Overall Grade for Mad Men Episode 11 (Season 6):  B+.  A lot didn't happen for much of this episode.  But the pay-off of Sally catching Don and Sylvia was so strong that it changed the entire tone of the episode.  Bravo.  Can't wait until next Sunday.