’Mad Men’s 10 Worst Moments

MAD MEN, (from left): Vincent Kartheiser, Christina Hendricks, John Slattery, Elisabeth Moss, Jon Hamm, (Season 2), 2007-.
AMC/Courtesy: Everett Collection

Although Mad Men premiered in 2007, TV magic did a wonderful job transporting us back to the 1950s and 1960s and the world of advertising . And who knew it could be so down and dirty? It made household names and watercooler talk of Jon Hamm (Don Draper), John Slattery (Roger Sterling) a pre-Gilead Elisabeth Moss (Peggy Olson), Christina Hendricks (Joan Holloway) and many more. It oozed sleaze and style, and was filled with enough smoking and booze to kill a horse.

In honor of the 10th anniversary of that epic ending where *spoiler alert* Don’s opus led us to believe he created the universally known “I’d like to buy the world a Coke” commercial, we look back at 10 of the most heinous moments of the show.

MAD MEN, Jon Hamm (center), 'Person To Person', (Season 7, ep. 714, aired May 17, 2015).

Justina Mintz/AMC/Courtesy: Everett Collection

1 Dead brothers

Don’s half-brother Adam (Jay Paulson) discovers Dick Whitman didn’t die in Korea and shows up at Don’s office. Don tells him, “I have a life, and it only goes in one direction — forward.” He offers Adam $5,000 to disappear. Adam hangs himself.

2 Maybe it’s Belle Jolie

MAD MEN, Elisabeth Moss (left), 'Babylon', (Season 1, ep. 106, aired Aug. 23, 2007), 2007-.

Carin Baer/AMC/Courtesy: Everett Collection

“It was like watching a dog play the piano,” Freddy Rumsen (Joel Murray) said of Peggy Olson’s insights following a lipstick focus group, even as he suggests she write copy for Belle Jolie. Harry Crane (Rich Sommer) wows TV clients with recommendations Joan gleans from reading scripts, but hires a man for the Broadcast Operations position.

3 He’ll never golf again

The Brits arrive to reorganize the agency, send Lane Pryce (Jared Harris) to India and install Guy Mackendrick (Jamie Thomas King). At Joan’s going-away fete, Guy loses a foot to an errant John Deere lawn mower. Because of his disfigurement, the Brits sack him.

4 No. I mean it

Greg Harris (Sam Page), fuming over Joan being savvy in bed and her past with Roger Sterling, rapes her in Don’s office. She marries him anyway.

5 Deny, deny

MAD MEN, (from left): January Jones, Patrick Fischler, 'The Gold Violin', (Season 2, aired Sept. 7, 2008), 2007-.

AMC/Courtesy: Everett Collection

Thanks to comedian Jimmy Barrett (Patrick Fischler), Betty (January Jones) knows Don is cheating again. She asks how he could do this to her. “I didn’t do anything,” he replies.

6 The high price of partnership

MAD MEN, (from left): Christina Hendricks, Gary Basaraba, 'The Other Woman', (Season 5, ep. 511, aired May 27, 2012), 2007-.

Michael Yarish/AMC / Courtesy: Everett Collection

Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser) suggests that Joan sleep with the Jaguar rep to secure the account. Joan gets promoted to partner, then does the deed.

7 Power play

MAD MEN, Darren Pettie, Bryan Batt, ' Wee Small Hours ', (Season 3, October 11, 2009), 2007-,.

Carin Baer/AMC/courtesy everett collection

When art director Sal Romano (Bryan Batt) turns down an advance from Lucky Strike scion Lee Garner Jr., Lee demands that Sal be fired. Don, who saw Sal with a bellhop during a business trip, shakes his head and mutters, “You people.” Sal gets fired.

8 But that’s different

MAD MEN, (from left): Vincent Kartheiser, Alison Brie, 'Christmas Comes But Once A Year', (Season 4, ep. 402, airing August 1, 2010), 2007-.

Mike Yarish/AMC/Courtesy: Everett Collection

Serial philanderer Don calls Betty a whore when he discovers she’s involved with Henry Francis (Christopher Stanley). He calls second wife Megan (Jessica Paré) a whore after she films a kissing scene, then he beds his current mistress. Pete rants that Trudy’s (Alison Brie) dating is immoral, though they’re divorcing and he’s in town with his lover.

9 The end of innocence

Sally (Kiernan Shipka) sneaks into the Rosens’ apartment to retrieve an embarrassing note and sees Don shtupping Sylvia. Don makes bad worse by telling Sally he was just “comforting” Sylvia.

10 Sins of omission

MAD MEN, (from left): Jon Hamm, Jessica Pare, 'The Runaways', (Season 7, ep. 705, aired May 11, 2014).

Justina Mintz/AMC/Courtesy: Everett Collection

Don doesn’t tell Megan that the firm has put him on leave. When he finally comes clean, it’s too little, too late.

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