“Mad Men” So Far: Everything You Need to Know

Part of what makes some TV dramas—like Mad Men—great is that they have long, winding plots, extensive back stories, subtle and nuanced character development, and complicated relationships. Unfortunately, these things also make great shows a little daunting to jump into mid-run or mid-season, because the uninitiated viewer is often left wondering exactly what the hell is going on. But complicated or not, just because you haven’t watched Mad Men yet shouldn’t mean that you can’t start now. The best way to get caught up, of course, would be to hunker down with Netflix and a few bottles of wine, but if you don’t have time for that, we’ve put together this handy primer to get you (mostly) up to speed before the new season premieres on March 25. Will Don marry Megan or reconcile with Betty? Will Sally get better, or a whole lot worse? Will Joan reveal the true father of her baby? Will Pete and Ken ever be able to work together? These questions are about to make a whole lot more sense.

By DivineCaroline

This is Don Draper

Don Draper is a superstar creative director and partner at an ad agency in New York. Despite the fact that he’s a womanizer, an alcoholic, and a colossal asshole to most people, he’s brilliant and is begrudgingly idolized by everyone. In the third season, in the face of an impending corporate buyout and liquidation, Don and the partners at the old Sterling Cooper agency decided to leave and start their own company—Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.

However, Don has a secret, which is that “Don Draper” is not his real name. Don’s real name is Dick Whitman. While serving in the Korean War, he stole the identity of a fallen lieutenant and has been living as him ever since, even financially supporting the real Draper’s wife in California. Keeping this secret has come at the expense of relationships and business opportunities, and he feels as though nobody really knows him. At the end of last season, Don spontaneously proposed to his young secretary, while the fate of his agency is uncertain, due to losing clients and cash. But despite the agency’s precarious operating position, Don took the bold and visionary step of publicly rejecting tobacco ad business, putting the agency at the forefront of the burgeoning anti-smoking movement.

Photo credit: AMC