What makes Mad Men great is what also makes it very tough to recap, nothing happens. After the “who is Don Draper really?” mystery from the first few seasons wrapped up, the show became another workplace drama, and if there is one thing I know, it’s that the workplace is boring. Knowing how boring the workplace is only helps to bolster Mad Men’s greatness. It’s remarkable that a show about the daily lives of people can hold my attention week in and week out.

Although true action may be fleeting on Mad Men the opening episode of the season saw many of our main characters in uncomfortable positions.

It’s interesting how when Mad men began the sexism was very overt and almost polite. Everyone who wasn’t a white man knew their place and how they were expected to act. Ten years later in the show’s timeline, Joan and Peggy have come a long way from the secretaries they started as but still have to deal with sexism in the office. However, the jokes they had to deal with in this meeting were crude innuendos and thinly veiled euphemisms. These gross acts during the meeting were a great example of how slow change really is, and how even in a time of so much advancement on the surface, deep down some things haven’t changed. The way the men of McCann Erickson acted toward the women was extremely distasteful and hard to watch.

The aftermath of the sexist meeting brought the worst out of Peggy and Joan. The two have never truly been allies, but they have been confidants due to their shared experiences, and in the elevator both women took the lowest blows they could at each other, Peggy says Joan was asking for the sexist treatment because of how she looks and dresses, and Joan fires back that Peggy wouldn’t understand because she does not have that problem; implying Peggy is ugly.

Each woman dealt with the spat in their own way. Joan bought expensive clothing with her partnership millions, while Peggy went on a humorous blind date with her underling’s brother-in-law. The date ended in drunk sloppy kissing and an alcohol induced vacation to Paris. But what the date really showed, is how wrapped up in her work Peggy is with no social life to speak of.

It was another existential crisis for Don Draper this episode. A vision of a fling from season one visited Don during a provocative casting call. When Don attempted to contact this blast from the past, he was shocked to find out she had passed away. The death of a former mistress rattled Don. At this point Don being rattled is nothing new. Every time an emotion or unresolved feelings are brought to the surface Don Draper spirals out of control, gets stuck in his own head and/or self sabotages himself. This pattern of events is starting to get tired. I get it, Don Draper looks extremely put together and like he has the world figured out on the surface, but on the inside he is in constant turmoil. Whenever there looks to be some emotional advancement for Don he just goes right back to his old tricks a little further down the line. In these final few episodes I can only hope this changes.

• To insure this recap does not get too lengthy, time for some quick hitters Alan Sepinwall style.
  Everyone’s facial hair was great in the late 60’s. Roger’s especially. I hope Don gets sideburns at some point.
• Don interviewing models for a commercial was one of if not the sexiest scene in Mad Men history. Good to see Don Draper still has it.
• It was nice to see Ken Cosgrove without the eye patch. At first his wonky eye didn’t appear that bad, but the more I stared the worse and worse it appeared.
• Speaking of Ken, I was really sad when he was fired by the big wig at McCann, but I’m so excited to see how he messes with everyone at the firm now that Ken is with Dow.
• Stan Rizzo sightings are always fun. I loved the ascot.
• Teddy Chaough seemed like he was enjoying New York. A vogue party would have seemed out of character for him a few seasons ago, but it seemed to fit him Sunday night.
• Not enough Pete, but there is never enough Pete for me.

This episode was a good way to start the season. We got a good glimpse at the lay of the land for the remaining few episodes, and were able to check in on the main characters, Don and Peggy. The next episode will expand the world before it finally ends. I can’t wait for the rest of the season.