Mad Men Top 10
Can I just admit that I’m a bit starved for attention?
Maybe it’s the coming of the Winter Blues (Seasonal Affective Disorder – October thru July, when MM is on hiatus), or maybe I’m jealous of all the great posts I’m seeing from everyone else. But recently Deb or Roberta (can’t remember which one – can I just call you “Deberta”?) made a point of inviting everyone to stick around between seasons, and cleverly mentioned that now is when we get to the really good stuff.
So I’m thinking that with 26 eps in the can(on), why not recognize the best 38%, otherwise known as …
THE TOP 10 MAD MEN EPISODES OF ALL TIME
#10 – New Amsterdam
Our introduction to the confused, frustrated world of Peter Dyckman Campbell. He’s considered privileged by those on the outside, but looked at as inferior within his family. So much happens in NA, it’s hard to keep up when you watch it. We see bitter office politics (Bethlehem Steel, Pete gets canned), family drama, generational topics are addressed for the first time. Also, we get our first glimpse of what’s turned into a prominent theme of the show … prostitution. NA could have served as a Pilot under the right circumstances.
#9 – The New Girl
Elisabeth Moss’s best performance – which is saying something. Her scenes with Bobbie Barrett are luminescent. Not only do we get brilliant back story with the first flashbacks to Peggy’s stay in St. Mary’s, but Bobbie’s time in her apartment serves to advance Peggy’s character’s development in a major way. We also get car crashes, Don trying to bribe an officer, and clues about the bond between Peggy and Don. Great stuff.
#8 - The Mountain King
Who even knew the name of that tune? I was blown away by the Ibsen allusion.
But this was S2’s Money episode. We get full disclosure on Anna, and a formal introduction. Lots of time-sequence trickery adds to MM’s bag of tricks. Pete’s evolution starts to come into focus, as he finally puts himself on the same level as his father-in-law.
Also of note – maybe it’s picayune – but Peggy’s “I’m sleeping with Don. It’s really working out,” quip at the end of the episode, for me, marks a real turning point in the language employed on MM. For a show with such a light touch when it comes to humor, the line sticks out in a way that may signal greater irony and, perhaps, according to Mr. Weiner, greater coarseness to come.
And then there’s Joan’s rape, which moves her story forward and in a direction that will alter all future scenes that involve her personal life.
#7 – Three Sundays
We all know one of the hallmarks of the show is its preference for each episode to stand on its own as a mini-feature film. None of the 26 episodes does this better than Three Sundays.
You get the feeling that this is one of the episodes we’ll view a couple of seasons down the road and notice how many things were hinted at in 3S. Sally’s precocity, Betty’s anger at Bobby, a hint a physical violence between Don and Betty, etc.
The dramatic centerpiece is Anita’s confession to Father Gill, which was really a tattle-tale cloaked in a confession. We learn that Don was abused as a kid. Finally, we witness one of the most tender moments of the series between Don and Bobby. Still gets to me …
#6 – 5G
In a real way, this is when the show started. Adam’s surprise visit set in motion the entire weight of the series’s central story, and that event continues to resonate well past the end of S2.
The clue dropped when Larry Krizinksy spotted Don/Dick on the train in MoF had a huge payoff … making it impossible to spot red herrings for evermore.
Ken gets published, we see Betty at S-C for the first (and so far only) time, Pete pimps Trudy, and the horseshoe drops.
The emotional climax is when Don visits Adam and pays him to forget everything. As has been mentioned here, we weren’t sure if Don was going to kill Adam at that moment, but we didn’t realize that he actually did.
#5 – The Gold Violin
The best of S2. So many paths crossing here … Ken, Sal and Kitty; Harry Crane and Bert Cooper; and for the first time, Roger and Jane.
The big payoff here is the conclusion of the Jimmy & Bobbie Barrett story arc, and how Jimmy gets his point across to Don and Betty.
This is also the only real time we spend with Sal this season, and it was highly enjoyable. The bit with the Rothko painting was similarly satisfying.
#4 – The Wheel
Kodak. ‘Nuff said.
In true Soprano’s fashion, the S1 finale was largely denouement to the previous week’s climax (a brilliant narrative device). So how do you keep ‘em glued? Tie in a new business pitch, the lead character’s natural gift for presentation, and the tattered state of Don’s family life.
Betty’s scene with Glenn Bishop is … stunning.
And didn’t you want to learn more about Lascaux after watching this episode?
But of course the satisfaction of the story was actually what didn’t happen … Don missed Betty and the kids, leaving him and a classic Dylan tune all alone for the holiday.
#3 – Babylon
This is the dark horse of the series, for me. Coming on the heels of 5G, they follow up the Adam/Dick/Don melodrama with a slew of plot advancements and revelations … big ones. Joan and Roger … so shocking when we first see it, yet so inevitable-seeming now.
We meet Roy the Beatnik, see Don out of his element at the Gaslight, Don and Rachel’s simmer starts to boil, Peggy launches a Website, and most impressively, the final montage over The Rivers of Babylon rendition. Hopper lives.
#2 – Nixon vs. Kennedy
This episode is so exquisitely paced, it hurts. Against the election backdrop, everyone goes haywire. The office staff performs Paul’s play, Peggy loses it, and Don channels his inner Huck Finn by trying to run away with Rachel. Finally: “Mr. Campbell, who cares?”
#1 – Hobo Code
We start with Pete and Peggy’s second encounter, and end with the last of Midge.
But the most enthralling script of the series gives us a storyline so brilliantly woven and engrossing, it continues to mystify after a dozen viewings. Sal’s sexuality is first addressed (well, sorta), Peggy’s talents start to get recognized, and we get the Kabuki speech.
But the capper is the friggin’ brilliant “face value” interpretation of the episode’s title … integrating Don’s childhood with his current state of mind, via a semi-obscure underground communication device. The bar was set real high, real early.
Alright – let the potshots begin. I can take it. I can defend the omission of Smoke, the scarcity of S2 titles … let’s get it on, hiatus-style.
November 7th, 2008 at 12:18 am
IDK….people get upset with me when I state that I enjoyed Season 2 more than Season 1. I thought that the unraveling of Betty Draper and her gaining a strange sense of confidence, the personal life of Joan, and the evolution of Peggy and Pete was really some of the high points of the series. My favorite episode (so hard to choose!) was A Night to Remember S2E8. To see Betty disintegrate from perfect Housewife to a depressed and dark shadow of herself was one the most poignant moments of the season. I liked how after the party and confronting Don, she went to up to the kids room, fell asleep in her perfect dress, hair and makeup, and woke up looking like she was hit by a train. Don destroyed her, both figurative and literally, and how she dealt/is still dealing with it was truly seeing art in motion. I also enjoyed Pete growing up and becoming more responsible this season. I amazed myself how I ended up hating him in S1 but hoping for something good to happen to him in S2.
November 7th, 2008 at 12:26 am
Marriage of Figaro. I’m like, barely talking to you.
I mean fine, nice writeup and shit, but I’m still not really talking to you.
November 7th, 2008 at 1:00 am
Three Sundays only #7?! Wha??
I may be in the minority, but I’m a big fan of Shoot.
November 7th, 2008 at 1:49 am
Donny, I second your vote for Shoot!
November 7th, 2008 at 3:32 am
Jet set would be very high up on my list…loved Joy and the whole nomad pack. Wish that there could be a story line there in the future.
November 7th, 2008 at 5:48 am
I still think the pilot was perfect. Without that, there’d be nothing else.
Like Roberta, loved, loved, LOVED MoF.
Agree with the inclusion of A Night to Remember, Babylon, 5G, The Wheel, NvK, The Hobo Code, The New Girl, and Three Sundays, although I would have ordered them differently.
Would probably include Six Month Leave in the bunch, as well.
Coop, clearly, your list needs to go to 11.
.
.
.
Wait a minute. The Mountain King was the episode that featured the rape of Joan? Ick! Remember what Roger told Joan last season? That he was grateful to have roamed those hillsides. So not only does the title refer to the song from Peer Gynt, but also to the subjugation of Joan.
November 7th, 2008 at 7:48 am
hullaballoo. whoah.
November 7th, 2008 at 10:17 am
Those of us who took piano lessons as kids knew what the title meant, Roberta. (Didn’t you have to suffer through 12 years of Czerny? You missed/lucked out!)
If I had to recommend an episode from each season to someone who had never seen the show, I would choose The Gold Violin from S2, and The Wheel from S1.
I also prefer S2, for this reason: we know these people a little better now. Last season, Don Draper seemed more like a cad and an opportunist. This season, we can see that he’s gone through a pretty amazing self-examination. Last season, Betty was shallow. This season, she’s had to shake off her pre-conceptions and face reality. Last season, Joan seemed to be a little too sure of herself. This season, her foundations (no pun intended) were rattled, both professionally and personally.
November 7th, 2008 at 10:46 am
Brenda – agreed on your observations on S1 vs. S2 …
I would add that in S2 the character developments and larger arcs of the show were served very well, sometimes at the expense of the individual episodes. So we got up close and personal with Betty’s downward spiral, but it spanned 3 episodes and reached a very satisfying conclusion.
S1 had more punch, week for week.
November 7th, 2008 at 10:56 am
Those of us who took piano lessons as kids knew what the title meant, Roberta.
Brenda, B. Cooper wrote this post, not me! But I didn’t stick with my lessons long enough either…
S1 had more punch, week for week.
Coop, I agree. And I have to say… though my love for MoF never wanes, I’m not surprised not to see it on the list. Still mad at you though. But I do think Shoot belongs up there.
November 7th, 2008 at 11:18 am
uhhh. i guess i am one of the ONLY people that loved Meditations in An Emergency… that’s probably my #2.
Three Sundays has to be my number one. Without a shadow of a doubt. I thought you were just “par” with the list. Meditations… I WANT A REWRITE!
November 7th, 2008 at 11:20 am
It’s fine to blame Roberta for anything you disagree with here … was my plan all along.
I knew someone would bring up Shoot, which would honestly be #11 for me. However, I kept thinking what Christopher Hewitt said in The Producers … “Be brutal! God knows they will.“
It took 11 whole posts before a call for a re-do … I was expecting sooner …
November 7th, 2008 at 11:55 am
Interesting that the pilot does not make the list. Take that, Emmy voters!
November 7th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Erica–You are not alone. And where’s “A Night to Remember?!” Wouldn’t you say that was a pivotal episode?
November 7th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
HOWEVER! In a chain of episodes of which there really isn’t a weak link, “The Hobo Code” remains my fave.
November 7th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
Indeeeeeeeeed.
November 7th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
@ #13 Karl:
It made my list. Does that make me a philistine?
November 7th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
For the record, I loved the Pilot – it’s only the quality of what the show’s become that bumped it out of the Top 10 … life’s rough.
November 7th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
hullabaloo, B
Until I sit down and go through them myself, I don’t have a firm opinion on whether the pilot is in my Top Ten (though I suspect it is). But I wonder if — like the Emmy voters, I suspect — I am influenced by the degree to which the pilot script was recognized in the industry generally as one of the best in years. Because Emmy voters could have gone with “The Wheel” in the writing category. OTOH, an episode is obvsly more than its script, which is why I don’t have a firm opinion yet.
I do know that agree with B on “Babylon,” the excellence of which extends to the script, the acting, the photography, the music, etc. The fact that Joan is so prominent doesn’t hurt, either.
As Janie Bryant reportedly said about putting CH in that red dress, “You are a tube of lipstick.”
November 7th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
Deb’s not online (she’s out of town and the hotel is having internet issues… she asked me how the blog was and I told her I’d shut it down).
But I’m pretty sure she votes for Babylon as a keeper.
November 7th, 2008 at 6:29 pm
Sorry, Roberta! I wasn’t paying close enough attention. B. Cooper, over to you in the studio….
I think S1 seems like it packed more heft because everything was new to us, and I agree that it set up threads that were expanded upon in S2. But I found the show to be so beautifully layered this year, jumping off from those points. In the end, I guess this argument is like Godfather I versus Godfather II — they were both stunning, and you need to seem them both. (Godfather III, not so much.)
November 7th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
I’m surprised no Jet Set.
Also, Shoot had the best ending of any episode. I laugh my ass off every time I watch it.
November 7th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
Thanks for this list, B. Cooper, and to all the Basketcases who commented. Four friends who have all gotten into MM in S2, but saw none of S1, are coming over to my house to view 3 (maybe 4 if we can stay up that late!) episodes next week. Your list has given me lots to chew over as I decide which 3 to show! Any further advice would be appreciated!
November 7th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
In terms of techical issues/craft (production design, sets, cinematography, sound, editing and costumes) I think Shoot, Babylon and The Jet Set are the best episodes.
In terms of story and character development, I think Babylon, Smoke, The Wheel, and MoF
In terms of plot (action), I’d go with The New Girl, The Hobo Code, NvK, Six Month Leave
November 7th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
Thanks! I wasn’t clear before that we are going to stick to S1, since they were all caught up by the S1 marathon, and have seen every episode since.
Your story/character picks are all S1, and I love them. They need to see the Rachel/Don relationship–all they know is Bobbie Barrett. But it is still so hard to choose. NvK is a personal fave.
November 7th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
oops that’s the S2 marathon….
November 8th, 2008 at 1:47 am
Oh, 60sdaughter, I was speaking generally in terms of my preferences. If you’re trying to introduce people to season 1, well, that’s something different entirely.
You only have 3 hours, huh? That’s hard because it’s only about 3 episodes. I’d say you could do season 1 in 4 hours, but 3? Oooh, that’s tight. But I’d go with Long Weekend, Nixon vs. Kennedy, and The Wheel. If you have a little more time, then add Smoke Gets in Your Eyes to set up everything.
If you can only do two episodes? Smoke Gets in Your Eyes and Nixon vs. Kennedy. If you can only do one, then go with the pilot because that sets up everything.
November 8th, 2008 at 2:41 am
I think the moral of this post is that we just cannot single out 10 favorites because they are ALL favorites!
November 8th, 2008 at 9:49 am
Wow – MM introduction in 3 hours … there’s too much plot ground to cover (even for just 1 season), so maybe better to highlight the characters and some of the best eps.
I’d suggest Smoke to set it all up, then Hobo Code, and then either NvK or Wheel … I’d probably opt for Wheel because the NvK is really about Don and Rachel, which won’t make sense in the context. But the Kodak pitch in Wheel will definitely make your friends want to see the rest of the series.
November 8th, 2008 at 10:09 am
Top 5:
Smoke – One of the most polished hours of tv ever.
Nixon v Kennedy – ‘Mr. Campbell who cares?’
Three Sundays – ‘For the little one.’ Classic MM burn…
The Mountain King – The Lost-esque flashbacks were so intriguing and heartbreaking.
The Wheel – Between Don’s speech and Peggy’s baby, this episode really confirmed for me that the MM writers knew EXACTLY what they were doing. MM viewers are in good hands.
Out of curiosity, which episodes do you guys consider weak links? I’d have to go with FTWTY and Shoot. Shoot looked amazing, but didn’t really progress the plot. And Betty was incredibly bland in my opinion.
November 8th, 2008 at 10:26 am
Red in the Face is my least favorite episode, but again, we’re talking about Mad Men… many interesting and important things happened in that episode.
I have to tell you guys, I am no expert on S2. I haven’t even re-watched all the episodes. Sunday nights made it harder, and there was this blog, see…
I definitely owe myself a marathon.
November 8th, 2008 at 11:11 am
Roberta – most of the S2 episodes are actually better upon 2nd and 3rd viewings. Take your time and enjoy with a bottle of Rioja (a bottle per ep, that is).
The reason, I think, supports my feeling that S2 was way more patient with some of the character and plot development. Things that could have taken 1 or two weeks, took 3 or 4. It was to good effect, for sure, but as I said earlier – I think episode impact was sacrificed a little for the overall story.
November 8th, 2008 at 11:43 am
Coop, I have no doubt. I had just lost my job when Mad Men first premiered, and had plenty of extra time to absorb and re-absorb at least the first handful of S1 episodes. Then I talked about them for a year. I am confident that these episodes are expansive in their qualities. I really am looking forward to getting to know them more intimately.
November 8th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
My own personal faves:
S1: The Hobo Code, mainly for the heartbreaking scene of Sal and the client
Shoot, because that’s when I fell in love with Betty as a character – her on the lawn, in the bathrobe, blasting those ugly birds from the sky – priceless!
Nixon vs. Kennedy, if for nothing else than Harry and Hildy
The Wheel – I love how the Kodak pitch is both a brilliant example of Don’s professional prowess, and an emotional summary of where Don is in his life (not to mention triggering Harry’s emotions about his own personal crisis)
S2: Flight 1: I loved how both Joan’s character and Pete’s grew in this ep – Pete in the bar using his own father’s death to pitch to American shows us just how ambitious he really is
Three Sundays: Perfection, both in plot points and in structure. Anita’s confession, Sally Draper’s exploration of office cocktail party, Betty and Don forgetting to feed the kids – perfection.
A Night to Remember: Betty finally grows a spine
Meditations in an Emergency: One of the most satisfying season-ending episodes I’ve ever seen – Betty’s drunken tryst, Don’s letter, Peggy and Pete – wonderful
In fact, looking back on both the pilot and For Those Who Think Young, and then at both the Wheel and Meditations in an Emergency, it seems like Weiner tends to open slowly but close with a bang.
November 9th, 2008 at 3:05 am
My favorite episode was The Mountain King, followed by The Wheel, then Meditations in an Emergency. It’s really tough to rank them though since there are so many good episodes! Actually, I have to add Six Month Leave to my favorite’s list because I love the scenes with Don, Roger and Freddy. I was so happy that Matthew Weiner (in the interview) said that we haven’t seen the last of Freddy.
November 9th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
I came back. I want to watch s2 some more, but from s1, it’s Hobo Code, 5G, Babylon, Shoot.
From s2 certainly Mountain King and New Girl.
November 9th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
Deb, I can’t believe I forgot 5G when I spoke for you.
November 10th, 2008 at 2:05 am
Tried to pick a top ten…couldn’t do it.
Tried to pick a top fifteen…couldn’t do it.
Tried to pick a top twenty…couldn’t do it.
Tried to pick a top twenty-seven…could do it.
November 10th, 2008 at 2:07 am
….I’m including the S3 premier which WILL BE DONE BY MW!
November 10th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
I’ve been reviewing and so far, “Long Weekend” seems to be mostly — and unjustly — overlooked. As a self-contained ep, the range — particularly of JSlattery’s performance — is amazing, with great dashes of MM’s trademark humor at just the wrong time: *slap* “Your wife’s name is Mona.”
Don’s failed attempt to re-connect with Betty from the hospital foreshadows much of Don’s arc through S2.
We see non-office Joan at length for the first time — the great scene with her roomie, the reassertion of her sexual orientation with the skeevie pick-up dude, her telling conversation with Cooper (complete w/the allusion to The Apartment).
November 10th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
Karl, I have a top 20, not a top 10. There are very few episodes I think were at all unsuccessful. From s1, only Red in the Face failed for me. From s2, I didn’t love FTWTY or The Benefactor. So I have a top 23.
November 10th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
D.Lipp:
“Red in the Face” played more like a really cool sitcom than a typical MM ep. I’m not sure that MW would see that as a bad thing — he comes from sitcoms and seems to like to fit MM eps into different genres.
Re-viewing “RitF,” I still find cool details I missed before. Betty asks Francine if she’s doing “recon,” which is a term she might not have known, but for Roger’s visit. Roger waxing eloquent about redheads, ultimately declaring in the stairwell that he wanted a redhead with big breasts; he wanted so badly to play the Joan card to “keep up” with Don, but knew he had to shut up (ask Paul about loose lips). And the makeup on Roger at the end is actually better than the hospital scene in “Long Weekend.”
I haven’t delved into S2, except for FTWTY, which still lurks on Hulu. And I know you had issues with it. But I took MW’s advice to go back to see it as a table-setter, and it works pretty well on that basis. I think we hardcore MM fans were really hoping for a hit-you-over-the-head great standalone ep — both b/c we had waited so long and b/c we hoped it would draw in new viewers, but MM defies a lot of our expectations.
That being said, I don’t think either makes my Top Ten. OTOH, “failure” seems like it might be a little harsh.