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Where Were The Men And Women Of 'Mad Men' When We Last Saw Them?

Jen Carlson

Published Apr 11, 2014

Modified Apr 11, 2014

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Jen Carlson

Published Apr 11, 2014

Modified Apr 11, 2014

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Mad Men returns this Sunday for its seventh season, and since the show last faded to black in June 2013, a refresher may come in handy. Below, see where we last left Don & Co (and remember, you can watch season six on Netflix now).

Last season's final scene (and see all the season's final scenes here)

Don Draper

Going down?

There isn't enough brown liquor in New York to keep Dick Whitman at bay in Don Draper's brain, and when we last left Don he was finally giving in. Or giving up. Or falling apart.

In the final episode of season six, we see Don at a bar telling a minister—before punching him and getting locked up in a cell for the night—that "Nixon's the president, everything's back where Jesus wants it." During a flashback immediately after, we see a minister telling a young Don: "The only unpardonable sin, is to believe that God cannot forgive you." Maybe it's this moment of rock bottom remembrance that edges Don towards becoming A New Man in California, or at least wanting to make a go of it. At least in the moment.

"It's gotten out of control, I've gotten out of control. I realized something else, I don't want to be here anymore. I want to move to California," he tells Megan. "I don't want you to give up your career... I just can't be in New York anymore. I want to move to LA. Sunkist wants us to have someone local, it'd be like having my own shop. Small team, a desk, windows and sunlight, the ocean. It's an opportunity to build one desk into an agency," he sells Megan on the idea, with lines stolen from Stan Rizzo, who wanted to do exactly that. "We'd be homesteaders. We were happy there... we could be happy again."

This all falls apart when Don battles with Dick Whitman right in front of the Hershey folks—when everyone else clears the board room he tells Ted, "You're going to California." Don is then told by the rest of the partners that he has to take some time off—his request for a return date is denied.

Megan Draper

Upon hearing the news that the LA plans are canceled, Megan tells Don, "You know what, I don't even know why we're fighting for this anymore. I don't know what it is, we don't even have any kids. You want to be alone, with your liquor, and your ex-wife, and your screwed up kids. I used to feel pity for them, but I realized we're all in the same boat." Don says they can be bicoastal, but Megan walks out of the apartment.

She had already quit her job at the soap opera for the big move to Hollywood, so it's possible we could find her there in season seven. Perhaps filling out the internet's prophecy that she is Sharon Tate...

Peggy Olson

Peggy's living alone in her fixer-upper of a Upper West Side brownstone, where she's also a landlord to other tenants. Her fling with Ted became serious in the final episodes of season six, and then falls apart when he decides to stay with his family and move to LA, taking Don's stolen-from-Stan dream. He tells Peggy, "[Don] gave up his spot for me. The world out there... I have to hold on to [my family] or I'll get lost in the chaos. I love you that deeply, I can't be around you, and I can't ruin all those lives."

Ted insists she'll be happy with his decision one day—"Well aren't you lucky, to have decisions," she tells him. The line is delivered powerfully, and in a familiar way—it's an idea that Peggy is familiar with in not just love, but her work life. And we last see her retreating into her work—this time in Don's office, settling into his chair in what looks like a portentous shot.

Ken Cosgrove

Ken's been on a downward spiral since Dr. Feelgood shot him up with "Vitamin B"—ever since he's been on a fast-paced tap dance towards a meltdown. After being shot in Detroit by the Chevy guys during the penultimate episode last season, Pete Campbell takes over his spot as the agency's main GM man. Ken, content with this, is last seen around the office with his eye patch.

Pete Campbell

After gloating about his big car account win, Pete learns via telegram that his mother has been lost at sea. He confronts Bob Benson in the elevator and tells him how he's doing...

Adding, "You don't know that your boyfriend Manola kidnapped my mother, married her at gunpoint, and threw her off a ship?! I will never, ever let this go."

And with that tragedy, the women in Pete's life, which always seemed like burdening anchors to him, are all but gone—something that's finalized even further with his move to LA to help Ted with the west coast branch. His wife Trudy seems to cut all ties with him, telling him during his final visit to their home: "It's going to take you a moment to realize where you are. You're free." Sneaky Pete could be starting from scratch, in a while new skin, when we see him next.

Roger Sterling, Joan Harris, Bob Benson

By the end of the season Bob's got more enemies than allies in the office—Roger is suspicious of his relationship with Joan, and Pete turned on him even before the whole Manolo incident, when Bob hit on him at the office. Bob then basically stole the GM account from Pete, after putting him in an embarrassing position in Detroit, where the Chevy men learned he couldn't even drive stick.

We last see Bob in Joan's home for Thanksgiving dinner with her family, and Roger. Roger has been let back in to not her life, but their son's life. she tells him when he arrives. He seems happy enough with this, for now. Meanwhile, back at the office Joan is still trying to prove her importance as a partner.

Sally Draper

Last season Sally faced a burglar in her father's apartment while she was home alone with her little brothers, and she walked in on dear ol' dad doing it with the downstairs neighbor lady (he was just "comforting" her!). At the end of last season Sally visits a boarding school, gets drunk, smokes a cigarette with mom, and finally seems to start looking at her father in a less hateful way—in the final scene she glances over at him as he shows her the broken home he grew up in.

Betty Francis

Last season saw Betty back to her true form, at least physically. She shed the weight she had gained, had a little fling with her ex-husband Don, squeezed in a few breakdowns over the phone with him about parenting worries, and her current husband has been activated to pursue a position as State Senator.

Tagged

mad men

refresher

original

Jen Carlson

Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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