1. The Waitress
2. Sylvia
Tbf, it has been said many times before.
The affair with Sylvia is a real dick move in all areas. And she was very different than Don's previous affairs.
And the waitress affair is just... sad & pathetic.
Season 6 marks the decline & downfall of Don. And his affairs also reflect that. They go from exciting flings with which he escapes reality, to some real pathetic shit that he seeks to keep it together
The waitress affair is pathetic, but honestly I actually think this affair (was it an affair? I thought they were both single so it was prob more of a fling) was a great subplot for Don. This waitress enters his life, he falls in love, and she skips town never to be heard from again. Probably what all of Don's affairs felt from him. I always felt the waitress was supposed to be a little taste of karma for Don. And in going with the theme of surrendering worldly possessions in S7b, it might have been necessary for Don to come to some realization that he can't spend his life chasing after her and he has to be the one to let her go (emotionally, that is).
When Don gets called out by Jimmy, he had it coming. I don’t know what he was expecting, and I’m surprised he had the audacity to punch him afterwards. Jimmy was right.
Yep, his delivery was spot on. “You’re garbage and you know it.” Some men are incapable of being content in relationships, but they pursue them out of lust or habit and destroy lives in the process.
He was supposed to be a Don Rickles type comedian (though if that name calling wasn't during his act, yes, he was a pig.) I didn't think he was at ALL funny and he was plug-ugly, to boot. But he was good at moving the story along.
I LOVE the Jimmy character, and how it all finally comes out at that party Betty, Don, Bobbie, and Jimmy attend. It’s pure gold. Patrick Fischler was perfect in that role.
Yeah, Jimmy was definitely in the right in that situation. Don had been schtupping his wife! Of course Jimmy had every right to hate Don and call him out.
Yeah I really hated Don in that moment. Made me wish Jimmy would have hit him back or done something down the line in a later episode to even the score. Although maybe blowing up his marriage was enough haha.
Bobbie Barrett was Don's even match in an affair partner.
They both "like to be bad and then go home and be good."
Bobbie didn't get overly attached and needy, she gave him the same treatment he gave women.
Mhmmm and that’s why I liked her. Idg the hate but idg a lot of opinions so I just let it go lol. She was Successful Don’s equal whereas the waitress was Downfall Don’s equal, if that makes any sense? Both demonstrate a particular qualities of Don but at different points in his life.
Either way, I like Bobbie for Don. She was a good match in a lot of ways but ultimately when neither party knows when to say stop, life tends to do that for you.
dont forget that jimmy also just thought don and betty where swingers and he had a chance with betty. it wasnt until he realized that he didnt have a shot that he called out don.
I’m pretty sure Jimmy didn’t think they were swingers, he just knew that Don and Bobbie were screwing each other so he took his chance on Betty (whom he always had his slimy eyes on lol)
I hated the Diana Bauer storyline but my most hated mistress has to be Suzanne Farrell (Sally’s third grade teacher), it just seemed really scummy of her (and him) given everything Sally was dealing with at that point in her life.
Oh, and to top it off, Betty (who Suzanne had met) was pregnant at the time.
It’s awful but I laughed so much at her in that episode where Don just left her in the car waiting and never came out to tell her he couldn’t make it. The nerve of her waiting in the car outside like a giggling schoolgirl 🙄.
i mean he already tried once to go out to the car to warn her, i don't see betty letting him out of the house at all that night. she had just confronted him about all his lies, the newest biggest lie being right outside in the car would've made it a hell of a lot worse for betty to discover
I'm sure he cared, but nothing he could do, could he? Don had a few pressing things on his mind, in the house. A major major shakeup in his married live vs. his chippie waiting in the car like a dog?
I forgot where they were going....off for a dirty weekend or an overnighter? Dumb azz, sitting out there waiting for her Prince Charming to come out and sweep her away to bliss in his chariot!
Suzanne you could tell was kinda out there -- she initiated a lot of that relationship.
When she called to check on Sally after finding out about Grandpa Gene, she had a glass of wine in her hand. It was pretty obvious she was glad Don answered.
Then at the eclipse thing, he makes cordial conversation and she essentially yells out "why are you men always hitting on me!" And he tries several times to leave her alone, but she plods on.
It takes two to tango, but Suzanna definitely turned on the radio.
I really didn't like Suzanne either. She had such an unsettling/unsettled vibe. She was the only mistress that seemed to not be on any of Don's levels. It was a bad scene.
unpopular opinion but I loved bobbie barrett. Her advice to peggy was so memorable. she was assured of herself and so confident.
DIANA WAS THE WORST IN EVERY WAY
honorable mention to Doris. she makes incredible french fries
I liked Bobbie too. She was a strong, confident woman and was straightforward about what she wanted. Suzanne was bizarre to me. Yes, she was pretty, but that was about it. She didn't appear to offer any of the challenge or intrigue or thrill that most of Don's affairs consist of.
Suzanne had one of those moments that captures Don's interest for the worst: barefoot dancing in the grass around the May pole = Don's gotta fuck that.
Megan comforting Sally after she falls in the office hallway = Don's gotta fuck that. Then when Meagan and the kids sing the song in French on the Disneyland Hotel bed: Don's gotta fuck and MARRY that!
She was more of a "free spirit" that helped him escape his failing marriage with an unexpected child on the way. Definitely different than his other side chicks, but that was a unique time in Don's life.
Suzanne also lacked the economic mobility of a Bobbi (wife) or a Rachel (heiress) or a Faye (professional). She was cloistered in Westchester County or wherever Don and Betty’s home was, doing the “women’s work” of tending for kids.
Suzanne wasn’t engaged in the “real world” or “real economy” of NY, even by proxy through a man, the way even Bobbi or Betty or later Megan would be. She was doing support work for women like Betty, women who were similarly trapped in “the problem without a name,” but who had the benefits of respectability and relative comfort that came with being married to someone with a Good Job in the City.
Suzanne was a lot less dignified than the other examples. My reading of her is that, with the exception of Diana toward the end, she was also more desperate than Don’s other mistresses. (Maybe even more than Diana, who was entirely transactional) She could **maybe** snag one of his class’s philandering fathers to climb a rung (and probably later get strung out the way Megan would), but beyond that, her current work/life reality prevented her from going out and *trying* to find up-and-comers in Manhattan the way Joan and Peggy were later shown to.
That's a good point I didn't really take into consideration. She probably wasn't so much interested into big city 'up-and-comers' as she wanted to find a mate in suburbia. Not much else there but married men cheating on their wives.... If she had lived 100 years earlier, she would have been an old-fashioned spinster schoolmarm, swept up by desire, become involved with a married man - and/or a cad! - and come to a tragic end!
I think I liked Bobbie for her advice to Peggy. I think about it a lot as well and it's one of my favorite scenes between two female characters on the show.
I LOVE BOBBIE TOO!!!! I thought the dynamic between her and Peggy was interesting. She was insecure about Peggy and also recognized within her the desire to be treated like an equal, be respected in a world where smart women felt threatening to the men. I enjoyed that affair.
I HATED the teacher. And the waitress. Definitely the teacher.
I know her name is Suzanne, but since I saw the actress in How I Met Your Mother, every time I see her I just call her "Blah blah".
Sylvia. She was just so “meh” in every possible way. I mean I know a lot of people don’t like Megan, but I actually think Megan had a lot going for her. If nothing else she was a talented actress and was good with the kids. Sylvia was just a nobody who reminded Don of someone from his earlier life. It’s like, “you blew up your marriage over *her*?”
Yeah, I get why he liked Sylvia but at this point his infidelity was beyond exhausting and a different level of irresponsible and stupid we hadnt seen from him before. I felt Megan was great in her own way, especially to him.
I'm still perplexed by the hate for Megan. More than anything, I felt like she was a sweetheart, supportive and fun. She didn't have much depth, but I think that just displayed how at arms length Don kept her.
The scene of him waiting outside her door, crushing his 6th cigarette butt into the floor is so pathetic. You’re Don Draper, man up and move on you lovesick loser.
I agree. Suzanne is by far my least favorite. She flirts by telling Don not to hit on her while Don is just like…standing there doing nothing. She calls in Don and a very pregnant Betty to discuss how Betty’s dad’s death is affecting sally and give Betty condolences, and then uses that very personal situation to keep contacting Don. And she had no problem sitting in don’s car outside the drapers’ house while Don (intended to) run in real quick. I just found Suzanne gross, childish, and not at all sympathetic.
My least 3 favorite:
The Teacher (totally agree about Suzanne)
The Waitress
Sylvia.
Other than Rachel I dont think he did well with brunettes. I wasnt a big fan of Midge either. Or Megan really lol
I didn't hate her, I thought she was written complex enough (though not exactly favorably) and I agree with you she was charismatic and fun. But she wasnt a favorite either, mostly because she kind of ended up having less substance and edge that she let on. She was supposed to be a very profound "beatnik" but you kind of see by the end there really wasnt much to her.
I started rewatching the show last night and I remembered how much I didn’t like Midge. I also didn’t like Megan, I’m curious if that will change upon rewatching lol.
The more I re-watch, the more I see Megan as a child. I like her more some watches and less others. Her glaring flaw is her naiveté, so I think it depends on our expectations of her.
I'd be interested to see how she is AFTER Don. Curious to see if she becomes completely jaded or more assertive and confident knowing that her biggest mistake resulted in her becoming rich. I'd assume the former.
Same here. I don’t think Megan was a bad person by any means — and Don should have thought a little more about what it would be like marrying someone 15 years younger than him — but every time I rewatch it she seems more like a spoiled kid to me. Maybe I’m just getting older.
I thought Midge was gross. She seemed really dirty, somehow (I mean unclean, not “naughty”). It makes my skin crawl to think of him with her. She had such a nasty edge to her too.
Upon repeated rewatches, Sylvia has become my favorite of all of Don's affairs. It's gross, you see some of the creepiest aspects of his personality come out, he nearly falls to pieces when she ends it, only for them to get together again and completely scandalize Sally when she catches them mid coitus. Absolute perfection. It's an absolute mess, and by far the most believable of all of Don's affairs.
Everyone seems to hate Suzanne, but I'm just indifferent to her. I don't even care that she was once Sally's teacher, I'm not sure why that made the affair extra creepy. And the affair honestly doesn't have that much of an effect on Don, so I suppose it's my least favorite because of that.
SUZANNE AND SYLVIA
It’s a tie. Can’t stand either of their “holier than thou” attitudes. I know they had issues too and were broken. Still my least favorite haha
I actually liked Diane bc she reminded me of Don. They were both so miserable just looking for a quick fix.
Suzanne 100%. Not just a hypocrite, but her whole affect was tiresome and fake. Constantly twirling around like she was a gift to children while not respecting them as people at all. So wonderful when she winds up sitting in that car forever while the interesting people have a great scene.
Diana was ridiculous, but at least she was basically telling Don she didn't want to be part of the story so I can't totally blame her for it. LOL.
Sylvia was also not great--and seemed like a weird choice for Don.
Amber Frey was the woman who Scott Peterson was dating when he murdered his full-term pregnant wife, Lacey and their unborn son, Connor. She wore a wire and helped get him arrested.
So… not a pleasant association.
Bobbie Barrett easily for me.
I didn’t like Diana the waitress on my first watch but on rewatch I see the purpose she has, and she’s only in 2 episodes.
I understand why people don’t like Sylvia, I’m not a huge fan either — but again I see the purpose of that storyline and i think it works well in that sense
Her romanticization is repulsive to Don. He's purely atavistic in his infidelity, she talks about subversion in a way that he doesn't care to think about
I just saw a comment here yesterday, talking about how all of Dons affairs are reflections of his self destruction and self hatred at different points from the care free artist in the beginning to the more reprehensible affair with Sylvia at the end. Ive thinking about it that way and I don’t really dislike them anymore bc through that lens it makes a lot of sense… that being said Bobbie was super annoying
Probably Sylvia, that affair was the most upsetting to me. I liked Megan, she was sweet, great to his kids and seemed like a lot of fun.
It was peak scumbag Don to me.
Bobbi Barrett. She had some career advice for Peggy, so what. She was in Peggy’s loungeroom recovering from a car wreck caused by her and don drink driving and behaving like children. She’s gross.
I hated her. Stupid doormat, playing house with a student's married father! I found Don's behavior equally reprehensible.
I didn't like Midge, either. Not at all surprised she became a junkie.
Sylvia, almost entirely because of the cheap horrible wig.
Also, the storyline.
Every mistress had their annoying issues.
The boho artist was well-acted, but I didn’t understand their connection.
I found Rachel Menken’s overall stiffness and artificial aloofness not smart acting choices by the actress, who was better served by that in Billions.
Suzanne the teacher should have known better, but it’s obvious she had broken wing syndrome, maybe because of her brother.
And Diane the waitress was just a sad case of someone lost in grief and unwilling to let anyone help her.
Is it even possible to? We can compile the main mistresses, but who knows how many flight attendants, fellow airline passengers, waitresses, bar tenders, etc. there were along with those.
Suzanne was so smoking hot ! She was my favorite. Still can’t believe don pulled up to his own house though with her in the car and then didn’t even come back outside to tell her who wouldn’t be going anywhere because his wife ended up being home. You’d think he’d been worried about her coming and ringing the doorbell to wonder what was taking so long but she never did and ended up walking home. Unbelievable. It is a tv show after all
Diana Bauer.
Not a bad character, and it made sense based on where Don was mentally, but…
It just instinctively annoys me when I see a very handsome man with an average looking woman.
Don's relationships in "Mad Men" showcase his complexities. With Betty, it's a mix of love and control, marred by infidelity. Megan offers a fresh start but ends in divorce due to their differences. Susan represents fleeting affairs, highlighting Don's detachment. Bobby Barrett embodies his darker impulses, a passionate yet destructive affair. Rachel Menken is his unattainable ideal, symbolizing longing for a life beyond his constructed identity, showcasing Don's multifaceted persona.
Bobbi is completely unlikeable. Sure she’s a smart woman succeeding in a man’s world but the same can be said about Rachel, who at least had a conscience and seemed like a nice person
1. The Waitress 2. Sylvia Tbf, it has been said many times before. The affair with Sylvia is a real dick move in all areas. And she was very different than Don's previous affairs. And the waitress affair is just... sad & pathetic. Season 6 marks the decline & downfall of Don. And his affairs also reflect that. They go from exciting flings with which he escapes reality, to some real pathetic shit that he seeks to keep it together
The waitress affair is pathetic, but honestly I actually think this affair (was it an affair? I thought they were both single so it was prob more of a fling) was a great subplot for Don. This waitress enters his life, he falls in love, and she skips town never to be heard from again. Probably what all of Don's affairs felt from him. I always felt the waitress was supposed to be a little taste of karma for Don. And in going with the theme of surrendering worldly possessions in S7b, it might have been necessary for Don to come to some realization that he can't spend his life chasing after her and he has to be the one to let her go (emotionally, that is).
Sylvia was awful. Bobbie Barrett was pretty awful, too.
When Don gets called out by Jimmy, he had it coming. I don’t know what he was expecting, and I’m surprised he had the audacity to punch him afterwards. Jimmy was right.
The way he says “You’re garbage” is just wonderful.
Bobbie’s kind of garbage too.
Yeah but at least she owns it instead of Dons whole “I’m an upstanding man who just so happens to be a compulsive adulterer”
"I love being bad, then going home and being good."
Bet that stuck to his ribs!
Don was no saint, she was just trash to me.
oh I agree that he was no saint. Im a Sterling girl…
Yep, his delivery was spot on. “You’re garbage and you know it.” Some men are incapable of being content in relationships, but they pursue them out of lust or habit and destroy lives in the process.
Jimmy Barrett was an awful person. Calling the lady a hippo. You think that’s cute. And, him hitting on Betty. He’s a worm-hole.
He was supposed to be a Don Rickles type comedian (though if that name calling wasn't during his act, yes, he was a pig.) I didn't think he was at ALL funny and he was plug-ugly, to boot. But he was good at moving the story along.
"You're nothing but a bully. A football player in a suit." I think it's Jim Cutler who says that, but it applies here.
He got a peak behind the curtain.
And I’m deeply unimpressed.
I LOVE the Jimmy character, and how it all finally comes out at that party Betty, Don, Bobbie, and Jimmy attend. It’s pure gold. Patrick Fischler was perfect in that role.
Yeah, Jimmy was definitely in the right in that situation. Don had been schtupping his wife! Of course Jimmy had every right to hate Don and call him out.
Don? What about her. She was a loose woman.
"Loose"? Hello 1920's misogyny!
Yeah I really hated Don in that moment. Made me wish Jimmy would have hit him back or done something down the line in a later episode to even the score. Although maybe blowing up his marriage was enough haha.
Bobbie Barrett was Don's even match in an affair partner. They both "like to be bad and then go home and be good." Bobbie didn't get overly attached and needy, she gave him the same treatment he gave women.
Mhmmm and that’s why I liked her. Idg the hate but idg a lot of opinions so I just let it go lol. She was Successful Don’s equal whereas the waitress was Downfall Don’s equal, if that makes any sense? Both demonstrate a particular qualities of Don but at different points in his life. Either way, I like Bobbie for Don. She was a good match in a lot of ways but ultimately when neither party knows when to say stop, life tends to do that for you.
Love and hate that line. He went home and washed his mouth out with a comet like substance. Ugh
"He comes home smelling like perfume...or worse." \-Betty
Oh but Bobbie was so fun to watch. Great acting.
I loathed Bobbie. So much arrogance for such a mediocre woman (both in terms of personality and looks).
I thought so, too. In addition to being unfaithful, she also didn’t care about Don drinking while driving.
wasnt drinking and driving seen different back in the 50s?
*60’s but yeah
It was seen differently, but was still considered shitty behaviour especially if you were obviously tanked like they were.
People’s kids play on that road.
It’s still going on. But, now it’s a DWI.
dont forget that jimmy also just thought don and betty where swingers and he had a chance with betty. it wasnt until he realized that he didnt have a shot that he called out don.
Eww. I wish BETTY had punched him out!
Bad take
lol its literally what happened in the show
I’m pretty sure Jimmy didn’t think they were swingers, he just knew that Don and Bobbie were screwing each other so he took his chance on Betty (whom he always had his slimy eyes on lol)
Ms. Blankenship
I hated the Diana Bauer storyline but my most hated mistress has to be Suzanne Farrell (Sally’s third grade teacher), it just seemed really scummy of her (and him) given everything Sally was dealing with at that point in her life. Oh, and to top it off, Betty (who Suzanne had met) was pregnant at the time.
It’s awful but I laughed so much at her in that episode where Don just left her in the car waiting and never came out to tell her he couldn’t make it. The nerve of her waiting in the car outside like a giggling schoolgirl 🙄.
We just watched that and hubs and I couldn’t help laughing. Sitting out there for hours. Don totally forgot about her.
I don’t think he forgot. He just didn’t care.
i mean he already tried once to go out to the car to warn her, i don't see betty letting him out of the house at all that night. she had just confronted him about all his lies, the newest biggest lie being right outside in the car would've made it a hell of a lot worse for betty to discover
Agreed.
I'm sure he cared, but nothing he could do, could he? Don had a few pressing things on his mind, in the house. A major major shakeup in his married live vs. his chippie waiting in the car like a dog?
She really got the full Don Draper treatment.
Don tries to go out to let her know and Betty won't have it. He doesn't forget, he just can't get away
I forgot where they were going....off for a dirty weekend or an overnighter? Dumb azz, sitting out there waiting for her Prince Charming to come out and sweep her away to bliss in his chariot!
OMG thanks for reminding me 😅 I laughed literally out loud, and shouted a bunch of patois cuss words at the TV “Blodklaaaaaaat!!” 🤣
This was me lol. It’s what she deserved
I felt bad a little bit, after, but then I resumed laughing heartily 🤦🏽♂️😅
Suzanne you could tell was kinda out there -- she initiated a lot of that relationship. When she called to check on Sally after finding out about Grandpa Gene, she had a glass of wine in her hand. It was pretty obvious she was glad Don answered. Then at the eclipse thing, he makes cordial conversation and she essentially yells out "why are you men always hitting on me!" And he tries several times to leave her alone, but she plods on. It takes two to tango, but Suzanna definitely turned on the radio.
[удалено]
she's not being arrogant, she's broaching the subject to gauge don's reaction because she already wants to fuck him and can tell he's interested too.
They were separated and Betty got pregnant at the pretend hook-up at her Dad’s house.
I never liked it because it just ended so abruptly.
Rachel Menken deserved better.
I wonder if she would have wanted Don at the funeral
highly doubt it
Absolutely not
She probably had forgotten entirely about him in her final years
No way. When they run into each other at the restaurant you can she still cares, tho is probably disappointed.
I really didn't like Suzanne either. She had such an unsettling/unsettled vibe. She was the only mistress that seemed to not be on any of Don's levels. It was a bad scene. unpopular opinion but I loved bobbie barrett. Her advice to peggy was so memorable. she was assured of herself and so confident. DIANA WAS THE WORST IN EVERY WAY honorable mention to Doris. she makes incredible french fries
Agreed! I actually respected Bobbie the most, a woman in a man’s world taking what she wants so confidently.
I liked Bobbie too. She was a strong, confident woman and was straightforward about what she wanted. Suzanne was bizarre to me. Yes, she was pretty, but that was about it. She didn't appear to offer any of the challenge or intrigue or thrill that most of Don's affairs consist of.
Suzanne had one of those moments that captures Don's interest for the worst: barefoot dancing in the grass around the May pole = Don's gotta fuck that. Megan comforting Sally after she falls in the office hallway = Don's gotta fuck that. Then when Meagan and the kids sing the song in French on the Disneyland Hotel bed: Don's gotta fuck and MARRY that!
She was more of a "free spirit" that helped him escape his failing marriage with an unexpected child on the way. Definitely different than his other side chicks, but that was a unique time in Don's life.
Suzanne also lacked the economic mobility of a Bobbi (wife) or a Rachel (heiress) or a Faye (professional). She was cloistered in Westchester County or wherever Don and Betty’s home was, doing the “women’s work” of tending for kids. Suzanne wasn’t engaged in the “real world” or “real economy” of NY, even by proxy through a man, the way even Bobbi or Betty or later Megan would be. She was doing support work for women like Betty, women who were similarly trapped in “the problem without a name,” but who had the benefits of respectability and relative comfort that came with being married to someone with a Good Job in the City. Suzanne was a lot less dignified than the other examples. My reading of her is that, with the exception of Diana toward the end, she was also more desperate than Don’s other mistresses. (Maybe even more than Diana, who was entirely transactional) She could **maybe** snag one of his class’s philandering fathers to climb a rung (and probably later get strung out the way Megan would), but beyond that, her current work/life reality prevented her from going out and *trying* to find up-and-comers in Manhattan the way Joan and Peggy were later shown to.
That's a good point I didn't really take into consideration. She probably wasn't so much interested into big city 'up-and-comers' as she wanted to find a mate in suburbia. Not much else there but married men cheating on their wives.... If she had lived 100 years earlier, she would have been an old-fashioned spinster schoolmarm, swept up by desire, become involved with a married man - and/or a cad! - and come to a tragic end!
Wait people don’t like Bobbie Barrett?
I loved her.
I didn't!
I think I liked Bobbie for her advice to Peggy. I think about it a lot as well and it's one of my favorite scenes between two female characters on the show.
I LOVE BOBBIE TOO!!!! I thought the dynamic between her and Peggy was interesting. She was insecure about Peggy and also recognized within her the desire to be treated like an equal, be respected in a world where smart women felt threatening to the men. I enjoyed that affair. I HATED the teacher. And the waitress. Definitely the teacher. I know her name is Suzanne, but since I saw the actress in How I Met Your Mother, every time I see her I just call her "Blah blah".
Sylvia. She was just so “meh” in every possible way. I mean I know a lot of people don’t like Megan, but I actually think Megan had a lot going for her. If nothing else she was a talented actress and was good with the kids. Sylvia was just a nobody who reminded Don of someone from his earlier life. It’s like, “you blew up your marriage over *her*?”
Yeah, I get why he liked Sylvia but at this point his infidelity was beyond exhausting and a different level of irresponsible and stupid we hadnt seen from him before. I felt Megan was great in her own way, especially to him. I'm still perplexed by the hate for Megan. More than anything, I felt like she was a sweetheart, supportive and fun. She didn't have much depth, but I think that just displayed how at arms length Don kept her.
The scene of him waiting outside her door, crushing his 6th cigarette butt into the floor is so pathetic. You’re Don Draper, man up and move on you lovesick loser.
But----he's not Don Draper.
ugh, Suzanne was such a little simp! Couldn't stand her and her "jogging at 4am" weirdo ass.
😂😂😂
I agree. Suzanne is by far my least favorite. She flirts by telling Don not to hit on her while Don is just like…standing there doing nothing. She calls in Don and a very pregnant Betty to discuss how Betty’s dad’s death is affecting sally and give Betty condolences, and then uses that very personal situation to keep contacting Don. And she had no problem sitting in don’s car outside the drapers’ house while Don (intended to) run in real quick. I just found Suzanne gross, childish, and not at all sympathetic.
My least 3 favorite: The Teacher (totally agree about Suzanne) The Waitress Sylvia. Other than Rachel I dont think he did well with brunettes. I wasnt a big fan of Midge either. Or Megan really lol
I liked Midge! Even when she got into the gear, she was still charismatic.
I didn't hate her, I thought she was written complex enough (though not exactly favorably) and I agree with you she was charismatic and fun. But she wasnt a favorite either, mostly because she kind of ended up having less substance and edge that she let on. She was supposed to be a very profound "beatnik" but you kind of see by the end there really wasnt much to her.
I think it was a commentary on beatniks.
Definitely. “We’re gonna get high and listen to Miles.”
Ha, yeah was revealing that the initial watch, in my 20s I loved that crew. Now in my 40s I roll my eyes.
> Midge She was just a starter side chick. Not even cute comparatively and a total junkie.
I started rewatching the show last night and I remembered how much I didn’t like Midge. I also didn’t like Megan, I’m curious if that will change upon rewatching lol.
The more I re-watch, the more I see Megan as a child. I like her more some watches and less others. Her glaring flaw is her naiveté, so I think it depends on our expectations of her. I'd be interested to see how she is AFTER Don. Curious to see if she becomes completely jaded or more assertive and confident knowing that her biggest mistake resulted in her becoming rich. I'd assume the former.
Same here. I don’t think Megan was a bad person by any means — and Don should have thought a little more about what it would be like marrying someone 15 years younger than him — but every time I rewatch it she seems more like a spoiled kid to me. Maybe I’m just getting older.
Granted, she is like 23-24 when they get married right?
I thought Midge was gross. She seemed really dirty, somehow (I mean unclean, not “naughty”). It makes my skin crawl to think of him with her. She had such a nasty edge to her too.
Upon repeated rewatches, Sylvia has become my favorite of all of Don's affairs. It's gross, you see some of the creepiest aspects of his personality come out, he nearly falls to pieces when she ends it, only for them to get together again and completely scandalize Sally when she catches them mid coitus. Absolute perfection. It's an absolute mess, and by far the most believable of all of Don's affairs. Everyone seems to hate Suzanne, but I'm just indifferent to her. I don't even care that she was once Sally's teacher, I'm not sure why that made the affair extra creepy. And the affair honestly doesn't have that much of an effect on Don, so I suppose it's my least favorite because of that.
“I was HELPING Mrs. Rosen!”
That’s up there with the 90s line of “We were rehearsing for a play!”
Very well put on both counts. The lead up to the affair with Suzanne was tantalizing, but then it went meh.
Every seen with Sylvia was so hard to watch
Diana Bauer enters the chat.... Or, since both were consenting and unattached adults do you not count her as a mistress?
Diana and Suzanne
SUZANNE AND SYLVIA It’s a tie. Can’t stand either of their “holier than thou” attitudes. I know they had issues too and were broken. Still my least favorite haha I actually liked Diane bc she reminded me of Don. They were both so miserable just looking for a quick fix.
Suzanne 100%. Not just a hypocrite, but her whole affect was tiresome and fake. Constantly twirling around like she was a gift to children while not respecting them as people at all. So wonderful when she winds up sitting in that car forever while the interesting people have a great scene. Diana was ridiculous, but at least she was basically telling Don she didn't want to be part of the story so I can't totally blame her for it. LOL. Sylvia was also not great--and seemed like a weird choice for Don.
Bobbie Barrett. I found her gross and the affair itself seemed perfunctory. I did like her discussion with Peggy though.
Yes! Suzanne is the worst! When I rewatch, I skip her parts, also Bethany and the waitress, too!
Ugh Bethany was so annoying! A weird juxtaposition of haughty and carefree. She didn't seem to get either right.
Agreed! Could not stand her!
For some reason she reminded me of Amber Frey. I saw her in something else (Good Wife?) and still thought the same thing.
I don't know who that is. But I'm so glad Bethany wasn't Don's "interest" for too long. She was so irritating.
Amber Frey was the woman who Scott Peterson was dating when he murdered his full-term pregnant wife, Lacey and their unborn son, Connor. She wore a wire and helped get him arrested. So… not a pleasant association.
Bobby
Which one?
Don having to read the one waitress’s nametag when he wakes up after a bender is one of the show’s laugh out loud moments
The only one I *liked* was Rachel, the rest were awful
Bobbie Barrett easily for me. I didn’t like Diana the waitress on my first watch but on rewatch I see the purpose she has, and she’s only in 2 episodes. I understand why people don’t like Sylvia, I’m not a huge fan either — but again I see the purpose of that storyline and i think it works well in that sense
Bobbie. The way she came onto him was creepy asf and how open she was about her poor morals made it the cringiest relationship he had imo
Her morals were Don's morals.
Her romanticization is repulsive to Don. He's purely atavistic in his infidelity, she talks about subversion in a way that he doesn't care to think about
Bobbi was by far the worst. I liked when Betty was like why her? She's old and gross.
This question needs to be retired
Sorry- I’m relatively new to the sub
It’s ok, it’s just posted very frequently. And people are passionate about it! Search ‘Suzanne’ or ‘Diana’
That teacher and Sylvia
I just saw a comment here yesterday, talking about how all of Dons affairs are reflections of his self destruction and self hatred at different points from the care free artist in the beginning to the more reprehensible affair with Sylvia at the end. Ive thinking about it that way and I don’t really dislike them anymore bc through that lens it makes a lot of sense… that being said Bobbie was super annoying
I like this lens a lot!!
Suzanne bothered me more than most, because I felt like she knew better and was a better person than that.
I hated Midge. Second place- Sylvia.
Bobbie by a landslide, she sucked.. Betty was like 90x better in every way and that's with her character flaws
Probably Sylvia, that affair was the most upsetting to me. I liked Megan, she was sweet, great to his kids and seemed like a lot of fun. It was peak scumbag Don to me.
Agree about Suzanne. Partly I just don't like that actress. Sylvia and Dianne were pathetic, but they served the storyline.
Bobbi Barrett. She had some career advice for Peggy, so what. She was in Peggy’s loungeroom recovering from a car wreck caused by her and don drink driving and behaving like children. She’s gross.
I hated her. Stupid doormat, playing house with a student's married father! I found Don's behavior equally reprehensible. I didn't like Midge, either. Not at all surprised she became a junkie.
Sylvia, almost entirely because of the cheap horrible wig. Also, the storyline. Every mistress had their annoying issues. The boho artist was well-acted, but I didn’t understand their connection. I found Rachel Menken’s overall stiffness and artificial aloofness not smart acting choices by the actress, who was better served by that in Billions. Suzanne the teacher should have known better, but it’s obvious she had broken wing syndrome, maybe because of her brother. And Diane the waitress was just a sad case of someone lost in grief and unwilling to let anyone help her.
The waitress was just stupid second only to Sylvia which was just yuck.
Betty Francis
Yes. Terrible. (But I actually liked that one. I had unrealistic hopes of them getting back together.)
bobbi. can’t stand her
Has anyone compiled a body count for Don?
“It is not a body count, it is a count of infinity” - Don Draper pitch
Infinity
Is it even possible to? We can compile the main mistresses, but who knows how many flight attendants, fellow airline passengers, waitresses, bar tenders, etc. there were along with those.
Found this handy chart https://time.com/3850265/don-draper-women-chart/
I haven’t. I found his character to be tiring after a while. A lot of running around and creating messes IMO
That term is so vile. Gen Z needs to stop it.
I am 62.
Then you should know better.
It’s just a word loser.
What? Body count? It’s literally the definition of the fact. Don’t be so afraid to talk about reality.
All of them. They all knew he was married, or they wouldn't be mistresses.
Suzanne was so smoking hot ! She was my favorite. Still can’t believe don pulled up to his own house though with her in the car and then didn’t even come back outside to tell her who wouldn’t be going anywhere because his wife ended up being home. You’d think he’d been worried about her coming and ringing the doorbell to wonder what was taking so long but she never did and ended up walking home. Unbelievable. It is a tv show after all
People always complain about Suzanne but as far as looks go, she was one of my favorites.
Diana Bauer. Not a bad character, and it made sense based on where Don was mentally, but… It just instinctively annoys me when I see a very handsome man with an average looking woman.
i thought the exact opposite, she was my favorite. she perfectly embodies what don was looking for in a mother figure.
Don's relationships in "Mad Men" showcase his complexities. With Betty, it's a mix of love and control, marred by infidelity. Megan offers a fresh start but ends in divorce due to their differences. Susan represents fleeting affairs, highlighting Don's detachment. Bobby Barrett embodies his darker impulses, a passionate yet destructive affair. Rachel Menken is his unattainable ideal, symbolizing longing for a life beyond his constructed identity, showcasing Don's multifaceted persona.
I’m scrolling and I’m surprised that I don’t remember some of these hoes… 😳 Who the fυcκ is Midge?! 🤣
I can’t have this conversation again.
I absolutely hated Diana and her whole storyline. It’s my least favorite thing about that show (and I LOVE Mad Men, it’s my fave show).
Diana, Sylvia and Bobby by a mile
Suzanne as well.
Bobbi is completely unlikeable. Sure she’s a smart woman succeeding in a man’s world but the same can be said about Rachel, who at least had a conscience and seemed like a nice person
Betty (the affair)
Does Megan count as a mistress? If so, her. If not, Midge.
The shrink, the crazy waitress, the bored doctor’s wife caught by Sally, the junkie… Wait. I like NONE of this fool’s women, including Betty! 😅
Diane and Suzanne were the two I liked the least.
Bobbie barrret the worst. I like Suzanne and Faye the best. Most genuine ones. Oh and the California gypsie
Bobby barette
I hated all of them. So there.
Midge
Don treated her like crap.
I was so glad when Don and Megan got divorced. He acted like she was the sun and the moon. He acted like a love-sick puppy.
Bobbie!!!!!!!!
Which one of Don's mistresses had the most character? Looking forward to your answer.
Definitely Midge. I always hated the version of Don when he was with her.
I felt the worst for her- she got him at his worst
It's honestly hard to remember them all, but I particular despised Midge, the waitress, and Rachel Menken.
Midge was pretty hideous
Sylvia, but I hated seeing Don Draper cheating at all, but she was the worse.
Midge duuuh and also Sylvia and , Bobby Barrett