Mad Men: The Suitcase

Everything that's happened in the last six episodes of Mad Men comes to a head in one of their finest hours. Don has spent the last few months belabored by the knowledge that his closest friend, Anna Draper, is dying. In this episode, it becomes more evident than ever that that time has come, and Don isn't ready to let go. He's been bottling up the stress of work, his failed marriage, and just his discontent with his life. It makes sense that that would be let out in one night of extreme alcoholism, anger, and conflict, and he's dead set on not spending it alone.

Nobody in the office knows Don better than Peggy, and even if anybody did, they're all going to the boxing match between Liston and Clay, historically referred to as Muhammad Ali. So despite any plans that Peggy has for that evening, she's spending the night with Don. We get some small nods to Miss Blankenship, Roger Sterling, and the other members of the cast, but we're mostly just dealing with Don and Peggy, who was planning on attending a "romantic" dinner with Mark in celebration of her birthday. Despite having every reason to leave, she doesn't, because Mark's an idiot who brought his girlfriend's family along for no reason.

After all their plans are scrapped, things really go off with panache. In two minutes of pure fury, both our characters express their own issues with one another. Don doesn't care that Peggy does a great deal of his work for him, because he feels like he deserves something good in his life more than she does. On the opposite side, Peggy just wants the slightest inch of gratitude for the work and dedication she puts in every day. This argument could've easily ended their friendship entirely, and it's one of the best moments of the series. If Jon Hamm doesn't take home an Emmy next year for his work here, it will be a great disservice.

The rest of the episode follows how they spend the rest of their evening. They divulge information to one another that they've never told anybody else before. Then, to everybody's shock and surprise, Duck shows up at the office, drunk as three Dons rolled into one. I didn't know who the hell he was when he initially showed up, but he apparently has a romantic past with Peggy that didn't work out. After calling Peggy a whore, Duck gets into a fight with Don, and though it's pretty much just two drunk men fighting, Duck comes out as the victor, and Peggy sends him away for good.

This episode was a lot more of an emotional sucker punch than any other episode in the series. It's as if everything finally has come full circle, and in the next episode, Don will be able to start fresh. However, he won't forget what happened that night with Peggy. We're in the midst of a clearer, brighter, and much more likable Don Draper. After three episodes ending on a closed door, this one concludes with Don leaving the door open.