Should have known it was coming: a Lane Pryce feature episode. At least Don’s re-ascendancy seems complete. Bonus: having a Christmas episode in May isn’t nearly as odd as i thought it’d be.
10. Bert Cooper — Congrats, Bert! You made it into another episode. And you even got more screen time than Peggy.
9. Lane Pryce — It’s funny how you forget how much you don’t miss Lane Pryce until he turns up again. Why all the dramatic skulduggery for a character that matters so little?
8. Paul Kinsey — Never saw this coming. Hare Krishna’s one thing, but a Star Trek spec script!
7. Lakshmi Bennett — As conniving women go, kind of lukewarm. Still worth seeing Harry Crane get the time of his life though.
6. Harry Crane — Unclear whether Kinsey’s actually lucky to have him as a friend or not, but at least he gets the girl.
5. Megan Draper — Mostly on the periphery this time around, but good job calling Don out on his lack of enthusiasm for work. Plus: (post) modern theater!
4. Joan Harris — Seriously, with Don previously divorced, Roger divorcing again, Joan divorcing, Pete and even Harry falling off the wagon, is Mad Men actually a show about divorce? How many couples will make it to the end of this series intact?
3. Pete Campbell — Still not getting any love from his colleagues but at least he stays out of trouble this episode.
2. Roger Sterling — Love the Hawaiian shirt.
1. Don Draper — Nice handling of the Jaguar salesman, nice handholding of Joan at the bar, nice driving/stumbling home drunk and nice speech to the troops to close out this episode. Welcome back, Tiger.