Mad Men is universally acclaimed as one of the best shows on television— ever.
Not only does the show's production quality give it a visual flair like no other, the AMC channel's hit series deftly weaves in influences from genres outside of traditional serialized drama and integrates historical events from the period in a way that doesn't feel forced or hackneyed.
Plus, we love it because ad execs are the heroes and the villains.
These are the episodes that cemented Mad Men's reputation in the history of the small screen.
11. Season 3, Episode 6 - Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency
Besides being the funniest episode of Mad Men, this episode received acclaim for its perfect use of an old screenwriting trope: if you show the gun in the first act, someone better get shot in the third. Only this time the gun was a lawnmower operated by a drunk secretary and the guy getting shot had his foot and a not-insignificant amount of blood sprayed over four Sterling Cooper employees.
While it was hinted that something was going to happen with the lawnmower from the beginning of the episode, the climactic moment of seeing Guy MacKendrick's foot burst onto the screen was an unexpected moment of both humor and gore.
10. Season 5, Episode 6 - Far Away Places
At this point in the series, Roger Sterling was starting to feel a little boring to most viewers. After losing Lucky Strike, he didn't seem to be doing much but frivolously spending money and drinking at the office. Then he dropped acid.
Becoming seemingly "enlightened," Roger became one of the few characters on the show to realize that he didn't have to feel trapped in an unhappy marriage. Even after coming to terms with the fact that it was over between Jane and himself, Roger gained an extra bit of pep that made him one of the more fun characters on the show in the latter half of the fifth season.
9. Season 6, Episode 8 - The Crash
Whoa. What did the heck did the SCDP team take in this episode? MDMA? Heroine? This episode gave us an interesting and entertaining look at drug use in the '60s, only this time in the context of the uppers that professionals were taking to deal with the stress of the corporate world.
Besides the drug-fueled antics, seeing young Don's childhood in the brothel gave us an interesting look at the experiences that shaped Don's outlook on sex and life in general. Knowing that he lost his virginity to a prostitute (and that his mother beat him when she found out) explained a lot.
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