Mad Men is an ensemble show, but its heart remains firmly rooted in Don Draper and Peggy Olson. Played brilliantly by Jon Hamm and Elisabeth Moss, Don and Peggy share a wonderfully original relationship throughout the show.
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Whereas some lesser shows would throw in a hamfisted will-they-won't-they love story between the two (Peggy would later fall in love with her other boss, Ted Chaough), Mad Men kept Don and Peggy with a boss-mentor working relationship and sprinkled in bits of a deeper emotional bond. They are at the center of some of Mad Men's very best episodes.
"Smoke Gets In Your Eyes"
It must start at the beginning. Don and Peggy's working relationship begins in the series' very first episode - Smoke Gets In Your Eyes - when Peggy is hired as Don's secretary. Peggy is immediately hit with the sexism and harsh inner workings of Sterling Cooper.
Pete and his friends constantly make horrible and sexist remarks towards her, and she even tries hitting on Don, believing that that's something secretaries are supposed to do. It would be the last time she did so, as Don firmly rebuffs her and they begin a more intimate and respectable working relationship instead.
"The Wheel"
Don and Peggy's relationship changes forever in the first season finale. Peggy impresses Freddy with her work on the lipstick campaign, and her talents in advertising are made readily apparent. Before, she was nothing but Don's secretary - another woman in the office to ogle and hit on. However, both Freddy and Don see an enormous amount of potential in Peggy, and Don promotes her to junior copywriter.
Peggy would remain a copywriter for the remainder of the series, heralding a major shift in the inner workings of the male-dominated Sterling Cooper.
"The New Girl"
By the end of season two's The New Girl, Peggy begins referring to Don as "Don" rather than "Mr. Draper." They have reached that level of their working relationship, and it's all because of their mutual understanding - and the secrets they're keeping for each other.
The New Girl refers to Jane Siegel, but it could also refer to Peggy, as her working relationship with Don is permanently altered. Peggy covers up Don's affair with Bobbie Barrett, just as Don covered up Peggy's child. They both owe each other - they are now on equal footing, personally if not professionally.
"Shut The Door. Have A Seat"
Season three ends in spectacular fashion with "Shut the Door. Have a Seat." The episode is largely concerned with the characters leaving Sterling Cooper and setting up Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, and as such, it doesn't find much time for Don and Peggy.
However, it still contains an absolutely stellar moment in which Don arrives at Peggy's apartment and pleads her to join him and the partners at their new firm. She of course accepts, despite her recent feelings of abandonment and unappreciation.
"The Suitcase"
"The Suitcase" is easily the best episode involving Don and Peggy. In fact, it may be the best episode in the entirety of Mad Men. It largely serves as a bottle episode, as Don and Peggy are stuck at work while everyone else goes to watch the infamous Ali-Liston fight. Don's reluctance to accept Anna's death turns him sour, and the two engage in bitter arguments about their working relationship and their personal lives.
Of course, there's a lot of sweetness involved as well - like Peggy holding Don as he cries over Anna. The episode is both beautiful and tragic - a perfect summation of their relationship.
"The Other Woman"
Don and Peggy's bitter working relationship comes to a tragic conclusion in season five's "The Other Woman." Don begins taking Peggy for granted yet again, and her patience officially runs out when Don coldly throws money directly into her face.
Wanting to start anew and get away from Don, Peggy offers her services to rival firm CG&C. She meets with Chaough, gets an offer of $19,000 a year ($150,000 today), and leaves SCDP for greener pastures - despite Don's begging and cold reluctance.
"The Quality Of Mercy"
Peggy doesn't stay away for long. In the middle of season six, Don and Ted team up for a business opportunity and merge the two companies into what would later become Sterling Cooper & Partners. Try as she might, Peggy just can't get away from Don Draper, and she returns to her old office.
However, Don quickly grows jealous of the relationship that Peggy and Ted share and sabotages it in "The Quality of Mercy." Peggy isn't having it, calling Don "a monster" and forcing him into the fetal position.
"The Monolith"
"The Monolith" largely concerns Don's fall from grace. By season 7, Don is an alcoholic mess veering into a tragic downward spiral, and his partners take unfortunate notice. He is forced to take a leave of absence to clear his head, and when he returns, he is put under the charge of Peggy.
Peggy has been put in charge of the Burger Chefs account - directly undermining Don - and he is bitter about having to work for his ex-underling. However, he eventually relents and grudgingly accepts his new position.
"The Strategy"
The Burger Chef account eventually leads to "The Strategy," which contains one of the most touching and intimate moments between Don and Peggy. Their cold and distant relationship having thawed, the two share a loving dance to Frank Sinatra's "My Way."
Like "The Suitcase," they also share some personal information with each other. Peggy once again returns to her failings as a mother, and Don finally admits a truth that he's been avoiding throughout the entirety of Mad Men - he's afraid of being alone.
"Waterloo"
Waterloo may compete with The Suitcase for the title of Greatest Episode of Mad Men. The Burger Chef account comes to a wonderfully touching conclusion, as Don finally passes the torch to Peggy.
The moment was seven seasons in the making, and it was one we all anticipated. It arrived with gusto and couldn't have been portrayed more beautifully. Don, finally realizing that his time has passed, officially gives in to the younger generation - and lets someone else have the glory.