Mad Men was a fascinating television show that was a very intelligent show. It was a very conversational show that featured heavily on engaging chats between characters with long monologues taking place regularly throughout each episode. It also really highlighted the advertising industry and the difficulty of coming up with slogans and dealing with business propositions as the company grew.
The writers did an excellent job throughout the show to create incredibly interesting and unique characters, and while the majority were smartly written, some were not. Of course, this was intentional, and within this article, we will rank the main characters based on their intelligence.
Betty Draper
Betty Draper is one of the most important characters throughout Mad Men, but she isn't one of the smartest. While she isn't exactly dumb, Betty heavily relies on other people to help her make big decisions and ends up acting out at various points throughout.
Spending the entire show out of work, Betty doesn't exactly thrive in that department either. While there can be no denying that she's a good mother and certainly loves her children, Betty often acts like a child herself, which is one of the reasons that it is through a children's psychologist she begins to improve. Betty is often incredibly naive to various situations throughout the show, from the working world to Don's adultery. She is a complex and interesting character, but she's not one of the smartest.
Bert Cooper
Bert Cooper comes across as someone who is incredibly smart, however, we don't actually see him make too many major decisions throughout the show. While he does have influence in all of the big decisions that happen, it is Don and Roger that are normally the main talkers.
Bert is quite a complex and unique character, but that doesn't mean he's not smart. He is always focusing on what is best for the business and is one of the most unselfish characters on the show. Sadly, we just don't see much of him to rank Bert any higher.
Harry Crane
He might be one of the most annoying main characters on the show, but to his credit, Harry Crane does know what he is talking about. Harry is seemingly the only person on the show who knows that television and media is the way forward for the industry.
While the full switch of focus from print to media doesn't fully take place on the show, the start of that journey does take place. Harry is the man who spearheads the entire decision to push for television, gaining his own department, even though it only consists of himself. Harry tends to spend a lot of time kissing up to his bosses in order to gain promotions that don't really mean much. However, he clearly does have his finger on the pulse, which highlights his smartness.
Roger Sterling
He might be one of the most powerful characters in Mad Men, but that doesn't mean he's one of the smartest. There is a reason why people constantly question exactly what it is Roger Sterling does as a job throughout the show because it seems to just involve drinking and sex.
Roger is a people person, and that is the impact he has on the company. Constantly bringing in different clients with his charm, he certainly knows what he's doing in that regard. But even still, there are times when he's not smart enough as he doesn't think before he speaks all the time. This leads to Roger often putting his foot in his mouth and saying things he regrets as soon as he finishes talking. He might be loveable and charismatic, but he's not the smartest character.
Stan Rizzo
Next on the list is Stan Rizzo, who is another one of Mad Men's most intelligent characters. He might not be featured prominently until later seasons of the show, but the more screen time Stan gets, the clearer his smartness becomes.
Talented in his work, Stan is also intelligent enough to always help others, mainly Peggy. He is always thinking out loud and it is through that and conversations that he has where Stan's intelligence is shown. He is smart in different ways in comparison to other characters, but he is certainly one of the smartest people on the show.
Lane Pryce
Even though Lane Pryce ultimately meets a very sad end on the show, that doesn't mean he's not one of the smartest characters. Throughout his time on the show, Lane continues to prove that he is one of the most intelligent people around.
He is very much a numbers guy, and while that might not seem like it makes him intelligent, as he simply tries to cut costs, he certainly is. Lane understands the importance of different deals and how much money the company needs to stay afloat, which is something others don't get.
Joan Holloway
Joan Holloway is certainly one of the most intelligent characters in Mad Men. The show does focus on men predominantly, but the women of the show always tend to be very powerful, and Joan showcases that right from the start.
She knows how to work the system to her benefit, using her looks and charm to always get what she wants. It might take her a while to work out her value to the company, but when she does, Joan quickly ensures she gets what she deserves. Joan might not be creating fancy slogans and advertising posters, but she is just as valuable as everyone on this list. She simply knows how to play the game, and that is an incredible skill to have.
Pete Campbell
People might be surprised to see Pete Campbell rank this high on the list, but just because he can be quite a slimy character doesn't mean that he's not a smart one. Pete knows that sometimes underhanded tactics are needed to get what he wants, and there are no lines he won't cross to get them.
Pete works his way up the ranks in the company throughout the show, and by the end of Mad Men, it is clear he is one of the best around. Sure, he might not be the nicest guy in the world, but he is one of the smartest. Pete is the first character to realize there is a market for advertising to African American's, smartly knowing that barriers should be broken in that regard, proving his intelligence.
Peggy Olson
While the main focus of Mad Men is all about Don Draper, there's no denying that Peggy Olson is an equally important part of the story. Her rise from simply being on Don's desk to being one of the top advertising writers in America is very impressive. During that journey, Peggy also shows her growth as a person as well. While she starts out very naive of the advertising world, Peggy quickly learns on her feet and begins to develop and starts to stick up for herself.
Not only does she develop into a fantastic writer, who is arguably the most impressive of all the main characters, but her personal development is key as well. She knows how to manipulate people in the right way and is certainly one of the smartest characters on the show.
Don Draper
While he might have a few moments where he slips up, for the majority of Mad Men, Don Draper always seems to be one step ahead of everyone else. Draper is the lead character of the show, and he is the one who drives the advertising agency with his fantastic work.
He is smart enough to keep the majority of his affairs a secret and knows that his love life should be private as much as possible. But it is really in his working life where Don proves himself to be the brains of the show. Constantly coming up with the next big idea to win over a client, or a smart presentation with a catchy slogan. There is a reason that he is the best in the advertising game during the show, and it's all down to his smartness.