Monica Rambeau's Fake WandaVision Role Is Even Better Because Of Mad Men

The role of Geraldine that Monica Rambeau played in WandaVision is even better because Monica actress Teyonah Parris previously portrayed Dawn Chambers, one of Don Draper's secretaries, in Mad Men. Rambeau was one of the thousands trapped within Wanda Maximoff's Hex in Westview and forced to play out the Scarlet Witch's TV sitcom fantasies. But "Geraldine" is also a sly nod to Mad Men, which was one of Teyonah Parris' early breakout roles.

Parris joined Mad Men in season 5 and she played Dawn Chambers for three seasons. Dawn was the sole Black woman hired among dozens of applicants when the Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce advertising agency promoted itself as an equal opportunity employer. Dawn was ultimately hired as Don Draper's new secretary. Although she had trouble fitting in at SCDP, Dawn proved to be an excellent secretary for the mercurial Mr. Draper, and she even went above and beyond to keep working for him when he was placed on administrative leave. When Don was replaced as Creative Director, Dawn was moved to reception until Bert Cooper, one of SCDP's senior partners, objected to a Black woman greeting clients. In defiance, Joan Harris promoted Dawn to be the new office manager after Joan became a partner herself. Yet Dawn loyally continued to perform duties as Don's secretary while she juggled her new duties, proving herself among the best of Draper's long line of secretaries.

WandaVision obviously worked in Teyonah Parris' well-regarded stint on Mad Men when she was cast to play Monica Rambeau, who, in turn, had to play the role of Geraldine in Wanda's elaborate fantasy. Rambeau had to play Geraldine in WandaVision episode 2, "Don't Touch That Dial" and episode 3, "Now In Color," which were set in the 1960s and 1970s. The timeframe for Geraldine loosely lines up with Dawn Chambers' years at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, which took place in the late 1960s into 1970. Even funnier, in "Now In Color," Geraldine went to Wanda's home to "borrow a bucket" for her leaky roof and she launched into a story about her "new temp job" that could very well be a cheeky nod to Parris' role on Mad Men.

As Wanda desperately tried to hide her obvious sudden pregnancy and distract Geraldine from a stork walking around her house, Geraldine described her workday helping her boss, Mr. Haddox, come up with a slogan for a new breakfast cereal with marshmallow moon men. Haddox had a severe case of hiccups and Geraldine resorted to comical means to help her boss before the clients arrived for their meeting. Finally, the clients entered right when Mr. Haddox was doing a handstand, but Geraldine saved the day by coming up with the winning slogan: "Gravity-Os: Launch into your day the right way." Mr. Haddox was so grateful and impressed, he hired Geraldine full-time.

Geraldine obviously worked at an advertising agency, and it might even be located on Madison Avenue in Manhattan, which wouldn't be an unreasonable commute from Westview, New Jersey. Her story also echoes how Dawn Chambers went above and beyond for Don Draper, including delivering his mail and fielding all of his calls and messages even when he was on leave from Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce for months. Geraldine's story of how she got hired full-time also echoes Don's first secretary on Mad Men, Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss), who became a copywriter in season 1 when her ideas won Sterling Cooper the Belle Jolie makeup account.

Not only is it likely that WandaVision's producers smartly wove Teyonah Parris' Mad Men role into Monica Rambeau playing Geraldine as a meta-joke, but it's also possible that, in-universe, sitcom fan Wanda Maxmioff also watched Mad Men and subconsciously wove AMC's acclaimed drama series into the backstory Scarlet Witch gave Geraldine as part of WandaVision.

Next: WandaVision Sets Up Monica Rambeau As The MCU's Best Leader For Avengers 5