Don And Peggy: Did They Ever Sleep Together?

Don Draper and Peggy Olson's relationship in Mad Men is a complex one. It begins with Peggy as Don's secretary, but their dynamic evolves over the course of the show, from boss/employee to mentor/protégé to friends. While there is no evidence to suggest that Don and Peggy slept together, their relationship is a significant one.

Peggy's character arc in the show is one of the most transformative, and her relationship with Don is instrumental in her professional success. Don is the first to recognise Peggy's talent and put her on the Belle Jolie account. He also pushes her to return to work after she gives birth, giving her advice that helps her to leave the hospital and resume her life.

Despite their close relationship, Peggy and Don's interactions are not always positive. Peggy attempts to flirt with Don in the pilot, which backfires and sets the tone for their relationship as something more meaningful than a sexual one. As Peggy's career progresses, she and Don become colleagues, and at times, their relationship is strained by Don's anger and lack of appreciation for her work.

Despite their ups and downs, Don and Peggy's lives are forever entwined, and their relationship is a defining aspect of the show.

Don and Peggy's relationship

Don Draper and Peggy Olson's relationship is central to the TV series Mad Men. Peggy starts out as Don's secretary, but their relationship evolves over time from boss/employee to mentor/protégé to friends and equals.

Peggy is initially presented as an innocent but determined young woman, eager to be a success in her job at Sterling Cooper. She soon discovers her passion for copywriting and, due to her talent, Draper takes her on as his protégé. Her rise is an integral part of the series and she has the second-highest number of episode appearances.

In the pilot episode, Peggy attempts to flirt with Don on the advice of Joan Holloway, her supervisor and the office manager. Don rebuffs her, marking the beginning of their relationship and setting a standard clarifying that what exists between them is something more meaningful than a sexual relationship.

In Season 3, Don decides to start his own advertising agency and assumes Peggy will follow him. Hurt by her reluctance, he goes to Peggy's apartment and tells her that if she doesn't go with him, he will spend the rest of his life trying to hire her. This conversation is essentially Don telling Peggy that he loves her.

In Season 4, Don forces Peggy to work on her birthday, and the two end up spending the night talking and dancing, with Don comforting Peggy over the loss of his wife, Anna.

In Season 5, Peggy's relationship with Don becomes strained as his new marriage to Megan causes him to neglect his work. After Peggy saves an account by coming up with an idea for an ad on the fly, Don, frustrated by the lack of progress with another client, takes it out on Peggy and humiliates her. This is Peggy's breaking point, and she decides to leave Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, despite Don's attempts to get her to stay.

In Season 6, Don and Peggy's relationship is extremely strained due to Don's alcoholism and his jealousy of Ted Chaough, with whom Peggy has an affair.

In Season 7, Don is placed on leave and Peggy is frustrated by his replacement, Lou, who does not respect her talents. Don is eventually allowed to return to work and he and Peggy are forced to work together on the Burger Chef campaign. They reconcile and create a great ad together, with Peggy giving the presentation and winning the business for the agency.

Peggy and Don's relationship is not sexual, but they have a deep bond and their lives are better for having known one another.

Peggy's character development

Peggy Olson's character arc in Mad Men has been described as showing the highest degree of change in the show. She begins the series as Don Draper's secretary, but her passion and talent for copywriting are soon recognised, and she is taken on as Draper's protégé.

Peggy is initially presented as an innocent but determined young woman, eager to succeed in her job at Sterling Cooper. She is ambitious and her approach to her work is compared to Don's. She is promoted to Junior Copywriter and ceases to be Don's secretary.

During her first year at Sterling Cooper, Peggy begins to gain weight, which confuses her. The male account executives mock her, and Joan makes unkind remarks about her appearance. However, Peggy perseveres, and in the fourth season, she is a trusted member of the creative staff, despite the lingering resentment and patronising behaviour from the men she works with.

Peggy's relationship with Don Draper is a significant aspect of her character development. She is often openly resentful of Don's demanding requirements and refusal to express appreciation for her work. However, Don is the only one in the firm who views her as an equal to her fellow copywriters, and they develop a work-spouse-type relationship. In the season three finale, Don tells Peggy: "I've taken you for granted, and I've been hard on you. I see you as an extension of myself. And you're not."

Peggy's career progression

Peggy Olson's career progression is an integral part of the series Mad Men, and she has the second-highest number of episode appearances.

Season 1

Peggy starts out as Don Draper's secretary at the advertising agency Sterling Cooper. She soon discovers her passion for copywriting and is taken on as Don's protégé. She is promoted to Junior Copywriter and ceases to be Don's secretary.

Season 2

Peggy begins to gain weight, which confuses her. The male account executives mock her, and her supervisor, Joan, makes unkind remarks about her appearance. She is promoted and begins to experience abdominal pain. She goes to the hospital and gives birth to a baby boy, but refuses to hold him or look at him.

Season 3

Peggy's ideas for advertising are often ignored, and Don shuts down her attempt to get a raise. She moves to an apartment in Manhattan and posts an ad for a roommate. She becomes romantically involved with Duck Phillips, who wants to lure her away to his firm. Don also comes to her apartment and asks her to join his new agency, which she refuses. He eventually convinces her to join, and she becomes a part of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.

Season 4

Peggy perseveres as a trusted member of the creative staff at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, despite the lingering resentment and patronizing behavior from the men she works with. She has an affair with Duck and dates a man named Mark, but they break up when she chooses to work late instead of coming to a birthday dinner with her family. She then meets and starts dating Abe Drexler.

When the company's biggest client ends their relationship with the firm, Peggy saves the company by signing Topaz Pantyhose.

Season 5

Peggy is given more responsibility, but her relationship with Don is strained as his new marriage causes him to neglect his work. She is removed from the Heinz Baked Beans account when she mimics Don's style and offends the client. She clashes with Art Director Stan Rizzo, who makes crude passes at her. She eventually calls his bluff, and they develop a more positive working relationship.

Peggy saves an account by coming up with an idea for an ad set in Paris, but Don takes his frustration out on her and humiliates her. She decides to leave Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce and accepts an offer from another agency, Cutler, Gleason and Chaough, to become their Copy Chief.

Season 6

Peggy is widely respected by her superiors and feared by her subordinates at Cutler, Gleason and Chaough. She works late, sharing gossip and news with Stan. She has a small affair with Ted Chaough, one of the partners, and they kiss.

Season 7

When Cutler, Gleason and Chaough merges with Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, Peggy is unhappy to be reunited with Don, and their relationship is strained. She becomes frustrated with Don's replacement, Lou, who has little respect for her talents. She is forced to bring Don on as her subordinate for the Burger Chef campaign, and they create a great ad together.

Peggy is reluctant to join McCann Erickson after they absorb Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, but a recruiter tells her it's the best choice for her career. She is briefly tempted by Joan's proposal that they start their own agency, but ultimately decides to stay at McCann Erickson, in part to remain with Stan, with whom she is in love.

Peggy's romantic relationships

Peggy Olson's romantic relationships are a key part of her character arc in Mad Men.

Peggy's first romantic encounter in the show is with Pete Campbell, who makes rude comments about her appearance. Despite this, Peggy sleeps with him when he shows up at her apartment drunk on the night of his bachelor party. They have another sexual encounter on Pete's office couch early one morning before other employees arrive.

Peggy also has an affair with Duck Phillips, who is seeking to lure her and Pete away to his firm. She is motivated by how underutilised she has been at Sterling Cooper, particularly by Don Draper, who has shut down her attempts to get a raise. This relationship ends when Don comes to Peggy's apartment and tells her how much he values her, and that if she refuses to join his new agency, he will spend the rest of his life trying to hire her.

Peggy then dates a weak-willed man named Mark, but they break up when she chooses to work late instead of coming to a birthday dinner with her family that he has planned.

Peggy meets political journalist Abe Drexler through her friend Joyce Ramsay. Initially repelled by his criticisms of advertising and dismissal of her struggles as a professional woman, a romance develops between them. However, their relationship suffers as Abe's politics become more radical, and Peggy decides to sell the building they are living in, which is in a dangerous neighbourhood. After Peggy accidentally stabs Abe, he labels her an enemy to his beliefs, and they break up.

Peggy also has a small affair with Ted Chaough, her boss at her new agency, Cutler, Gleason, and Chaough. When Ted tells Peggy he is leaving for California, she is angered by his unilateral decision and says, "Well, aren't you lucky, to have decisions?"

In the final episode of the show, it is revealed that Peggy has developed a mutual love with Stan Rizzo, and she is last seen working with him by her side.

Peggy's relationship with other women

Peggy Olson's relationship with other women in Mad Men is complex and multifaceted. As a female lead in a male-dominated industry, she faces numerous challenges and obstacles. Here are four to six paragraphs detailing Peggy's relationship with other women:

Peggy's relationship with her supervisor and office manager, Joan Holloway, is significant. Joan offers Peggy personal advice and guidance, including referring her to a gynecologist for birth control pills. Joan's advice extends beyond the professional realm, as she becomes a mentor figure to Peggy, teaching her how to navigate the challenges of being a woman in the advertising industry. However, their relationship also has its complexities. When Peggy gains weight, Joan makes unkind remarks about her appearance, encouraging her to lose weight. Additionally, Joan's initial reaction to Peggy's promotion is not entirely positive, as she feels threatened by Peggy's growing success and influence.

Peggy's relationship with her female colleagues, such as Allison and Joyce Ramsay, is also noteworthy. In one instance, Peggy attempts to comfort Allison, Don Draper's seduced-and-abandoned secretary, but her efforts are rebuffed. Allison accuses Peggy of not understanding her situation, highlighting the complexities of female solidarity in the workplace. On the other hand, Peggy's relationship with Joyce, a photo editor for Life magazine, is a source of support and friendship. Joyce introduces Peggy to her journalist friend, Abe Drexler, who becomes Peggy's romantic interest. This highlights how Peggy's relationships with women can provide both personal and professional opportunities.

Peggy's interactions with female clients and business associates are also worth mentioning. In one instance, she clashes with the executive from Heinz Baked Beans, leading to her removal from the account. However, Peggy also has successful collaborations with female clients, such as Megan Calvet, Don Draper's wife, with whom she develops a successful Heinz Baked Beans ad. This ad wins them a prestigious advertising award, showcasing how Peggy's relationships with women can lead to professional success and recognition.

Peggy's relationship with her mother, Katherine, is strained due to her out-of-wedlock pregnancy. Katherine's strong Catholic faith conflicts with Peggy's choices, causing tension and resentment between them. This dynamic reflects the societal expectations and double standards that Peggy must navigate as a career-oriented woman in the 1960s.

In addition to these relationships, Peggy also interacts with other female characters, such as her sister, Anita, and female employees at Sterling Cooper. These relationships further explore the complexities of female friendships, mentorship, and competition within the context of the male-dominated advertising industry.

Overall, Peggy's relationships with other women in Mad Men are nuanced and multifaceted. They involve mentorship, friendship, competition, and family dynamics, all while navigating the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated field during a time of significant cultural change.

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