Don Draper's Many Lovers: A Count

Don Draper, the fictional protagonist of the acclaimed series Mad Men, is known for his womanising ways. Over the course of the show's 92 hour-long episodes, Draper's romantic exploits are numerous and varied. From his two wives to his mistresses, flings, and prostitutes, Draper's conquests are a central theme of the show. This raises the question: how many women did Don Draper sleep with?

Don Draper's first wife, Betty Draper

Betty, born Elizabeth Hofstadt in 1932, is a beautiful but emotionally distant and immature woman. She is of German ancestry and grew up in a wealthy family, summering in Cape May, New Jersey, and living in Lower Merion, a prestigious suburb of Philadelphia. After graduating from Bryn Mawr College with an Anthropology degree, she briefly modelled in Italy before moving to Manhattan, where she met Don Draper. Don, a copywriter for a fur company, courted her by buying her a fur coat, and they married in May 1953.

The couple lived in Ossining, New York, with their two children, Sally and Bobby Draper. However, their marriage was not a happy one. Betty was cold, sometimes cruel, and deeply unhappy in her role as a housewife. She began seeing a psychiatrist in 1960 due to repeated spells of numbness in her hands, which were believed to be psychosomatic. During these sessions, she voiced her suspicions about Don's infidelity, which he denied.

Betty eventually discovered Don's secret past when she found evidence in a locked drawer in his office. She learned that he had lived a lie, assuming the identity of the real Don Draper. Despite this revelation, she did not expose him and even protected him when questioned by the Department of Defense. Their marriage ended after Betty fell in love with Henry Francis, an advisor to the governor of New York, and she divorced Don at the end of Season 3.

Betty's character development continued in subsequent seasons, as she remarried, struggled with weight gain, and pursued a master's degree in psychology. She remained a divisive figure, with some viewers criticising her parenting skills and cruel behaviour, while others defended her as a tragic figure trapped by the societal expectations of her time.

Midge, a beatnik illustrator and painter

Midge Daniels is a smart, ambitious, and witty art illustrator with a "live in the moment" mentality. She embodies the "enemy" of Don Draper, rejecting traditional ideals of marriage and domestic life. Despite this, she is the perfect love interest for the married Don. Their relationship is more than a casual thing, and Don is so comfortable with Midge that he toys with the idea of getting married. However, Midge shuts him down, stating, "You know the rules. I don't make plans and I don't make breakfast."

Midge is Don Draper's first girlfriend on the show and is described as "smart, funny, flirty, and very independent." She is everything that Don's wife, Betty, is not. Midge sees through Don's bullshit and even gives us our first hints about Don's secret identity. She whispers to him, "I like that you come in here acting like somebody else."

In the first few episodes, Don is incredibly happy with Midge in her Greenwich Village walk-up. However, Don ultimately distances himself from Midge, and we don't see much of her after that. In episode 108, Don shows up at Midge's apartment ready to fly to Paris with her, but she refuses, and he never sees her again.

Midge makes a cameo in episode 412, where she pretends to bump into Don and takes him back to her apartment to show him her paintings. By this point, she is a heroin addict, and Don realizes that she tracked him down to ask for money. He gives her $120 in cash and takes one of her paintings, saying that he "doesn't even have cab fare." Midge kisses him, but he pulls away, and she tells him she is "glad he did not change." Don then walks out without saying a word.

It is implied that Midge dies of a heroin overdose, as Don later reads in the paper that a local artist was found dead of a drug overdose, and it is assumed to be Midge.

Shelly, a stewardess

Shelly disappears after a fire alarm goes off, and Don gives her pin-on wings to his daughter Sally when he returns home. Shelly and Don's encounter is a one-night stand. Shelly barely gets more screen time than another of Don's conquests, Candace, a call girl he hires on Thanksgiving. However, she does get to slap Don and get paid for it, which seems like a win for women.

Don Draper is a married man who sleeps with many women over the course of Mad Men's 92 hour-long episodes. He has affairs, one-night stands, and flings with numerous women, including his first wife, Betty Draper, and his second wife, Megan Calvet Draper.

Suzanne Farrell, a teacher

Suzanne Farrell, a Bowdoin College graduate and Sally Draper's teacher, meets Don Draper during a parent-teacher conference. A few months later, Don sees her jogging and offers her a lift home. Intrigued by her idealism, he pursues her romantically.

Don confesses to Suzanne that he can't stop thinking about her, and she admits the same, although she knows how a relationship with a married man will end. Don brushes this off, and they kiss. She tells him she doesn't care about his other commitments, as long as he's with her. However, she is saddened by the fact that they can't be seen in public together. She also tells him that he seems deeply unhappy, and she is worried about him.

Don and Suzanne plan a secret vacation, but it never happens. Don breaks off the affair after his wife, Betty, confronts him about his real identity. When he calls to end things, Suzanne asks if he's okay, to which he replies, "Only you would ask about me right now."

Megan Calvet Draper, his second wife

Megan Calvet Draper, Don's second wife, is introduced in the series as Don's secretary. She is described as "strikingly pretty" and catches the attention of Peggy's artsy friends, as well as Joyce Ramsay, a lesbian photo editor at Life magazine. Megan is an aspiring actress, born in Montreal, and is of French descent. She is the daughter of Emile and Marie Calvet and has a brother, Marie-France Calvet.

Megan's relationship with Don begins when she stays late at the office one night and expresses interest in his work. They begin to talk, and Megan kisses Don. This leads to a sexual encounter, and the two continue their affair while in California. Don proposes to Megan, and she accepts. Megan is Don's current wife as of Season 7, although one source mentions that Don is divorced but civil with his ex-wife, Betty Draper.

Megan and Don's relationship is not without its challenges. Don promotes Megan to copywriter, and while he tries to make their work and home relationship work, there are bumps in the road. Megan throws a surprise party for Don, where she performs a sexually suggestive song and dance in French. While the guests love her performance, Don is upset as he feels her routine is too provocative. This leads to a fight between the couple, which eventually turns playful and ends in sex.

Megan's character has received mixed reviews, with some viewers criticising her acting and finding her unlikeable and childish. Others, however, defend her, arguing that she is well-liked by other characters in the show and that her insecurities stem from Don being an awful husband.

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