“Mad Men” protagonist Don Draper (Jon Hamm) has always loved his women, so much so that he cycles through them at an alarming rate — which has extended to his office support staff.
In six and a half seasons, Don has churned through nine secretaries (as tallied in a “Mad Men By the Numbers” video AMC released last week), who were often the victim of their boss’ womanizing ways. When his latest secretary made an ill-advised pass at him in last year’s finale, she could have been a goner, but delightfully Sunday’s season premiere featured plenty of screen time for the lovably ditzy Meredith (Stephanie Drake).
For some characters, a stint on Don’s desk has led to bigger roles on the show while others’ blink-and-you’ll-miss-it tenures were easily forgotten. With only six more episodes of “Mad Men” left, here’s a look back at all the (office) ladies in Don’s life — so far.
Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss)
Peggy started as Don’s secretary in the series premiere, but she quickly showed ambition beyond her pay grade and was promoted to junior copywriter after showing an aptitude for advertising on the Belle Jolie account. While Peggy and Don have never been romantically involved, they have developed a close mentor-protégé relationship ever since he visited her in the hospital after her surprise pregnancy.
Lois Sadler (Crista Flanagan)
A switchboard operator in Season 1, Lois becomes Don’s secretary in Season 2 after Peggy’s promotion, but he fires her for being incompetent. She later earned infamy for drunkenly running over an executive’s foot with a riding lawnmower during an office party gone awry in Season 3.
Jane Siegel-Sterling (Peyton List)
The model-like Jane gets assigned to Don’s desk in Season 2 and it isn’t long before she starts an affair with Roger Sterling (John Slattery), who leaves his wife to marry her. While on an LSD trip in Season 5, Roger and Jane realize their marriage has failed, too, and decide to get a divorce.
Allison (Alexa Alemanni)
A Sterling Cooper employee since Season 1, Allison started as a receptionist and became Don’s secretary in Season 3. When a drunken Don forgets his keys after a Christmas party, she delivers them to his apartment and the two sleep together. Don being Don, he pretends as if nothing happened back at the office and a hurt Allison eventually resigns in Season 4. When she asks him to write her a letter of recommendation, he offers, “Type up whatever you want, and I’ll sign it.” Ouch.
Ida Blankenship (Randee Heller)
After Allison resigns, Joan (Christina Hendricks ) assigns Bert Cooper’s (Robert Morse) elderly secretary to Don’s desk, knowing she’s the one secretary he won’t have an affair with (though it was revealed that in her younger years, Roger did just that). Blunt and cantankerous, Ida provided some comic relief before dying suddenly at her desk in Season 4, Episode 9.
Megan Calvet-Draper (Jessica Paré)
The French-Canadian Megan was promoted from the typing pool to Don’s secretary after Miss Blankenship’s death and quickly leads her boss back into his womanizing ways. On a trip to California in the season finale, Don proposes on a whim and the two later marry. He promotes her to copywriter, though she eventually quits to pursue an acting career. Megan — who moved to LA — was absent from Sunday’s premiere, and Don revealed they are getting divorced.
Caroline (Beth Hall)
Roger’s secretary briefly covered Don’s desk as well after Megan was promoted to copywriter. With no plunging neckline, she’s not afraid to boss the men of the office around — and once got Don a plant for his birthday.
Dawn Chambers (Teyonah Parris)
The phonetically-similar Dawn becomes Don’s secretary in Season 5 when the firm pledges to be an equal opportunity employer, and sometimes struggles to adjust as SCDP’s only African-American employee. After Don is put on leave, she takes over personnel management duties from Joan.
Meredith (Stephanie Drake)
Don’s current secretary started as the firm’s receptionist, who often draws the ire of Joan for her screw-ups. She makes an ill-timed move on her boss after handing him his termination letter in last year’s finale — purring “I am your strength” — though for once, Don demurs. She was a frequent presence in Sunday’s premiere, while trying to keep her newly single boss in line, which made for some choice one-liners (“Casting always starts on time. Can’t you smell the cheap perfume?”).