While Mad Men is very much an ensemble show, and at the heart of the story is Don Draper. The show is very much focused on him, and he really is a fascinating character that has some fantastic development from the first episode to the finale. Don is shrouded in mystery at times, and a lot isn’t known about him, but a lot of that gets unraveled as the series develops. Major things change in Don’s life throughout the series, both personally and professionally, with his journey really being amazing.
While not all of the developments are positive, it really did help to make him the well-rounded character that fans began to love. Here are 10 ways that Don Draper changes from the first season of the show to the finale.
Becomes A Founding Partner
One of the major changes that Don Draper goes through is in his professional career. Draper goes from being the top man in charge of the creative department to actually becoming a partner at the company. Don is forced into signing an actual contract for the first time in his life, and he gains a lot from it.
Not just in terms of finance either, as the power of finally becoming a partner certainly adds to that. He is able to make bigger, company-wide decisions, and even though he almost loses his job later on in the series, it is through his partnership that he doesn’t.
Develops Trust
At the start of Mad Men, Don is an incredibly private person. He doesn’t trust anybody, including his wife, with his private life or history, and doesn’t trust people at work to do a job better than himself. However, as the show develops that begins to change.
Don starts respecting his work colleagues and really trusts the likes of Peggy and Pete to do excellent work when needed. He also opens up a lot about his history, not only to his children, but to people at work (in a disastrous presentation) and to several lovers, showing he has opened up.
His Women
Something that changes continuously throughout the show is the carousel of women involved in Don Draper’s life. Whether it’s the people he ends up in an actual relationship with, or the women he has one-night stands and affairs with, there are too many to keep count of.
Each woman then Don ends up sleeping with perfectly sums up what sort of place he is at in his life and what he wants. They are always his major pleasure, and they all have various impacts on changing him as a person.
He Becomes Vulnerable
Don Draper is a typical ‘man’s man’ at the start of the show. He very rarely shows any signs of being upset as he doesn’t want to appear vulnerable, but as the series develops and his life gets tougher—both in work and out of it—they start to take a toll on him.
He keeps his cool well for the most part, but there are moments when he shows serious anger out of his vulnerability, and there are also moments where he just completely breaks down. He begins to break down mentally, and that adds another layer to his excellent character.
He Has Another Child
One of the most obvious ways that things change for Don Draper from the start of Mad Men to the end is that he has a third child. While Sally and Bobby have already been born as the show begins, he and Betty end up having a third child, which actually keeps their relationship together for a little longer.
While we don’t see much of Gene Draper throughout the show due to the fact he is a baby, it is still a big change in Don’s life. However, Don rarely seems to spend time with his son throughout the series.
Strained Father-Daughter Relationship
Out of all the women in Don Draper’s life, the one that he is always loyal to and tries his best with is Sally Draper. While they say parents don’t have favorites, Sall is undoubtedly his, and, for the vast majority of the show, they have a great relationship.
Don really is Sally’s role model, but, as she starts to grow up, she begins to look at him in a different light. Seeing the mistakes he makes first-hand puts a serious strain on their once happy relationship, and, by the end, they are no longer as close and happy as they once were.
Becomes An Alcoholic
It seems that drinking alcohol is a major component of being in the advertising industry, as absolutely everyone does it consistently, both in and out of work. However, few people drink as much as Don Draper, who is very rarely found without something in his hand.
While it seems like he has the situation in control for most of the series, the situation does begin to unravel later on in the show. His drinking ends up getting the best of him, as he starts being unable to function without some alcohol in his system.
Divorced, Married, Divorced
Don Draper’s love life is certainly a major part of Mad Men, with his behavior with women being one of the most interesting parts of the show. At the start, he is married to Betty, with whom he has two (eventually three) children, but that doesn’t last forever.
They eventually get divorced when Don’s secrets all unravel, and he doesn’t waste much time in getting married again, this time to his receptionist, Megan Draper. However, in typical Don fashion, that doesn’t last either, and they also end up splitting up by the end of the series.
Loses The Love Of Work
Throughout all of the poor decisions that Don Draper makes and the tough things that happen, his work always seems to get him through. He is constantly thinking about work, no matter what he is doing, and that’s because he’s very passionate about it.
However, just before he ends up being put on leave, Don begins to lose his love for the job. It isn’t until he realizes he almost was unemployed that he gets his spark back, only for that to disappear at the end again as he walks away from it all.
He Gets Peace
This one might be up for debate, as it all depends on how you personally view the way that the show ends. Mad Men’s finale finishes with Don sitting and meditating, and, while he does come to the conclusion of a work issue, he seems to finally be at peace.
Throughout the entire show, Don Draper never seems to fully be happy or relaxed. He has a lot of personal battles to deal with throughout the show, mainly due to his past. However, the show ends with him finally relaxed, and that gave him the full-circle journey that Don deserved.
