Mad Men-another well-regarded series from AMC-is in a few ways, similar to Breaking Bad-a series which focused on the world of an “anti-hero” (A hero, or main character, with often villanous attributes, or at least heavily flawed). Like Heisenberg (Walter White) in Breaking Bad, or Saul Goodman (Jimmy Mcgill) in Better Call Saul, it deals with man with a double life of sorts, or an alter ego-however, while these shows dealt with their ‘transformation’ in a sense into these characters, Don’s happened a long time ago.
Dick Whitman grew up during the Great Depression, living a hard life with his father and unapproving stepmother (His real mother died in childbirth), as well as his half-brother. However, his father died when he was young from a horse accident, He then fought in the Korean War, but found himself at a crossroads when his dogtags were accidentally mixed with those of Don Draper, another man who died in an accidental explosion. As far as his family knew, “Dick” was the man who died in that explosion, and it was Don Draper who survived. “Don” used the opportunity to escape from that life.
It isn’t long before Don’s secret is found out by the real Don’s wife. However, instead of calling the police about the identify theft and desertion, she takes her “husband” in and helps him start a new life, serving as sort of a mother figure he never had.
Don eventually falls in love with model Betty Draper….and they raise a daughter and a son.
However, although outside the Drapers seem a picture perfect family, Betty is deeply insecure and Don-in part because of his own past demons, in part because of the times, and also due to him being handsome and relatively rich-starts to embark on many, many affairs (The first-that we know of-being free-spirted artist Midge)
Don’s business of course eventually comes in advertising, where he impresses Ad exec Roger Sterling, a man with similar appetites to his (although more or a “live and let live” attitude as he doesn’t quite have Don’s dark past). Don-who despite his simple upbringing is a brilliant, inventive mind-works his way up through Sterling cooper (and later it’s successor agencies created after many mergers, splits etc). In many ways, like the advertising ideas he helps to create, he’s able to “sell” the image of Don Draper, a fiction.
Don also comes off as a bit of a deep philospher at times, sometimes narrating parts of the episodes.
Sometimes though, his lifestyle threathens to hurt both his marriage and his business-something that first reaches it’s first major test when the husband of one of his affairs-and a man working on ads for Sterling Cooper-Jimmy Barrett-suspects what’s up.
Not only that but his former life often returns to haunt him. First it’s somebody recognizing him on the train briefly….but then his half brother finally tracks him down:
…..which leads to a series of events in which his co-worker-and initial rival-The ambitious, somewhat spoiled and temperamental Pete Campbell, discovers his secret.
However, despite this (and Bert Cooper finding out as well, but prefering to brush the thing off since Don is good for business), the two eventually form a sort of grudging respect for each other (With Pete even help covering for Don when his secret is nearly blown wide open a few seasons later). However, eventually a box of photographs-the proof of Don’s former life-will prove to be the undoing of the first stage of Don’s lifestyle, more damaging to his family than any affair. I’ll continue that in my next article.
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