In 1960s Manhattan, "Mad Men" Season 1 introduces the high-stakes world of advertising at Sterling Cooper, where appearances often mask complex realities. At its center is Don Draper, a brilliant creative director who secretly lives under a stolen identity, constantly striving for professional success while hiding his past as Dick Whitman and navigating extramarital affairs. Peggy Olson begins as Don's naive new secretary, facing pervasive sexism but harboring untapped creative potential. Meanwhile, Pete Campbell, an ambitious account executive, seeks to climb the corporate ladder, often through manipulative means, and makes unwelcome advances toward Peggy.

The season's central conflict revolves around Don's desperate efforts to keep his true identity hidden, even as his past threatens to resurface. His younger half-brother, Adam Whitman, appears, forcing Don to coldly reject him and sever ties to his former life. Don's personal deceptions extend to his marriage with Betty Draper, who grows increasingly anxious and suspicious of his fidelity. Peggy, however, begins to flourish professionally, demonstrating a keen advertising instinct that earns her recognition and a promotion to copywriter. The tension escalates when Pete Campbell discovers Don's secret identity as Dick Whitman, a Korean War deserter, and attempts to use this knowledge for leverage. A shocking twist reveals that Don assumed the identity of the deceased Lt. Don Draper during the war, cementing his new persona.

The season concludes with Don delivering a powerful, emotionally resonant pitch for Kodak's "Carousel" projector, using his own family photos to evoke nostalgia. Despite this professional triumph, he returns home to find his family has left for Thanksgiving, leaving him alone. In a final shocking and unexpected twist, Peggy Olson gives birth in secret, refusing to acknowledge the child.

Season 1 of Mad Men covers episodes 1-13. Here's everything that happened:

Season 1, Episode 1: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes - In 1960, ad executive Don Draper struggles with a Lucky Strike campaign and navigates office sexism with new secretary Peggy Olson. Don delivers a brilliant "It's toasted!" pitch. The episode concludes with the revelation that Don is married with children, living a suburban life, a stark contrast to his Manhattan persona. His true identity as Dick Whitman is hinted.

Season 1, Episode 2: "Ladies Room" - Betty Draper experiences increasing anxiety, manifesting as trembling hands, after her mother's death and the arrival of a divorcée in her neighborhood. This unease culminates in her crashing her car into a birdbath. Meanwhile, at Sterling Cooper, Don Draper grapples with the question of "what do women want?" while pitching a new deodorant campaign. Peggy Olson navigates the male-dominated office, fending off advances from Paul Kinsey after a brief encounter with Pete Campbell, and finds a tentative mentor in Joan Holloway. The episode concludes with Don formulating the slogan "To get closer" for the deodorant pitch, and Betty, despite her distress, is prescribed psychiatric help by Don, who remains largely detached from her emotional turmoil.

Season 1, Episode 3: "Marriage of Figaro" - Don Draper is recognized as "Dick Whitman" by a former Korean War acquaintance on a train, a jarring reminder of his hidden past. Meanwhile, Pete Campbell returns from his honeymoon, only to find his colleagues have played a prank involving Chinese peasants and live chickens in his office. Later, Don shares a passionate kiss with Rachel Menken on a warehouse rooftop, admitting he is married, which causes Rachel to request a new account manager. The episode culminates with Don abandoning his daughter Sally's birthday party to contemplate his life at a railroad crossing, ultimately returning home with a dog for Sally, much to Betty's exasperation. The final shot is of Don sitting with Sally and the new dog, while Betty looks on, unsure of what to say.

Season 1, Episode 4: "New Amsterdam" - Pete Campbell's ambition clashes with his family's expectations as he tries to secure a Manhattan apartment. After his father refuses financial help, Pete's father-in-law, Tom, provides the down payment, leading to Pete's humiliation at relying on others despite securing the apartment. Meanwhile, Betty Draper babysits Glen, the son of her friend Helen Bishop, experiencing an unsettlingly intimate encounter. The episode concludes with Pete staring at the New York skyline from the balcony of his new apartment, a symbol of his complicated success.

Season 1, Episode 5: "Five G" - Don Draper, a celebrated ad man at Sterling Cooper, is confronted by his past when his younger half-brother, Adam Whitman, appears in New York. Don, living under a stolen identity, coldly rejects Adam, giving him money to disappear and severing ties to his former life as Dick Whitman. Meanwhile, Pete Campbell, envious of colleague Ken Cosgrove's published short story, manipulates his wife Trudy into seeking help from an ex-boyfriend in publishing, only for the story to be relegated to a children's magazine. The episode ends with Don burning a childhood photo of himself and Adam, reinforcing his decision to fully embrace the Don Draper persona and abandon his past.

Season 1, Episode 6: "Babylon" - Don Draper's Mother's Day breakfast is interrupted by a fall down the stairs, triggering a childhood flashback of his half-brother Adam's birth. At Sterling Cooper, Don meets with the Israeli Tourism Bureau, seeking insights from Rachel Menken. Meanwhile, Roger Sterling and Joan Holloway continue their clandestine affair in a hotel room, and Peggy Olson makes a significant creative breakthrough during a Belle Jolie lipstick brainstorming session, impressing Freddy Rumsen with her "basket of kisses" idea. The episode concludes with a montage of the characters, underscored by the song "Babylon," before a cut-to-black ending as Roger and Joan stand separately on a street corner awaiting taxis.

Season 1, Episode 7: "Red in the Face" - Roger Sterling, feeling lonely, invites himself to dinner at Don and Betty Draper's home. During the evening, Roger makes an unwanted advance towards Betty, which Don witnesses. Seeking revenge, Don orchestrates a lavish lunch for himself and Roger, involving copious amounts of oysters and martinis, followed by a grueling climb up twenty-three flights of stairs to the office. Roger, visibly ill and red-faced, ultimately vomits in front of the Nixon campaign staff. Meanwhile, Pete Campbell, emasculated by a department store encounter, buys a rifle, which he later brings to the office, causing unease. Betty, after a confrontation with Helen Bishop at the supermarket over her son Glen, impulsively slaps Helen, an act her friend Francine supports. The episode concludes with Roger, exhausted and humiliated, and Pete displaying his new rifle.

Season 1, Episode 8: "The Hobo Code" - Don Draper's childhood flashback reveals a hobo teaching young Dick Whitman about the "hobo code" for marking dishonest men. After his father cheats the hobo out of payment, Dick sees the symbol for dishonesty carved into his family's fence, a critical reveal about his father's character. Meanwhile, Peggy Olson's innovative "Mark Your Man" campaign for Belle Jolie lipstick is a success, earning her recognition. However, her personal life takes a downturn when Pete Campbell rejects her advances after they have sex, leaving her feeling isolated. The episode concludes with Don, after a night of reflection and drug use, waking his son Bobby and promising to never lie to him, juxtaposed with the earlier image of young Dick witnessing his father's deceit. The final shot shows Don marking a door with a symbol, mirroring the hobo's code, signifying an irreversible outcome in his adoption of a deceptive persona.

Season 1, Episode 9: "Shoot" - Jim Hobart, head of McCann Erickson, attempts to lure Don Draper to his agency by offering Betty a modeling job for a Coca-Cola campaign. Betty, a former model, is excited by the prospect, but Don is hesitant. After a confrontation with a neighbor over their dog attacking a pigeon, and with her modeling aspirations dashed when Don rejects Hobart's offer, Betty takes a BB gun and shoots her neighbor's pigeons. Don renegotiates his contract with Sterling Cooper, securing a higher salary without a long-term commitment. Betty, though outwardly accepting of her return to domesticity, is left contemplating her unfulfilled desires.

Season 1, Episode 10: "Long Weekend" - Don Draper, grappling with the loss of a client and Roger Sterling's near-fatal heart attack, confesses his true identity as Dick Whitman to Rachel Menken. Betty Draper struggles with her father's new girlfriend, Gloria, during a tense family weekend. Joan Holloway rejects Roger's advances, reflecting on her own exploitation, while her roommate Carol confesses her love for Joan. Roger, recovering in the hospital, embraces his wife Mona and daughter Margaret, contemplating his life choices. The episode concludes with Don and Rachel in bed, where he reveals the tragic details of his impoverished and abusive childhood.

Season 1, Episode 11: Indian Summer - The episode opens with Adam Whitman's suicide after mailing a package to Don. Roger Sterling suffers a second heart attack, leading to Don Draper being made partner. Peggy Olson excels at copywriting for a "weight-loss" device. The episode concludes with Pete Campbell, seeking leverage, stealing the package from Adam Whitman off Don's desk, unknowingly holding the key to Don's true identity.

Season 1, Episode 12: Nixon vs. Kennedy - Sterling Cooper staff hold a debauched election night party as Pete Campbell attempts to blackmail Don with knowledge of his past. Flashbacks reveal Don Draper assumed his identity after the real Draper's death in Korea. Pete confronts Bert Cooper, who dismisses the revelation, prioritizing Don's value to the company. Don returns home to watch Richard Nixon concede the election.

Season 1, Episode 13: The Wheel - Don delivers his iconic "Carousel" pitch to Kodak, evoking nostalgia. Betty uncovers Don's secret therapy sessions, feeling betrayed, and Peggy unexpectedly gives birth to a baby she rejects. Don also learns of his half-brother Adam's suicide. The episode concludes with Don returning to an empty home, alone, his family having left for Thanksgiving without him.