Mad Men Recap: Is Pete Campbell the New Don Draper?

It can be slightly unsettling to see Don Draper (Jon Hamm) happy and content in his new marriage, but for those Mad Men viewers who like their advertising men lecherous and unhappy have no fear, there is a new Don Draper on Madison Avenue!

WHAT WE LEARNED?

Saturday in the Suburbs: Don and Megan (Jessica Paré) are definitely still in the honeymoon period and it is slightly disconcerting. In a good way. As we see them together more we to find out just how their marriage works. Most importantly she pushes him. She makes Don do unpleasant things like call Trudy Campbell (Alison Brie) and wear a hideous sport coat. But in turn they have fun together. Like getting frisky on the side of the road. Who knew babies and plumbing mishaps could be so hot?

Lane vs. Pete: We've seen all the men of SCDP, maybe with the exception of Ken Cosgrove (Aaron Staton), go through some episodes of wayward behavior but when Lane Pryce (Jared Harris) and Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser) are pitted against each other in a fisticuffs matchup in the conference room, they really couldn't be more different. As it was well represented in their different styles of courting the Jaguar executive. But even when Lane tries to kiss Joan (Christina Hendricks) after she is so kind to him, there is incredible remorse while Pete still rails against judgment at every turn. There is just something so pathetically sad and yet perfect about Pete watching a high school girl get felt up and hearing "Ode to Joy" play through the credits. Oh Pete, have you hit rock bottom yet?

Lost in Cos Cob: Pete is living Don Draper's life of just a few years ago. Hosting dinner parties, living in the suburbs, cheating on his wife, leering at inappropriately aged girls, all while being supremely unhappy. Pete is absolutely the new Don and we've seen exactly where this story goes. Except our Don, the now monogamous and happy Don who lives in a hip apartment in the city, has the benefit of having one failed marriage under his belt and his eyes are opened to just how much he has to lose if he were to veer off track again. Maybe he also remembers his fever dreams from last week and doesn't want to have to strangle an ex-flame.

I, Robot: We have a crush on Ken Cosgrove. He's just so normal and unaffected. And he's not a raging narcissist or supremely depressed. It's so refreshing to hear that he has a real love outside of the advertising agency and it's his writing. Maybe we just have a thing for writers, but it's cute that his secret passion for writing, that has been mentioned before, is actually successful. We also take a little pleasure in the idea that his observations into the psyche of unhappy Pete in the suburbs can be parlayed into a new nom de plume.