Of all the characters we've enjoyed these past six seasons of Mad Men, we've really rooted for Peggy Olson. In early episodes, it was hard not to find her mousy voice irritating, but she's now one of the show's most fearless, vocal personalities. In last week's episode, she barged into Don's office, rightly calling him out for being a "monster." That's a long way from barely making eye contact and apologizing for her every move.
It's been thrilling to watch her transform from a virginal secretary into a junior copywriter, and eventually an indispensable leader with a few notches in her belt. By Thanksgiving of 1968, she's 29, a homeowner, and copy chief at one of the biggest firms on Madison Avenue. To paraphrase her office crush Ted Chaough, "Hell, we're jealous." And regardless of any trials that doubtlessly lie in store for Peggy in this weekend's season finale and beyond, it's safe to say she's going to land on her feet when it comes to her career.
In order to bid adieu to a season full of leaning in, we've compiled her trajectory from season one through season six into one handy video. Watch it now, and the next time you need to summon up the balls to ask for equal pay (cc: Sheryl Sandberg). Because, yeah, even though the Peggys of the world laid the groundwork, that's still not worked out all these decades later.
Read more posts by Stella BugbeeElisa Kreisinger
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