Mad Men Season 1: Don Draper’s Tragic Affairs With Midge Daniels & Rachel Menken

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Don Draper, the main character in Mad Men (played by Jon Hamm), was known for having multiple affairs. The first season of the acclaimed AMC series, created by Matthew Weiner and now available in 4K on HBO Max, focuses on two of his most heartbreaking relationships.

The first episode of Mad Men, titled “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,” opens with Don Draper at the apartment of Midge Daniels. Don and Midge have been having an affair, and Don proposes they get married.

Don Draper meets with Rachel Menken, the owner of Menken’s department store, at Sterling Cooper. Though Don unintentionally insults her during the meeting, there’s a clear connection between them, and he later apologizes to her as a client.

The first episode of Mad Men ends with a surprising reveal: Don Draper is actually a married man with a family. We see him finally returning home to his wife, Betty (January Jones), and their children in upstate New York.

Throughout Mad Men, Don Draper’s infidelity is a frequent plot point. Interestingly, both women Don has an affair with during the first season experience unfortunate and sad outcomes.

What Happens To Midge Daniels After Mad Men Season 1

Midge Daniels was an artist living in New York City’s Greenwich Village. At the start of the show Mad Men, it’s clear Don Draper has been having an affair with her for some time. When Don is in the city, he spends most of his time at Midge’s apartment, avoiding his wife, Betty, back home. Midge is aware of Betty, but she doesn’t like it when Don mentions her.

Don has strong feelings for Midge and imagines they have a future together. After receiving a $2,500 bonus from his boss, Bert Cooper, Don excitedly proposes they take a trip to Paris. However, Midge spends a lot of time with a group of bohemian friends who often tease Don, calling him ‘the ad man,’ and he struggles to fit into their world.

As Mad Men season 1 progresses, Don stops visiting Midge when he figures out she’s falling for someone else, a man named Roy. He doesn’t see her again until season 4, episode 12, “Blowing Smoke,” after he’s started his own advertising firm, Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.

When Midge reappears, she attempts to persuade Don to purchase one of her paintings. Back at her apartment, which she shares with her husband Perry, Don is shocked to discover Midge has become addicted to heroin. He buys a painting from her for $120 and then permanently leaves her life.

What Happens To Rachel Menken After Mad Men Season 1

Rachel Menken and Don Draper shared a kiss on the roof during a tour of her department store, acknowledging their mutual attraction. However, Rachel had reservations about Don and initially tried to keep their connection strictly professional, though that didn’t last long.

Rachel confessed her feelings for Don to her sister and, despite her doubts, began a relationship with him. However, Don’s carefully constructed persona began to unravel when Pete Campbell discovered his true identity – that he was actually Dick Whitman. In a moment of panic, Don asked Rachel to abandon her life and run away with him.

Rachel was deeply disturbed by Don’s decision to abandon his life and run away, which ended their affair. In season 7 of Mad Men, Don had a dream about Rachel and then learned she had died from leukemia. He later visited her memorial and encountered her sister, who was aware of their relationship and held Don responsible for her sister’s unhappiness.

Don Draper had numerous affairs on Mad Men, and while many didn’t end well, his relationships with Rachel Menken and Midge Daniels were particularly heartbreaking.

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2025-12-09 22:02