AMC

Writers: Semi Chellas and Matthew Weiner

Director: Phil Abraham

"The Other Woman" directly followed "Christmas Waltz," which illuminated, and deepened the bond between Don and Joan. Mad Men's presentation of Joan — and Hendricks' portrayal of her — has always been a balancing act, and I can't remember another depiction in pop culture of a female character like Joan. She knows the sexual power she has, and she has a certain amount of control over that part of her life; yes, she's gotten things because of the way she looks. (She and Don have that in common, though of course it's very different for a man.) That she finds glory in this part of her life, and that she allows herself to be worshipped and has found strength in that, has been fascinating to watch. The show has worshipped her as well, and its treatment of her doesn't feel wrong or sexist: Joan is a full character to us, and we see the ups and downs of her life.

All of these complexities are made literal in "The Other Woman" when Herb — one of the Jaguar dealer’s association representatives, and a crucial vote for SCDP in its campaign to get the account — tells Pete and Ken flat out that if he gets to have sex with Joan, they would have his vote. Ken is horrified, but Pete is not. (Lane called Pete a "grimy little pimp" in "Signal 30," foretelling that he's capable of considering a proposition like this one.) There's a series of meetings, conversations, and arguments with different sets of partners — and with Joan herself, who says to Pete, "You're talking about prostitution." To which he responds, "I'm talking about business at a very high level."

Don is not only repulsed by the idea, but also insulted by the thought that his creative work alone won't be enough to get them the account. Lane, thinking of his own troubles, which are about to become insurmountable, is the one who gives Joan a reason to say yes. He tells her "a partnership yielding a 5% stake in the company itself could take care of a woman and a child for a lifetime." She hears him, but also looks sad: "Here I thought you were trying to stop this because you have feelings for me." Lane's suggestion is what Joan ends up deciding to do, unbeknownst to Don, who comes to her apartment and thinks he successfully stops her. Don: "I wanted to tell you it's not worth it." Joan: "I was told everyone was on board." Don: "I said no and they voted when I left the room." Joan: "You're a good one, aren't you?"

We think he's stopped her too, but no, that would be too simple for Mad Men, and too patronizing to Joan. As Don presents to Jaguar in metaphors laden with thoughts about desire and acquisition, we see Joan's unpleasant sexual encounter with the grotesque Herb, who treats her as an object. "Now I don’t know how much longer I can restrain myself," Herb says to Joan. "Let me see 'em."

They get the account, and Don realizes what happened only when he sees that Joan is now a partner. He's in a foul mood about it (rightly), and that's when Peggy — whose stories often run parallel to Joan's to signify their different paths — tells him she's quitting to go work for Ted. "I want you to know that the day you saw something in me, my whole life changed," Peggy says to Don as she begins giving her notice. Don, blindsided, reacts angrily at first ("Let's pretend I'm not responsible for every single good thing that's ever happened to you," he snaps), but then when she goes to shake his hand, he kisses it and won't let go. Don and Peggy do sometimes express their feelings for each other physically; it's an incredibly moving moment. And Peggy is sad — but only until she gets to the open elevator, when her face breaks into a smile.

Mad Men has rarely been a show that's stirred controversy or incited topical debates, but "The Other Woman" was quite polarizing: Would Joan have sold herself to Herb for an SCDP partnership? I was interested in the outcry arguing that the show didn't present the story believably. But I thought this twist was of a piece in building of Joan's character and story — and in what it revealed about each of SCDP's men too. I've also loved how the repercussions of her decision continued to play out, both in her economic freedom and in more sour echoes. Whatever side you fall on, certainly we see at the end of the series that Joan is officially done being sexually mistreated at work.