As a huge fan of “Mad Men”, I would argue that there is no “worst episode.” Although, if you put in any part, something has to be very low – even if it is not very low. On IMDb, just like movies or an entire television series, you can rate each episode on a scale of 1-10, and the ratings are summed, with the total score based on the median. Taking the total score for each episode, the lowest rated episode of “Mad Men” ends up being “Ladies Room,” the second episode of the first season, receiving a 7.5 rating based on 4.3K viewers.

I’m surprised it’s not part of another future season, especially season six where Don Draper’s “Dante’s Inferno”-like hell recapitulation of bad habits is exhausting to watch. What, exactly, turns viewers away from “Ladies Room”? Perhaps it seems difficult after one of the best trailers of all time, “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,” which introduced us to the charming and intelligent Don Draper. There is one unforgettable moment after another, from Don briefly selling and marketing it as a recreational drug to the gobsmacking finale when he returns home from drinking, smoking, and West Village trysts to his wife and sleeping children. However, there is so much good in “Ladies Room” – especially the second part – that it makes its ‘bad’ characters seem even more cruel.

“Some television shows struggle to find their footing in their first season, but ‘Mad Men’ knows what it wants to be in its first season,” / Filmmaker Liam Gaughan sees astutely in his seasonal arrangement, and we can say the same about the “Ladies Room.” This story immediately establishes “Mad Men” as a slow-burn story worth paying attention to, interested in reading the emotional nuts and bolts of its characters. “Ladies Room” isn’t as exciting as some of the later episodes, but the little things we get are important and will blossom into future episodes.

“Ladies Room” establishes Don’s mystery as he avoids questions about his childhood, but mostly proves that women are central to the story. The “insane” will be equally affected by the way they visit the patriarchal world. Peggy must navigate the minefields of lazy co-workers, their relentless progress slowly driving her naiveté away. The scene where Betty goes to psychoanalysis is a bit long, but it helps her express her jealousy of the countryside and her jealousy of the newly divorced Helen’s freedom and selfishness. However, this confession is no longer a safe haven for his thoughts and feelings, as the finale reveals that his psychiatrist discusses his sessions with Don over the phone.

One odd thing about “Ladies Room” is that it ends with the modern song “Beautiful Mine” by RJD2, which sounds like an electronic song. This can show how Don often sees her as innocent as a child, expecting her to be more than just a happy housewife. Whereas “Ladies Room” didn’t do it for me list of the best “Mad Men” episodes.it’s still pretty solid that doesn’t deserve the “worst episode” tag.