mystery date mad men mystery date fourth episode fifth season american television drama series mad men 56th episode series overall written series creator executive producer writer directed originally aired channel united_states april episode takes place july featuring discussion characters murders chicago don runs lover escape presence joan husband returns tour duty vietnam reveal sent year service frightened reading stories murders leading step grandmother educate concepts fear defense dawn spends night apartment afraid return home racial violence near harlem episode title derived board game teenage girls mystery date female players draw cards advance opening door hoping find variety desirable male dates simultaneously hoping avoid lone undesirable vintage television commercial game viewed don daughter episode storylines involving joan received felt dream sequence heavy handed way don deal past mystery date consistent viewership previous week million overall viewers million viewers demographic critics noted dark atmosphere episode comparing horror movie episode carried themes sexual violence concept plot walks graphic photos recently committed murders nurses chicago possible victims survivor hiding bed murderer left disgust employees fascination murder photos elevator offices lover walks elevator starts home don don introduces wife don tries slightly upset don old flames run manhattan don works new hire pitch goes rogue presentation ends pitching commercial based group earlier rejected executives expecting reject pitch earlier approved favor campaign don enraged act doesn realize seriousness points verge fired don returns home early house collapses bed weakened state don awakens knock door tight yellow dress don directs leave immediately forces apartment service elevator don returns bed walks bedroom having entered unlocked door don end having sex bed post moment declares don continue meeting change don flies handle death kicks bed red shoes remains visible recalling visual pitch lone survivor murders don awakens morning realize having fever dream says vision tells doesn need worry step grandmother betty henry town having telephone conversation murders chicago stealing newspaper garbage reading murder frightened unable sleep suggesting nurses asked fate presumed takes butcher knife intending use protection splits betty henry return home day find asleep couch butcher knife table asleep underneath couch recalling visual survivor roger asks new campaign weekend attempt cover fact neglected creative team task week earlier realizing upper hand agrees favor roger hands cash rejecting dollars roger initially offered explaining work dollars lie extra working late discovers dawn sleeping don office offers dawn spot couch home dawn worries returning home harlem racial tension area dawn drink apartment reveals acts like man leaving apartment living room awkward moment dawn realizes purse roger cash inside table dawn leaves purse dawn wakes morning find note dawn joan husband returns home vietnam war year service new baby boy spending afternoon joan bed breaks bad news joan shipped year joan complains government lies backs duty country dinner fancy restaurant joan mother parents forced mother reveal fact volunteered sending joan rage absolutely horrified abandon duties father head war feels like good man morning joan sits tells leave teeth good man subtly referring time raped second season storms joan informs mother joan spends night lying awake sleeping mother child production mystery date written creator executive producer episode directed director worked episode mad men episode episode series writer penned actually worked advertising television writer associate creative director young advertising agency agencies mentioned depicted mad men past won awards work advertising award don won season episode stories theme sexual violence means man big episode creator said mystery date idea dangerous male dream sequence said unlike lot things immediate scary weird noting compared episode horror film scene roger favorite moments moss saying playing scene fascinated murders media despite race riots occurring america time force sex drive wants victim look interest murders sexual deep noted footage don returning bed kicking apartment actually reverse footage don getting bed minutes led believe directorial touch help viewer dream sequence including footage reception ratings mystery date received steady viewership consistent ratings previous week received million viewers tea leaves episode received rating important demographic rating week critical reception portions episode focusing joan critically acclaimed critics mixed value dream sequence writer zap2it declared episode best episodes alan_sepinwall writing hitfix said episode self images sepinwall wrote way scene acceptable understanding going dream figured don morning corpse floor writer noted brilliantly shot episode feel pointed use reverse point view shots close ups hands added air suspense usually present mad men ign declared best episode season good material joan don packed busy hour praised resolution harris marriage mastering slow burn finally issue dealt huffington_post called episode deeply unsettling purpose said violence women episode mad men exploration topic worthwhile compelling fact women episode asserted power control lives wasn story episode discomfort outright terror deal emotions writing slate said episode fever dream obvious particularly way depict don wrestling infidelity issues compared mystery date stephen king novel los_angeles_times admitted dream sequence heavy handed terribly convincing link mystery date don seemingly sexual appetite personal demons things dissipated easily fever rolling_stone writer praised performance dream sequence asking wasn real makes different student nurse murderer
Mystery Date (Mad Men)