Mad Men: 10 Greatest Episodes
9. Guy Walks Into An Advertising Agency (Season 3, Episode 6)
One of Mad Men’s most famous crowd-pleasers, the ingeniously titled Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency ranks among the show’s best for its dark comic stylings combined with its heart and subtle poignancy.
Forced to jump through hoops, prepare presentations on short-notice, and even to work on a holiday, the staff of Sterling Cooper must go to all lengths to impress their newly crowned British overlords.
In the meantime, a farewell party for Joan made ever more bittersweet for her by the imperfect dream of her husband’s bleak career aspirations turns to sudden pandemonium by way of a secretary’s bad motoring skills and a John Deere lawnmower. By the nature of its setting, Mad Men was never as violent as its contemporary fellow AMC show Breaking Bad, and that just made the sudden cascade of blood even more shocking, unexpected, and absurdly funny.
It’s a timely event, one coming just as Sterling Cooper was in the midst of being more and more downtrodden by their British owners - set on adding more of their own aces to the top of the firm’s house of cards.
No one’s especially thrilled that it happens to the up and coming account prodigy Guy McKendrick, but it ends up feeling like a liberation of sorts. The shuffling of key Sterling Cooper members to the bottom of the pack, and the packing of Lane Pryce off to India is delayed. Who’s going to feel especially guilty for their relief when the only price was a random Guy’s foot - right when he got it in the door. Few fans are ever going to forget this one.