If there’s one show that abides strictly to the current sentiment that television is fast becoming (or is already) more mature, dramatic, and well-made than mainstream films, many would agree that it would have to be AMC’s Matthew Weiner-created “Mad Men.” With the series just wrapping up its fifth season, leaving the future of many of the series’ long-running characters in doubt, one particular actress has spoken out about the fate of her character on the series. Caution, spoilers ahead!
While Weiner maintains a pretty strict code of secrecy for all talent involved, actress Elisabeth Moss did let a few details trickle out regarding her character Peggy Olson’s whereabouts following her split from Sterling Cooper at the end of season five. Once it seemed that tensions were becoming a bit too high between Don Draper (Jon Hamm) and Olson on the series, Weiner felt the only place to take Moss’s character was to the slaughter, but in conversation with GQ, Moss’ attempt to evade the question about her return to the series ended up being somewhat forthcoming.
Moss said, “…it's so funny, 'cause of course, I kind of know what's going to happen. Maybe I was being naïve, but I actually didn't anticipate having to answer this question. I don't know what I was thinking, but I didn't realize that so many people would think that [Peggy was leaving]. Maybe it just comes from me knowing. So now I'm in this position of having to be really secretive about this, which I didn't anticipate having to do! [laughs] So now I have to be very secretive for the next however-long months, I guess? I almost feel like I just want to talk to Matt [Weiner] and say, can you give me something to say, and I'll just say this one line, and that will be my line and that's what I'm going to say? I might do that, actually. But I think that, yeah, apparently now I can't tell you. [Laughs] I think Matt said something online like, "Peggy will always be a part of Don's life"?
Obviously Moss knows a lot more than she’s letting on, and practically hints that Peggy Olson could be returning to the show in some form. Can we expect some tension-filled clashes between Don and Peggy outside of the Sterling Cooper office this next season? While it still seems a ways away, we’d be willing to bet on it.
Peggy will definitely be back at some point next season…Maybe even at the agency. But I felt like, though her scene at the movies with Don was sweet, it was too early for them to run into each other. That should have been a scene in the first episode on Season 6. Peggy's exit to the Kinks was perfect, and she shouldn't have been seen in the final two episodes of Season 5, only mentioned by the other writers like Ginsburg.