Beginning April 5, AMC will air the final episodes of Mad Men, bringing to an end one of the most acclaimed and buzzed about TV dramas in recent memory.
There's an irony to the fact that a show that takes place in the 1960s has managed to so thoroughly capture the imaginations of 21st viewers, but the most fans will tell you that the characters' recklessly old school ways are a major part of Mad Men's appeal.
Where else, on the modern television landscape, will you find successful professionals drinking in the middle of a weekday? Or anyone other than a European villain sucking down cigarettes without a passing thought for emphysema?
Yes, the men and women of Sterling Cooper and Partners have never set foot on a treadmill and uttering the phrase "gluten-free" in their presence might get you branded a communist.
But that's not to say they haven't changed with the times. Don and his cronies might still prefer liquor to LSD, but that hasn't stopped them from making allowances for the growing influence of the '60s counterculture as the series progressed.
Hey, altered consciousness is altered consciousness, right?
So exactly how much bad behavior did Draper and company get up to over the past 6-and-a-half seasons? Well, the folks over at AMC tallied things up, and some of the numbers might surprise you:
- 14 punches and 4 slaps were doled out. (Who knew the show was so violent?)
- Don ran through 8 different secretaries. (RIP, Ida Blankenship)
- We also saw Dick Whitman bed 18 different mistresses, though AMC is quick to point out that there's no telling how many ladies succumbed to the Draper charm off-camera.
- A surprising joints were smoked throughout the series, and finally, what you really want to know:
- The cast smoked a combined 942 cigarettes and polished off 369 drinks.
There, now don't you feel better about your own vices? We can't wait to see our favorite self-destructive ad men (and women) add to those numbers in the remaining final episodes.
Of course, if you're still not up to date on the goings-on at SC&P, you can always watch Mad Men online at TV Fanatic. And don't forget to stumble down memory lane with our list of the most memorable Mad Men moments:
