Don Draper (Jon Hamm) did one important thing right in his disastrous marriage to Megan Calvet (Jessica Pare) in Mad Men. Megan joined Mad Men in season 4, quickly becoming Don Draper’s secretary. By the end of Mad Men season 4, Don and Megan were engaged, and they were newlyweds in Mad Men season 5.

Don Draper’s previous marriage to Betty Draper (January Jones) lasted a decade, but ended after Betty found out that her husband lied about his identity the entire time they were together. Don was born Dick Whitman, and he assumed the identity of Lt. Don Draper to escape the Korean War.

Betty eventually learned everything Don was hiding from her, from his penniless upbringing as Dick Whitman, to Don’s first marriage to Anna Draper (Melinda Page Hamilton), the real Don Draper’s widow. In turn, Don learned an important lesson from what he did to Betty that wrecked their marriage.

Don Draper Told Megan He’s Really Dick Whitman

I’m impressed that Don Draper told Megan he was Dick Whitman when they married. Megan knew he was Dick Whitman, and even told Don on his 40th birthday that “Nobody loves Dick Whitman” in Mad Men season 5’s premiere, “A Little Kiss.”

Don and Megan got engaged in October 1965 at the end of Mad Men season 4, and they were newlyweds when Mad Men season 5 picked up on Memorial Weekend 1966. Don told Megan off-camera during the interim between seasons 4 and 5, and his new bride had no issues with Don’s truth.

Don’s admission that he took another man’s identity must have answered Megan’s confusion as to why Don was so panicked when a questionnaire she submitted to the US government for North American Aviation contained a series of lies because Draper’s info was fraudulent.

Of course, Don fully understood why Betty was so hurt and furious that he never told her that he was born Dick Whitman, and he wisely didn’t repeat the same mistake when he married Megan.

Don even told his daughter, Sally (Kiernan Shipka), and son, Bobby (Mason Vale Cotton), that his name is “Dick,” although his children with Betty weren’t fully aware of their father’s life. But Don did clue them in gradually, especially Sally.

Don Destroying His Marriage To Megan Is Sadder Than His Divorcing Betty

Don Draper spent the entirety of their relationship lying to Betty by omission, as well as causing her emotional pain as she rightly suspected his chronic womanizing and infidelity.

Yet, in a way, Don wrecking his marriage to Megan was worse. In Mad Men season 5, Don was on “love leave,” and he was almost a new man, completely in love with his young French-Canadian bride.

Still, Don tried to control Megan, and he grew less enamored with her when she left Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce to pursue an acting career. Don enjoyed Megan being part of his life at work and at home; he took her career switch as a rejection of advertising, i.e. a rejection of him.

Megan was a very different woman from Betty, but Don eventually reverted to his old habits at the end of Mad Men season 5. In Mad Men season 6, Don was actively cheating on Megan. They grew apart and divorced before Mad Men ended in season 7.

However, Don Draper admirably did the right thing by telling Megan he was Dick Whitman before Mad Men season 5. Don decided not to repeat that one big mistake he made with Betty, but he chose to make many other similar ones that ended his marriage to Megan.

Release Date

2007 – 2015-00-00

Showrunner

Matthew Weiner

Directors

Michael Uppendahl, Jennifer Getzinger, Scott Hornbacher, Matthew Weiner, Lesli Linka Glatter, Tim Hunter, John Slattery, Alan Taylor, Andrew Bernstein, Jon Hamm, Barbet Schroeder, Daisy von Scherler Mayer, Ed Bianchi, Jared Harris, Matt Shakman, Lynn Shelton

Writers

Jonathan Igla, Robin Veith, Carly Wray, Kater Gordon, Bridget Bedard, Cathryn Humphris, Chris Provenzano, Brett Johnson, Rick Cleveland, Tracy McMillan, Andrew Colville, David Iserson

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  Elisabeth Moss

  Peggy Olson