As I was about to publish my review of last night's superb “Mad Men,” I had a thought inspired by Meredith's demand for Don to address all the rumors: has she, at this late date, turned out to be Don's best secretary? I tossed that question at the end of the review, along with a poll, but I feel like this merits being discussed away from the many callbacks and emotional moments that made “Time & Life” so special.
So let's talk about it here. So far, Dawn is running away with the poll, which probably makes sense. She's one of the few secretaries to never make a pass at Don (even Peggy clumsily did it on her first day), she didn't have her eyes on a bigger job (that she eventually got one had more to do with Lou Avery being a pig than her seeking out the office manager position), and the only previous secretary who seemed as good at anticipating Don's needs was Allison, and her tenure ended very, very badly.
Of course, the discussion depends on how you define “best.” Dawn's probably the most competent, but if we're talking best character who functioned as Don's secretary, then it's Peggy in a landslide. (Or maybe Joan, if you count her for her occasional fill-in stints). Miss Blankenship and Lois arguably left more of a mark on the series than Jane did by marrying Roger.
So vote, and comment. Who you picking, and why?