S5E6 – 'Far Away Places'

S5E6 – 'Far Away Places'

From Mad Men Men by InBetweenDrafts

March 10, 2026 · 54 min · Season 5 · Episode 6

About this episode

The episode 'Far Away Places' explores the interlocking stories of Peggy, Roger, and Don as they confront their personal struggles and ambitions.

“Far Away Places” is one of those Mad Men episodes where the show quietly changes shape. This week on Mad Men Men, we dig into that Season 5 standout. First, the episode fractures a single day into three interlocking stories. Then, it follows Peggy, Roger, and Don as each tries to escape a life that feels unbearable. Meanwhile, Peggy chases professional authority and confronts how lonely ambition can feel. Roger drops acid and stumbles into one of the series’ clearest emotional revelations. At the same time, Don takes a spontaneous trip with Megan. Yet again, he learns that fantasy is easy to build and nearly impossible to inhabit. Along the way, we explore why this might be Mad Men at its most novelistic. We also talk about why the experimentation never feels gimmicky. Instead, it deepens everything. And likewise, the episode’s mirrors, doubling, and displacement turn three plots into variations on one theme. There’s also room for what our show does best. Yes, we riff on orange sherbet, bad intros, and Howard Johnson’s as a site of psychic collapse. And then we talk about the strange relief of realizing your life has become untenable. If…

People in this episode

Host: InBetweenDrafts

Topics covered

  • character development
  • narrative structure
  • ambition and loneliness
  • emotional revelations
  • fantasy vs reality
  • thematic variations

Keywords

  • Mad Men
  • Far Away Places
  • Peggy
  • Roger
  • Don
  • narrative
  • ambition
  • fantasy
  • emotional revelations

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: AMC

Books & works: Mad Men

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