Mad Men recap: 'New Business' feels like old news

With just a handful of episodes left, it's frustrating to see Mad Men waste time on new characters and old stories

Mad Men episode 9.
(Image credit: (Justina Mintz/AMC))

Unfortunately, Mad Men saved one of its weakest episodes in a long time for its final season. At times, this week's "New Business" had the feeling of a bad piece of fan fiction, with ill-defined guest characters like Pima Ryan (Mimi Rogers) dominating the episode and pushing the central cast aside. I understand the desire to introduce a little new blood, and there's no reason that a one-off character can't be as important or interesting as a cast regular. But "New Business" was an episode without Sally Draper or Joan Harris or Ted Chaough or Jim Cutler, and with so few episodes left, it's frustrating to see Mad Men burning off a valuable hour on flat, one-dimensional archetypes.

By the end of last week's premiere, I was convinced that Mad Men was actually finished with Don's latest romantic obsession: Di (Elizabeth Reaser), the ominously named, thematically convenient waitress he swore he had met before. If only I'd been right. Di makes her unwelcome return in this week's "New Business," with Don himself strong-arming her back into the story as he tracks her from her old diner to a newer, more upscale restaurant.

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Scott Meslow

Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.