Mad Men left it ambiguous whether Roger Sterling actually hired Don Draper. Mad Men chronicled the saga of Don Draper, the handsome and cunning adman who was creative director of Sterling Cooper and, later, Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. One of the fundamental aspects of Don is that he was a man of many secrets. After all, “Don Draper” was fiction; Don’s true identity is Dick Whitman, and he switched identities with the late Lieutenant Don Draper during the Korean War.
Just as Don Draper lied to his many lovers, his ex-wife, Betty, and almost everyone in his life, it is quite possible that Don also tricked Roger Sterling into being hired by Sterling Cooper. Mad Men Season 4, Episode 6, “Waldorf Stories”, Featured flashbacks revealing how Don met Roger. Don was working at Heller’s Luxury Furs in 1953 when Roger came to buy a gift for his lover, Joan Holloway. Don was immediately excited when he found out that Roger was in advertising and included his portfolio with the mink Roger gave Joan.
Did Roger Sterling really hire Don Draper?
“You said, ‘Welcome aboard’.”
Mad Men‘Waldorf Stories’ is a pivotal episode that leaves it open whether Roger Sterling hired Don Draper. After Roger ignored several calls and texts, Don met Roger in the lobby of the Sterling Cooper and lied about why he was there. Don convinced Roger to go for a drink, even though it was 10am. Later, a drunken Roger left the bar with Don, but gave no indication that he hired the “fur face”, But Don then finds Roger at Sterling Cooper again. Don claims that Roger hired him and told him: “Welcome aboard.” Yet Roger doesn’t remember hiring Don. So did this really happen?
Is it possible that an inebriated Roger actually said “Welcome aboard” off-screen, and Don took this as confirmation that Roger gave him a job. It is equally possible that Don took advantage of Rogerlied to his face and tricked the uncertain Sterling into believing this happened. Rogério and Mad Men never indicate what the truth is. However, Sterling has a habit of saying things he doesn’t mean. In Mad Men In season two, Roger told Jane Siegel he would make things right when Joan fired her as Don Draper’s secretary, but Sterling never did. Maybe Roger knows he didn’t really hire Don, but he still saw something in Draper and let the lie become the truth.
Why It Makes More Sense Don Draper Paved the Way for Sterling Cooper
Could be another of Don’s many secrets
To be fair to Don Draper, he seemed genuinely confused Mad Men‘Waldorf Stories’, when Roger Sterling didn’t remember welcoming him aboard the Sterling Cooper. But how Mad Men showed repeatedly, Don is a talented liar and a flim flam man. Even this early version of Don, years before he became Madison Avenue’s aloof and most sought-after ad man, was more than capable of paving the way for Sterling Cooper after extolling Roger’s weakness, irresponsibility, and alcoholism.
Roger feels like he helped create Don Draper and gets no credit for it.
Even if Don tricked Roger into being hired by Sterling Cooper, it’s also entirely possible that Draper believed he was legitimately hired. In Mad Men“Waldorf Stories”, Roger told Joan that his real job is “find guys like [Don]”, with a hint of envy and resentment. Whether he hired Don legitimately or not, Roger feels he helped create Don Draper and gets no credit for it. Don and Roger can finally remember how Sterling hired “the fur guy” differently, but Mad Men Leave it open for the public to read.