Lady Lazarus (Mad Men)

"Lady Lazarus" is the eighth episode of the fifth season of the American television drama series Mad Men and the 60th episode of the series overall. It was written by Matthew Weiner and directed by Phil Abraham. It originally aired on the AMC channel in the United States on May 6, 2012.

The episode is set in October 1966.^[1] Megan has second thoughts on her career path after the success with Heinz but finds it difficult to tell Don. Peggy, unwittingly caught between the two when Megan's lie comes to light, finally expresses her frustrations to both Megan and Don. Pete finds that his increasing success at the firm does not fill the emptiness of his life. After a sexual encounter one evening with a neighbor, he becomes obsessed with wanting to repeat the experience. Don returns to creative work full throttle, only to find the cultural changes of the 1960s have left him behind.

"Lady Lazarus" was watched by 2.29 million viewers during its initial broadcast, and drew in 0.7 million viewers in the coveted 18–49 demographic. It received considerable acclaim from the television critical community. The episode is named after a poem by Sylvia Plath.^[2] The episode is notable for its use of the Beatles master recording of "Tomorrow Never Knows" from the album Revolver. Creator Matthew Weiner paid for permission and engaged in a creative collaboration in order to use the song.^[3]