Where Does 'Mad Men's Meredith Go After Work?

AMC's Mad Men has fixed itself as the embodiment of drama, showcasing Don Draper's brooding intensity, the private pains experienced by his cohorts, and the upheavals faced by the series' leading women due to a variable time in the workforce known as the 1960s. One character who seems blithely immune to the emotional turbulence experienced in and out of the offices of SC&P is Don's eternally ebullient secretary, Meredith. Chicly dressed in sunny colors and often tying her coif in large bows that may be better suited for gift wrap, Meredith infuses a series that is often swathed in earnest with some much-appreciated comic relief. After being given little more than a bit part during Season 5, Meredith's one-liners and lightheaded humor have secured her a spot as a regular fixture on episodes during Season 7.

Despite her increased camera time, audiences have yet to become privy to the character's exposition. We never see Meredith outside of the offices of SC&P, and even while there, Meredith keeps a safe distance from the variable crises and conflicts occurring around her. During a recent episode where Don arrived late to the office after preoccupying himself with yet another romantic entanglement, Meredith asserted that she had plans for the night and would be leaving promptly "at five o'clock on the dot." Of course, we never got to see what those plans actually entailed, which led me to muse about what a typical night for Meredith would look like outside of the confines of work. I had the pleasure of catching up with Meredith's portrayer, actress Stephanie Drake, to discuss what a night on the town would look like for the character she's delighted audiences with for the past three seasons of Mad Men. Spoiler alert: Meredith's evenings are way less stressful than the other characters'.

She Hangs Out With Friends From School

"Meredith has quite the social life," Drake tells me. "She most likely made lots of friends in secretarial school who she still keeps in touch with."

She Gossips About Work

Just because Meredith has become an ace at keeping mum about other's business during work hours doesn't mean she doesn't enjoy a good vent session with her gal pals after clocking out. Drake tells me that, "[Meredith and her friends] go out for dinner and drinks, and gab about their respective bosses." Given the advances Meredith made on Don during the Season 7's mid-season finale, I can only imagine what she'd have to say about him in the presence of her girlfriends.

She's Quite The Flirt

Drake says that she thinks a night out for Meredith would involve "[flirting] with cute boys — you know, the usual!" During the episode where she informed Don that she had to leave work promptly, Drake says she suspects Meredith may have "had a date that night and had to swing by the beauty parlor for a touch-up."

Only a few episode remain before Mad Men's series finale. There's not much time left to develop Meredith's exposition, but plenty of time for the secretary to deliver a few more guffaws.

Mad Men airs Sundays on AMC at 10 p.m. EST.

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