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I was not prepared for this particular episode of Mad Men. In the past, the season premieres have been exposition-filled hours, setting up storylines and introducing new characters who would inevitably act as a catalyst for change in one way or another. But "Public Relations" was different. Instead, the audience was given a crash course in how business has been going for the new firm, Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.

Like many of the best episodes of Mad Men, this was a Don Draper-centric episode, even having the first line of dialogue be a reporter asking, "Who is Don Draper?" You see, Don is being interviewed for a newspaper in the hopes that it will stir up publicity for the firm. Although as you probably guessed, Don is reluctant to talk about his past, a move that makes him appear overly guarded in the reporter's eyes. Don also has to deal with his recent divorce, and the fact that his ex-wife Betty and her new husband, Henry Francis, are still living in the house he pays for despite court orders for them to be moved out by now (more on the repercussions of the divorce in a bit). And now, by the way, is November, 1964. Once again, Mad Men has jumped forward in time by about a year.

Don was on his game last night, even managing to steal the best line of the night from the usual winner, Roger Sterling. When Henry assures Don that their stay in his old house is temporary, Don snaps back, "Believe me, Henry, everyone thinks this is temporary," referring to his marriage to Betty.

After much prodding from Roger, Don went on a date. Unlike the usual women we've seen Don with, this girl was a bit more timid, even saying "no" to Don when he asked to go inside her house after dinner (is that what the kids are calling it these days? Zing!). Then came one of the more surprising scenes Mad Men has ever produced. On Thanksgiving morning, Don lets a woman into his house who turns out to be a prostitute he frequently sees (Don Draper having to pay for sex? What is the world coming to?!?!). It turns out, Don's ego has been a bit dismantled following the divorce. While in bed with said lady of the night, Don insists that she slap him in the face multiple times, and hard. This is the first we've ever seen of Don engaging in such behavior, leading me to believe that one of the main storylines of this season will be Don rebuilding his shattered self-confidence, or possibly falling further into the abyss of shame.

Another clear cut example of Don's general mood at the moment was his handling of a pair of clients who didn't agree with an ad campaign he planned for them. Instead of going back to the drawing board, Don screamed then kicked them out of his office for rejecting him (much like Betty rejected him?) His acerbic attitude even surprised Roger, who told Don to cool down and apologize, which Don flat out refused to do.

Elsewhere in the office, Peggy has once again become a stronger character, even openly talking to Don in a much more assured and honest manner. After last season's finale where Don was practically begging Peggy to join him at the new firm, it would appear that she now is starting to see Don as more of an equal then a tyrannical boss. Even Pete appeared likable and much more invested in his job then he has been in a few seasons.

Betty's new marriage isn't exactly a bed of roses either. As usual, Betty is a cold, domineering mother to her children, which causes her to make a scene at Thanksgiving dinner with her new in-laws. It would appear that a recurring storyline this season will be Henry's mother not being Betty's biggest fan, after plainly telling her son that it is quite pellucid that the children are terrified. of their mother.

This was a surprisingly quickly-paced episode, and hopefully they can keep this momentum going throughout the season. Here are five predictions I have for the upcoming season:

1. Something tells me we haven't seen the last of Ken Cosgrove. Too much of prior seasons were dedicated to showing what a talented employee he was to have him be gone forever.

2. I don't see Henry Francis being on the show for the entire season. We haven't been shown his interactions with the children, which leads me to believe me that he only wanted Betty and not what he considers her baggage. Perhaps the kids will move in with Don at some point this season? Say what you will about the man, but when he was around he was a much better parent than Betty, and wouldn't it be sadistic of the writers to keep the kids with that heartless wench?

3. If you think of all the women Don had affairs with, the one consistent quality among them is that they were all quite mysterious figures. His date from last night seemed rather bland, leading me to believe she won't be around for long. Add in the fact that she is nearly 15 years his junior, something Don chastised Roger for in season 3, and it definitely doesn't seem she is here to stay.

4. Joan now has an office. I have a feeling she will need to play a larger role in the firm if they want to stay afloat.

5. No, I don't see Sal coming back. As was said in this episode, Lucky Strike is 71% of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce's business, and Sal was fired due to his run-in with the owner of Lucky Strike.

And now, the Roger Sterling Quote of the Week:

(Referring to Don going on a date) "See her this weekend. You hit it off, come Turkey Day, maybe you can stuff her."