I don't have time to rewatch the entire series before the April 5 premiere, but I do want to try and go back and watch 15 or so key episodes over the next month or so. I'll also definitely be watching the first seven episodes of this season as a refresher as well, but I thought it'd be fun to try and come up with a best of/favorites list that samples from each of the first six seasons. Let's say two to three episodes per season. Here's what I have so far from memory, but I would love some help filling in the blanks. Especially in seasons five and six, which I remember almost nothing about. Again, I'm NOT looking for a sequence of episodes that best-encapsulates the overall story, but rather just a best of/favorites list in general. Figure this could be a good guide for anyone else who wants to do the same. I'll update as we settle on a list...
Season 1.01 - Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
Season 1.12 - Nixon vs Kennedy
Season 1.13 - The Wheel (Finale) - Best pitch of the series, when I truly fell in love with the show.
Season 2.11 - The Jet Set - Don goes to Palm Springs on a whim. I love this episode so much.
Season 2.12 - The Mountain King (description below)
Season 2.13 - Meditations in an Emergency (Finale) - Cuban Missile Crisis and Betty cheats on Don.
Season 3.11 - The Gypsy and the Hobo - Betty discovers Don's past, finally confronts him.
Season 3.12 - The Grown Ups. - JFK assassination, Roger's daughter's wedding, Don/Betty divorce.
Season 3.13 - Shut the Door. Have a Seat. (Finale) - My favorite finale of the series.
(Really, this may be the best back-to-back-to-back three-episode run in television history. In fact, all of season three was on fire. I could pick another three home run episodes from this season, no problem.)
Season 4.07 - The Suitcase - Maybe the best episode of the series.
Season 4.10 - Hands and Knees (description below)
Season 4.13 - Tomorrowland (Finale) - Don & family go to California, he brings Megan, eventually proposes.
Season 5.05 - Signal 30
Season 5.07 - At the Codfish Ball
Season 5.11 - The Other Woman
(latest additions, descriptions below)
Season 6.05 - The Flood
Season 6.06 - For Immediate Release
Season 6.13 - In Care Of (Finale)
(latest additions, descriptions below)
Season 7 - ???
Season 7.07 - Waterloo (Mid-Season Finale)
BONUS EPISODES:
Season 1.02 - Ladies Room
Season 2.05 - The New Girl (description below)
Season 3.01 - Out of Town
Season 3.02 - Love Among the Ruins
Season 3.06 - Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency (gif below)
Season 3.08 - Souvenir
Season 4.01 - Public Relations
Season 4.05 - The Chrysanthemum and the Sword
Season 4.06 - Waldorf Stories
Season 4.11 - The Chinese Wall (description below)