'Mad Men' Stars Tease Season 5 And Share Their Favorite Episodes

Can't wait for "Mad Men" to finally return? Neither can I -- it has been 459 days since we last saw Don Draper and the Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce gang in "Tomorrowland," and so many questions linger going into Season 5's big two-hour premiere (Sunday, March 25, if you don't already have it circled on your calendar).

HuffPost caught up with the cast -- including Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, Christina Hendricks, John Slattery, January Jones and creator Matthew Weiner -- who were all as tight-lipped as ever about what to expect next season. They would only non-jokingly joke that they'll get fired if they say anything. (They will.)

The "Mad Men" cast did, however, have some things to say about the new season. "I think this season is the best yet. I really do," Slattery said. "We were all commenting that it felt like the first season. We've somehow circled back after all the details and all the plot development that's happened with everybody ... it's kind of circled back to the sort of tunnel vision on each character and various elements of each character that they've dialed in on. It's somehow simpler."

Do his castmates agree? "This season I think is our best season, script-wise. 100 percent," said Rich Sommer, who plays Harry Crane. "I really can't imagine how anyone would be disappointed, and I think that it definitely rewards those people who have been there from the beginning. It's not a show you can start from the middle ... well, you can, but you'll not only miss information, you'll miss nuance. There are literally glances that happen between two characters where it's like, 'Oh shit!'"

"A lot happens this season!," Hendricks agreed. "A lot of last season, we were wondering what was happening with Don Draper, what was happening with his marriage. But every character experiences so much this year. It's very exciting."

"I heard something that Matt [Weiner] said tonight," Moss said, "which is that this season is about every man for himself. I just thought that was so interesting ... I'd never heard him say it before, but I think that is the most perfect way of describing this season. And I think that's the parallel to Season 1 as well."

Speaking of Season 1 -- and all the previous seasons -- the castmates had to answer an even tougher question: What's your favorite "Mad Men" episode ever?

Click through the slideshow below to see which ones they chose and why. And share your own favorite episodes in the comments!

Related on HuffPost:

Comments

[michelleobamaok]

02:54 PM on 01/22/2012

My favorite is the opening of the "mad man" falling past all of the false sht he has created in corporate America for the masses to stupidly consume.

[playsindirt]

08:20 PM on 01/21/2012

My faves are the ones sans January Jones.

[teenage fanclub]

07:07 PM on 01/21/2012

My favorite part of this show came in the first season, Don is at Midge's apartment smoking weed and he tells the beatniks that the universe is indifferent.

"Ahhhhh man! Why did you have to say that?"

[Machiventa68]

04:29 PM on 01/21/2012

Every episode is intense and fascinating, but two events that involve Roger Sterling were very poignant. One, Don goes to lunch with Roger and lures Roger into eating huge amounts of oysters and drinking too much. When they return to the office, the elevators are broken because Don has bribed the elevator operator. They walk up to their office and Roger comes in after Don and barffs all over the floor.

The second situation was with the twins who were going to be in an ad campaign and Roger takes them back to his office with Don for some late night eroticism. Don is reluctant to get involved, but Roger is all over the other twin. They come out of his office in their underwear and Roger is riding her on his hands and knees like a horse. He suddenly has a heart attack and Don steps in to save the day.

Another great one was Peggy having a baby, but she's in so much denial she doesn't even know she's pregnant.

Mad Men is by far the most gripping, well written, insightful television series I have ever seen.

[farmgirl62]

12:35 PM on 01/21/2012

Meditations on an Emergency

Such a stunning performances and nice parallelism w/ the Cuban Missile Crisis

[catcancook]

09:53 AM on 01/21/2012

I can't pick a fave, I love them all. But one scene that stunned me was Betty wearing baby doll pj's, smoking, holding a rifle in the back yard and she looks like an expert shooting at the neighbors birds. That was an iconic scene.

[repugnicansfearme]

08:09 AM on 01/21/2012

I like the episode where they tried to rip off the mood of the 50s, wore grey suits, smoked cigs all the time, and drank martinis. Wait, that's every episode.

[kapalabhati]

08:21 AM on 01/21/2012

'60s.
It's really a superb program.

[repugnicansfearme]

08:58 AM on 01/21/2012

Really? Maybe I should just give it more time, I can't sit through it. The "props" (cigs, suits, martinis) bother me for some reason

[Dualcitmom]

07:49 AM on 01/21/2012

"The Suitcase" stands out for me. Fantastic writing on that one. But it is pretty hard to choose from. I don't remember the entire episode of "The Good News," but I definitely remember Lane and Don going out to the movies...hilarious!! And the lawn mower incident...although gross, it had me laughing for hours! "But that's life...one minute you're on top of the world, the next minute some secretary is running you over with a lawn mower."

[DMohr]

06:09 AM on 01/21/2012

'Red in the Face' from Season 1. Classic alpha-male one-upsmanship from Roger Sterling vs. Don Draper = comic genius. A two-hour oyster & martini lunch, followed by a walk up 27 flights of stairs!? Still the funniest 'Mad Men' episode ever made.

[kapalabhati]

08:23 AM on 01/21/2012

I think the funniest moment was Miss Blankenship's death and the "disposal" of her corpse. For those reading this without seeing the scene and think me incredible morbid, do yourself a favor: google it.

[Dualcitmom]

08:43 AM on 01/21/2012

I loved Miss Blankenship! I wish they would have kept her a little longer, but that death scene was so funny.

[VegasBabe]

11:55 PM on 01/20/2012

I'd never watched this show until about a month ago at which time it was introduced to me by my son and we went through every season via netflix. I am HOOKED! But 400+ days is waaaayyy to long to wait for another season to begin. Wassup with that? I'm seriously considering skipping the season until its available on netflix whereupon I can sit down to hours and hours of fun without interruption or delay. As for my favorite episode? I loved them ALL! There is absolutely no better program on TV and I hope we get to enjoy it for years and years!

[kapalabhati]

08:24 AM on 01/21/2012

Seriously. I watched Seasons 1-3 in the span of about 2 weeks one chilly June. My husband almost left me. Now, Sunday nights with highball in hand (you know you have to!) we watch together.

[catcancook]

10:06 AM on 01/21/2012

Yep..bitten by the MM bug too. I've never cared for a TV serious other than 6 ft under like I do about MM. It's addicting.

[areaemail]

11:32 AM on 01/21/2012

I'm sure it's tempting, but - - savoring one episode while anticipating the next week's is also pretty great :)

[ksjohnso]

10:52 PM on 01/20/2012

The Suitcase was the best for me. I can't wait for the new season!

[jaypeg]

12:22 AM on 01/21/2012

The Suitcase tops my list too! I was alternately breathless or weeping throughout the entire episode.

[AngryHarpy]

03:26 AM on 01/21/2012

Yep, I think The Suitcase was my favorite episode too.

[benskelly]

10:49 PM on 01/20/2012

Simply the best writing on television. Bar none.

[Orphie]

11:53 AM on 01/21/2012

I'd have to say "Breaking Bad" is the over-all best written series . . but certainly Mad Men is among television's brightest moments.

[playsindirt]

08:20 PM on 01/21/2012

And Homeland is up there too.

[Jahn Ghalt]

01:41 PM on 01/23/2012

I love Breaking Bad. I'd have to give it second place for the writing.

Really, though, it's apples and oranges. 60s-Manhattan-California/2008-Albequerque-Mexico. Mad Men is leisurely in it's pace - 4 seasons - 5 years. Breaking Bad is recklessly paced - 18-24 months in 4 seasons. I'll say this. I hope i never need an attorney, but if I do I'll Call Saul!

[benskelly]

10:48 PM on 01/20/2012

All good choices. I love the episode from Season 1 where Pete tries to blackmail Don only to have Don call his bluff. When the boss sighs and says "Who cares?", I roared. It was such a great surprise payoff to what we thought was going to be melodrama.

[littlebrowngirl]

10:37 PM on 01/20/2012

My favorites are The Wheel, The Hobo Code and the Suitcase.

[kapalabhati]

08:25 AM on 01/21/2012

Wow! The Hobo Code. God, that was amazing.

[7165red]

12:39 PM on 01/21/2012

The Hobo Code was great, we could really understand DD a little better.It was sad. I loved the first season but then again, I love every season. I am so happy it's finally coming back.

[Wistfulslinking]

09:41 PM on 01/20/2012

Betty shooting the pigeons. I could play it all day.

[benskelly]

10:59 PM on 01/20/2012

I feel the same way about that little hand motion she makes when describing what her daughter got caught doing - haha.

[Wistfulslinking]

11:19 PM on 01/20/2012

I forgot that !

[Wistfulslinking]

11:24 PM on 01/20/2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltl0EQ9O7Gg

[kapalabhati]

08:25 AM on 01/21/2012

My DVR cut out the end. I feel robbed every time someone brings that up. Even after I saw it later, I still feel robbed.

[Wistfulslinking]

09:11 AM on 01/21/2012

I posted the link on this page/thread.