As so often happens with Mad Men, a single, seemingly innocuous statement gave rise to fervent debate about what it really meant when Jared Harris sort-of suggested that Elisabeth Moss wasn't returning to the show. But all that fruitless freaking out at least accomplished something: It got the normally reticent Matthew Weiner to open up to TV Line and confirm that Peggy will definitely be a part of the sixth season. "When people leave Sterling Cooper, sometimes it is the end. But I will spoil that one tiny piece of anticipation and tell people that Elisabeth will be showing up to work," Weiner said without so much as a "SPOILER ALERT," because he is a jerk.
Anyway, Weiner compares the fan speculation over Peggy's fate to when the Drapers got divorced, saying, "Everyone was like, ‘I guess January Jones is off the show,’ and I was like, ‘Why would she be?’ I never understood that," clearly not registering that in that instance, it was mostly a helpful suggestion. But no, the very important character whose story functions as a crucial parallel to the protagonist's will not simply disappear. Unless, of course, Peggy will be back… as a ghost. Hey, maybe she's a ghost! We haven't talked about that possibility yet.