It’s been a while since I’ve watched the show but the first season I think takes more time to set up the societal context and focuses more on “how things were” than later seasons, which are more about diving into the psychology of characters. Not that the racism/misogyny ever goes away completely (this is a show that takes place in our world, after all) but that balance shifts more to towards the characters in later seasons, like after season 1 pretty much.

It’s also a show about how those attitudes evolve over time. By the end of the show, an entire decade — arguably the most socially tumultuous of the twentieth century in the U.S. — has gone by, and over the course of the show you see how different characters respond to that as it’s happening, which is interesting.

That being said, it’s definitely a show that takes place in the 60s and largely in offices in bedrooms, though the production design and costuming are incredible and I’d say worth watching for that alone.