SPOILERS: 'Mad Men' Zigzags Around Expectations

Mad Men fans are a patient bunch. When the fifth season of the hit AMC drama premieres on March 25, it will have been 17 months since the last new episode. That episode was a shocker that featured advertising executive Don Draper (played by Jon Hamm) propose marriage to Megan (Jessica Pare) in what struck some as out of character. But for Hamm and others affiliated with the show, out of character is the name of the game — especially in Season 5, when time springs forward.

"Everything that [exec producer Matthew Weiner] does takes me by surprises," Hamm told EW.com, adding that his character is one who has made a very lucrative career out of keeping people guessing. "That’s a thing with Don: You think you know him and then all of a sudden you don’t. Betty has had the experience with Don. Peggy has had that experience with Don. That’s part of Don’s makeup — zigging when everyone else thinks he’s going to zag. And, yeah, it certainly made for interesting television."

Hamm also said that a large part of what will keep Mad Men interesting as it moves forward will be watching Sterling Cooper adapt to changing times. "This season is about getting everything back on track," he said. "The company is where we left it. It's in a bit of disarray. We get to see more of everybody doing their job. Peggy, Pete, Roger, Lane, Harry, Ken — everybody's reinvigorated."

Hamm was not the only one to hint at mysteries and questions embedded in next season's plot line. "It's funnier. It's sadder. It's just amazing," John Slattery said of the show. "Maybe it's because you know these people a little better than you did before. But not as well as you think."

Sounds like we had better watch for ourselves.