Mad Men: The Final Season

[ZooCougar]

Until he met Meagan, Don/Dick was constantly worrying about having his identity figured out, revealing that his Don Draper persona, war stories, career, etc. was a ruse. Then he got to be okay with Meagan, his daughter, and Sterling / Cooper knowing his "secret". Now he wanders off to the plains and finds himself amongst the nice, gentle midwestern folks and all of a sudden he has to worry about being found out again. I kind of thought the show was going to end with him dying in a ditch in Oklahoma. It still might happen, though maybe it'll be a ditch in Nevada or California. Or maybe he'll wander down to Tijuana or something. Who knows.

I was sort of thinking the same thing. I was expecting someone from Korea would recognize him and things would escalate, or not.

I think one of the below is going to happen for Don.

1. He's getting rid of everything to focus on his own trauma just like the waitress.

2. Same as #1 but he's going to do it as Dick Whitman.

3. He's in the same neck of the woods as where Pete Campbell is headed. "Wichita is beautiful", coworkers and I are laughing about that over and over again this morning. Don's supposed to be headed west, but maybe he get's stuck-low chance on this.

4. Don's headed for Hawaii, "The Jumping Off Point". We saw the Hawaii book on the bedside table in the Motel. Don Draper will figuratively off himself and live his life.

 

[ZooCougar]

I thought the last two episodes of the Sopranos were so good that they could have been put together as a feature film, so we will disagree on that.

Pete and Betty did 180's on their prior personas, which is always disappointing as a series nears its end. Pete wants to be a hitter, and he has as good business survival instincts as anyone at the agency. Dropping all that to live happily ever after with Trudy (who I could have sworn was at least implied to be a lesbian earlier in the series, no?) in Wichita seems like a stretch. More realistic would have been Trudy saying no because she realizes that Pete was FOS, as usual. Given how dislikable Pete is, it would have been fun if she actually turned out to be a lesbian, and said Pete was the reason. I give the ending to this arc a B-. They could have done a lot more with Pete.

Betty suddenly being stoic is also surprising, as is killing her off. I know that the purpose of that scene was for Sally to be able to compare a loving, giving husband like Henry to the cipher that is her father, but I would have preferred if Betty banged some college kid and hurt Henry that way rather than being the martyr. All in all, a solid ending to the Draper family story line.

Having Roger find Don and go to the VA party with Don would have been a great way for the two of them to part ways. I was a little disappointed by the new character and lame, transparent con that got Don beat up. Don should have beat that punk senseless, and it isn't clear why he didn't given the spiral Don is in.

I didn't say they were bad. I am just concerned with how they are alloting the time.

A couple of other subtle points. Don is good with his hands. I recalled a scene with him doing yardwork when he was with Betty. He knows, what is wrong with his car, he fixes the typewriter and we assume the Coke machine as well. He's handy and in it is in his nature. Maybe that's how he ends up?

 

[Dogdeacon]

I thought the last two episodes of the Sopranos were so good that they could have been put together as a feature film, so we will disagree on that.

Pete and Betty did 180's on their prior personas, which is always disappointing as a series nears its end. Pete wants to be a hitter, and he has as good business survival instincts as anyone at the agency. Dropping all that to live happily ever after with Trudy (who I could have sworn was at least implied to be a lesbian earlier in the series, no?) in Wichita seems like a stretch. More realistic would have been Trudy saying no because she realizes that Pete was FOS, as usual. Given how dislikable Pete is, it would have been fun if she actually turned out to be a lesbian, and said Pete was the reason. I give the ending to this arc a B-. They could have done a lot more with Pete.

Betty suddenly being stoic is also surprising, as is killing her off. I know that the purpose of that scene was for Sally to be able to compare a loving, giving husband like Henry to the cipher that is her father, but I would have preferred if Betty banged some college kid and hurt Henry that way rather than being the martyr. All in all, a solid ending to the Draper family story line.

Having Roger find Don and go to the VA party with Don would have been a great way for the two of them to part ways. I was a little disappointed by the new character and lame, transparent con that got Don beat up. Don should have beat that punk senseless, and it isn't clear why he didn't given the spiral Don is in.

No idea where you got Trudy being a lesbian from (best guesses your hopeful imagination or the actress on another show) and although Pete will always be a climber I think its consistent that he's been loyal to people (Don, the firm) and headed back towards Trudy and some middle aged reckoning of his youthful ambition. If they picked a more attractive place than Wichita I'd have been 100% on board, but just his ridiculous declining hairline has convinced me he's more mature.

Likewise I think Betty has been a cold fish and emotionally complex, both a child and a stern adult. No question she cut ties with Don coldly and efficiently. Betty was also the 'grown up' in her relationship with her brother and managed her parent's estate. With age she too has had some growth and realizations about herself, certainly the degree is partially psychiatrist heel thyself. Betty's worst moments with her kids were her not being emotional available & instead being stern and selfishly not tolerant of her kids emotions. So now easiest to deny emotion in herself as the only way to deal with her own mortality. It is somewhat of a paradox, because she is emotionally immature she can only deal with death by ignoring it and going on with her life - it is a compensating for weakness stoicism that enable her to deal with Don for years and then seamlessly sashay onto the Francis lifeboat. So she is dealing with it stoically by not dealing with it (note she didn't tell Sally & ran out of the room before dealing with it) and if it were anyone other than herself Betty's stoicism would not prompt sympathy or admiration.

 

[Ts5034]

I really have no idea where they are going to go with the finale next week. It seems to me that most of the main cast could have already had their final send off and I wouldnt mind if the final episode is focused almost solely on Don. With all the time spent on pete in last nights episode, I cant see them wasting any more time of the finale on him.

 

[storrsroars]

I thought the last two episodes of the Sopranos were so good that they could have been put together as a feature film, so we will disagree on that.

Pete and Betty did 180's on their prior personas, which is always disappointing as a series nears its end. Pete wants to be a hitter, and he has as good business survival instincts as anyone at the agency. Dropping all that to live happily ever after with Trudy (who I could have sworn was at least implied to be a lesbian earlier in the series, no?) in Wichita seems like a stretch. More realistic would have been Trudy saying no because she realizes that Pete was FOS, as usual. Given how dislikable Pete is, it would have been fun if she actually turned out to be a lesbian, and said Pete was the reason. I give the ending to this arc a B-. They could have done a lot more with Pete.

Betty suddenly being stoic is also surprising, as is killing her off. I know that the purpose of that scene was for Sally to be able to compare a loving, giving husband like Henry to the cipher that is her father, but I would have preferred if Betty banged some college kid and hurt Henry that way rather than being the martyr. All in all, a solid ending to the Draper family story line.

Having Roger find Don and go to the VA party with Don would have been a great way for the two of them to part ways. I was a little disappointed by the new character and lame, transparent con that got Don beat up. Don should have beat that punk senseless, and it isn't clear why he didn't given the spiral Don is in.

I don't see Pete that way. I see Pete as a guy who, for a brief while, wanted to be Don. So he cheated on the love of his life, which was against his moral fibre. And she made him pay. The opportunity at LearJet, in Wichita, really does give him the opportunity to be a big deal while getting out of all the temptations of NYC and into a more stable family life. You can even see his resolve in the conversation with his brother. I'm taking Pete at face value on this. Seems like a good way to wind up his character. If anything, last night made me with we'd seen more of the old recruiter dude earlier... his role was great.

IMO, Don is now looking to amass good karma. I think he really enjoyed talking to Sally about his wandering. And I think Sally has a lot of Don in her, which we might see if Betty kicks in the finale.

 

[microfich]

The finale will have to be 90% Draper. Roger will just disappear into an elevator with a bottle in his hand if he hasn't already. I would feel gypped if there wasn't some sort of Don-Roger closure. It would be hard to believe Don doesn't at least make another call to CT (or find out from Roger) and learn about Betty. Will he go back? He'll falsely consider it but he's not in that place - cutting ties and moving along in a trance toward his fate - and she'll poo poo that anyway. Let me die in emotionless ignorance. The Betty death closes the huge cigarette arc and she as a vacant vessel was a good target for this ending. Don's coiling path to finality may not immediately result in death, at least not on this final Any Given Sunday. He does get juiced by meeting new people and that may be his salvation. I don't think the midwest is for Don. He'd be rurally bored in a month. He needs non-corporate action and he needs to run his own show. I like the "Hawaii" concept. I can see him running a surf shop, tiki bar or snorkeling charters amongst his faves of boozing, babing and swimming at least until the next personal crisis when a former client on vacation spies him. However, Hawaii does have Pearl Harbor and is closer to Korea.

 

[James]

How is pete dis-likable? easily one of my two favorite characters on the show. He starts out as a crass blowhard, really only interested in his great business acumen, and always looking at the character 'don' as something he wanted to be or impress. I do agree that trudy should have said , pete should have taken the job & just bounced . as he noted he was still young. his arc has been great as he really found himself towards the end, not to mention the writing for him is the funniest imo.

but still dissapointed with how they went about this last season.

 

[Fishy]

Now, if Don heads to the west coast and starts a small appliance repair business....

With Betty booting off, what happens to his kids?

 

[RonnyFrancis]

Now, if Don heads to the west coast and starts a small appliance repair business....

With Betty booting off, what happens to his kids?

I thought I remembered something on Sunday about how he "left over a million" in New York. That could be used to keep his daughter at Porter's/college. His sons never had any real character development that didn't involve their sister, mom, or Don so I really don't expect some explicit ending for them. After the display last week from Henry, I think they're his sons with or without Betty now.

No good way to end this show. I hope I'm surprised one way or another. The writing for this show is so "scattered" compared to other serials, where I don't think some conclusive ending is really needed or warranted. I think the mantra for many arcs in the series is "life goes on" and I wouldn't mind that for closing out the series.

 

[Scalito]

What's the possibility that Don becomes the bum that his foster father reneged the quarter on in the first season of the series? All he needs now is a piece of chalk and a jack-knife.

An unemployed man with nothing but the shirt on his back is a bum. An unemployed man with millions is a bon vivant.

So basically Don seems to be embracing the whole "Best things in life are free" mantra.

Nah. He's proving that money can make you happy. I mean, I've never seen a poor man buying himself a feel-good smile by giving away a brand new Caddy. Only rich men do that.

I'd be upset if Don became a new person. But Don feeding his own ego, while traipsing around from place to place and woman to woman? I approve. Always liked happy endings, and right now Don's livin the dream.

 

[Scalito]

The finale will have to be 90% Draper. Roger will just disappear into an elevator with a bottle in his hand if he hasn't already. I would feel gypped if there wasn't some sort of Don-Roger closure. It would be hard to believe Don doesn't at least make another call to CT (or find out from Roger) and learn about Betty. Will he go back? He'll falsely consider it but he's not in that place - cutting ties and moving along in a trance toward his fate - and she'll poo poo that anyway. Let me die in emotionless ignorance. The Betty death closes the huge cigarette arc and she as a vacant vessel was a good target for this ending. Don's coiling path to finality may not immediately result in death, at least not on this final Any Given Sunday. He does get juiced by meeting new people and that may be his salvation. I don't think the midwest is for Don. He'd be rurally bored in a month. He needs non-corporate action and he needs to run his own show. I like the "Hawaii" concept. I can see him running a surf shop, tiki bar or snorkeling charters amongst his faves of boozing, babing and swimming at least until the next personal crisis when a former client on vacation spies him. However, Hawaii does have Pearl Harbor and is closer to Korea.

I like Pete and he definitely has a man crush on Don, but emulating Don is not how he became an a-sbole. He started off as an assh-ole and, if anything, Don helped him to grow by not giving in to Pete's extortion attempt. Pete was forced to work for his success for the first time ever, and he responded well and matured.

I disagree with Waylon that he became a new person in that episode. Pete, more than anyone else in the series, has been evolving since Season 1 (the others just had linear successes you could see coming, as people grow older and more experienced in their careers, but their personal character remained the same). Pete started off with kernels of goodness (revealed through his relationship with Peggy), that were stunted his whole life growing up 8th generation this and that. He nurtured them in fits and starts, with hiccups here and there, every season. Now he's a decent guy, with kernels of assh-le that allow him to remain a fun character.

 

[storrsroars]

The one question I'm left with is: I want to know who wrote the Coke ad, Peggy or Don?

 

[Fishy]

The one question I'm left with is: I want to know who wrote the Coke ad, Peggy or Don?

Seriously?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Lukewarm on Don ending up in the commune. I feel like the conversation with Sally should have been the final scene with Don. Maybe it was, and the producers chickened out when they realized how cold it was, and wrote some gibberish about Don finding himself in a commune.

The endings for John, Roger, Peggy, Betty and Pete all made sense. Not all happy endings. Joan chases off a guy, Peggy seems to settle a little bit with her husband, Roger is less than 50/50 to stay married to his new wife, and Pete could be a schmuck again, but the endings all made sense.

 

[Ts5034]

So basically what happened was Don got the idea for the Coke ad while he was meditating and went back to work and made it?

 

[ZooCougar]

Well, I guess you could say it was a happy ending, except for Betty of course.

I think the Coke ad was purposefully ambiguous. If Don goes home, maybe he makes it. Maybe he doesn't and Peggy makes it.

Personally, I don't believe he goes back.

 

[Taco]

Yes, that's what I think - Peggy mentions both Coke & that McCann would readily take him back.... Also, why else would the end the show with that... I think that's what they are leading us to conclude - and since it's the end it can't be a red herring.

 

[Taco]

I believe he does go back... The response above wasn't there when I started replying.

There's no indication of him doing otherwise / California no longer has anything for him (where he's D Whitman). His epiphany where he walks over and hugs the overlooked guy allowed him to return to being Don.

Maddening episodes to watch but they leave you thinking...

 

[ZooCougar]

I believe he does go back... The response above wasn't there when I started replying.

There's no indication of him doing otherwise / California no longer has anything for him (where he's D Whitman). His epiphany where he walks over and hugs the overlooked guy allowed him to return to being Don.

Maddening episodes to watch but they leave you thinking...

I just can't see him working with that firm.

 

[Scalito]

Well, I guess you could say it was a happy ending, except for Betty of course.

I think the Coke ad was purposefully ambiguous. If Don goes home, maybe he makes it. Maybe he doesn't and Peggy makes it.

Personally, I don't believe he goes back.

(1) When I saw Don's smile my first words were "Don is back"! The Coke ad wasn't ambiguous, relatively speaking. It was as heavy-handed as Weiner was going to be for the hard-headed. Peggy offered Don Door No. 1 when she told Don to come back and then told us Don could go back if he wanted. We know Don likely took the offer by not taking Door No. 2 (suicide) or Door No. 3 (becoming a family man after swooping in to take control of the kids' lives). But, just in case you needed more---we are given a hippy dippy Coke ad set in the same type of hippy dippy setting where Don's satisfied smirk says goodbye for the show.

The ending reminded me immediately of an interview Weiner gave 2 weeks ago on NPR when the host speculated on possible endings in light of Don walking out of the McCan meeting to drive. At the time, there was ambiguity as to whether Don had quit the firm, and Wiener opined that Don was looking for his place in the new world and the still changing American culture. He suggested the way to look at what was going was, to paraphrase, "there is no doubt that Don has the capabilities to adapt to his and America's new world better than anyone, if he chooses to continue in advertisement or business generally, the question was only whether he wanted to and would."

That little smirk and the Coke ad was the answer. Don's character doesn't become a hipster because he cries it out with Mr. Cellophane in a commune. That man smirks for only two reasons---he knows he is going to get in a difficult conquests' pants or he just had a brilliant idea.

(2) Peggy certainly didn't make the Coke ad. The ending-point on her story arc signals that, while she was Don's protege the whole show, in the end she didn't make Don's choice. She's been struggling with life, just as Don has, by placing family entirely behind ambition and is, therefore, alone throughout the series (we know it's a real sacrifice for her by her bitter talk about giving up her child earlier this season). She gave up her baby at the hospital where Don visited her to exort her to return to work in the first season, but at the end of the series her choice is to sacrifice a little bit on the ambitious ego side for once and she gains on the family side soon after as a result.

(3) Don has nothing without his work. I'm surprised people would think he made any other choice other than suicide or advertising narcotics. Don contemplates quitting as early as season one, and he periodically runs away from it because, well, "Don does this every now and then." But he's never been able to stay away. Even when he was compelled to quit by his partners---sent off for rehab---he found ways to do the work by laundering it through Drunk Freddy.

 

[ZooCougar]

Yes, that's what I think - Peggy mentions both Coke & that McCann would readily take him back.... Also, why else would the end the show with that... I think that's what they are leading us to conclude - and since it's the end it can't be a red herring.

Not a red herring that's meant to be distracting, but ambiguous as hell. But there have been a mountain of Coke clues throughout the show, and that smirk you see him give just before it cuts to the ad is a big indicator. And yeah, that ad in particular is an ad worthy of Don Draper.

I just have trouble reconciling Draper going back to that place and working with such a structured enviroment. Of course that idea would be enough to get him out of the trouble he would be in and perhaps give him enough capital to play by his own rules, have lunchtime benders, post lunch naps, skip meetings etc.

 

[ZooCougar]

(1) When I saw Don's smile my first words were "Don is back"! The Coke ad wasn't ambiguous, relatively speaking. It was as heavy-handed as Weiner was going to be for the hard-headed. Peggy offered Don Door No. 1 when she told Don to come back and then told us Don could go back if he wanted. We know Don likely took the offer by not taking Door No. 2 (suicide) or Door No. 3 (becoming a family man after swooping in to take control of the kids' lives). But, just in case you needed more---we are given a hippy dippy Coke ad set in the same type of hippy dippy setting where Don's satisfied smirk says goodbye for the show.

The ending reminded me immediately of an interview Weiner gave 2 weeks ago on NPR when the host speculated on possible endings in light of Don walking out of the McCan meeting to drive. At the time, there was ambiguity as to whether Don had quit the firm, and Wiener opined that Don was looking for his place in the new world and the still changing American culture. He suggested the way to look at what was going was, to paraphrase, "there is no doubt that Don has the capabilities to adapt to his and America's new world better than anyone, if he chooses to continue in advertisement or business generally, the question was only whether he wanted to and would."

That little smirk and the Coke ad was the answer. Don's character doesn't become a hipster because he cries it out with Mr. Cellophane in a commune. That man smirks for only two reasons---he knows he is going to get in a difficult conquests' pants or he just had a brilliant idea.

(2) Peggy certainly didn't make the Coke ad. The ending-point on her story arc signals that, while she was Don's protege the whole show, in the end she didn't make Don's choice. She's been struggling with life, just as Don has, by placing family entirely behind ambition and is, therefore, alone throughout the series (we know it's a real sacrifice for her by her bitter talk about giving up her child earlier this season). She gave up her baby at the hospital where Don visited her to exort her to return to work in the first season, but at the end of the series her choice is to sacrifice a little bit on the ambitious ego side for once and she gains on the family side soon after as a result.

(3) Don has nothing without his work. I'm surprised people would think he made any other choice other than suicide or advertising narcotics. Don contemplates quitting as early as season one, and he periodically runs away from it because, well, "Don does this every now and then." But he's never been able to stay away. Even when he was compelled to quit by his partners---sent off for rehab---he found ways to do the work by laundering it through Drunk Freddy.

It's ambiguous in the sense that, Weiner will be asked if Don made the ad about a million times before he's done. And I bet he never gives a straight answer.

Regardless of whether he made it or not, I think the smirk and the catharsis with Leonard just shows that going forward in whatever he does he'll be more grounded. He finally came to terms with some self inflicted trauma at least.

I thought that the Betty end was the only bittersweet part. Betty dying soon is the bitter, Sally stepping up in the role reversal and making adult decisions in looking out for the greater good of the family was sweet. She's a better more responsible version of Don and Betty.

Pete's end was funny. His friends can't even be bothered to go on a fairwell lunch with him. But that's ok.

Roger's end was great in that he didn't die.

Joan's end is fantastic. She loses the man but continues on without hardly missing a beat.

Peggy's end was great too. No complaints there.

That ending was so much better than the ending of the "The Sopranos", which was what I was expecting.

 

[junglehusky]

Hippie commune, not hipster. Hipsters weren't invented (by marketing people) until the 00's.

I think my only real problem with the episode was how quick it shifted from Peggy/Don's phone conversation where she was legitimately upset that he might throw himself off a cliff (and at that moment don was as broken as he'd ever been) to Peggy/Stan's phone conversation that started off on Don and then somehow pivoted to their relationship.

But theme-wise, I liked the episode. Don was always dealing with was reality vs. manufactured reality, what you have vs. what you want and all those things were again front and center while he was at the commune along with his guilt (or whatever) over his relationships. Don can't reconcile with his past - even Stephanie, his last link to Anna who was the only thing that was a rock in Don/Dick's life, couldn't deal with him. The lame middle aged guy who was unhappy about being recognized by his family and the world was his opposite, sort of a yin/yang thing. Meeting (communing?) with that character was maybe a restorative event for Don. But it was written ambiguously, which is (for me) okay.

 

[Scalito]

Don can't reconcile with his past - even Stephanie, his last link to Anna who was the only thing that was a rock in Don/Dick's life, couldn't deal with him.

Don was desperately flailing for a rope there that didn't really exist. He should have called Peggy first thing, but he was running and Peggy was in the wrong direction.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Big part of "I'd like to teach the world to sing" was co-opting 60's discovery into commercialism. But that ad seems genuine enough and plays to our emotions so we can't help but buy it. Similarly the TV show can't come right out and take credit for a real life ad, but we'll mostly buy it.

If nothing else ending triumphantly there explains how McCann Erickson signed off on the sexual discrimination plotlines.

 

[Fishy]

He made the Coke ad.

It's ambiguous only if you require a gigantic neon sign flashing "He made the Coke ad!" to fully believe it.

 

[microfich]

Of course he made it. That was arguably the best Coke ad ever made amongst dozens of great ones. Don is arguably the best ad man ever.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Of course he made it. That was arguably the best Coke ad ever made amongst dozens of great ones. Don is arguably the best ad man ever.

After watching it again, this is absolutely the case, and it also says that Don is completely and totally full of ish. His race across the country to find himself was just narcissism. He finds out Betty is dying, argues with her for a little, then agrees without much of a fight to not raise his own kids. Finally, he calls Peggy, dumps his BS on her, then hangs up the phone like a drama queen. The best part of that scene was that Peggy realized that Don was a complete and utter waste of time as a person, and finally accepted Stan even if he was a bit of a dud. No point in waiting for Don to be something he isn't.

After thinking about the finale for a couple of days, I think it was perfect.

 

[Dogdeacon]

After watching it again, this is absolutely the case, and it also says that Don is completely and totally full of ish. His race across the country to find himself was just narcissism. He finds out Betty is dying, argues with her for a little, then agrees without much of a fight to not raise his own kids. Finally, he calls Peggy, dumps his BS on her, then hangs up the phone like a drama queen. The best part of that scene was that Peggy realized that Don was a complete and utter waste of time as a person, and finally accepted Stan even if he was a bit of a dud. No point in waiting for Don to be something he isn't.

After thinking about the finale for a couple of days, I think it was perfect.

I agree 100% with your factual conclusions, but I think your cynicism is too dark. That isn't to say that Don becomes a good father or even a good partner, but I think he hates himself a little less when he goes back to NY. Part of this enables him to be a great ad man and a slightly better man. He accepts that he's never going to be a great full-time Dad but that he can participate in raising his younger children like he is doing with Sally. Advertising and TV are by their nature 'false' but the emotions they portray and capture can nonetheless be sincere and actually work best when they come from there. Don definitely learned to accept himself a little more by hugging the surrogate self-loathing guy, but I agree that doesn't mean he gets successfully re-married and becomes a great Dad, he just changes a little bit, runs a little less and seeks incrementally deeper connections. Its partly false like the Coke ad, but also true.

Minor quibble but I don't think for a second that there was anything romantic between Don & Peggy and that she needed to give up on Don to accept Stan. There's not zero sexual or romantic connection between Don & Peggy, but neither ever went anywhere near it because they both knew the other was not what they wanted themselves or what the other person wanted. I also would have preferred a less ardent profession of love between the two of them, the scene was great and it was Mad Men esque how Peggy slowly did a gradual 'pitch' self-talk into realizing and knowing that she loved Stan, but more Mad Men esque would have done without the outright syrupy and explicitly obvious, "I love you = I love you too". i.e. When Don said 'Birdie' and Betty said "I know", that said a thousand things can be interpreted as I love you and I'm sorry etc.. that were more powerful unsaid.