Mad Men: The Final Season

[Dogdeacon]

Yeah, I might have forgotten that they purposefully tricked us as the viewers to think; 'COMPUTERS! - Don is a genius, of course go after that account' whereas in reality it is a startup and he walked into Bert's office as a copywriter. I still think Cutler should have delivered the put down, maybe after Don can't find Bert or Roger, but then the harshness finally gave Bert something to do and only Bert could deliver the cruel line about Lane Pryce.

The show is great to me because it is about my parents and myself, a decade I barely glimpsed and if the sins of the father are repeated by the sons/daughters. This week was particularly rough for Roger in that regard and so although it wasn't as fun as typical Roger adventures. it really resonated.

 

[Scalito]

I'm really interest in what the H3ll Bert actually does.

You think the story writers even know?

In the first season I always imagined him as an all around rainmaker/mega accounts guy due to the fact that he was hob-knobbing with high level republican party officials. That got dashed as soon as Duck's story unfolded. Then I assumed he was running the business and finances. That got dashed by Lane and Jane. Now I kinda of think of him as Managing Partner Emeritus.

He's just there. The cranky old wise man making more than he's worth.

 

[Scalito]

Is this not the best series ever?

It is at the top of my list.

 

[Husky25]

Allan Havey (Lou Avery) was on the Adam Carolla show yesterday. If there is a wider gulf between actor and character, I can't place it. On top of being dreadfully dull, Lou is a just a dreadful character. Allan Havey is quite enjoyable on the Carolla show. Meshed right in with Carolla, Bald Brian, and Allison Rosen. Havey a standup comic in his other life...

 

[ZooCougar]

So it seems like every season one character has to endure some sort of physical trauma or die. All I have to say is wow. There are lots of episodes in any series that blend together, but this one isn't one of those.

Donald Freakin' Draper... looks like he took a step forward. So in the next episode I suspect he'll take two steps back. Will it be some sort of repercussion from the stunt he pulled? Or Megan is finally history. This relationship seems to be on life support even with the two of them doing their best to keep it going.

 

[Scalito]

Just watched it tonight. I am really enjoying this season so far. Operation Get Lou is proceeding as planned; I don't expect to see Don fall hard again until after it's over.

 

[StevieDude]

I'm enjoying the season and getting annoyed that there is only 2 more episodes and then have to wait a whole year for the last 7

 

[Scalito]

I'm enjoying the season and getting annoyed that there is only 2 more episodes and then have to wait a whole year for the last 7

It's really annoying. I only learned about the split after beginning this season. If I had known, I might have waited before watching them all, but it's too late for that now. All I can do is complain.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Yep, they are building some serious momentum but rather than keep rolling with it as viewers we are almost forced to brace ourselves for a cliffhanger.

I thought that episode while kind of all over the place was great in the exact way Mad Men is great = deeply psychologically affecting. I had two dreams about it after watching last night.

• Loved the Betty - Sally stuff. Betty is so cruel and yet a product of her stifled upbringing that she is struggling to get out of while simultaneously repeating the pattern on her daughter without recognizing it. This is how life works and was spot on. Loved the sibling moment with Sally & Bobby, I'm interested in him now as he bridges towards adolescence and desperately needs a father figure.
• On Don - Megan I almost totally missed that Megan was desperate for Don's emotional intimacy with Stephanie and jealous or upset upon seeing Don take a caring role towards someone else. I literally needed the female in the room to spell that out for me. Megan can be the type to confront Don about this things and her options as I see it are to either try that or quit the entire thing as they are clearly moving apart rapidly now.
• Ginsberg, wow. I totally disagree with commentary reviews that this was too extreme or not within the Mad Men universe. I think that is exactly how mental illness manifests and I think we are watching an extremely turbulent time that has casualties. Peggy's reaction was so well done.
• Don & cigarettes - Don't know where it ends up, but obviously great to see a return to Don Draper being Don Draper on two fronts (pun intended). He was smoking! To hazard a TV guess, this is not the Cutler-Avery show so I think tobacco will take Don back. Should be another good fight coming with Roger (likely castigates Don for the stunt and for not including him but then joins up) & Bert (hmm, unknown, I say he flip-flops and goes with whatever side garners the business) picking sides.

 

[ZooCougar]

I thought Ginsberg thing was very much in line. As was getting Dick Cheney'd in the face.

 

[Dogdeacon]

I thought Ginsberg thing was very much in line. As was getting Cheney'd in the face.

The actress playing Sally has to enjoy if not love the increasingly harsh takedowns of her tv mother.

 

[Scalito]

Loved the Betty - Sally stuff. Betty is so cruel and yet a product of her stifled upbringing that she is struggling to get out of while simultaneously repeating the pattern on her daughter without recognizing it. This is how life works and was spot on. Loved the sibling moment with Sally & Bobby, I'm interested in him now as he bridges towards adolescence and desperately needs a father figure.

I always thought Don and Betty would get back together to some degree or another. Maybe not married, but more than a one-night stand at sleep away camp. Otherwise, why waste so much time on Betty and her home life? The story's about Don and the advertising industry. We shouldn't see so much of Betty, absent Don, unless the two storylines are going to be woven together again. Or so I always thought. Now I'm not sure if there are a sufficient number of episodes remaining to do that (although Betty and Don seem to be moving towards second divorces, so who knows).

 

[Dogdeacon]

I always thought Don and Betty would get back together to some degree or another. Maybe not married, but more than a one-night stand at sleep away camp. Otherwise, why waste so much time on Betty and her home life? The story's about Don and the advertising industry. We shouldn't see so much of Betty, absent Don, unless the two storylines are going to be woven together again. Or so I always thought. Now I'm not sure if there are a sufficient number of episodes remaining to do that (although Betty and Don seem to be moving towards second divorces, so who knows).

I think Betty & Don are parallel stories and don't intersect except for their kids. She is a 50's era housewife whose mindset is totally out of place in current world. She expected "Pleasantville" with Don and now a slightly more enlightened version of that with Henry Francis. I doubt Henry has changed but as the world around her (Betty sees her friend working) changes, Betty realizes maybe she should aspire to something more. So she tried out an opinion and then made the grave mistake of saying "SINCE WHEN?!" to her husband's opinion. Allows them to tell some of the Vietnam story and all thematically on point in terms of how people try to adapt to the times. And dovetailed perfectly with her shutting down her daughter in the same manner it was ingrained into her. So at 'Castle FrancisStein' we are left wondering if Sally can fight of becoming her mother and Bobby becoming his father (also obviously struggling with changing times).

To me it is all part of the bag of yuck that is a divorce and thereby relevant to Don via his children. I don't see any mutual resolution between Don and Betty, but it is definitely in the realm of possibilities that Don somehow takes a more active role if/when both the Francis family and Don's business implode.

All that said, I do think at times January Jones is simply part of the cast and they've been challenged to write storylines for her. Fat Betty was the best example and I think reflective of the writers being frustrated with both the character and the actress.

 

[Scalito]

Nice to see Peggy and Don reconciling, but otherwise last night seemed like a mere placeholder. Not complaining. It may have been a necessary placeholder. You can't have everything happen lightning fast, after all, but it was kind of boring.

One random thought: I don't like that Don is drinking "normally," if you will. It isn't realistic. Alcoholics are alcoholic because they cannot drink normally. The writers shouldn't try and put the cork back in that bottle.

 

[Husky25]

Nice to see Peggy and Don reconciling, but otherwise last night seemed like a mere placeholder. Not complaining. It may have been a necessary placeholder. You can't have everything happen lightning fast, after all, but it was kind of boring.

One random thought: I don't like that Don is drinking "normally," if you will. It isn't realistic. Alcoholics are alcoholic because they cannot drink normally. The writers shouldn't try and put the cork back in that bottle.

I didn't get the feeling that he was drinking normally. Are you talking about when he and Peggy were there late? I though was subtly hammered. Alcoholics can drink normally for a period of time (See McNulty, Jimmy. Season 4), but it typically doesn't last. There are hundreds of real world examples just like that. Did you catch in a later scene with Megan that Don didn't go home that night?

I was disappointed in the end of the episode. It was too abrupt.

Good to see the resurfacing of Bob Benson, Accounts. but Joan's rejection of him was classic ("Bob, you shouldn't be with a woman."). It was a little late at night, so it took a little bit to understand what she meant...

 

[Scalito]

Are you talking about when he and Peggy were there late?

Mostly, but he was drinking with Megan too. It all just seemed too casually frequent for a full blown alcoholic to handle. I know alcoholics seemingly can drink normally for a while, but it's a progressive disease. Once you are as far along as they portrayed Don, it is very difficult to have just one or two.

Did you catch in a later scene with Megan that Don didn't go home that night?

Must have missed it. When'd that happen?

 

[Husky25]

Must have missed it. When'd that happen?

I Thought it was just after Don and Peggy were dancing. Next scene involving Megan.

 

[Scalito]

I Thought it was just after Don and Peggy were dancing. Next scene involving Megan.

Thx. Will have to re-watch it. It's shown too late for subtle cues.

 

[Husky25]

Thx. Will have to re-watch it. It's shown too late for subtle cues.

I could be wrong as well. I had to take my cover pump out of the pool and pick up a few of my son's toys before I went to bed, so Mad Men was on pause for about a half hour. It was probably a mistake, but I stayed up to watch the end.

 

[ZooCougar]

I enjoyed the episode. It was really subtle perhaps and there is at least one thing that I don't fully understand.

The teasers for Mad Men are almost always misdirection and shown in such a off context that that in my view, they should be ignored. Weiner has said that he does them because AMC requires him to. But otherwise he objects because he thinks viewers should enjoy the show in its complete narrative.

That being said. Who is Don's "other woman". My theory is that it isn't a woman. It's his job, profession and his personal connections. So far this season we have seen Don place greater emphasis on his personal relationships beyond the one with his wife. He finds unexpected gratification in connecting with his truculent and untrusting daughter during a drive back to school. His "niece" calls for help and he couldn't be more happy to help in the hope that he reestablish his connection. And in this episode, as Peggy finds herself in the throes of crafting a strategy for Burger Chef, he doesn't waste any time suiting up and heading in to see what Peggy is up to.

They hash it out a little and she asks him what he is afraid of, he says "Not having done anything, having nobody". And then... she stops being the project lead and he reverts back to being the mentor and she the protege, while still being collaborators. They dance and then later on have Burgers with Pete Campbell at a Burger Chef and all three of those people are adrift in their own ways. The camera pulls back and we see them enjoying eachother's company and what they are talking about doesn't matter.

What I don't get is the whole Buick thing. Did SCP lose GM? It seemed like Bob was getting it and not SCP. I really didn't grasp what was happening there.

Crane as partner is a big deal. Crane's work is science and not art. It could set the stage for a further transformation at the firm that relegates the creative side even further.

 

[Husky25]

The camera pulls back and we see them enjoying eachother's company and what they are talking about doesn't matter.

That's the part I didn't understand. Though it was 11:30 by that point and I could barely keep my eyes open.

What I don't get is the whole Buick thing. Did SCP lose GM? It seemed like Bob was getting it and not SCP. I really didn't grasp what was happening there.

SCP lost GM. In fact, the guy that Bob Benson picked up from the police station told him that SC&P never were going to get it. It was always planned to come back in house. But Bob had a position at Buick if he wanted it.

Crane as partner is a big deal. Crane's work is science and not art. It could set the stage for a further transformation at the firm that relegates the creative side even further.

I agree it is a big deal, but each segment of a firm should have a seat at the table. The original 5 partners (Including Campbell as a Junior Partner) wouldn't have asked Crane along if they thought Television wasn't the future of Advertising. I'm not really a fan of the character, but I'm interested in whey the other characters have a problem with the Crane. My guess is that Roger views it as an attempt to marginalize Don along with Creative. Jim Cutler and Teddy Chaough sees it as an opportunity to marginalize Don, and Burt doesn't care one way or another.

 

[ZooCougar]

That's the part I didn't understand. Though it was 11:30 by that point and I could barely keep my eyes open.



SCP lost GM. In fact, the guy that Bob Benson picked up from the police station told him that SC&P never were going to get it. It was always planned to come back in house. But Bob had a position at Buick if he wanted it.



I agree it is a big deal, but each segment of a firm should have a seat at the table. The original 5 partners (Including Campbell as a Junior Partner) wouldn't have asked Crane along if they thought Television wasn't the future of Advertising. I'm not really a fan of the character, but I'm interested in whey the other characters have a problem with the Crane. My guess is that Roger views it as an attempt to marginalize Don along with Creative. Jim Cutler and Teddy Chaough sees it as an opportunity to marginalize Don, and Burt doesn't care one way or another.

And the irony is that Crane is part of Team Don. And they don't even realize that it was Crane who tipped Don off about the new tobacco account.

 

[Dogdeacon]

I thought that episode was phenomenal, so densely packed with deeply personal moments for all of the 'big five' characters (Don, Peggy, Roger, Pete, Joan).
GM-Buick
Yes they lost the new GM car (ok cuz that car ended up being the dud Chevy Vega!), but Bob Benson gets a job with Buick. The convo with Roger and the McCann guy was about the latter trying to hire Don so that SC&P could get the cigarette account but the guy really wanted to pry Don away to protect himself from losing Buick. Buick is in play and that's what Roger surmised in scene with Joan so he & Don will now go after Buick.

On Don the alcoholic stuff I too worry when I see him drinking, but this show is not about 12 steps. Don may or may not be a functioning alcoholic or an alcoholic at all. I think the point is that he uses booze to suppress and cope with his problems; plus drinking and the workplace were remarkably intertwined back then. Don may or may not have an alcohol dependency, but his underlying emotional issues are what the show is about. So it is not an interesting or relevant question whether Don can or cannot drink (a medical diagnosis is outside the show concept) and the disease they are looking at is not the chemical dependency but the emotional issue of hiding his true self and feelings. So I was fine with him drinking with Peggy because it unlocked that deeper level of friendship and family that he shares with Peggy.

Logistically I'm pretty sure Megan went back to LA and then Don pulled the all-nighter with Peggy. Also glad they cleared up unambiguously that BB is gay and I respect Joannie's choice. Not sure if that's it for BB or they pull him back in one more time to bring Buick to SC&P.

 

[Cheddie]

Logistically I'm pretty sure Megan went back to LA and then Don pulled the all-nighter with Peggy.

I really, really hope Weiner doesn't go there. Peggy's been a shrew this year, angry and afraid of Don, and the dance at the end was their reconciliation. You could feel the tremendous relief when she rested her head on her one-time mentor's shoulder, and she lit up when he embraced her pitch in the burger place.

 

[Dogdeacon]

I really, really hope Weiner doesn't go there. Peggy's been a shrew this year, angry and afraid of Don, and the dance at the end was their reconciliation. You could feel the tremendous relief when she rested her head on her one-time mentor's shoulder, and she lit up when he embraced her pitch in the burger place.

Agree, that is a friendship not a soul-mate type thing. Putting Don and Peggy together seems like brother and sister, pales in comparison to the aesthetic of every other Don Draper pairing and would be a default TV trope. Would possibly irreparably harm the entire series.