Mad Men: The Final Season | Page 4 | The Boneyard

Mad Men: The Final Season

Fishy said:
I have no idea.

I guess they had to replace the suicidal diner waitress and that's what they came up with.

They are just flinging s--- at the wall right now.

Here's my advice - bail on Don's former families. No one cares. Have Betty and the kids die in a carbon-monoxide accident involving a squirrel blocking the furnace exhaust.

Kill off everyone who is not Don, Roger, Joan or Pete or the girl from Get Him to the Greek whose name I always forget. Take five minutes at the begining of next week's episode and just massacre 'em all.
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But this shows always done this, it indulges in the bit players and occasionally people go insane imagining a bigger picture (i.e. Bob Benson or Megan wears a t-shirt & everyone thinks she's a Manson victim). Last night was good although a bit indulgent of Matthew Weiner.
1. He and everyone else love looking at Christina Hendricks, so personally I bought into the LA love boatride b/c it meant staring at her. I'm sorry, was the plot blocking ya'll's view or something?!
2. Glenn (Sally's friend) is played by Weiner's son. I think Weiner only hired January Jones to look at her and then fed his child as surrogate for his crush. Nice of him though to send the kid to the killing fields.
3. Clearly Don's search for a mission statement was a parallel to Weiner's quest to write a meaningful end to the series.
Despite all this the episode was great due to:
A. Pete & Peggy arguing with Don in middle, Don's WTF look when they went back to their corners was tremendous
B. Peggy; "Why don't you tell me your dreams so I can s__t all over them!"
C. Pete; "We've got a "Peanut Butter Cookie Problem!"
D. Sally's retort to Glenn saying he enlisted "ARE YOU BLEEPING STUPID?!"
 
Time and Life was a great episode - definitely top-10 Mad Men all-time for both little things (a knowing look as Roger gives Don the layup laxative 'move' joke) and big; the Peggy & Stan scenes were tremendous. I was really freaking scared for a second that the melancholy waitress was coming back when Don tried a drunk hook-up, but thank goodness she'd moved. Don is left with nothing even as he gets the biggest whitest whale of Co..ca - Col-LA. Don is alone in the abyss, what is next?!
 
Dogdeacon said:
Time and Life was a great episode - definitely top-10 Mad Men all-time for both little things (a knowing look as Roger gives Don the layup laxative 'move' joke) and big; the Peggy & Stan scenes were tremendous. I was really freaking scared for a second that the melancholy waitress was coming back when Don tried a drunk hook-up, but thank goodness she'd moved. Don is left with nothing even as he gets the biggest whitest whale of Co..ca - Col-LA. Don is alone in the abyss, what is next?!
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Still digesting what happened. I have slight anxiety over this show ending. Sort of the same feeling I used to get when I was a kid and a neighborhood friend moved away.

Getting absorbed and being handed titanic accounts sort of feels like everyone is being forced to finally grow up. Also I have to wonder if they are happier with the smaller accounts than the politics of dealing with the big boys.
 
ZooCougar said:
Still digesting what happened. I have slight anxiety over this show ending. Sort of the same feeling I used to get when I was a kid and a neighborhood friend moved away.

Getting absorbed and being handed titanic accounts sort of feels like everyone is being forced to finally grow up. Also I have to wonder if they are happier with the smaller accounts than the politics of dealing with the big boys.
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Yes, for Don, Roger & Pete it has almost always been about acquiring or keeping the account, rarely simply servicing which is probably 90% of advertising but far less dramatic and equally 90% of the time less rewarding. So have they died & gone to advertising heaven or just died?

I'm steeling myself by knowing Netflix exists and I can always re-watch previous seasons. Weiner once said his original ending was the season finale where Don got the leave of absence and then showing his children the dilapidated whorehouse he grew up in while Joni Mitchell's 'Both Sides, Now' (I've looked at clouds...) plays in the background. Given that it is 1970, odds could be the ending is set to either of that year's best songs; "Let it be" or "Bridge Over Troubled Water" .
 
I haven't viewed a single episode of 'Mad Men.' Notwithstanding that fact, it seems like "...This is the final season of 'Mad Men' " has been going on for something like three years now. What did I miss... other than the show?
 
Gretchen said:
I haven't viewed a single episode of 'Mad Men.' Notwithstanding that fact, it seems like "...This is the final season of 'Mad Men' " has been going on for something like three years now. What did I miss... other than the show?
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Everything. Nothing.
 
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St. Paul is a long way from NYC by car. Dying to see how they tie that loose end up.

Loved the use of Major Tom when the hitcher got in the car and they headed west on the open highway.
 
storrsroars said:
St. Paul is a long way from NYC by car. Dying to see how they tie that loose end up.

Loved the use of Major Tom when the hitcher got in the car and they headed west on the open highway.
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Eh, I think they jump to next month. They are killing me with the waitress plotline, I'm getting close to wanting Dick Whitman to jump out the window versus watching him chase what is essentially his own flawed & ugly 'tail'.
 
pete campbell and peggy have been awesome, but i can't ditch the feeling this last season is more 'victory lap' than it is great television. TV shows last seasons are usually below their set standard anyway imo, other than breaking bad. Ive elected that sunday nights i tune into the silicon valley /veep hour since they premiered
 
James said:
pete campbell and peggy have been awesome, but i can't ditch the feeling this last season is more 'victory lap' than it is great television. TV shows last seasons are usually below their set standard anyway imo, other than breaking bad. Ive elected that sunday nights i tune into the silicon valley /veep hour since they premiered
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I think you are partially right (certainly the prior week was a sequel-esque one last caper episode), the split-season has really hurt and there is little so far evidencing that Weiner has a new better ending. I know he's going to enjoy some ambiguity and open to interpretation is far more likely than straight closure.

But thinking more about it last night was very good for the combined 'full circle' tales of Joan & Peggy. Joan first created her own fiefdom accepting the male-dominated world, then threw off those chains, but was ultimately denied a place at the table and put back down by 'the man'. So from a female perspective it was exceptionally cool to see Peggy strut back into that office like a gangster poised to keep at it until she gains control.
The creepy background music that was actually being played & heard by Peggy was cool and the roller skating to organ music while drunk on vermouth was pure gold. For the men it was a setup episode.
 
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So Don Draper is going to blow off the agency and head to California with his f---ed up waitress to start a new life on the beach.

The plane flying west past the Empire State Building wasn't quite obvious enough for them, so they had a car heading west at the end, too. And they played Major Tom.

It's a train wreck.
 
Fishy said:
So Don Draper is going to blow off the agency and head to California with his f---ed up waitress to start a new life on the beach.

The plane flying west past the Empire State Building wasn't quite obvious enough for them, so they had a car heading west at the end, too. And they played Major Tom.

It's a train wreck.
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Got a late start on work today and watched 712. Great episode. I watched the first 20 minutes of 711 when it was first on, so I hope I am not missing much.

Don was never going to end the show in the agency, or any other agency for that matter. That would have been tragic. Shaugh (sp?) looking at Don as he leaves and smiling was confirmation. My only disappointment was that Shaugh didn't follow Don out the door. Shaugh is one of my favorite characters in the show. I suspect that Don never finds the waitress.

Peggy walking in with the Octopus painting is awesome. Give the whole world the finger. Roger was right. Why make men feel comfortable around her? In that environment, she should want men feeling as uncomfortable as possible.

$250k is a boatload of money in 1972 for Joan to walk away from.
 
nelsonmuntz said:
Got a late start on work today and watched 712. Great episode. I watched the first 20 minutes of 711 when it was first on, so I hope I am not missing much.

Don was never going to end the show in the agency, or any other agency for that matter. That would have been tragic. Shaugh (sp?) looking at Don as he leaves and smiling was confirmation. My only disappointment was that Shaugh didn't follow Don out the door. Shaugh is one of my favorite characters in the show. I suspect that Don never finds the waitress.

Peggy walking in with the Octopus painting is awesome. Give the whole world the finger. Roger was right. Why make men feel comfortable around her? In that environment, she should want men feeling as uncomfortable as possible.

$250k is a boatload of money in 1972 for Joan to walk away from.
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Shaugh said he likes it over there. I just get the sense that his drive is gone and that is a place where being mediocre can be masked by the power of a big agency.

I sort of came to the realization that McCann is basically the "bad guys" if there is such a thing on this show. I didn't see Don making it through the episode with them, box lunches and that research guy? Good lord. No creative spontaneity and post lunch naps? No way that's working.

The whole Joan thing was a bummer. She was perhaps the biggest climber of all and knew exactly what she wanted and she found the end of the ladder. Peggy has the emotional intelligence and patience to survive and continue her journey in that place.

The waitress reminds me of many of Don's former interests. The teacher, the addict artist and maybe some others I can't remember. I tend to think she has some sort of connection to his past or at least that is what is in his head. She's just as damaged as him. Where is he going? Who knows? but my guess is that his last line on the show will be something like: "My name is Dick Whitman".

I enjoyed it, and I can't wait to see what happens.
 
Fishy said:
So Don Draper is going to blow off the agency and head to California with his f---ed up waitress to start a new life on the beach.

The plane flying west past the Empire State Building wasn't quite obvious enough for them, so they had a car heading west at the end, too. And they played Major Tom.

It's a train wreck.
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Whenever Don takes off on these all night drives, I can't wondering if there gas stations back then that were open all night. Yes, that is the kind of dumb stuff I think about.
 
ZooCougar said:
Shaugh said he likes it over there. I just get the sense that his drive is gone and that is a place where being mediocre can be masked by the power of a big agency.

I sort of came to the realization that McCann is basically the "bad guys" if there is such a thing on this show. I didn't see Don making it through the episode with them, box lunches and that research guy? Good lord. No creative spontaneity and post lunch naps? No way that's working.

The whole Joan thing was a bummer. She was perhaps the biggest climber of all and knew exactly what she wanted and she found the end of the ladder. Peggy has the emotional intelligence and patience to survive and continue her journey in that place.

The waitress reminds me of many of Don's former interests. The teacher, the addict artist and maybe some others I can't remember. I tend to think she has some sort of connection to his past or at least that is what is in his head. She's just as damaged as him. Where is he going? Who knows? but my guess is that his last line on the show will be something like: "My name is Dick Whitman".

I enjoyed it, and I can't wait to see what happens.
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Gotta remember with Joan though that her partnership was secured by her agreeing to sleep with the Jaguar guy so that they could get the account. So later the 'price' quadrupled when they tried to go public (ruined by Don who also quits Jaguar adding insult to injury) but then quadruples again when Roger sells the firm to McCann. So now Joannie's choice is take more (arguably double) what she thought she was prostituting herself for to begin with or work in misery and keep fending off and/or prostituting herself. Roger and her knew that her work environment would just be made worse until she was forced to accept .25/$1 so taking half the money was a no-brainer. Had Joan got her partnership simply by securing Avon and other accounts then it'd be really sad and a loss, given that she made a deal with the devil originally makes it easier for the audience and her to cash out on her career.

I agree that Peggy survives and prospers, absent the suicidal waitress I'm on board with Don's current path being true to what he'd do, but to this point he has always come back.
 
I also believe there is a good chance Don reverts back to his Whitman persona. I just don't understand why these story arcs are being introduced now. Seems like a lot of loose ends to tie up in the next couple weeks.
 
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Husky25 said:
I also believe there is a good chance Don reverts back to his Whitman persona. I just don't understand why these story arcs are being introduced now. Seems like a lot of loose ends to tie up in the next couple weeks.
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Yes! It felt like last week was a mid season show of a normal 13 episode season. It seems like theres a lot more that they could do with whats happened up to this point. With only 2 episodes (90 mins) left in the series, I have no idea where they are going.
 
Ts5034 said:
Yes! It felt like last week was a mid season show of a normal 13 episode season. It seems like theres a lot more that they could do with whats happened up to this point. With only 2 episodes (90 mins) left in the series, I have no idea where they are going.
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They simply have to get into the meat of the what, where and how of Don and then only as it correlates to him, his family. Last two episodes need to be about Don Draper with others simply there to service that plotline or provide occasional diversion. We don't need resolution on every single character so really hoping they don't giftwrap Stan, Pete, Roger, TV guy (Crane), Teddy Chaugh into little bows and certainly no more on Joanboat. Its still a great show, but Weiner has us stuck in the trees.
 
I watched the last four episodes marathon style. It worked for me. I felt none of the letdown or anxiety with new plotlines and what not some are complaining about. It was like . . . a good, ordinary dose of Mad Men. Just like the first time I watched most of season one, hung over in Bumblef-ck, Wisconsin, after a friend's wedding. If the shows gonna end, what better way?

I don't want a season of tying up loose ends. Go out the way you came with lots of extraneous plots and interesting characters. And fun scenes like Peggy rolling around drunk on roller skates, Don walking out of his first meeting, and Roger playing the piano like he's the Phantom of the Opera. No need to button everything up. An ambiguous ending fits the show.
 
Another decent episode, although odd for the penultimate one of the series.
 
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Ugh I am getting that same feeling I had when The Sopranos ended. I thought they spend way too much time on Pete last night.

Wichita is beautiful? WTF.
 
nelsonmuntz said:
Another decent episode, although odd for the penultimate one of the series.
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I thought it was really good and struck a chord with me. Somehow the twist was unexpected. I think they'll get some criticism for that as a stereotypical or 'cheap' twist, but I was completely surprised by it and think it really adds to the finale in a very interesting way.

Only criticism a little too much time at the motel, I would have had Roger chase down Don and join him at the VA bender, that would have made the confession weightier and equally importantly the scenes funnier.
 
So basically Don seems to be embracing the whole "Best things in life are free" mantra.
 
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.
 
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.
 
ZooCougar said:
Ugh I am getting that same feeling I had when The Sopranos ended. I thought they spend way too much time on Pete last night.

Wichita is beautiful? WTF.
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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.
 
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