It’s tough to think of a show that means more to AMC than Mad Men. It was the first stand out demonstrate that eventually lead us to ‘Breaking Bad’ and then the Rating juggernaut ‘The Walking Dead’. Mad Men has always been about an Ad Agencies in the 50’s, 60’s, and this last few episodes, the 70’s. But there is so much left under all that to show a careful and thoughtful television programs that only books could delve deeper into. When we last saw Don, he was sitting on a bench and waiting for the bus to take him somewhere else. Well, he apparently ended up in Utah. And that’s were Don proceeded to fall to rock bottom and hit every cliff on the way down. As for everybody else they seemed to have moved on. Joan started her own Company presumably with Peggy, Roger ran off with Megan’s mother, Peggy and Stan finally found what was sitting in front of their faces the whole time, and Pete is starting his new life with Trudy and his daughter.
Finales are hard to do. Everybody has their own perfect vision of what the final thing you see should be when probably they have no idea and are simply sad because the show is ending. But this finale had some spectacular moments for multiple characters, even if it did feel a bit rushed at first. Don finding out Betty had cancer and scolding Sally for getting in the way was a pot calling the kettle black situation. He ran off without telling anyone where he is but of course he’s the smarter of the two. It was just the start of Don realizing what he has become. But his Phone call to Betty was absolutely heart-wrenching, these two people who apparently cared for one another a lot at one point in time will never see each other again. Both fantastically acted by January Jones and Jon Hamm, there wasn’t a whole lot of writing in that scene so it was all left on their shoulders, and they were beautiful.
The 60’s were just a fever dream
Another Sad aspect of Don being so far away was the fact that everybody he interacted with back in New York was over the Phone, so we never got to see him face to face with anyone like Peggy or Joan. So once, Don Made it to California we finally got the first real look at the grimy and down trodden Don Draper away from everybody else. He was in real bad shape, and that’s why he was taken to that hippie retreat up the coast. Because if there is one thing Don needs its a real rehab. I kind of had a feeling that the series would end at this place, and I was a little bummed it did. Obviously the scene of everybody meeting back up and getting to chat was never in the cards for Don. But I can’t seem to count this against the series itself. This is what Don does, he repeatedly runs away and starts over. Whether this new found life for him sticks is yet to be never seen, but it is fascinating to think that he went from a smokey bar in Manhattan to a cliff face in California mediating.
Other than Don, Joan toke up an enormous part of this final episode, and it was worth it. To see her build this romance with a very handsome and very wealthy Bruce Greenwood was nice but it always felt a little quick. But maybe that’s just me. But seeing it all crumble apart because she wants to focus on building a business a was brilliant turn. And even if it does fall through (which it won’t) little Kevin has all of Roger’s money to compensate, maybe Joan and Peggy can hire Meridith. Speaking of Peggy, her and Stan Realizing their love for one another was another stand out moment. Also done on the phone…(this is the part where I realize that the episode was called “Person to Person” and a lot of big moments toke place over the phone.) it was such a great moment that it even distracted her from a suicidal, Don. She seemed to make the decision that she was staying, and that set off a chain reaction of love spewing. As for the other romantic couple of this episode, I was a little less fond of them. Roger is great, I love him. But him ending up with Megan’s mother is a recipe for disaster. –and he seemed to know it, giving all his money to Kevin– to could just be my Talia Balsam bias but I much preferred Mona.
I wanna know what these four talk about at a get together.
Seeing Don break over the phone to Peggy was a cataclysmic moment in this show we finally got to hear all those things don has been thinking throughout these years. As the conversation goes on you can tell Peggy gets more and more worried as if she’s talking someone off a ledge. And then comes his realization that “I messed up. I’m not the man you think I am.” this entire scene was pretty special not only for the show but also for a massive character moment. He’s finally coming clean, to the only woman he loves in a platonic way.
So while Don sits in a panic attack the only thing that could possibly break him out of it, is another person breaking and feeling the same way he does. “I’ve never been interesting,” hearing this man speak about how he feels his life has gone, was a significant moment for Don, once the man said “It’s like nobody will care when I’m gone.” his mind snapped back to reality. I could recite this entire scene because it’s so beautifully written. But it’s such a raw moment listening to it. It crystallizes why so many people love and watch this show. Feeling alone and feeling afraid even though you know people are behind you is a common feeling and just hearing that it’s a normal thing is comforting. Even in the darkest moments of life, somebody else is feeling that exact same way.
This show means a lot, to a lot of people. And it’s easy to see why, from the beautiful character moments to the iconic moments and the horrible decisions. This show started the rise of cable television. It’s incredibly sad to see it go, but this is always better than seeing the show go on too long. People’s feelings will vary on whether they enjoyed it or not, but at the moment of that smile leading to the classic Coke Ad, I can honestly say I’m happy to see Don make it out of this cycle of hell that he put himself in. even if he makes it back into advertising.
