This is the beginning, not an end. It’s tough to watch this weeks episode and feel like those words are true, Even coming from Don Draper himself. This week started like one of those classic Mad Men Episodes that Don would lead the group out of a horrible fate. And it went on that way for awhile, learning that the buildings lease had gone up, and one of the secretaries were going to get fired a more or less bi-nine way to start this conflict. A majority of these final episodes have felt very personal and close to a particular set of characters. This one managed to do that for a couple and also include my favorite thing about the show, all the Ad agency jargon, and all throughout this episode we built up to Don giving this great pitch to an uninterested crowd and instead of turning it around like he had done a million times before it didn’t work.
The personal parts of this weeks episode were with Peggy and Pete, along with a little bit of Joan. Peggy had a fantastic moment with Stan at the end revealing her estranged child and talked about the effects parenthood has on a young single woman, more on that later. But Pete had a mini redemption story this week, Pete has always been the butt of many jokes for people, I mean just look at his hairline. But he and Trudy fighting for their daughter at that weird classicist school, was a nice insight into their marriage as we are coming to an end. And him sealing the deal on a laxative company to give them some much-needed leverage to go make their final pitch to McCann & Ericson was frosting on the cake for him. He even had some great moments with Peggy and Joan alone.
“I told you a thousand times its not a comb-over!”
Instead of being the egotistical monster that he’s capable of he was kind to Peggy and warned her about the impending change up and was trying to show Joan the bright side after being invisible in the McCann & Ericson Meeting. Any chance to see Alison Brie is a welcomed chance, but she played the disgusted ex-wife very well. And then to have to switch immediately on a dime and become a loving housewife was brilliant. I mean her and Pete even had a joke moment this episode involving a mysterious mustache that their daughter drew. I’m sure that final meeting between them was supposed to signify some sort of heal in their messed up marriage, but I still don’t think that kind of behavior is something Pete can Continue. But maybe he’s right “Everything is going the exactly the way its supposed too.”
When Peggy first started losing her mind towards Stan about that crazy stage mom, I thought she was unfair and a bit mean, but as she continued to talk I started to remember and think about her past as a “Mother” its a really sad story and Peggy finally talking about it was clearly very tight for her. She was very rigid and allow with those kids in the beginning and hearing Stan say that she Hates kids must have been a big punch to the stomach considering everything. Being kind and soft is just one part of being a mother, and I’m sure given the opportunity I think she would make an excellent mother. Maybe a bit hands on and obsessive but she would certainly not leave her child unattended in an office building while Harry screams at some poor man on the phone.
“This clipboard hold’s the secrets to the universe…”
Instead of speculating about the future and deciding what the meaning of life is Don had an actual job to do this week. He even said it himself during “The Forecast” he works better under pressure. So trying to save this company again was a shot in the pants for him. And this territory of storytelling is not new for Mad Men, but its great to see it taken to this route where the failure is an option. And I keep saying failure because that’s what it felt like when Don was interrupted by that shiny headed bald man. Even the office workers have a hard time believing that giving up your freedom for bigger clients is a better thing.
Don and the gang couldn’t save the day, they have faced this task before and this time it was just too big for them. Its a funny end to this series were it seemed that every season finale before it ended in a company being saved scenario, well this time it didn’t work, and even weirder they aren’t out of jobs they are just cogs in a larger machine now. If we keep to this trajectory, it will be a brand new life for all these characters that could be great or really sad. And Don doesn’t even have a home yet. But as Joan put it best “We went out swinging.”
