"Mad Men" -- *Final* Season Official Thread (possible spoilers) (part 2)

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by Ken_McAlinden, Dec 8, 2014.

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  1. Dan C

    Dan C Forum Fotographer

    Location:
    The West
    Great points I hadn't thought of!

    dan c
     
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  2. Hard Panner

    Hard Panner Baroque Popsike & Fuzz

    With McCann as his boss now, couldn't somebody in the HR department there create some trouble for Don?
     
  3. modrevolve

    modrevolve Forum Resident

    So..what's the story with Burger Chef these days?
     
  4. Bryan

    Bryan Starman Jr.

    Location:
    Berkeley, CA
    Yeah that seemed like such a big part of season 7A and then it hasn't even been mentioned yet. Was wondering the same thing myself.
     
  5. Hard Panner

    Hard Panner Baroque Popsike & Fuzz

    Burger Chef? They landed the account. What else is there to mention, I dunno. They never mentioned the model car that Chevy had them working on - the Vega...
     
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  6. Bryan

    Bryan Starman Jr.

    Location:
    Berkeley, CA
    Actually they came back to that quite a few times.
     
  7. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues

    I think there has to be a GM/Bob Benson storyline appear before the end. Bob's story just doesn't seem finished yet.
     
  8. Bryan

    Bryan Starman Jr.

    Location:
    Berkeley, CA
    Will we see Sal one last time before the series ends: yea or nay?
     
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  9. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues

    I want to say Yay, as I'd like to see him, he was a good character and a good actor portrayed him.
     
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  10. Dee Zee

    Dee Zee Once Upon a Dream

    I hope so.
     
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  11. GentleSenator

    GentleSenator what if

    Location:
    Aloha, OR
    as much as i'd love it, i doubt it. did we ever see the russian left in the pine barrens, in the sopranos? also, i could have lived without kinsey's last appearance.
     
  12. Jose Jones

    Jose Jones Outstanding Forum Member

    Location:
    Detroit, Michigan
    Nay. But I'm sure some guys want to see him hook up with Bob Benson.
     
  13. Claviusb

    Claviusb A Serious Man

  14. RayS

    RayS A Little Bit Older and a Little Bit Slower

    Location:
    Out of My Element
    I think a reasonable, realistic ending is that one or two of the characters have life-altering experiences, but the majority of them still need to get out of bed and go to work on Monday morning. The first two episodes certainly point toward Don being a likely candidate for that life-altering experience.
     
  15. NorthNY Mark

    NorthNY Mark Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canton, NY, USA
    I finally got caught up with the first two episodes of the final half season. I enjoyed them quite a bit, aside from a few scenes where the acting seemed a bit forced, such as the conversation between Ken and his wife in the first episode (though the content of that scene was key to the episode). Unlike many, I find the Diana character to be a wonderful addition. While I understand why some people dislike new characters being added this late in a show's trajectory, I don't really see her as a new character at all; rather, she seems to be such a clear homage to various characters we have already encountered (basically, all the brunettes Don has dated and even married in the past) that she marks them, and herself, as literary devices, and clearly symbolic of something for which Don is searching. It appears to be an aspect of himself--the more serious, less superficial side of himself that might have wanted to be a writer rather than an ad man (and the "artistry versus advertizing" motif was emphasized in this episode several times in the Pima storyline). When people want to know what attracts Don to her, it is obviously the Dos Passos book she had, as well as her lack of superficial gregariousness. Of course, in the second episode, we learn that there are deeper parallels in their pasts.

    Along these same lines, I have long suspected that what really seemed to have soured Don's interest in Megan may not have been her independence, but the fact that her goal turned out to be to become an object of superficial desire (as an actress) rather than something more intellectually ambitious. In the end, Megan was not as different from former-model-turned-trophy-wife Betty as she had first seemed; Megan merely wanted to remain a model of sorts. I thought it was fitting that Don finally ended up feeling true remorse after realizing from his conversation with Harry that (at least partially by his causing her to leave her soap opera to move to CA) she was now reduced to trying to sell herself in the company of men like Harry, inadvertently turning Don into the kind of pimp-like figure he hated so much from his childhood. I only realized when I noticed a commentator refer to his million dollar check as a "tip" that the moment is eerily reminiscent of Roger's leaving the $100 tip for Diana after having behaved so disrespectfully toward her. But while Don's far more generous "tip" is presumably meant to keep Megan from having to sell herself further, it does keep him and Megan in roles related to the prostitution scenario that has colored his entire life.

    On the other hand, If Diana truly doesn't want anything from Don--and, particularly, the escape from real-life problems he has always represented (most succinctly in his remark to Peggy in the hospital following her having given birth, and perhaps his ad about the disappearing man in the tropical resort), she may in fact be exactly what he needs to confront his own reality, which now is pretty succinctly symbolized by his empty apartment.

    [By the way, I loved the A/V club's analysis of the season opener, especially its brilliant (IMHO) relating of the Ken storyline to the Vietnam War, which I had not picked up on myself, but makes perfect sense.]

    Finally, what I most enjoy in these final two half-seasons (at least so far) is the overall atmosphere of melancholy, which I think captures the period exquisitely. I was only an infant at this point in history, so I have vague memories of the look and style, but they are the kind of memories that are fleeting and colored more by emotion than clarity or accuracy. Still, I've always associated the aesthetics of the very late '60s to very early '70s with a blend of profound melancholy about a lost past, anxiety about the future, and a kind of restless, boundary-stretching creativity. Perhaps being a child of divorce myself (from an early age), and experiencing my single mom having to face a daunting new life as I was emerging into consciousness in a period still marked by the left-over styles of that era, the show has a remarkable, almost uncanny resonance for me. Just looking at all the "groovy" fashions, furniture, and office artwork has a strong effect on me, and seems oddly yet powerfully to reflect what is going on with the characters, and with American culture at the time--outwardly "free" and expansive, the darkly-tinged orange, avocado, gold, and brown color schemes seem to haunt the outward exuberance of the swelling and undulating forms, ironically giving them a kind of pessimistic, musty, doomed-to-obsolescence look (at least, that's how I always have perceived it).

    Related to that then-trendy "look," as horrifying as her behavior was, I suspect we are supposed to realize that Megan's mom probably did Don a huge favor by clearing everything out of his apartment. It was always made clear that Megan designed it, so he otherwise would have been left with the evidence of that failed relationship (which, despite the cruelty of Megan's sister's characterization, was surely a true one, at least from Don's perspective) everywhere he looked. Ruining the carpet was probably not a complete accident on Don's part (as his rather thoughtless tossing away of Megan's earring in the same scene made clear). The big question we are left with is, of course, with what will he fill the newly created void (in both the immediate sense of his current life direction and in the larger sense of his long-term personal emptiness)?

    By the way, I just remembered the scene with Don, in the Megan-decorated apartment, pulling the needle from "Tomorrow Never Knows"--people read his disapproval as a kind of fuddy-duddiness, but perhaps he realized that what fashionable and "with-it" Megan represented was, in the end, little more than a "surrender to the void," and he was even then hoping for something more profound. Now he is literally confronted with that void, and I think we all hope he does more than surrender to it (all apologies to those who would understand surrendering to the void as a form of enlightenment--perhaps even if this is the case, one can be skeptical that such enlightenment could be achieved through focusing on trendy popular culture represented by the Beatles in 1966).

    OK, I'll stop now. But as is probably pretty obvious by now, I am loving this show!!!
     
    Last edited: Apr 18, 2015
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  16. NorthNY Mark

    NorthNY Mark Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canton, NY, USA
    Great points. Upon further reflection, in addition to the connection I mentioned above between the check and the $100 tip, I've just remembered another resonance, this time directly with a scene involving Megan--didn't she give the daughter of the original Draper widow the brush-off with a generous check? The gesture seemed kind of cruel, as if to say, "This is all I believe you really wanted, and in any event, it is all you're going to get, so please leave and never come back." Although Don's motives were a bit more complex here, and definitely seemed to involve a sense of guilt and desire to protect Megan from having to deal with the Harrys of the world, I think it also had at least an aspect of that "brush-off" meaning as well, as a way to get rid of her once and for all (partially, to be able to tell Diana that it was truly over). In fact, I think there have been other instances in the show where the writing of a check has almost appeared as an act of emotional passive aggression--didn't Don write a similar "good-bye" check to his brother in the very first season, prompting the brother to commit suicide?
     
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  17. Jose Jones

    Jose Jones Outstanding Forum Member

    Location:
    Detroit, Michigan
    Don gave a large amount of cash to his half-brother Adam. But that is a very good observation---noting the parallels between Megan writing the check to Stephanie and Don writing the check to Megan. Stephanie's mother once told Don that he's "just a man with a checkbook".

    Stephanie herself is sort of an unresolved story line---we last saw her back in Oakland, California, very pregnant and alone. She is Don's last living link to his Dick Whitman life. I think we have not seen the last of her and it wouldn't surprise me very much if Don hooked up with her somehow, platonically. I also think that it is not out of the realm of possibility for Peggy and Don to become romantic, either. Peggy and Stan together seems too obvious, in a way that Matthew Weiner avoids.
     
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  18. NorthNY Mark

    NorthNY Mark Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canton, NY, USA
    Wow--you have a great memory for detail--thanks! I didn't even remember Stephanie's name, let alone Adam's (or the original Mrs. Draper's line about the "man with a checkbook"). I agree with you about Stephanie possibly returning as a kind of quasi-daughter figure--perhaps she'll interact with Sally in some way. I'm less inclined to believe that there will be any romantic relationship between Peggy and Don; to me, they have too developed of a platonic, brother-sister relationship at this point to suddenly shift gears like that. I'm not even sure Don is Peggy's type--I think she actually likes the nerdier guys. Moreover, I don't see Don's ultimate life partner being someone who works in advertizing. I suspect that Ken's dream of becoming a writer may actually be Don's as well--didn't he try a bit when he was trying to "dry out" in an earlier season? I suspect that if there will be any kind of "happy" ending for Don, he will take up the "life not lived" challenge that Ken articulated but ultimately failed to meet, and walk out of the advertizing business altogether, symbolically handing the reins over to Peggy. I suspect that romantically, he will either end up with Diana, or he will just be single and focused on his kids (including Stephanie) and whatever new, presumably more creative endeavor he takes up. I don't think he'll go to California, though, as that would smack too much of his earlier escapism, and his kids still live in the NYC area. Of course, this is all assuming a "happy" ending.

    On the other hand, Matthew Weiner probably has a completely different and less predictable scenario in mind! (I actually always suspected, as perhaps Don did as well, that Don would ultimately end up with Rachel Menken, but that obviously is not to be the case).
     
    Last edited: Apr 18, 2015
  19. Jose Jones

    Jose Jones Outstanding Forum Member

    Location:
    Detroit, Michigan
    Thanks, but it was the original Mrs Draper's sister who uttered the line about the man with a checkbook. Anna Draper liked Don (and his checkbook), remember?

    I agree that is unexpected to think of Don and Peggy together but a writer asked Weiner about that possibility during the break between these final half-seasons and I got the impression that Weiner changed the subject awfully quickly, saying, "You have to watch it.....,".....so who knows?
     
  20. NorthNY Mark

    NorthNY Mark Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canton, NY, USA
    Hmmm...interesting! A Don-Peggy relationship is certainly something I suspect a lot of folks have probably been rooting for for a long time (though to me that is one of the strongest reasons for it not to happen). And thanks for the correction about the sister--I didn't even remember that Mrs. Draper had a sister--I'd been thinking that Mrs. Draper was Stephanie's mom, but that wouldn't really make sense.
     
  21. Jose Jones

    Jose Jones Outstanding Forum Member

    Location:
    Detroit, Michigan
    The sister's name was Patty. She was in at least 2 episodes. She showed up at Anna's house that morning that Dick and Anna were smoking pot (when Anna was hiding her cancer) and Dick/Don was painting the wall in his t shirt and underpants.

    [​IMG]
     
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  22. So, I'm watching last week's episode again, and Don is laying in bed with Dianna. He asks her if she has any kids and she says no.

    Now, they just got finished knowing each other, and every woman I've ever known, well...one can always tell if they've had kids...and I'm not only talking about stretch marks or some such.

    Just a curious observation.
     
  23. RubenH

    RubenH Forum Resident

    Location:
    S.E. United States
    I hear what you're saying here... the show has a wealth of minutiae that's fun to pick through. My two thoughts on this is:
    1. It's just one of those things that slipped through (like the bar code mentioned earlier), or
    2. Don, being who is is, knew darn well she had had kids, but wanted to see if she would be honest with him.
    On a slightly different matter: tonight's episode has been over on the East coast for + 1 hour and no comments yet; are the admins holding the spigot for the sake of the folks in the west?
     
  24. Jose Jones

    Jose Jones Outstanding Forum Member

    Location:
    Detroit, Michigan
    Very promising episode tonight, lots of familiar faces and new adventures in hifi...

    I'll wait til tomorrow to write more about it
     
  25. But now it happened not once, but twice. Joan's new love interest couldn't tell that she had had a baby, either. :shrug:

    On another note, I don't think it's just my imagination, because I know the show is ending, but it really does feel like things are unravelling: winding down in some enigmatic way.

    How like the last episode we end with Don alone in a bare apartment. This episode Don is alone, again, but on the outside trying to see in. An empty hallway.

    This episode was sopping with youth juxtaposed against the old guard.

    If I'm not mistaken, Don and Betty were married because Betty was expecting. Don saw just that in the people who were moving into his flat, only this couple could afford a swank crib like that. Don and Betty barely had 1000 sq ft (or so they alluded to).
     
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