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

I agree about how great it is that the show isn't focused on Boomers. I think that's what made it so fresh and original. I love that they simply passed over Woodstock during the hiatus, like it was no big deal, because it wasn't to these characters.

A show about the 60s that focuses on Boomers usually just turns into a bunch of Forrest Gump-esque wanking.

 

I don't think I even knew Mathis' name before this week's episode, let alone that he was married.

Harry was starting divorce proceedings at the end of season 7A. Remember him moaning about becoming a partner right before the divorce, meaning his wife would get a bigger settlement? Of course, it doesn't look like he ultimately became a partner.

 

I used to want Peggy to end up with Stan, and part of me still does a tiny bit, but he's really grown in to more of a brother figure for her. It's sweet and I agree their scenes together are always nice.

 

Thanks, I do remember that now.

BTW, I had to look up who Mathis was when I saw his name.

 

But Woodstock wasn't really the worldy phenomenon until the movie hit in the spring of 1970. Us music lovers read about it but not anywhere near the intensity until the film and soundtrack came out in March 1970

 

The premiere took place in April 1970, so I guess they've still skipped over it. I think my point still stands. Fans who were clamoring for Sally to run off to Woodstock were delusional, because this show has never been about Boomer characters intersecting with history like that.

 

Ted implied divorce or at least separation when he mentioned to Don that he was having a gathering at his apartment not far from the office. It was written smartly enough to make you realize his marriage is over without going on about it.

BTW, there's a great group called The Bowery Boys that focuses on NYC history. They produce a wonderful podcast and also run a great Twitter feed. They 'live Tweeted' historical references during the season premier the other night. There's some cool historical tidbits in there...
https://twitter.com/BoweryBoys

dan c

 

The generally accepted convention is that a decade begins with Jan 1, nnn1. So 1970 would be part of the 1960s decade. Just as 1960 was the last year of the 1950s.

Guess it depends on whether you begin counting at 0 or 1...

 

I think you'd be hard pressed to find many people that believe that 1960 was the last year of the 1950s. It doesn't really work that way.

I understand this argument when we're talking about sequentially numbered centuries or millennia. First century was 1-100, second was 101-200, 20th century was 1901-2000, etc.

But I don't really think of decades that way, and it seems unlikely that most other people do, either.

When someone says the 1980s, you're generally going to understand that to mean January 1, 1980 through December 31, 1989.

Organizing things into decades is more of a cultural organizational tool than a real timekeeper, IMO.

 

My Dad is a very particular person about grammar, ettiquette etc. He's always telling people the decade begins with the year ending in '1. It's not the common perception but some insist it's the proper way.

 

Wikpedia seems to back up my view (the commonly accepted one):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decade

 

There is a possibility that when Sal Gal shows up she has flowers in her hair and defends the Jimi Hendrix version of Star Spangled Banner.....

Great opening episode.

 

The nine-month jump really makes this feel like two separate seasons, no matter how much AMC's lawyers want us to believe that it's all one season.

At least with Breaking Bad having a split final season, it still cohesively fit together as a whole when it was all done.

When "Season 7" of Mad Men is all done airing, I don't think viewing all fourteen episodes will feel very seamless once you get to episode eight.

 

Not quite the same thing, but my 40s definitely started when I turned 40, not 41.

 

Another random observation:

Don is finally succumbing to changing fashion trends in 1970. In the premiere we saw him wear a blue dress shirt and a striped dress shirt. Really pushing the envelope compared to his 10+ years of only wearing plain white dress shirts!

 

His ties are wider too.

 

The decade thing is due to there not being a year 0. The calendar goes straight from 1 BCE (or 1 BC) to 1 CE (or 1 AD).

 

I won't argue the math aspect, but I think general social convention definitely tends towards including 1950 in "The 50s" and 1960 in "The 60s". Pinpointing the "true" beginning and end of "The 60s" makes for fun barroom fodder. JFKs Assassination -> Nixon's Reelection? The Beatles Arrival -> Altamont? The March on Washington -> Kent State?

 

The way Ken's wife was encouraging him to retire and start writing again, do think she knew( via her Dad) that Dow was going to offer him a position ? Anyway fate seems to worked out well for him .

 

Actually in the short bonus feature that came with the episode via iTunes, Matt Weiner says that Ken made the wrong decision. Rather than taking the "handsome" severance package and pursuing his writing career, he has chosen the path of revenge. Ken should have listened to his wife.

 

I like that idea! It closes the series with a neatly tied bow!

 

I subscibe to the notion that "the 60's" run from the Kennedy assassination to Nixon's resignation.

 

I am SO glad they skipped ahead to 1970, if only to shut up those know-it-alls who kept claiming Sally would go to Woodstock and every other over-baked 60s cliches. Thank you Matt Weiner.

 

He wore a non-white shirt once in the first half of Season 7.

 

Did he? I just re-watched 7A a week or so ago. I must not have been paying close enough attention.