• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Mad Men's Final Season

Page 3 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
radhak said:
For the change of attitude towards Don from Peggy and Joan, you gotta remember that the characters' last interaction with Don is what remains with them, even if 6 months ago, and many other episodes for us, the viewers. This is brought up nicely in the 'previously on Mad Men' at the beginning of the episode(s).

Peggy I believe had told Don that he was a monster, out of control, and something more in that vein. The context was that Don was trying to scuttle Ted's affair with her, and Peggy - rightfully - was outraged. The fact that Ted proved to be a gutless slimeball made Peggy hate Don all the more, in a sort of double-down.

Joan, OTOH, is upset with Don for career reasons. She's ambitious, but for all her efforts, nobody noticed her at the old SC or SCDP (other than for her 'hills'). Then she saw an opportunity and literally whored herself to get an account and a partnership, even becoming the butt of office jokes because of it. And in comes Don with a holier-than-thou moment and washes all that away in one gesture, leaving Joan unsure of her standing in the office. Even the new guy Lou dumps on her, treating her as just a head-clerk shuffling people around. And guess who treats her so much better? Cutler! He apologizes for stuff; he elevates her to 'accounts man', and gives her a room. Effectively, he's bought her loyalty. No wonder she bristles at seeing Don back, threatening to bring back the old status. At least she gives it a cover of objectivity by pointing out to Don's drunkenness as the main problem.

And frankly, as far as professionalism goes, it's just Cutler and Joan left there. Peggy has lost her moorings; Roger's almost a hippy now; Lou is a career bureaucrat in disguise; Don is only looking for personal redemption. I pity the clients of this firm.
Click to expand...
Quality post, here. :thumbsup:

I don't think that Shirley's fired. They can't fire them, remember?

I'm pretty sure she's working for Lou, now, so lucky her. :\
 
watched sunday's episode last night. this was the best episode to me so far this season. something about this season so far hasn't gotten me excited. like i don't really care about watching it sunday night like i do other shows i watch on sunday. i just don't get excited for it. but last night's episode was better for some reason.

i'm also tired of don's ex-wife story line. i forgot about her until last night's episode. i wish they wouldn't show her, it's just boring. also, the whole story about her getting fat seemed totally pointless and i don't even remember how it resolved itself. now all of a sudden she is back to normal.
 
Isn't this final season split up into two? If so how many more episodes are there before the end of this half season?
 
Just like Breaking Bad.

Kinda ridiculous, really. There's got to be some sort of financial reasoning behind it.
 
I enjoyed this episode because it finally brought Don back into the office and got back into the politics of the ad agency, which is when the show is at its best.
 
I think my interest in this show is waning. It used to be that I couldn't wait for each new episode to come on. Last night, I was watching something else and just happened to look down at my watch and notice it was 9:55 -- must be time for Mad Men.

Now I think I just watch saying to myself "let's just hurry up and get this over with" rather than having my heart fully into it like I did in previous seasons.
 
I didn't love last night's episode. In some ways I felt the writing was lacking. Don has been a hardcore functioning alcoholic for years, including at work, so it didn't ring true to me that he got so sloppy after he drank that vodka. I didn't understand the point of his rant toward the computer guy (maybe I need to rewatch that), and it seemed out of character for him. I thought the Roger stuff was interesting and well done, though.
 
Just listened to an interview with Matthew Weiner, and he too is upset by how the final season is being split. Apparently, this was an AMC decision. I found his explanations of where the characters are now most helpful in filling in gaps I simply couldn't. Too long between seasons, and it'll be 10 months between these two last parts. Sigh...
 
AznAnarchy99 said:
These half seasons are annoying. Only 3 more episodes left and I feel like nothing significant has happened.
Click to expand...

I didn't mind it with Breaking Bad, but both halves were pretty action-packed. While the Sopranos kind of set the standard for doing this, the last season of that show (both halves) was pretty uninspired in my opinion, and I'm afraid Mad Men may be more in that mold.
 
I think there are kind of things wrong with the show this season. Don's current position is nonsensical. I didn't understand why he was thrown out of the agency in the first place, and I don't understand why he's the low man on the totem pole now. They're just making up circumstances in order to put him in a down-and-out role but it doesn't really make any sense.
 
Mandres said:
I think there are kind of things wrong with the show this season. Don's current position is nonsensical. I didn't understand why he was thrown out of the agency in the first place, and I don't understand why he's the low man on the totem pole now. They're just making up circumstances in order to put him in a down-and-out role but it doesn't really make any sense.
Click to expand...

I felt the same way too but mostly because I couldn't remember what happened last season with how long the gap was. I had to go back and watch the last episode of season 6 for it all to make sense.
 
Mandres said:
I think there are kind of things wrong with the show this season. Don's current position is nonsensical. I didn't understand why he was thrown out of the agency in the first place, and I don't understand why he's the low man on the totem pole now. They're just making up circumstances in order to put him in a down-and-out role but it doesn't really make any sense.
Click to expand...

Yes, both things don't make sense.

Don has pulled in numerous clients with his creativity and presentations. He has also been correct a few times in going against the majority when they have chosen to be disloyal to long time clients in the hope of landing larger clients.

While Don had been extra rude to the staff leading up to his dismissal, he had always been rude and they had gladly put up with it to keep him. Just losing Hershey, a company they didn't have should not have been enough to cause his dismissal.

Don literally built the company by saving Sterling Cooper and orchestrating the merger.

It would have seemed far more realistic to give Don a warning, or limit his contact with clients, or to just give him a couple of weeks suspension than what they did. What they did made no sense. They didn't fire him and told him he would be coming back in time. Yet, six months went by, while they were paying him, and they never brought him back.

Add the above to the sudden turn around in attitude of Joan towards Don for no apparent reason, and the disloyalty of both Bert and Ted, who Don allowed to take his place in California.

It really makes no sense and was just lazy story telling. They wanted Don to be away from work on suspension, then come back under stringent rules, but didn't bother to write the backstory believable, nor make the characters behaviors believable.

Don should have walked out when he found out that Roger had not discussed his coming back.
 
techs said:
Yes, both things don't make sense.

Don has pulled in numerous clients with his creativity and presentations. He has also been correct a few times in going against the majority when they have chosen to be disloyal to long time clients in the hope of landing larger clients.

While Don had been extra rude to the staff leading up to his dismissal, he had always been rude and they had gladly put up with it to keep him. Just losing Hershey, a company they didn't have should not have been enough to cause his dismissal.

Don literally built the company by saving Sterling Cooper and orchestrating the merger.

It would have seemed far more realistic to give Don a warning, or limit his contact with clients, or to just give him a couple of weeks suspension than what they did. What they did made no sense. They didn't fire him and told him he would be coming back in time. Yet, six months went by, while they were paying him, and they never brought him back.

Add the above to the sudden turn around in attitude of Joan towards Don for no apparent reason, and the disloyalty of both Bert and Ted, who Don allowed to take his place in California.

It really makes no sense and was just lazy story telling. They wanted Don to be away from work on suspension, then come back under stringent rules, but didn't bother to write the backstory believable, nor make the characters behaviors believable.

Don should have walked out when he found out that Roger had not discussed his coming back.
Click to expand...

Agreed, and it makes just as little sense that people like Peggy and particularly Joan would meet him with such hostility.
 
techs said:
Yes, both things don't make sense.

Don has pulled in numerous clients with his creativity and presentations. He has also been correct a few times in going against the majority when they have chosen to be disloyal to long time clients in the hope of landing larger clients.

While Don had been extra rude to the staff leading up to his dismissal, he had always been rude and they had gladly put up with it to keep him. Just losing Hershey, a company they didn't have should not have been enough to cause his dismissal.

Don literally built the company by saving Sterling Cooper and orchestrating the merger.

It would have seemed far more realistic to give Don a warning, or limit his contact with clients, or to just give him a couple of weeks suspension than what they did. What they did made no sense. They didn't fire him and told him he would be coming back in time. Yet, six months went by, while they were paying him, and they never brought him back.

Add the above to the sudden turn around in attitude of Joan towards Don for no apparent reason, and the disloyalty of both Bert and Ted, who Don allowed to take his place in California.

It really makes no sense and was just lazy story telling. They wanted Don to be away from work on suspension, then come back under stringent rules, but didn't bother to write the backstory believable, nor make the characters behaviors believable.

Don should have walked out when he found out that Roger had not discussed his coming back.
Click to expand...

You've summed up my thoughts pretty well on this season so far. Just so disappointing.
 
I'm a little surprised I didn't like an episode with so much focus on the office. I even liked the stuff with Roger and his daughter, but I didn't like any of Don's parts at all. Not surprised with the slow start since ALL Mad Men seasons do that, but I hope this half season wraps up strong.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top