Mad Men: As We Come in for the Close...

Into the 70's we go!
"I was married once, sir. But she ran off with a gypsy. My heart was not ripped out, but she did steal my cuckoo clock." - Thor 'The Swede' Gundersen, Hell on Wheels, S01E10




R.I.P. Nelson
Four more weeks everybody. Four more weeks until the 9 year run of AMC's Mad Men comes to a permanent close. Oy givalt! There's so much to get through in only four more weeks!
Unlike other recently ended dramas like Boardwalk Empire or Justified, Mad Men is a show that doesn't really deal in extreme violence. The only notable death of the series was Lane Pryce, who hung himself in a depressing manner, rather than the explosive deaths of characters like Nelson Van Alden, Mickey Doyle, or Avery Markham. Thus, the ending of Mad Men cannot simply close the book with a major shootoff between warring Western outlaws or rival 1920's/30's gangsters. It would be such an enormous change of pace for the show that despite the finality of death (barring death in American Horror Story,) it would leave viewers unsatisfied. Nope - the ending of Mad Men must deliver on all fronts without anything as shocking as multiple deaths. It has a harder task: making us as viewers satisfied with the relatively low-impact-on-the-world story that Don Draper, his coworkers, and his family have been spinning for so long.

Now that we're three episodes into the season, (I apologize for not recapping Mad Men earlier, but Game of Thrones, Veep, and Justified called for a post first) we're beginning to see the narrative arc of the final season take place. The most recent episode, titled "The Forecast," further set said narrative in motion. And let me tell you, the forecast isn't one that is incredibly optimistic for most of our characters. Let's start with the man himself, Don Draper.

Since his introduction in the first scene of the first episode, Don has been an irresponsible husband, a relatively poor father, and a genius ad man. As he evolved over the course of the show, we see Don constantly search for something more than just work to give his life purpose. He divorces his wife midway through the series, and in season six, decides to remarry. His new wife, Megan, is too young though. Throughout season 7A we observed as Don, quickly becoming a man from another time, tries his best to make his marriage work. However, with Megan living in LA and entrenching herself in that culture, it becomes clear that things won't work out. Don is indeed a playboy, but at this point he's turning away from the young cool guy, and more into one who wears a red velvet smoking jacket. When the marriage is finally ended, Don is back to his womanizing ways at the start of 7B. However, once again, we see that the essential portion of Don's life is still missing. He loves his daughter Sally, but other than sleeping with them, he seems unable to maintain a steady relationship. In addition, when Sally's friend starts flirting with Don in the most recent episode, she tells him how she wants to leave and never be like him again. Ouch.
R.I.P. Marriage

Don's apartment has quickly become a symbol for Don himself as well. In last week's episode, we see Megan take basically all of the furniture out of the apartment, leaving the real estate, as well as Don's inner workings, empty. In "The Forecast," the apartment is sold, along with the rest of the things Don's had to discard across the course of the series. Work and womanizing aren't enough to satisfy what Don is searching for, but the million dollar questions of the series remains: what exactly is Don looking for? Until he's able to discover what will truly give his life meaning, we're left with a befuddled man without a true identity. The series could easily end with Don's suicide, but on a brighter note, it could also end with Don answering this question and finally finding happiness.

Now, speaking of Mr. Draper, let's move on to his children, shall we? And no, I don't mean Sally and Bobby. I mean Peggy Olson and Pete Campbell. From their genesis, these two have been the younger right and left hands of Don. While Pete has always been more antagonistic and Peggy more of a protege, the two up-and-comers are both vying for Don's approval and guidance throughout the series. We see it best in "The Forecast," when the two fight across the hall, with Don in the middle. Being the father figure that he is, Don settles the argument.
Pete and Peggy also have this brother-sister relationship. While the two are of similar standings in the company, with Pete being slightly above, they have almost the same aspirations. Creativity, business, and personally-driven goals. The two have had their fair share of trouble across the show, especially Pete, but in the end, it can be assumed that through the guidance of Don Draper, they'll come out ahead. From Peggy's title-card shot in season six to Pete, Peggy, and Don's dinner at Burger Chef in season 7A, we see that as different as these characters are, and as much as they may hate each other at times, they are the family of Sterling & Cooper. Whether he'll admit it or not, Don cares for Peggy and Pete, and off the rails as they may go, Dad's got their back.

R.I.P. John Slattery's upper lip.
If Don is the Dad, then Roger Sterling has to be the fun uncle. After making a rather masterful deal with a rival agency, swallowing up Sterling & Cooper, Sterling is king of his own castle, making him a sort of advertising vassal to the feudal lords of McCann-Erickson. Sterling now rocks a mustache, making him look a bit like Sam Elliott, as well. As we come to the endgame of Mad Men, it seems the conclusion for Sterling will be a happy one. All he's ever wanted is to be in charge, to run his own firm, and to womanize, no matter what the time period. He is the essence of the "Mad man." He's not conflicted like Don, he's not OCD like Cooper, and he seems to have infinite confidence, especially now that Jim Cutler isn't around. Sterling will keep being Sterling as the series comes to a close, showing the sort of endless wire of the business. While Don can float around his work to soul search, Sterling will be right here in New York, commanding his serfs from his whiskey goblet.

Next, let's talk Joan! As a friend once astutely pointed out, Joan and Pete are polar opposites. Joan is constantly put down yet somehow finds a way to triumph. Pete is constantly given opportunities, yet is always able to screw it up for himself. In the endgame, Joan is looking for love. She's now a millionaire, a respected member of the ad world, yet still doesn't have what she truly wants. She refuses to marry Bob Benson, as the love wouldn't be real. She starts a pseudo-relationship with a Bruce Greenwood, (just introduced in "The Forecast") but it seems to be a short-lived fling, being cut short by Joan's son. Whether the relationship keeps on or not is a mystery to this point. As she has since the first season though, I speculate a happy ending for Joan. She's worked her way up so far to this point, impressed us with her skills, and at this point, deserves to finally be brought into the light of happiness. Much like Don, though Joan does well for herself, she has yet to find "real love," as she herself puts it.

Finally, we come to those who have had severance. That cryptic word was the title of 7B's first episode, and as the end draws near, it seems to be time to put secondary characters to rest. Recently, we saw Ken be fired, Mathis explode on Don only to be fired, Ginsburg goes batshit insane, and Megan leave Don to return to LA. In addition of course, Bertram Cooper passed away in the finale of 7A. It is likely we won't be seeing the return of these characters. What we learn from this is what we've been seeing since the first season: though it's not the mobster kingdom of Boardwalk Empire, the advertising business is a cut-throat landscape. Step out of line, say the wrong joke, or ask people to take off your shoes when entering an office, and that terrifying notion of severance could be coming your way.

It truly is the end of an era as the original AMC flagship show comes to an epic conclusion. Overall, the story of Mad Men is one of finding happiness, in the least cliche fashion imaginable. All of our characters are aspiring to something, and it's up to Matthew Weiner and co. to tell us who actually gets to achieve their goals, and who goes the route of the late, great, Lane Pryce.

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