'I Say Goodbye to People All the Time': Mad Men Recapped
And so another Mad Men season finale came and went, a blur of impulse judgments and thinly veiled sadism slopped between slabs of Walking Dead commercials like so much gooey, processed cheese. Indeed, congratulations are in order to Don Draper, who once again proved his flagging constitutional mettle at the expense of everybody and everything he touched. This is progress! Cue the Sonny and Cher!
It's funny, because in a Mad Men offesason-odds article I undertook and promptly aborted out of boredom last week, "Don and Megan elope" came in at about 5-1. "Don and Faye elope" was way up at 15-1; it seemed so much likelier that Don would go for the young, easy, ambitious prey than the 30+, established, educated career woman. But in fairness to Matthew Weiner, probably no one foresaw the obvious Don/Megan coupling arriving this swiftly -- and certainly not at the outset of the episode, with Faye bidding Don good day and good luck with his American Cancer Society meeting. He confesses to feeling sick; Faye advises that his apprehensions are not all about work, and the sooner he can reconcile the present with the past, his life and disposition will improve. "I'm gonna miss you, you know that?" he tells her. She rises and smiles; we wince, knowing there's a schoolteacher up in Westchester County somewhere wondering how a variety of that line ever worked on her a couple years ago. (How did it ever work on us?)
Don is on a roll, though, landing in the wood-paneled conference room at ACS headquarters where a gang of old farts in charge wants to get to the bottom of his recent public letter about quitting tobacco. It's tricky territory; as one ACS-er acknowledges, there are smokers among the leadership. Don smokes, too, of course, so what gives? What independent-minded adult would play ball with such glaringly specious hypocrites? None, Don admits -- but their teenagers might if a new campaign showcased the rush to mortality as epitomized by cigarettes. Seeing their parents suck down coffin nails prompts an existential crisis in their young, selfish minds: "They're mourning for their childhood more than anticipating their future. [...] They don't want to die." Heavy! The Draper Hush silences the board.
It's not quite the Wheel of Life monologue from season one's finale, but it hooks the Society into at least another meeting with Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. (NB: Are we stilling calling it SCDP since Bert took his shoes and went home? Partner emeritus? Loose ends, gah!) And it's a much better result than the one Don and Pete have with Ken Cosgrove, who refuses to exploit his family connections as a means of getting closer to Dow Chemical's ad budget. Elsewhere in the office, Lane promotes Joan to Director of Agency Operations, a title that will look dandy on a doorplate but not so hot on the pay stub; there is no money in it -- yet. Bums.
Ken and Peggy might have a lead on Topaz Pantyhose, meanwhile, a slumping brand that just fired everyone affiliated with its ad campaign -- including the model whom Joyce brings in to see if Peggy has any work for her. Peggy can't help (Harry might be able to, but only if you call dog-on-steak-level leering "helping"), but she can mobilize the creative side to court Topaz. Ken gets a meeting with the boss ("Art Garden -- yes, it's his real name"), and off they go to Topaz HQ, a dingy, sweatshop-looking joint with mortality issues of its own. "We don't have much time," the ad tandem is told, prompting Peggy into pitch mode -- with resounding success. "Topaz: The only pair of pantyhose you'll ever need," she chirps, followed soon after by, "Single pair, singular comfort." Art Garden is happy! This is a quarter-million dollars' worth of billings we're talking about -- not enough to save SCDP from its post-Lucky Strike woes, but the first new business in three months and a sign of the deus ex machina fortuitousness of other finale events and encounters.
It all started at the Francis household, where last week's sudden motivation to move has in fact resulted in the family moving. While Carla packs in the kitchen, Evil Glen just appears through the back door. He really wants to say goodbye to Sally, despite Betty's having forbidden the kids to see each other; Carla notes this prohibition before making the crucial, ridiculous mistake of allowing Glen an audience with Sally -- in her bedroom. It's chaste and somewhat wounding to the extent Marten "Son of Matthew" Weiner can act; even at his most wooden, a line like "I say goodbye to people all the time" leaves a mark. And the inevitable confrontation with Betty -- who just happened to come home from grocery shopping as Glen made his exit -- is probably his most searing scene to date. "Why do you hate me?" he bellows. "Just because you're sad doesn't mean everyone else has to be!"
The fallout probably wouldn't have gone well for Carla even if the humiliating blow-up hadn't happened right in front of her. But that it did all but sealed her fate; Betty turns her rage on the veteran nanny, prompting a rare bit of self-defense before Betty straight-up fires her. Whether or not Carla's insubordination and the family's imminent move to Rye justify Betty's actions (and you certainly could make that argument), the larger point is that Weiner needs a set-up to A) make Betty look as appalling and cruel as possible and B) leave Don hanging without a nanny before his and the kids' trip to California. Because that puts the nanny-hunt on Don, which puts the nanny-hunt on his secretary/erstwhile cock-pocket Megan, which... well, you know.
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I think I liked this season more than you did, but last night I sat in front of the TV in total disbelief. I think this is the first episode I have actively disliked while watching it, and I admit the thought did cross my mind: "Am I really invested enough to watch this another season?" I am starting to think that the show started falling apart when it began to marginalize/demonize Betty. It has gotten so I really like everything about the show except for the elements directly related to Don Draper.
There are a few theories floating about:
1) This was all happening in Don's mind.
As they kept cutting back to a scene of him sitting in the edge of his bed. However, I don't think the writers would allow so much confusion to flow into the next/final season.
2) Don and Betty will get together next season
I can see that happening. Henry looks as if he's had enough of Betty and Meghan will get sick and tired of playing baby sitter. This actually fits my theory that the whole premise of Mad Men is "The more things change the more they stay the same" All of the characters (and time) have changed in someway but none of them (outside of Peggy) has grown as people they are still the same as they were season 1. Although Don being with Meghan solidifies this anyway.
"It all started at the Sterling household, where last week’s sudden motivation to move has in fact resulted in the family moving."
I hate to nitpick, but don't you mean the Francis household?
Was anyone else reminded of Groundhog Day while watching the final shot of Don in bed as "I Got You Babe" played?
God, I suck. Yes. Thank you.
In regards to Joan's pregnancy - she didn't get the abortion. When they showed her on the bus in that episode, she had hightailed it out of the clinic and straight down to whatever Army base Rapey Hubby was at, and slept with him so that when she ended up pregnant, she could say it was his. Also, earlier in this episode, she was clearly showing a bit in the tummy area.
When it comes to Megan - I think it's important to remember that every time he goes to CA, Don becomes someone different (quite literally with the Dick Whitman stuff). In any case - this is insane. I think that Don sees a lot of himself in Megan (especially after that ridiculous "everything else is just sentiment" chat back before they banged for the first time). Also, he sees Peggy. This is still lunacy, however.
May I also ask what everyone thought of Dr. Faye? Certainly, I felt terribly for her and thought her slamming of Don on the phone was amazing, but I knew they would never work out. Why? Dr. Faye never took Don seriously. I think she thought he was being hyperbolic when he told her his problems and past. She thought she could grab his face and give him little pep talks and all would be fine. This is why it didn't work. This is also why Don will never tell Megan the full truth about himself.
Most definitely. That song makes me think of that movie every time I hear it, and then you add in a shot of a protagonist in bed, and next thing you know I'm hanging out with Ned Ryerson....Needlenose Ned...Ned the Head.
I missed the first three seasons of Mad Men, got into the first two episodes of the new season, then realized that it was a nighttime soap opera, with great costumes and settings. Not for me anymore. (I tried to watch the season finale couldn't finish watching ... who cares about this slimeball just because she cares about his kids?)
Wow. My thoughts exactly. Except for the part about liking the season. I think it was probably my least favorite season yet. And it began so promising, but to me, it just sort of fizzled out.
I thought Faye was too good for Don, honestly. I think most of his mistresses and girlfriends are, aside form maybe Bobbie. I was disappointed when she decided to start something up with him because she just seemed smarter than that.
I disliked the finale, and felt like someone must have slipped Don some happy pills early on, yet I still liked several moments, and even found myself liking Megan, although I hated seeing Betty devolve further into cartoonishness. But the Joan/Peggy bonding was awesome, and made the episode for me.
Meanwhile, I enjoyed this piece, but the slapdash writing threw me off. It's occasionally fun, with some great moments, but it's also really sloppy, with lots of missing and misused words, improper syntax, missing letters, etc. I realize it's just a day after the finale, but still.
And now, the nitpicks: People "evince" reactions, not inanimate objects. Sally pouting hardly equals a "bloodthirsty girl." On "why she showing" -- you mean, if she's showing? Also: people "lie" on beds, they don't "lay" on them, and no, "bruisingly" is not a real word. And a "phone-answerer" is, um, a receptionist.
I realize this makes me the grammar police. But seriously, this piece is just full of half a dozen other errors similar to those I pointed out. It's a bummer to see this kind of stuff in a major magazine, even if it's an online-only feature. Thanks for the chance to vent (and yes I feel better)!
Thanks for the note and the nice words about the above parts you like. I can't excuse typos, of which there were indeed a couple that I've hopefully fixed. But speaking of police, let me stress that a lot of this stuff is what a private letter to the editor is for: "Evince" means to "make clear or plain," which is accurate here; you're right about "lie" (high-five); "bruisingly" is indeed a word, even if I just made it up -- same with "phone-answerer," which is a purposely reductive, pejorative description of Megan; "bloodthirsty girl" is a purposely hyperbolic description of Sally based on two seasons of recapping her increasing angst.
The point is that some of a piece's syntactic qualities reflect the writer's voice (particularly on the Web), and some are just the product of an 10:30 a.m. deadline. There's no excuse for the latter, but there's no reason for you to vent in a public forum about the rest, which, for better or worse, amounts to my consistency.
The problem I have with Mad Men is it is a caricature of the '60s Madison Avenue scene directed with '10 sensibilities. There are elements that are correct but much of it seems like an anthropologist telling us how cavemen 'should have' lived instead of seeing how they really did. As TV, the show is okay, but it's not the way it really was.
The roommate was right: Megan's teeth are very odd.
What a crap season finale. The Don/Megan engagement is dumb and the demonization of Betty is pathetic.
Don was just waiting for Blankenship to die. I agree with most that the season finale was kind of a letdown. I was expecting something more on the order of last year's "let's bolt this British dump", like maybe Roger keeling over dead or promoting Peggy to partner or Deputy Creative Director. I did love the Joan/Peggy business. Matt Weiner does have some serious Mommy issues. I agree: "I'm marrying my secretary" seems a little blah. This will be Don's second marriage in a string of marriages. She'll probably be the one to end it when she leaves in a VW bus with some "hippie" in '68. I wonder if I'll tune in next season...
Yes, I've always thought that. It's like a Douglas Sirk movie as imagined by Matt Weiner in 2010.
Straight to the point and written well, thanks much for the post
["All of the characters (and time) have changed in someway but none of them (outside of Peggy) has grown as people they are still the same as they were season 1."]
Peggy hasn't grown enough. She's still working for Don Draper and demanding his respect. And I no longer understand why.
I believe i will include it during my preferred.