Mad Men 7x14 Reaction

"Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending." -- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

DNF* & stray thoughts Matthew Weiner on MM's ending: "I did hear rumblings of people talking about the ad being corny. It’s a little bit disturbing to me, that cynicism ... Five years before that, black people and white people couldn’t even be in an ad together! And the idea that someone in an enlightened state might have created something that’s very pure — yeah, there’s soda in there with a good feeling, but that ad to me is the best ad ever made, and it comes from a very good place. … That ad in particular is so much of its time, so beautiful and, I don’t think, as — I don’t know what the word is — villainous as the snark of today.” on Joan: “I definitely didn’t think Joan would end up this single-mom feminist, looking for childcare. I love the fact that it’s not philosophical for her. I’m not demeaning the philosophy of feminism, I’m just saying this woman made a practical decision not to take any shit anymore. … She biologically loves work.” yuck! did not finish, stopped 7x6. for one, it started feeling a bit too gross. on certain days, i couldn't help picturing a hit period drama 47 years from now leaning on "they didn't know better back then" and how infuriating it'd feel. And then I'd consider that this show is that transgression. In that vein, I realized I would never care for this cast of characters. I'm moving with the trope of the man who does mushrooms and 'discovers' empathy. A bit more surgical, an overarching neoliberalist writing perspective confines character introspection, realization, and transformation potential. Could the Coca-Cola end scene be more clear? great aesthetics and engaging narrative writing overshadowed by (under)cooked perspectives anyways, that's just me. i'll prob finish remaining episodes at some point still *i did finish before when it first aired

Should have a break and watch a shorter show; Utopia (UK), two season, 6 episodes each for a total of 12.

wait.. the new show is so going to be The Pitt, isn’t it…

The craziest thing is you thinking Lost had a bad finale.

I'd love to see Six Feet Under next , it's literally the greatest and most influential show ever made, and it's perfect for analysis, i hope it wins a poll

Always been my favorite show of all time. I remember watching the trailer for this new show on AMC at the time and I thought to myself “that’s going to be an amazing show” ; I have never thought that about a show before or since prior to watching it. To me, everything about the show is just art come to life without the negatives attach to such a word that has become a cliche. From the writing, acting, directing, cinematography, score; I mean everything, just perfect. Thank you for watching.

I have a few more thoughts to add. I said this at the season 6 finale but it bears repeating: after seasons of utterly LOATHING Pete, calling him a pathetic loser approximately 1000 times, audibly groaning every time he appeared on screen, and complaining about having to edit Pete-centric episodes... Only for it to end with "What a man". God I love this show and I love Pete's arc. His transformation is truly heartwarming and I'm so glad it resonated with you guys. Secondly, did I hear Lola mention Lost as an example of a bad ending?! I thought you guys said you never finished it. It may be a hot take but I stand firm that Lost's ending was PERFECT. I will die on this hill. I have never cried harder to anything in my life lol. Finally, thank you for reacting to this show. It's my favorite show of all time and these reactions have been extremely satisfying, you guys truly understood and appreciated the show in the way I hoped you would. What am I gonna do with myself now that it's all over?! I guess I'll have to go get myself a life.

Great reaction and final commentary. This show has such a satisfying ending, up there with Fullmetal Alchemist for giving you what you want. I love Leonard's quotes about how 'you're worried that people aren't giving it to you, but they're trying, you just don't know what it is'. I think about those a lot and they help me appreciate my friends and family more. A lot of what I love about this show, especially in the early seasons, is this sense of melancholy and the characters yearning for something they can't quite define. I think that relates well to the character's endings too, and why they're satisfying. Everyone ended up growing, learning and ultimately appreciating something that they had previously been neglecting, taking for granted or not embracing. Pete left his prestige job and insecurities for a happier life with his family. Joan set aside dysfunctional relationships for the work she loved, on her own terms. Peggy found the love she thought she might never find due to her commitment to her career. Her and Joan's endings being almost mirror images is a nice touch, the opposite of where they started. Roger accepted his age and found someone he connected with personally, who loved 'the little boy inside him'. Don embraced a more open and honest outlook on life, looking inward rather than trying to move on to the next thing. It's very satisfying after so many shows end up with either bittersweet or downright sad or dark endings. Seeing characters you've come to love embrace second chances and what really matters to them. Betty is really the only sad ending here, which to me makes it stand out even more. But I can understand it I guess. Overall I've loved watching this show again and highly enjoyed the reactions :)

best reaction series since better call saul. I first watched this show in high school but I truly feel like I got the show a lot more this time rewatching it. I hope someday you cover Deadwood.

I cried a lot with the finale

Hey now. Lola needs to remember what she said about long shows being too long until they are too short. That’s One Piece in a nutshell lmfao. OMG there is 1200 episodes becomes oh no there are only 600 left and then comes the horror and sadness of being caught up lmao.

Loved watching this with you guys What’s next? Please watch Yellowstone! 😩😭😋

Goodbye great show(s), hello Cartoon Network. 🥹

"A tragedy with a happy ending. My favorite"

Thank you L&M so much loved your reactions to Mad Men just a incredible journey❤️

Thank you guys for watching this show and motivating me to finally watch it myself. That Leonard scene hit so hard for me, seeing Don connect with a complete stranger over something maybe he thought was suffering alone.

They give Pete, Peggy, Joan, Roger, and Don beautiful TV moment endings that are authentic to the characters, totally earned, and completely satisfying. In my mind, Don goes back to McCann with the idea for the Coke 'Hilltop' ad and Peggy comes up with "It's the Real Thing".

A thing like that... I think that for almost every character we got to see that they successfully made it to the Next Step of their lives. It manifested in different ways for each one, but they all Made It (somehow). But it's also left up to us whether or not we think they stuck with it and made it past that point. The story will go on for each one of them. It was a minor fan-theory throughout the show's run that it would end with Don committing suicide in the finale (Specifically jumping out a window like we see with the falling character in the opening sequence). As we approached the end, there were a lot of small details that people thought were hints leading up to that (For example, a few episodes ago Don discovered that the windows in his office at McCann opened). The fact that the show DIDN'T end with his suicide was viewed as a minor twist all on its own. That Coca-Cola commercial is SO huge that up until a few months ago, I thought the song "Buy the World a Coke" was a wholly original production for the commercial. It was only when I found a collection of folk songs from the '60s and '70s that I realized it was based on an earlier song "True Love and Apple Pie", which was also turned into a released pop song "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)". McCann Erickson is the company that did make that commercial in real life. It's regarded as one of the most influential advertising campaigns of all time. One last touch of the show weaving real history into their storyline. My only complaint of this finale -- the ONLY complaint -- is that we should have had scenes of Don interacting with the various characters in person. So much of the series was about his relationships with everybody else, whether adversarial or friendly or adversarialy friendly, that Jon Hamm should have shared the screen with them at the same time at some point in the episode. They could have used flashbacks if they wanted to keep the current storyline of Don’s isolation, or fantasy imagination spots, but it should have been something. Other than that, no notes. It's never going to win a poll, but if you want a whole new style of TV show I HEAVILY recommend the 1990s sci-fi TV series "Babylon 5". It's a cult classic that never got the massive success like other shows, but it was REVOLUTIONARY for TV. It's five seasons and was conceived and plotted as a single cohesive whole story. It's also depressingly timely with the politics that it explored. I think you would both love it.

I'm so glad you guys came to the same conclusion I did. I don't believe the ending is totally cynical. Of course Don didn't reach enlightenment or anything, he has not completely transformed into "a new you", but it's a step in the right direction at least. For the first time he's starting to understand what's broken inside of himself. Stephanie tore down his whole life philosophy with a single line, "Oh Don, I don't think you're right about that" and you can see in his eyes that he never truly believed it either. Maybe, just maybe, it begins to sink in that constantly running away, "starting over", and trying to forget the past really isn't the best way to go about life. It hasn't worked yet, so why not try a new approach? Leonard's speech pinpoints Don's biggest issue: People do love him, but he can't recognize it and can't accept it because he doesn't know what love is. Dick Whitman is in the fridge. "They're smiling, they're happy to see you. But maybe they don't look right at you, and maybe they don't pick you." Even when Don is praised and adored by everyone around him, he still feels inadequate because they're looking at Don, not at Dick. But people aren't thinking about Don vs. Dick, they see him as a singular person. They love him, and they're trying. Peggy doesn't understand what Don is talking about re: scandalizing his child, taking another man's name. She doesn't know the details of all his deep dark secrets but it doesn't matter. She loves him, she accepts him, and she's calling him home. The choice to have Leonard give the speech instead of Don is so brilliant. Don simply cannot verbalize what's going on inside of him. And for this entire series, he's believed he's an island. No one else could possibly understand what he's going through, what he feels deep down inside. But here is some random stranger who puts it into words for him, and hits the nail on the head exactly. And Don realizes that he's not alone. Other people, millions of them, are going around every day feeling just like he does. Sure, most of them aren't living a stolen identity, but then again, we've seen that Don's guilt and anguish about that is overblown. Whenever other people find out about it, it's never that big of a deal. Even admission of killing his CO was met with nonchalant acceptance from the other vets. It's true we suffer more in our minds than in reality. And like Anna said... "The only thing keeping you from being happy is the belief that you are alone." Person to Person. Connecting with other people IS possible... and it's what will save him. So yeah, I do believe the stay at the retreat has helped Don BEGIN the process of fixing himself. It'll take more than a few days at a hippy retreat to do that, but it's a start. And I think part of that healing is recognizing that it's okay to be Don Draper. The scared, insecure, traumatized Dick Whitman doesn't have to define him. It's part of him but doesn't have to be ALL of him. He's spent years building a life as Don Draper, and that life, even though it was built on a lie, is by now as real as anything else. Reconciling the two parts of himself is key to TRULY moving forward, in a healthy way, not in the "this never happened" way. That's why the Coke commercial idea doesn't come across as overly cynical to me. Sure, he's taking his hippy retreat experience, something ostensibly real and true and valuable to him personally, and wrapping it up and selling it, but that's what artists and writers do, they take inspiration from their own lives. Don wouldn't be happy living the hippy life doing yoga and meditation every day. Nor would he be happy living a simple life as a mechanic somewhere (maybe for a while, but not forever). Don IS an ad man, that's his calling, and now that he's clearing up the blockage of his mental anguish, he can truly begin to focus on it and excel at it (which he really hasn't done for seasons now). It also makes me happy that he's finally cracked the code and managed to put his finger right on the pulse of the culture of the 70's, when he's spent seven seasons struggling to understand and connect with the rapidly changing times. He's no longer stuck in 1959. He gets it now. Maybe he'll even grow a mustache, who knows. (probably not) Okay I'm stopping now because I could literally go on forever.

"There are three women in every man's life" -Ted Chaough. Of course Don spends much of the finale making person to person calls with the three most important women in his life. I love growth in characters. I think everyone wants to grow and change and be able to get rid of the parts of you that are less than you'd hope to be. There were two parts Don's identity that made him feel isolated and disconnected from the rest of the world. His abusive and impoverished childhood and his fraudulent military history. He couldn't carry them without being self-destructive and feeling unlovable to everyone around him. He eventually came clean with both. The former at the end of season 6 and the latter in 713. At this retreat in the finale, we still see him struggling to connect with people. Don witnessing someone articulate the same pain of being isolated, alone, unloved (albeit for different reasons) is just what he needs. Leonard articulates a happiness that he doesn't feel he's a part of, the same image Don articulated for a living, an image that he could not fully experience. Don finally feels a connection to someone at that retreat, someone who shares his same struggle to connect person to person. In the end, it wasn't an evolution of his character but growing to come to terms with the cycle of fear, anxiety turning into hope, newness, fantasy which he's used as an ad man. A cycle we've seen Don go through again and again. He'll take the anxiety, fear, hopelessness he felt this episode and go back to McCann with a new fantasy to sell. As Lola said: "he finds peace but remains Don".

literally just bought that Kurt Vonnegut book... love his writing. this reaction series was astounding. y'alls minds and hearts shine through every minute you record together.

What a phenomenal show. One last episode for Jon Hamm to give an insane performance, the moment when he's speaking to Betty and she says that him not being there is one of the things she wants to end things on her terms - that pause where he thinks about it for a couple seconds and lets it wash over him, then flinches like he got punched in the gut - fucking hell it's so real.

Peggy: "[I want to] create something of lasting value." Don: [Laughing] "In advertising?" Mad Men is my favorite show of all time and it also has, for my money, the best ending of any prestige show. Sticking the landing on shows this big is tough. We remember the failures more than the successes. Some explode controversially, others fade sadly. What do we get in Mad Men? I would say: Closure, or a form of it, the type that gives you permission to dream. Joan finally starts something of her own, perfectly primed to dominate the 1970s. Will she be happy and fulfilled? I don't know, that's for you to decide. Pete reunites with Trudy and confidently boards a plane, like the one his father died on. Will he finally be a faithful husband and a good father? I don't know, that's for you to decide. After a decade of putting work first while yearning for love, Peggy finally finds a partner who understands her + her career. Will she make Creative Director and live happily-ever-after? I don't know, that's for you to decide. Roger, Sally and even Betty complete full characters arcs and everything feels realistic, poignant, bittersweet and earned. They all "return to a place where they know they are loved". All but one, anyway. And what of Don? Ted says earlier in the season: "There are three women in every man's life". Don has three phone calls with the three most important women in his life. Each reveals something old, and prompts something new. We have followed this man for ten years of his life, and for live viewers almost ten years of our own. At the end of it all, stripped of everything: his belongings, his beliefs, his guilt, his relationships... meditating on a cliff edge with nothing but the clean linen shirt on his back... after EVERYTHING we've seen him go through, we finally answer the question: Who is Don Draper? Who is Dick Whitman? The answer: He is... a really good ad man. And more importantly: That can be enough. The implication is that Don returns to McCann, apologizes, then pitches what many consider "the greatest advertisement of all time". Coca Cola looms like a specter over this season, haunting the narrative as much as any of Don's ghosts. And in spite of all his core beliefs on the world, on his industry... Don Draper actually does create something of lasting value in advertisement. It's beautiful and it's perfect. Some people consider this ending cynical. I am not one of them. I think it shows that no matter what you go through, "You are okay". You can stop running. You can always return home. This helped me immensely; I started the show as a lost teenager and finished it as a very slightly wiser adult. I learned that you can be content with who you are, and what you're good at. That you can draw simple satisfaction from labor, divorced from the "always bigger" motives of Capitalism. I like to imagine Don even cuts down on his drinking, finds an age-appropriate girlfriend like Roger has, that he sees his kids more as Betty's health declines, that he becomes a better coworker and mentor like we know he can be. Is this "realistic"? I don't know.... but it's nice to be allowed to dream sometimes. When I first joked about the channel covering Mad Men I never considered it would actually happen. Without hyperbole, I think this is the most important project the channel has ever done and certainly one of the greatest YouTube reaction series of all time. Though I've been too busy to comment as much recently, I watched every full-length and read every comment. It's been an absolute blast reading through everyone's thoughts twice a week. I've probably re-watched Mad Men 20 times at this point, but I'll never forget this particular run-through... I learned so much. Thank you soooo much for voting in the poll and watching along! It's been a joy, I'm still shocked it happened. Taya, Mike, Kev, Scott, Eric, Bond, JBK, Clay, Luis, Julien, Sabastien... and all the names I've forgotten on Patreon + on Discord, thanks for adding to each episode and making it even more fun! “The only thing keeping you from being happy is the belief that you are alone.” -Anna Draper

One thing I didn't really realize until the end of the show is that I think Don genuinely just enjoys the creative process of making ads. When he's out of the company at the beginning of this season he ends up doing the work in secret, he seems eventually content working under Peggy once he's back in, and when talking to Ted about going to McCann he tells him how he wants to get back to just making ads without the business worries. An ending where Don is at peace with himself (or at least on that road) but is still doing the work loves is happy to me. And in the end we see his best work is still ahead of him with the Coca-Cola commercial, inspired by the work he's doing on himself. I didn't notice until you pointed it out that in the final scene he goes back to his work clothes, but it makes so much sense.

I didn't get the closing scene at the time because... I had never seen that coke commercial before. So I was quite perplexed. Am I the only one? It's a classic commercial and the show relies on the audience knowing it, which only made sense after I read about it.

Dang I wrote my whole comment and didn't talk about the ending... Way back in Episode 102 we got the first story where Don does this magical transmutation, turning turmoil in his personal life into ad copy (for deodorant), and that has kind of been the bread-and-butter of the show since. It's an incredibly effective framework, just on a basic storytelling/thematic level -- Burger Chef's family table, the Hawaii suicide stuff, and (obviously) the Carousel -- but it has also been a really fascinating window into Don as a character. Don is practically stopped-up with unresolved trauma, and writing ad copy helps him reckon with and work through it. That's not an especially healthy way of dealing with trauma, but it works for the better part of seven seasons. The other thing that has worked a release valve for Don's trauma and angst has always been a trip to California. (That "Cup of Loneliness" ending in the waves, at the end of "The Mountain King"? Whew.) But over the seasons, his trips to California have been less and less restorative. The place loses its magic, whether it's because Don has gone back to the well too many times, or because Anna died, or because Harry Crane started spending so much time there. (I am only partly joking -- I think using Harry as a proxy for the corrosive underbelly of Hollywood is one of the great pleasures of the show.) So there is something very... complicated about sending Don, at absolute rock bottom, to a wellness retreat in Big Sur and watching him "fix" himself and hatch that Coca-Cola commercial. I think it's undeniable that he recognizes himself in Leonard's heartbreaking speech about the fridge, and it's obvious that he's more at peace on that cliffside than he was earlier, crying on the phone to Peggy. And even Matthew Weiner has said he thinks the Coke commercial is beautiful and meaningful, and says something real about humanity. But I can't help but watch that ending, and Don's sly smile, and think that he is doing something a tiny bit evil, transmuting those ideas about self-acceptance, and community, and togetherness, etc. and using it to sell a soft drink. It's not quite going from "It's toasted" to Betty dying of cancer, but there's a level of insidious co-opting there that keeps me from calling it a happy ending, or saying that Don won't be at rock bottom again sometime in the future. Which is all to say that I think it's a *perfect* ending for Mad Men. Because how could a show with such a keen understanding of characters and their capacity to change (and not change!) pretend it's possible to "fix" Don Draper (or anyone!) by learning yoga. My complicated feelings about the ending are the same ones I grappled with all series, learning to love Pete, Roger, Betty, Peggy, Joan, and Don in spite of -- no, because of -- their flaws. So in the words of Bert Cooper, bravo.

I watched Mad Men many years ago and liked it, but I think I was too young to fully understand the complexity of several characters and storylines. Now I’ve rewatched the series with you and I think can truly appreciate it as the great work that it is. Many thanks LM :)

Thank you. You don't understand how much I've enjoyed your Mad Men reactions while going through some hard times during these last months.

I am sure someone has said this already, but earlier in the season someone says "every man has 3 women in his life." And in this episode Don makes 3 "Person to Person" calls. Sally, Betty, Peggy.

well done, LM! I was worried that the generational and continental distance would mean you wouldn't get the amazing Coke-Ad landing. So brilliant. That he would be the one to change advertising forever, by finally being at peace with himself. To have the show tell us that the either/or was never life in advertising vs being real to himself was perfect. I will miss the show with you all...

So what are the girls watching next?

"He finds peace, but remains Don" yeah, I think you pretty much nailed it right away. I fucking love how conflicted this ending makes me feel man. My relationship with it has changed so much and I'm still arguing with myself about it all the time. On first viewing, it felt (not necessarily in a bad way) like a completely cynical rug pull, like the show was, in a very Don Draper way, saying "hey look, all that really meant was that he found a way to sell Coca-Cola." I think tons of people still view it that way and I think that's completely fair, but like... of course that stuff with Leonard still affected him deeply, of course he's not just some heartless robot searching for the best way to extract good ad ideas from people, of course the thing we call love wasn't just invented by guys like him to sell nylons. The reality is that in the 2020s it's impossible to look at that Coke ad and not see the origins of brands co-opting and exploiting progressive ideas as a way to sell their product. I find it impossible to see any advertising uncynically really. But... you can argue that in 1971, yeah, it was more meaningful for Coke to make an ad like this than it is now! I think there was genuinely *some* sincerity within its cynicism. More importantly for Mad Men, I really do feel like there was some sincerity in there for Dick Whitman. I don't think he particularly cares about tangible progressive ideals or fighting to make the world better, but the ad's in line with that bohemian streak he's always had. And it's also kind of honest for him to recognise that he's fucking incredible at making ads! It's far from the first time he's used his life experience to make one, of course, but it feels like the first time he's done it like this, where he reconciles his inner struggle for a freer self with the identity of Don Draper, and uses it to make the most popular ad of all time. I genuinely do believe it's a great moment for him... but you can't fully shake the feeling that it could send him back to being who he was, and even if it was good for him it came at the cost of laying the groundwork for an entire genre of advertising, maybe even an entire subsection of capitalism, that pays lip service to social justice without any meaningful action to keep stock prices stable and sell sugar in a can. I love that conflict so much. For me, when he looks at Leonard, he sees himself and the consumer all at once. He recognises just how true Leonard's loneliness is to him and just how much that means his loneliness is felt by everyone. He is truly, deeply affected, but he also senses opportunity. Love the Joan, Peggy, Roger, Betty + Sally stuff here too but I've already ranted enough lol. Mad Men and Andor both in my personal top 3 of all time, incredible run for this channel going through both of them at the same time, I’ll miss watching you guys talk about both ❤️

Thanks for giving a reason to watch through this show again, I was very happy when it was first chosen as I knew it would be a very good journey, a perfect show for your both. Between this and Andor, it has been a very good year for discussion.

You know, I'm starting to worry that we aren't going to see Sal on the show again... What can I say about Person to Person? First of all, I love that they had the courage to totally unwind the premise of the show and send Don west for these final episodes. For his character specifically -- and L&M clocked this repeatedly in previous discussions -- the ending always had to be him and the ocean. If I have one complaint about this finale, it's how many of Don's "final conversations" -- with Peggy, Sally, Betty -- had to happen over the phone. Were they great conversations? Yes. Do I feel short-changed that we didn't get them on-screen together one last time? Also yes. (They neatly lampshade this with Stan declaring his love over the phone and then *sprinting* up to Peggy's office to say it face-to-face.) OK, onto the stuff I wholeheartedly love, which is everything else: Incredible final scene between Peggy & Pete. The cactus, Harry making an ass out of himself, a thing like that. This show did a million things perfectly, but the way it handled Peggy & Pete's complicated history is right at the top. (I'll think about that sliding-doors moment in "The Rejected" at the SCDP elevators -- Peggy with Joyce and her friends, and Pete with clients, what might have been -- well, forever.) Stephanie out-loud refuting Don's "move forward and forget about it" philosophy. She's right, it doesn't work like that. Don's life all series has been proof of that. There have been plenty of other characters who've said as much -- Henry's "there is no fresh start", Peggy's confession about how much she thinks of her son -- and seeing Don bowled over by hearing it here is so powerful. What else? "Holloway-Harris". Ken's kid being a little weird. Meredith's absolute confidence at landing on her feet. Roger calling Marie his mother. Gene getting some on-camera dialogue. Don speeding across the salt-flats. The frankly wild reminder that Peggy never found out the whole truth about Dick Whitman. It's impossible to fully express my love for this show and these thoughtful reactions, so I'll just say it was an absolute pleasure revisiting Mad Man with you all.

The guy in therapy was named Leonard. Leonard is an anagram of Real Don. Someone pointed that out to me last year. Thought it was neat.

I know (I know) the entire show is about advertising but at the end when it fades to the Coca-Cola thing after the end of Don's little spirit journey over the last few episodes I was like Ralphie in A Christmas Story when he gets the decoder "A crummy commercial? Son of a bitch!" "You work your ass off for months, bite your nails... for what? Heinz. Baked. Beans." -Stan etc

I really miss spending time with those characters, which is probably one of the best complements a show can get. I think a rewatch is in order for me soon.

Have to watch later, but It was an awesome experience to watch my favorite show through someone else's eye for the first time, especially because you guys pay so much attention to the details and have great discussions and insights about the shows you see.

six feet under is quality wise the best next thing you could watch

I haven’t finished the review, but wanted to say thank you guys for introducing me to my favourite live action series!

Congratulations for finishing!!!! It’s been so fun to watch it again with you both

Well now what the hell do I do with my life?

I discovered this channel through mad men , so sad it's over 🥲. Maybe watch the new season of the boys next 😈

"They should love me. Maybe they do, but i don't even know what that is. You spend your whole life thinking you're not getting it. People aren't giving it to you and then you realize they're trying and you don't even know what it is" This followed by the description of the dream about the refrigerator is my favorite part of Mad Men. I finished this show 3 years ago and when I arrived at the final episode, considering how beautifully subtle and complex the show conveyed its messages up to this point, i never thought they could sum up Don as a person in a span of 1-2 minutes. Yet they pull it off and it's not even him saying it. This quote is basically absolute perfection of what i felt Don was feeling throughout this show and it really was the perfect way to achieve catharsis in the final episode. This episode alone moved Mad Men a level even higher for me and is now definitely in my top 5 shows of all time.

I can’t believe we have finished the Quartet of Sad Angry Men (BB/BCS/MM/TS). What an incredibly well-written series and characters, thank you for your reactions I love that I got to see these stories again through your reactions ❤️

I love how the ending is ambiguous for don. Like he does go back to McCann but it’s up to the viewer to decide if he’s change or not and I think it’s well earned. I love that he only speaks to the three most important in his life in the end. I love how Roger finally found a woman who won’t baby him and makes him not scared of aging anymore. At first I didn’t think Peggy and Stan made sense but rewatching it with you guys made me see that this was planted seasons ago.

Truly an all-timer show

The greatest show of all time.

there's so many things to say about this episode, and this whole show... but the most important is that we can finally talk about how crazy it is that Milena predicted Stan and Peggy like 3 whole seasons ago. What a call

I often say this when I talk about Mad Men: I could never hate you, Donald Draper, you're too well-written a character for that. Seven seasons played with our expectations and our feelings for a scoundrel who, despite all his flaws and low moments, we learned to love. This final episode was a true love letter from Matthew Weiner to Don, one of the best character endings I've ever seen, for one of the best characters I've ever seen on television. The entire show was built for that moment. His reunion with Stephanie once again puts him in the position of protector and provider for a woman, but once again he fails in his attempt, and perhaps he realized then that he can't be that male role model. His phone call with Peggy marked one of the highest moments for me, his self-acceptance and his words was one of the greatest reliefs I've ever seen for a character, was impossible not to shed tears, and even though afterwards he sits miserably on the floor, you know that his liberation has finally begun. The speech about feeling invisible making him realize that he's not alone in the world and are so many other Dons out there who feel they aren't truly loved by anyone, the tears held back for decades echoing in the room, all under the realization that it's up to him alone to change this view of himself. I constantly remember the conversation between him and Roger in episode 1x09 after he rejected McCann offer and chose to stay at Sterling Cooper. Don: "If I ever leave here, it will be for no more publicity." Roger: "Why?" Don: "I don't know, to live life. I want to stop talking about it and start doing it." Some people think he never returned to advertising and lived as Dick (I can't wait to see your conclusions in the review) and I thought that too, until the very last scene. In my opinion, Don discovered that he can live life and be a AD Man at the same time. The final scene of the 1971 Coca-Cola Hilltop commercial, produced by McCann Erickson, is where Don reached his creative peak. Accepting himself, Dick Whitman also accepted Donald Draper and his life as an advertising executive, and that soon after, he was responsible for making the commercial based on the experience he lived through. His continued focus on advertising isn't a step backward in my opinion, because I feel he realized that self-acceptance is already a great step towards becoming better and achieving inner peace. The problem was never the great Mad Men of Manhattan Donald Draper. The problem was his inability to accept who he was and his inability to overcome his past. But in the end, Dick Whitman is there, regardless of being called by Don, his essence can be recovered, and he can be a better person for his children and the people around him, without masks and without facades. And what a facade he maintained for so many years: a childhood full of trauma, parental neglect, his first sexual experience literally being a victim of rape, living his adolescence in a brothel, fleeing to the army and at the first opportunity changing his identity and taking someone else's name, all this combined with his relentless search for a loving maternal figure in absolutely any woman he dated. Having a new name gave him money and professional fame, but it didn't make him a happy person, because his traumas still there, making it impossible for him to become a good husband, a good father, a good friend, a good boss and MY GOD, we spent seven seasons yelling this at him, and when he took a step towards acceptance, we always came back to the same place, so we were angry, we hated him for being so awful, but we felt all this because we hoped he would get better. But it happened, it finally happened!! It was a huge pleasure to follow your reactions throughout these 7 seasons of this incredible show. ❤

I just wanna say thank you to L&M for watching one of the best shows ever! Thank you to the ones who championed it in the comments for years to make it happen (I think Kara and others?), and thank you Don for Coke.

I know other have said it already, but just putting it out there: Six Feet Under! This show was made for you two.

It ends

I can’t

LM, thank you so much for putting this show up in your poll last year. It always felt like it would be a series you guys would fall in love with. I'm sure I speak for a lot of us by saying how much this show means to me and watching your reactions felt like I was watching it again for the first time. I'm really going to miss looking forward to Wednesday/Saturday and I really hope you guys enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed watching your reactions.