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Mad Men - Season 7, Part 2 - The End of an Era - AMC Sundays
- Thread starter Cornballer
- Start date
-Pyromaniac-
Member
Now maybe Don will sell his place and move somewhere.
Captain.Falafel
Neo Member
Something I'm not quite sure I understood - what did Don mean in the elevator with the Doc Rosen and Sylvia when he said 'that wasn't what that was about'?
He was lying to Diana about Sylvia being a past mistress of his.
Also, this probably doesn't mean anything, but Diana reminds me of Don's first mistress. Forgot her name, but she was that beatnik woman who he ran into a few seasons ago and needed money.
I took it as - Diana thought Don must bring a lot of different girls in the elevator, and the Rosens were looking at him funny about it. Which is not, in fact, what it was about.
mightynine
Member
Diana reminded me of Don.
All loss. Don doesn't have his kids, his wife, his money, or his home. What's left to lose?
All loss. Don doesn't have his kids, his wife, his money, or his home. What's left to lose?
Good observation. Or the life he once had vs. his current life.
It's happened a few times. They are uncensored on DVD/bluray/Netflix/etc.
I think it's pretty cool that they let them do that actually. They can't air it on the channel, but it still gets to go in.
Leona Lewis
Banned
The odd thing is that every so often, the F-bomb slips past the censors.
(Last season with Megan, for example.)
Weiner said that they get to use one or two f bombs a season.
Leona Lewis
Banned
How wonderfully arbitrary. Sounds like AMC to me
Man, if he could do it all over...he wouldn't miss out on some sweetass milkshakes.
lazybones18
Banned
He can always sleep in his office after hours lol
Leona Lewis
Banned
The milkshakes were a nice callback to his California trip with Megan and the kids back in S4.
Man, this show is so immense yet so quietly personal at the same time.
megamerican
Member
Great episode. Even though you're expecting it all episode that final shot hits you hard.
umop_3pisdn
Member
This episode convinced me that Don is going to be okay, but I have like no idea how I came to that conclusion. I think it was maybe his conversation with Pete in the car, where Pete said something (about starting over) about being worried that he'd never get past the beginning again. Don is at a point where this concern is almost behind him. Like he relates to it, but compared to Don, these words coming from Pete seemed naive somehow. For Don, in trying to start over in his marriage with Megan, in age (which Megan referred to when she wanted to hurt him), and now him briefly seeing someone like Di (whom I think actually reminds him more of his childhood during the depression, for some reason), Pete's anxieties seem more like they're coming from Don at an earlier point in his life, that he now has a harder time relating to. Don is at a point where all of these losses are compounding, and it's causing him to retreat, but I think it's making him more reflective, and not in a way that young people reflect on their past mistakes so they can 'fix' them. I think Don is becoming aware that at this point in life, there really aren't really any do-overs and that entire idea is a naive notion. I don't think he's going to be crushed under the weight of regret, Don does have some faith or hope in the world (and it's usually the interplay between that and his mistaken lifestyle that causes a lot of his problems), so I think he's ultimately going to find a sense of strength in his past failures, somehow. Even though he may very well end up alone. That's just a vague feeling, though.
Hours Left
Member
Soooooooooooooooooooooo... 
I liked it. Ending was good, maybe a little on the nose. I liked the story with Stan and Peggy and Mimi Rogers. I never really minded Megan, but if that's that last we're seeing of her, I'm fine with that. I really liked the contrast between the beginning scene and the ending scene, even if the latter was a bit on the nose. Harry remains sleazy. I'm really looking forward to seeing more Pete, the bits we have gotten have been great. I also really liked Roger's recognition of who the Marie was that was calling him lol
Didn't see either of these posted:
-Sepinwall's review
-Onion A.V. Club's review
The latter says:
So might be worth checking out again later.
Didn't see either of these posted:
-Sepinwall's review
-Onion A.V. Club's review
The latter says:
So might be worth checking out again later.
Rookje
Member
Its interesting to see how much Megan has devolved. Her relationship with Don opened up such luxurious tastes (even though Don didn't even care for it) for her, and Hollywood made her entitled (not accepting "smaller roles"). The old Megan who babysat Don's kids in California wouldn't of accepted that check, this new Megan has no trouble with it.
Dominican Power
Member
She's in denial acting like Don ruined her life. She was a fucking secretary before she met him and is now a millionaire because of him. Not to say that Megan didn't love him and didn't try to build something with him.
Hours Left
Member
Don also made her uproot everything including leaving her first really big job (on the soap) that she was thriving at, and then emotionally and physically abandoned her shortly after.
I'm not saying that she's acting that admirably, but Don wasn't some benevolent figure either. He treated her like garbage as their relationship evolved past her being his convenient fling.
ClivePwned
Member
Megan still took the check.
a million dollars in 1970 money- before hyper inflation of the late 70's- would not be an insignificant chunk of change.
still, Don's face in the last scene was priceless.
Christ, Harry you sleazy, but period appropriate, fucker!
Roger and Marie- superb!
good for her
a million dollars in 1970 money- before hyper inflation of the late 70's- would not be an insignificant chunk of change.
still, Don's face in the last scene was priceless.
Christ, Harry you sleazy, but period appropriate, fucker!
Roger and Marie- superb!
MidnightCowboy
Member
Harry is like the worst character on this show morally and I love him for it. I was honestly laughing through his whole scene with Megan. You know the sleaze is coming and it still hits you.
Hours Left
Member
Then you think of how he used to be the innocent moral center of the show in season 1, and then it's just sad.
VistraNorrez
Member
If this episode wasn't Don's final call to stop running away, then there is no way he's getting even a decent end. He has to finally stop trying to erase his past and just accept his history and his life choices. It's the only way he's going to ever even touch happiness.
For some reason, I see Don moving out to live near the Francis family and being a fairly active part of their family. I know it's way progressive of the era, but the only thing he can hope to have is a decent relationship with his kids. His relationship with Sally was on good terms last we left that, and his boys seem to enjoy his presence. I don't know if he can ever have a good romantic relationship and there is not enough time to build one in a convincing way. If Don tries to find love again, it's going to end on a "will this one last?" note. Well unless they do some serious time jumps. Of course there is always death waiting.
For some reason, I see Don moving out to live near the Francis family and being a fairly active part of their family. I know it's way progressive of the era, but the only thing he can hope to have is a decent relationship with his kids. His relationship with Sally was on good terms last we left that, and his boys seem to enjoy his presence. I don't know if he can ever have a good romantic relationship and there is not enough time to build one in a convincing way. If Don tries to find love again, it's going to end on a "will this one last?" note. Well unless they do some serious time jumps. Of course there is always death waiting.
Cornballer
Member
- Talked About Scene: Episode 709: Mad Men: New Business
- Promo for next week's episode (please spoiler tag any discussion)
- Promo for next week's episode (please spoiler tag any discussion)
Cornballer
Member
Junior Asparagus
Member
Her name was Midge
War Peaceman
You're a big guy.
Don did good by her in some ways and completely fucked her over in other ways. It is what makes it so interesting. The transfer of money from Don to her felt like an echo of Ken taking the DOW chemical job to screw over whatever the company is now called. They had both been corrupted by the world and took the less moral (but completely reasonable) route. If anything it seemed to me like Don came out of that best - it felt like he wanted to move on both from Megan and other past excesses. Giving away the money seemed like a cathartic act, at least from one viewing. He knew the money didn't make him happy so if it could help someone who he'd wronged, why not give it away?
I think this episode in particular is him embracing his past. The way he's handled his past dalliances/romances was reasonably mature. The waitress was a peculiar amalgamation of the women of his life and a calling to his past (with the accidental prostitution and the overall feel of the relationship strongly felt like his brothel background).
The conversation with Pete in the car seemed to be the most important part of the episode, and not just because Pete was as ludicrous as ever. I need to rewatch that bit.
EDIT: maybe I'm grasping here, but the waitress wanted to leave Don because he made her forget, whilst Don seemed to want to be with her because it helped him remember. I think there's an interesting evolution for Don there. Or not, maybe, I don't know haha.
VistraNorrez
Member
You might be right in both ways. It's hard to tell what's going on in Don's head. It seems like Diana was another way for Don to run away from everything. She was new to NY, had no baggage. Of course this episode shattered all that. It really turned out to be A Christmas Carol kind of affair for Don. But only time will tell us if he heeded the warnings.
Do we have any idea how much money is in Don's bank account before that check got written?
What was his share of the company before the sale of McCann? How much did that cash out?
It may not have been as much in a lump sum as we think it is, as per Pete's explanation to Ken at the end of last weeks ep. That it had to be doled out in small amounts to avoid being taxed at the highest tax rate.
What was his share of the company before the sale of McCann? How much did that cash out?
It may not have been as much in a lump sum as we think it is, as per Pete's explanation to Ken at the end of last weeks ep. That it had to be doled out in small amounts to avoid being taxed at the highest tax rate.
KolosLazar16
Member
.
Mad Men is such a funny show, almost every episode makes me laugh more than I expect to when I start watching.
And I didn't notice at first, but Eugene is dressed like Freddy Krueger, haha.
Yep. It even intentionally looked like it could be from a flashback too for a second. Neat.
And I didn't notice at first, but Eugene is dressed like Freddy Krueger, haha.
Ignatz Mouse
Banned
Sopranos rolled people off, but it was done less mechanically than this, and more with the flow of the story. I don't see Weiner being quite as formalistic as this.
I don't think he will be either, but I wouldn't be that surprised if he continues that for another episode or two, until we get down to the main few (Don, Sally, Peggy, Pete, Roger, Joan). Including the mid-season finale, we've seen Bert, Ken, and Megan go in 3 consecutive episodes respective to each character.
I didn't hate it, but I thought there was a little too much time focused on Megan and her family. Sure, focusing on Megan is fine since it acted as a send-off for her character, but I feel the scenes with her mother and sister(?) weren't too significant and didn't really add to anything except maybe taking everything from Don's apartment thus leading to the final shot, which I'm sure could have been done in many other ways.
If you hate Megan, then yeah, this episode wasn't that great.
I'm pretty indifferent when it comes to her, though.
Mad Men is such a funny show, almost every episode makes me laugh more than I expect to when I start watching.
Yep. It even intentionally looked like it could be from a flashback too for a second. Neat.
And I didn't notice at first, but Eugene is dressed like Freddy Krueger, haha.
Love that show with Don and Betty. Betty needs more screentime damn it, I was so excited to see her only to have her disappear for a Megan episode. Although again I didn't mind it, although I agree the stuff with her sister was useless, her sister's never appeared before.
Leona Lewis
Banned
I feel this is going to be a running theme throughout the season. Slow episodes like this would've been welcomed with open arms a couple seasons back, but everyone seems to be expecting that the final run will lead to some climactic end-game for all of the characters.
So when you have an episode like this that introduces new characters like Pima and Eileen and Marie-France, focuses on also-rans like Megan and Diana, and ignores Joan and Sally, the claws will come out.
Prepare to continue to be disappointed, reviewers.
AlphaSnake
...and that, kids, was the first time I sucked a dick for crack
I'm under the impression that Don feels some kind of relation to Diana because she embodies all of the women Don has been with or felt a connection to. She even has Don's own qualities, and he pointed it out in her apartment scene (Don mentioned he's been in a shitty apartment drinking himself to escape emotion).
She's Midge. She's Peggy. She's Rachel. She's Sylvia. She's Faye. She's Don.
She's deeply broken.
Her Faye similarity is more subtle, but relates to Diana's issue with abandoning her sole child. Faye was not good with children as we all remember. And it turns out that Diana may have a sore spot with them, as well.
I wonder if it really is the end of their relationship (Don & Diana), though.
Also, we've gotten closure on all of Don's women except Faye.
She's Midge. She's Peggy. She's Rachel. She's Sylvia. She's Faye. She's Don.
She's deeply broken.
Her Faye similarity is more subtle, but relates to Diana's issue with abandoning her sole child. Faye was not good with children as we all remember. And it turns out that Diana may have a sore spot with them, as well.
I wonder if it really is the end of their relationship (Don & Diana), though.
Also, we've gotten closure on all of Don's women except Faye.