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Mad Men - Season 7, Part 2 - The End of an Era - AMC Sundays
- Thread starter Cornballer
- Start date
GoldenEye 007
Member
I was hoping it would be a test or something?
So fucked up... and I guess it wasn't a test considering she yelled at her son the night before saying she ruined her life.
brianmcdoogle
Member
I thought it was a joke showing how callous the guy was.
stn
Member
I'm brainstorming, wanted to pose a few questions and see what people think...
1. Beauty was a theme in the episode. Feels like the writers were trying to play it off as something superficial, e.g. Don being called out at work; Don telling Sally she could be "more than that".
2. Don asks what the future is about. Everyone he asks gives the same answer of pursuing something bigger than what they already have. Don realizes that's what he once wanted, realizes he feels empty.
3. Restaurant scene. Sally's friend asks Don where he lives, he says Eastside. Last scene has him coming home to no apartment. Symbolic for he has no place in the world? Ironic that the girl flirting with him behaves like he does and also has the same dream of being in New York.
4. Joan. Giving up her kid for that new guy made me cringe, though I like it for the sake of the show.
Some great comedic moments in this one. Best show ever. Thoughts?
1. Beauty was a theme in the episode. Feels like the writers were trying to play it off as something superficial, e.g. Don being called out at work; Don telling Sally she could be "more than that".
2. Don asks what the future is about. Everyone he asks gives the same answer of pursuing something bigger than what they already have. Don realizes that's what he once wanted, realizes he feels empty.
3. Restaurant scene. Sally's friend asks Don where he lives, he says Eastside. Last scene has him coming home to no apartment. Symbolic for he has no place in the world? Ironic that the girl flirting with him behaves like he does and also has the same dream of being in New York.
4. Joan. Giving up her kid for that new guy made me cringe, though I like it for the sake of the show.
Some great comedic moments in this one. Best show ever. Thoughts?
Haiiro Husky
Member
I saw it more in the realm of her saying it out loud and sarcastic in order for him to hear how dumb it was for him to mention that. She was frustrated in the morning after the events of last night and in combination the babysitter being late, but when she said bye to her son, that was when she realized that although she can't "go to the pyramids," she still loves her son and can watch him grow up.
...she wasn't being serious.
My thoughts on those points:
1. Regarding that theme, I think this episode was rather simple and follows the saying that physical "beauty" isn't everything. Don's handsome but he has serious problems, Joan is gorgeous but a serious relationship with her means more than just having her there wherever you might be (speaking from her new boyfriend's POV).
2. Kinda relates to my previous point, and that there's a sentiment that always says "there's something more to this". It's a feeling Don can't shake off, and it's also pretty much what that theme song from two episodes ago was saying.
3. Yeah, his position in life seems to change that quickly. One scene he says "I live here", the next scene he doesn't anymore. It's kind of a testament to how fast something can be lost even though you've been familiar with it for so long. It's kinda tragic. Like last episode, which began with a shot of the good ol' family "Don, Betty, the kids" and ended with a shot of Don all alone in his empty living room.
4. Pretty sure she was being sarcastic about that just to make a point to tell that guy he was being a dick. Did I miss something? It seemed pretty obvious to me that he came to the conclusion to let her AND her kid into his life and to deal with whatever baggage she may have, because a woman her age (and a man his age) most likely has some important lifestyle demands and isn't free to do anything whenever, wherever.
Leona Lewis
Banned
The real estate woman is so fierce.
"Can you go?"
Tell him.
"Can you go?"
Tell him.
brianmcdoogle
Member
Oh, whatever. Now you're going to try and convince me that Pete really isn't the president of the Howdy Doody Circus Army.
BannedEpisode
Member
Almost as bad as when Jessie killed that dog or when the walking dead writers never followed up on the city Rick called when they were in the prison.
Freyjadour
Member
Fantastic follow up to last week. I still can't envision where this might be headed outside of the obvious unfulfilled Don.
lazybones18
Banned
My man Glen is gonna die isn't he.
He must come back....as a cripple. Then maybe Betty will finally do it with him
Bob Dobalina
Member
Surface of Me
I'm not an NPC. And neither are we.
Agreed on all accounts.
Final shot is Don realizing that 17 year old will have no real way to find him now
Because she wants to get him out of there. She doesn't live with her mom anymore either.
Creepster Glenn was fitting to that character, but so sad. I was hoping him telling Sally he was going to war would be his last scene in the show. Maybe showing some progress and not going out as a total creep.
But noooooooooo, here he comes to the kitchen to put moves on a woman old enough to have birthed him. Ugh.....
But noooooooooo, here he comes to the kitchen to put moves on a woman old enough to have birthed him. Ugh.....
I'm glad to have misread the scene because I would enjoy Joan's character significantly less if she were the type of person to do that.
Bobby Roberts
Banned
sooperkool
Member
What does it say about us that we see the same thing (youngster attempting to flirt and or bed an older person) from a man's and woman's perspective and its obvious that the man is humoring the girl to prevent embarrassment (and even explicitly stated to not confuse us) but the woman is leading the young man on.... and conveniently left ambiguous.
Surface of Me
I'm not an NPC. And neither are we.
I didnt feel at all that Betty was leading Glenn on.
Fix The Scientist
Member
Good episode after last week, i think we are pretty much done with megan, ken, joan and maybe even sally. It feels like characters are being a little too neatly tucked away, we'll see as it all unfolds i guess.
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
I thought that was a great episode. I'm actually really glad Glenn came back (one last time?), because his scenes with Sally and Betty were fantastic. Speaking of Sally, she was definitely the highlight of tonight's episode. Loved her reaction to Don 'flirting' with her friend.
OMG
OMG
Dominican Power
Member
Does Betty's house look different? It looks like they live in a mansion.
The Driver
Member
I think Ken and Joan are still in their final arcs. Looks like Ken is in next week episode, and he still hasn't made good on the promise of being a hard-to-please client to the agency. I can see them sort of leaving Joan's new relationship to the imagination and letting her get a "happy ending" in her personal life but who knows, it could implode right before the end. No way that is it for Sally. Maybe until the series finale but I feel like she'll somehow be key to the final episode.
As for the episode itself, I liked it, much better than the last two. Still going about the themes in the final season with a heavy hand but I guess it's just gonna feel that way regardless when the series finale is so close. It was awkward as fuck that both Don and Betty where placed in weird situations with hormonal teens but I'm glad both handled themselves fairly well.
Well, not really the same thing per se but there was than one scene in the mid-season finale where Cutler referred to him as a "football player in a suit" sooooo.
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
I think they do live in a mansion.
I must have missed that. I didnt get that vibe at all. She told him no, told him she was married and that was that. She seemed to feel sorry for the kid rather than hating him like she did all those years ago. I thought I saw major progression for Bettys character in that scene, but maybe I read it wrong.
I did wonder a bit about why Sally included her mother in that statement to Don at the end about Her and Him "Oozing" when someone shows them attention. Maybe it was meant to portray Betty as leading him on? If so, they did a bad job at conveying that IMO.
Dominican Power
Member
What season did they move out of the Draper house again?
Dominican Power
Member
Did you not see how she was glowing when she realized that Glenn turned into a young man?
Don moved out into an apartment after season 3, but Betty and the kids didn't leave the old house until the end of season 4. Don and Betty squabbled about it that whole season. They moved into Henry's place season 5
BertramCooper
Banned
Who ever thought that Betty would end up being what appears to be a pretty good mom?
I mean, she's still a bit cold with her kids at times, but she's not nearly as selfish and mean-spirited as she once was.
Weiner is so good at taking these characters to unexpected places in a completely organic way.
I mean, she's still a bit cold with her kids at times, but she's not nearly as selfish and mean-spirited as she once was.
Weiner is so good at taking these characters to unexpected places in a completely organic way.
I think its sort of cool seeing him write her in a happier state overall. Her character was sort of raked over the coals with the cancer scare and the whole jealousy of Don/Megans marriage + weight control issues.
ClivePwned
Member
It was a much better episode than last week, which just felt flat by comparison. Did Diana dump Don or is she coming back?
I'm not gonna lie, I thought Betty was going to fuck Glen.
which then makes watching Season 1 so wrong
you all have such dirty minds.
Also Lew. He still works there? What? Hanna Barberra would make a cartoon of Scout's Honor? Filmation, I could see. Maybe DePatie-Freleng. But not HB in 1970, that was their purple patch.
Poor Johnny Mathis
I'm not gonna lie, I thought Betty was going to fuck Glen.
which then makes watching Season 1 so wrong
you all have such dirty minds.
Also Lew. He still works there? What? Hanna Barberra would make a cartoon of Scout's Honor? Filmation, I could see. Maybe DePatie-Freleng. But not HB in 1970, that was their purple patch.
Poor Johnny Mathis
The best line in the episode was Peggy. Why don't you write your dreams down so I can shit all over them. Lolololol.
Mathis' criticism rings hollow. Don's handsome and a major douche, but he is talented. He also thinks (even after all this) that he's invincible.
Mathis' criticism rings hollow. Don's handsome and a major douche, but he is talented. He also thinks (even after all this) that he's invincible.
BertramCooper
Banned
Mathis has a bit of a point in that it was really dumb for Don suggest that he make such a comment when it was obvious that Mathis doesn't have the charm to sell it. But it was even dumber for Mathis to not realize that it takes charm to sell a line like that - charm that he clearly doesn't have.
That subplot reminded me a bit of Jon Hamm's character on 30 Rock, who got handouts and favors for being attractive and was completely oblivious to it.
Working for GM, if I remember correctly.
War Peaceman
You're a big guy.
Yeah it is nice because it isn't clear cut. Mathis was a moron in his execution, but Don was an idiot to suggest the idea in the first place. Mathis is still responsible - he made the decision, but clearly Don is a poor manager.
Great episode this week. Felt really breezy after the (deliberate and enjoyably) lethargy of the previous two.
Don never suggested he say that line. His suggestion (which wasn't really one) was much more self deprecating, which Mathis could've pulled off.