mad men

[Birds in Hell]

I'm wading through some of the online reviews and comments now.

Wow, really?

I, like the others here, never thought that Don wrote that ad, until I read it here. My take was that "Don Draper" was retired permanently, and that Dick Whitman was reborn in California.

The Coke ad, as I interpreted it, was to show that the McCann machine rolled on very nicely without Don, and also to contrast the real connections that Don began to make in the commune, versus the incomplete ones that he forged for 10 years at Sterling Cooper et al.

Gosh, people are weird.

[spike]

I'm wading through some of the online reviews and comments now.

Wow, really?

I, like the others here, never thought that Don wrote that ad, until I read it here. My take was that "Don Draper" was retired permanently, and that Dick Whitman was reborn in California.

The Coke ad, as I interpreted it, was to show that the McCann machine rolled on very nicely without Don, and also to contrast the real connections that Don began to make in the commune, versus the incomplete ones that he forged for 10 years at Sterling Cooper et al.

Gosh, people are weird.

that's a plausible interpretation.

[Birds in Hell]

I'm wading through some of the online reviews and comments now.

Wow, really?

I, like the others here, never thought that Don wrote that ad, until I read it here. My take was that "Don Draper" was retired permanently, and that Dick Whitman was reborn in California.

The Coke ad, as I interpreted it, was to show that the McCann machine rolled on very nicely without Don, and also to contrast the real connections that Don began to make in the commune, versus the incomplete ones that he forged for 10 years at Sterling Cooper et al.

Gosh, people are weird.

that's a plausible interpretation.

I don't really think it is.

I think it's open to argue whether Don returning to McCann with the idea of the "Hilltop" Coke ad shows that he's finally resolved the duality that's he's been battling with throughout the series and finally understands that he is loved and appreciated for who he is (and that who he authentically is at this point is Don Draper, not Dick Whitman) or whether it shows someone unable to break the patterns of their past behaviour, doomed to repeat the same mistakes endlessly (as was said out loud by both Roger and Stan, this is just what Don does and he will always come back) but I really don't think there was intended to be any ambiguity about the facts of what happened.

[CopperTom]

I just watched the episode. Given the path of the final few episodes, I thought he should have re-assumed Dick Whitman. Frankly, I thought it would have been a great final line, "Hi, I'm Dick Whitman." He could have finally been happy in his own skin. However, given Don's retreat, he could have very well written that ad from his new perspective on life - his smile may have been the idea of the ad. Personally, I did not like that a real ad was the final "scene" of the show. I don't think that Pete deserved the happiest ending. Joan's was the only "real" ending of the lot - it wasn't too sweet. Of all the over-indulgence of the show, I didn't think Betty deserved to be the one who died young.

[Birds in Hell]

I just watched the episode. Given the path of the final few episodes, I thought he should have re-assumed Dick Whitman. Frankly, I thought it would have been a great final line, "Hi, I'm Dick Whitman." He could have finally been happy in his own skin.

I think the point of Don's journey in the last few episodes is that he threw himself into living as Dick Whitman and failed miserably. He sucks at being Dick Whitman because he really isn't Dick Whitman and hasn't been for a long time, even if he wasn't able to see that until now. He always felt as though he was only pretending to be the character of "Don Draper" and that his achievements weren't really his own and that any love he received was illegitimate because of that.

"You live your whole life thinking you're not getting it. That people aren't giving it to you. Then you realise they're trying and you don't even know what it is."

In that moment at the retreat, I think Don resolved the battle. He is Don Draper. The person that Sally knows, that Peggy knows, that Roger knows are all him. It's not a facade, the person they know and love is real and Dick Whitman is a fantasy that existed for nobody but him.

I saw this posted elsewhere and I think it's really key. The following exchange is from when Anna Draper gave Don a tarot reading in season 2 and I think this pretty much spells out Don's final resolution (and note, the girl at the front desk of the retreat had tarot cards spread in front of her when Don tried to leave):

ANNA: She’s the soul of the world. She’s in a very important spot here. This is you, what you are bringing to the reading. She says you are part of the world. Air, water, every living thing is connected to you.

DON: It’s a nice thought.

ANNA: It is.

DON: What’s it mean?

ANNA: It means… the only thing keeping you from being happy is the belief that you are alone.

DON: What if that’s true?

ANNA: Then you can change.

DON: People don’t change.

ANNA: I think she stands for wisdom. As you live, you learn things.

I don't think that Pete deserved the happiest ending. Joan's was the only "real" ending of the lot - it wasn't too sweet. Of all the over-indulgence of the show, I didn't think Betty deserved to be the one who died young.

I think Pete is fundamentally a decent person who has made some terrible decisions, often driven by his own insecurities. He might not deserve the shows most beatific ending but I was glad that he got it.

[spike]

I'm wading through some of the online reviews and comments now.

Wow, really?

I, like the others here, never thought that Don wrote that ad, until I read it here. My take was that "Don Draper" was retired permanently, and that Dick Whitman was reborn in California.

The Coke ad, as I interpreted it, was to show that the McCann machine rolled on very nicely without Don, and also to contrast the real connections that Don began to make in the commune, versus the incomplete ones that he forged for 10 years at Sterling Cooper et al.

Gosh, people are weird.

that's a plausible interpretation.

I don't really think it is.

I think it's open to argue whether Don returning to McCann with the idea of the "Hilltop" Coke ad shows that he's finally resolved the duality that's he's been battling with throughout the series and finally understands that he is loved and appreciated for who he is (and that who he authentically is at this point is Don Draper, not Dick Whitman) or whether it shows someone unable to break the patterns of their past behaviour, doomed to repeat the same mistakes endlessly (as was said out loud by both Roger and Stan, this is just what Don does and he will always come back) but I really don't think there was intended to be any ambiguity about the facts of what happened.

don having anything to do with the coke ad is only implied, so there's certainly room for ambiguity.

[spike]

I just watched the episode. Given the path of the final few episodes, I thought he should have re-assumed Dick Whitman. Frankly, I thought it would have been a great final line, "Hi, I'm Dick Whitman." He could have finally been happy in his own skin.

I think the point of Don's journey in the last few episodes is that he threw himself into living as Dick Whitman and failed miserably. He sucks at being Dick Whitman because he really isn't Dick Whitman and hasn't been for a long time, even if he wasn't able to see that until now. He always felt as though he was only pretending to be the character of "Don Draper" and that his achievements weren't really his own and that any love he received was illegitimate because of that.

"You live your whole life thinking you're not getting it. That people aren't giving it to you. Then you realise they're trying and you don't even know what it is."

In that moment at the retreat, I think Don resolved the battle. He is Don Draper. The person that Sally knows, that Peggy knows, that Roger knows are all him. It's not a facade, the person they know and love is real and Dick Whitman is a fantasy that existed for nobody but him.

this is the most succinct interpretation of don's resolution that i've read. very nice.

[Birds in Hell]

Thanks! The more I think it over, the happier I am with the finale. I think it was a very fitting and satisfying resolution to the series. What a show it was.

[spike]

Thanks! The more I think it over, the happier I am with the finale. I think it was a very fitting and satisfying resolution to the series. What a show it was.

agreed, i'm still pondering it all two days later. that's the sign of a quality sign off.

[Monkey_Driven]

I just watched the episode. Given the path of the final few episodes, I thought he should have re-assumed Dick Whitman. Frankly, I thought it would have been a great final line, "Hi, I'm Dick Whitman." He could have finally been happy in his own skin.

I think the point of Don's journey in the last few episodes is that he threw himself into living as Dick Whitman and failed miserably. He sucks at being Dick Whitman because he really isn't Dick Whitman and hasn't been for a long time, even if he wasn't able to see that until now. He always felt as though he was only pretending to be the character of "Don Draper" and that his achievements weren't really his own and that any love he received was illegitimate because of that.

"You live your whole life thinking you're not getting it. That people aren't giving it to you. Then you realise they're trying and you don't even know what it is."

In that moment at the retreat, I think Don resolved the battle. He is Don Draper. The person that Sally knows, that Peggy knows, that Roger knows are all him. It's not a facade, the person they know and love is real and Dick Whitman is a fantasy that existed for nobody but him.

I saw this posted elsewhere and I think it's really key. The following exchange is from when Anna Draper gave Don a tarot reading in season 2 and I think this pretty much spells out Don's final resolution (and note, the girl at the front desk of the retreat had tarot cards spread in front of her when Don tried to leave):

ANNA: She’s the soul of the world. She’s in a very important spot here. This is you, what you are bringing to the reading. She says you are part of the world. Air, water, every living thing is connected to you.

DON: It’s a nice thought.

ANNA: It is.

DON: What’s it mean?

ANNA: It means… the only thing keeping you from being happy is the belief that you are alone.

DON: What if that’s true?

ANNA: Then you can change.

DON: People don’t change.

ANNA: I think she stands for wisdom. As you live, you learn things.

I don't think that Pete deserved the happiest ending. Joan's was the only "real" ending of the lot - it wasn't too sweet. Of all the over-indulgence of the show, I didn't think Betty deserved to be the one who died young.

I think Pete is fundamentally a decent person who has made some terrible decisions, often driven by his own insecurities. He might not deserve the shows most beatific ending but I was glad that he got it.

Thanks for sharing this. Right now this is my interpretation as well. Thank you for articulating it so well.

[BurtReynolds]

Binge watched the last half of the season. loved every episode, but not sure about the ending. That retreat stuff was brutal. Don's ending was too corny and clipped, but I was fine with the rest. I like happy endings.

Ideally I'd have liked to see more episodes, but oh well.

[EJ]

on whether or not Don created the Coke ad? He did.

For those of you who need to hear it straight from Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner‘s mouth: Don (and not Peggy) wrote the Coke ad.

“The idea that some enlightened state, and not just co-option, might’ve created something that is very pure” was an attractive way to end the series, Weiner said. “To me, it’s the best ad ever made, and it comes from a very good place.”

https://www.yahoo.com/tv/s/mad-men-crea ... 47003.html

[Mike]

that was a beautiful finale. don's call to Betty was crushing. losing both of his (ex-)wives to cancer is hard. (yeah, Anna was only legally "Don Drapers" wife but still. losing two of the most important women in his life.)
Birdie...
...I know


Bye, bye, Mad Men

[Birds in Hell]

[epilogue]

I'm actually pretty sad that we don't have a new episode to discuss this morning.

[Birds in Hell]

Props, costumes, etc auction.

[The Argonaut]

I was looking at those yesterday. I wonder how much this stuff is actually going to go for.

[Matters]

For years I thought “Shut the door. Have a seat.” was the best episode but now I’m convinced “The Suitcase” is the peak of the show.