Mad Men: How Does It End?

Warning, spoilers. The following article will reveal the main plot elements of “Mad Men” as well as its ending.

On July 19, 2007, Mad Men went live: no one expected then that this first original creation from the cable channel AMC with an unknown cast, signed by Matthew Weiner, would become one of the most famous shows on small television. screen. After a timid start, his audience is growing rapidly, especially when the awards are pouring in.

Mad Men is a portrait of a 1960s advertising agency populated by men in suits – glass in hand and cigarette in mouth – and their perfect secretaries, real women of all trades. A wise critic of consumerism, the show delves into the personal and professional lives of its characters, and especially Don Draper, a talented publicist recognized by his peers. Donnie is a tragic and charismatic, deceitful and selfish anti-hero who has stolen a human identity to escape his problems, a double life that never ceases to torment him, driving him to do the same things over and over again. mistakes. .

Other equally memorable figures gravitate around him, such as the brilliant but immature Roger Sterling, feminists and pioneers Peggy Olson and Joan Harris, the cold and traditional Betty Draper or the unsympathetic but lovable Pete Campbell.

As it progresses, the series perfectly captures the ever-changing mood and social mores of the 60s and 70s, yet remains relevant. With its countless accolades, the show is considered one of the best written in television history and is praised for its direction, visual style and impeccable cast, which has featured Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss and Christina Hendricks, among others.

If it is not a thriller and a cliffhanger series, Mad Men is above all an intellectual and aesthetic pleasure, stimulating and different, a masterpiece of the golden age of television, which ended on May 17, 2015 after 7 exciting seasons and 92 episodes. Its final episode (7×14), titled “Intimate Confession” (“Person to Person”), was seen by an estimated 3.3 million viewers on AMC. To wrap up the series perfectly, here’s a summary of it.

family

In the fall of 1970, Don (Jon Hamm) called Sally (Kiernan Shipka) from Utah, where he had just seen Gary Gabelich set a new Bonneville speed record in his Blue Flame. Sally tells her that Betty (January Jones) has lung cancer and only six months to live, which she shouldn’t have shared, but tells her anyway because Betty wants the kids to go live with her brother William. Donnie then tells her that they will all come to live with her, but the young girl insists: she wants her little brothers, Gene and Bobby, to not change their routine and stay with Henry (Christopher Stanley).

Donnie then calls Betty and begs her to bring her children to live with her. However, Betty insists that their brother and his wife, Judy, take it after his death, saying that they need stability and “a woman in their life”, two things that Don cannot give them.

new directions

Continuing his journey further west to California, Don is reunited with Stephanie (Katie Lotz), the niece of his longtime friend Anna Draper (Melinda Page Hamilton), who has left her child with her paternal grandparents. When Don shows up at his house, he’s about to take a spiritual vacation by the ocean, further up the coast. Stephanie decides to have Don come with her.

Meanwhile, Joan (Christina Hendricks) and Richard (Bruce Greenwood), vacationing in Key West, try their hand at cocaine and talk about moving in and starting a new life together, but when he later receives a business proposal from his former colleague Kenny (Aaron Staton), The situation is changing. He then offers Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) a partnership in the film production company he is creating.

Richard will not take the news too well, disliking Joan’s professional ambition and believing that this will be her main focus and that she will focus on her work as he tries to start a new life with her. Then he decides to leave.

Back at the Francis residence, Sally returned from the boarding house. Explaining that he missed his family, he canceled his summer plans to travel to Madrid to spend more time at home. Young Bobby (Mason Weil Cotton), surprised by his sister’s sudden return, asks her, “Is it going to happen now,” indicating that despite Betty’s best efforts, she has come to realize that her mother is sick and dying. Sally then notices that Bobby has burned her grilled cheese sandwich and offers to show her how to do it right, as a second mom.

Roger (John Slater) has a perfect love affair with Marie (Julia Ormond), Megan’s (Jessica Pare) mother. During the episode, he visits Joan and tells her that he intends to marry Marie, but above all that he has re-executed his will after her daughter’s departure: he has thus decided to bequeath a large part of his property to their illegitimate child. Kevin (Kayden Milik), and the other part goes to his grandson Ellery.

intimate confessions

In retirement, Don and Stephanie try their hand at several activities until the latter abandons Don after receiving criticism for leaving his son with his grandparents. Stuck in a seaside region with nowhere to go for days, this distraught Donnie calls Peggy. The young woman begs him to go home and resume his work, insisting that McCann Erickson would be happy to take her and that he has something to do with the Coca-Cola account. Donnie then confesses his many sins to her: stealing another man’s name, breaking his wedding vows, and shocking Sally by admitting that the main reason he called her was because he never told her. goodbye.

After Don hangs up, Peggy discusses this troubling call with Stan (Jay R. Ferguson) on the phone. While she worries about her mentor, Stan explains to her that Donnie has disappeared off the radar many times before, often coming back revitalized with bigger and better ideas. As the discussion turns into another argument, Stan reveals his true feelings to Peggy, who seems angry at first, before realizing that she loves him too and admitting it. Just when Peggy thinks she’s hung up, Stan actually rushes into his office and asks her to repeat it. He tells her out loud that he loves her and they kiss. Also, Peggy later rejected Joan’s offer of a partnership.

At camp, the counselor notices that Don is upset and convinces him to attend a retreat confessional seminar that evening. During the meeting, Donnie witnesses another attendee (Evan Arnold) confessing that he feels loved and neglected both at home and at work. At one point, a man named Leonard talks about a dream where he is an object in a refrigerator that no one picks and it causes him to collapse. Donnie, sympathetic, hugs Leonard and breaks down in tears.

All kinds of luck

The episode (and the series) ends with a montage of the fates of the main characters: Pete (Vincent Kartheiser) – who had previously said goodbye to Peggy – Trudy (Alison Brie) and Tammy (Aria Lyric Liabu) arrive on a Learjet. which will lead them to a new life in Wichita. Joan runs her new business, Holloway Harris, from the dining room while her mother takes care of her son. Roger and Marie are sitting in a cafe in Paris on their honeymoon and already imagine the old couple sitting in front of them. Sally cooks and looks after her younger brothers, while Betty smokes and reads by her side. Peggy, hard at work on her mission, receives a loving hug from Stan.

Finally, it’s Don’s turn. Sitting in the lotus position, meditating on the edge of a cliff by the ocean as a small smile crosses her face. It was then that McCann Erickson’s 1971 “Hilltop” television commercial for Coca-Cola appeared on the screen, suggesting that Don had the idea. The end of madness.