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If you are like me, a fan of Mad Men, then chances are that you are still a bit taken by that series finale that aired this past Sunday evening. Chances are, you read some articles and op/ed pieces, getting opinions from countless critics and fans, each leaving statements of their own impressions about the final episode.
We all have our different opinions about that final episode. Some found it disappointing (some even immensely so), while others found it fitting.
Don seems to take from a moment of divine inspiration only another ad idea, another gimmick, in which corporate culture is able to define and profit from the hopefulness and idealism of an era, and cash in with a commercial ode to that vision of peace and oneness with the world. A lot of people found it disappointing that Don did not apparently have it in him to rise up above that corporate world and become a different, a better man.
But then again, was that not who he was right from the beginning? There were glimpses of a real man behind the illusion since the show began, but the real Don Draper, if there is such a thing, was always a man full of the identity he assumed - the one that had made him a big shot in New York City. The one that had him as rich and handsome and the outward embodiment of a dream, even if the reality of pursuing this dream hurt literally everyone around him - not excluding himself.
I personally was not as convinced with the sudden relationship and love between Stan and Peg, which seemed a little too....well, a little too made for tv and the movies, and not the real-life feel that this show generally was solid with to that point. Not sure why that bothered me as much as it did, but it kind of snapped me out of being in the drama of the episode, and wondering where this was coming from? It just did not feel realistic to me, although that could just be my interpretation.
Otherwise, I had no real problems with the finale. I thought the ending relatively appropriate while I was watching it and, in the time since, it seems more and more fitting, the more I think about it.
If there are any other fans reading this, what do you think? Do you agree that it was fitting? Or was it somehow unsatisfying? Were you expecting more? If so, how so? What left you wanting more, and how could this have been remedied?
I know I already devoted a blog entry yesterday to the finale, which is surely not surprising. Yet, the episode was still on my mind a bit through the day, and so it seemed like a good time to review more articles, get more takes on the finale, and publish these here. Included are several links to other opinions and reviews, which I hope any fans of the show can brows through and appreciate. Included is a possible spin-off idea from none other than Jon Hamm, which could be an encouraging sign for Mad Men fans. Surely, a spin off like that would have special guest appearances from at least a couple of the main characters from Mad men as well, right? Who knows?
In any case, here are some additional links about the series finale:
Jon Hamm explains the final scene of Mad Men BY DAN SNIERSON, May 18, 2015:
ArtsBeat - New York Times Blog - ‘Mad Men’ Recap: The Long and Winding Con By LOGAN HILL, MAY 11, 2015:
Here's what everyone wrote about the Mad Men finale BY SHIRLEY LI, May 18, 2015:
http://www.ew.com/article/2015/05/18/mad-men-series-finale-reviews-are
Jon Hamm's dream Mad Men spinoff: Sally Through the Decades BY KELLY CONNOLLY, May 18, 2015:
http://www.ew.com/article/2015/05/18/jon-hamm-mad-men-spinoff-sally
Mad Men and the California Dream Entertainment Geekly: The City of Angels is Don's Heaven and Hell BY DARREN FRANICH, May 15, 2015:
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