Mad Men, Season 7: Discussions, spoilers, reactions

[the G-man]

Considering how often "cigarettes = death/disaster" in this season, 'd be very surprised if SCDP attempting to land big tobacco again doesn't spell the "death" of something: Don's career at the agency or the agency itself (given how many months we are away from many forms of cigarette advertising being banned).

And "air" could refer to smoke.

 

[ThunderAeroI]

2015? Sweet jesus

 

[Warped9]

WTF ending was that???

I didn't see Bert Cooper being the one to bite the dust. And Roger manages to win Don a stay of execution so to speak. I was glad because seeing Cutler practically gloating made me want to puke.

 

[ALF]

No resolution on Lou but otherwise it was an interesting story. What are they setting up for next year? I figured Bert would go before Roger did (and hopefully not at all) but I'm glad the airplane thing was a red herring (though I was laughing at Ted's failed 'suicide attempt' in his career!)

Sally looks like she's ready to start using her persuasive powers fully. She'll be unstoppable by the end of the series.

Meridith's pass at Don was both touching and hilarious.

 

[Snaploud]

Yikes. Harry missed out on a boat-load* of money because he was afraid his wife would get too much of his cash in a divorce.

*Assuming a 5% partnership (and a valuation of $65 million and a purchase of 51%): he missed out on about $10 million dollars in today's money. Ouch.

 

[Jonas Grumby]

Roger to the rescue! And now the big boys get to once again do what they do best. I like where this is going.

Be honest. What's the first thing that went through your mind when Roger answered that phone and responded with, "Oh, shit"?

Not the first time Ted has tried to scare the crap out of someone in his airplane. I seem to recall him giving Don a similar rough time a few seasons ago. Let's face it, Ted is a closet sadist.

Harry Crane. Pretty much fucked. I wonder if Don will throw him some kind of bone for cluing him in to Jim and Lou's tobacco company scheme.

Loved the final scene. Robert Morse exiting the stage without a song and dance would have been just...wrong. Now...I have to figure out how much to read into the song choice.

 

[Data Holmes]

I liked that ending actually. Nice save by Roger. Seems like both Roger and Don have/are not only cleaning up their game.

I loved cutler voting yes, Roger's eye roll and "really" and his "it is a lot of money"

Am I the only one glad Megan is out at this point? I didn't like her story arc this season.

 

[CaptainCanada]

Harry Crane. Pretty much fucked. I wonder if Don will throw him some kind of bone for cluing him in to Jim and Lou's tobacco company scheme.

Actually, about that: Harry was apparently being counted in Cutler's camp through the entire episode (i.e., he was going to vote to fire Don), which is rather contrary to the view he expressed when telling Don about the meeting...unless that was a ploy to get him to breach his contract. This isn't given any attention in the show itself, but it seems like something Cutler would do, and Harry's complete turnabout is otherwise unexplained.

The final scene was one of those things I never knew I always wanted.

 

[ALF]

Harry is probably too one-dimensional for duplicity.
Harry and Pete have always pined for Don's friendship as well as respect. I'm kind of floored that after all these years, it has come to fruition.
Don's got some work to do to win Joan's respect back but it's incredible how much of the core cast is still together under one roof doing business. I guess the final half season won't be too big a change... and there's only 6 months or so left in the 60s timeline so there shouldn't be a big jump ahead next time. Sigh... 2015.

 

[Warped9]

This was a good episode. And Don seems to be pulling things together. Sometimes you have to go through a lot of crap to learn what really matters to you.

From day one I've never liked Pete, but he serves his purpose. It's just as a person he's such a dick. Peggy seems to be coming into her own. Roger, too.

Jim Cutler along with Lou are assholes in each their own way and I'm waiting/hoping to see them each get theirs. Also wondering if Betty will finally self-destruct or something.

I won't miss Megan because I never really cared for her anyway. She always struck me as a twit at the core. I always think the blonde Don was seeing (I can't recall her name) before Megan was someone who actually could have been good for Don. I always thought he chose the wrong one, but then that's where he was in his life. Now it looks like given a similar situation Don would make the better choice.

I loved them revisiting the Apollo 11 landing. That was indeed an incredible time unmatched by anything since. It really was an edge-of-your-seat event.

It sucks we have to wait until next year to see how it all finally plays out. It's had its ups and downs, but overall this is a great series and I'll be sorry to see it go.

 

[the G-man]

Interesting review, comparing Don's tribulations to Dante's Inferno here.

Very satisfying episode. A lot of funny moments (sorry Harry). A few sad ones and a season finale that could almost work as a series finale.

Sally's choice between the two boys was sweet. And it reminded me of Marsha Brady, in a good way. Nice to see Sally not follow in her moms footsteps and go for flash over substance.

I like Ted. I hope that, as Don seems to be doing, he pulls out of his (in Teds case perhaps literal) spiral before it's too late.

The only two negatives were:

1. Don's telephone conversation with Megan had a certain redemption in that this time he told her the truth. And the conversation was genuinely sad. But, otherwise, it was too much like the last time they broke up on the phone (which was followed by the infamous threesome scene). They should have rewritten/excised the last time he went to LA and/or the last breakup call. It detracted from what we saw in this episode.

2. Another season finale where Don is "saved" by a merger/acquisition/dissolution. Seems like Weiner has played that card one too many times, even if watching Roger pull the strings was fun.

Speaking of Roger: Give Slattery the best supporting actor Emmy now.

 

[Warped9]

^^ Your link was an interesting read. Thanks.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Great interview with Matthew Weiner about Bert's song and dance, hallucinations, Betty, the final season, and Ginsberg.

 

[gblews]

Absolutely loved the episode. Peggy's pitch, Roger's clever power play (calling for a vote and practically forcing Ted to make a decision right there).

The ending though, knocked me out. Just when it appeared that Bert would go out without a fitting ending we get the biggest surprise scene of this season. Just perfect. It was so Mad Men/Sopranos, presenting a fantasy scene in the midst of all that drama. The fact that it was a xong and dance was not only a tribute to "Bert", but also to Robert Norse.

Great seeing Cutler neutered. Will also be interesting watching how this affects Lou. We'll see how Cutler likes being under Roger's thumb.

Nice way to lead into the final season.

 

[the G-man]

Great seeing Cutler neutered. Will also be interesting watching how this affects Lou. We'll see how Cutler likes being under Roger's thumb.

Lou snaps over losing the tobacco account and, in the finale, pushes Don out a window to his death.

...or not

 

[Warped9]

I think people have been misinterpreting the opening credits all along. It's not about a death by a fall out a window. It's a fall in a more figurative sense because at the end the person is still alive and reclining with a cigarette in hand.

Dom had made it to the top and fell from grace (so to speak). Now he's picking himself up and (hopefully) a better person for it.

 

[Corran Horn]

Great line by Roger - "Is this what would happen if I died?"

 

[gblews]

Why was Joan so against Harry being a partner?

I can think of four reasons:

1) Harry is portrayed as being irritating and somewhat dense.

2) Joan didn't have the easiest time becoming a partner. It's easy to see her resenting somebody being handed a partnership.

3) There was a plotline back in season two involving Harry and Joan: Harry had an opening in the tv department. Joan read all the scripts and gave a great sales pitch. Unfortunately, Harry decided to hire somebody else (never even considering Joan as an option). Joan probably never got over that experience.

4) Harry once complained that Joan slept her way into a partners' meeting.

Why was Joan so against Harry being a partner?

I can think of four reasons:

1) Harry is portrayed as being irritating and somewhat dense.

2) Joan didn't have the easiest time becoming a partner. It's easy to see her resenting somebody being handed a partnership.

3) There was a plotline back in season two involving Harry and Joan: Harry had an opening in the tv department. Joan read all the scripts and gave a great sales pitch. Unfortunately, Harry decided to hire somebody else (never even considering Joan as an option). Joan probably never got over that experience.

4) Harry once complained that Joan slept her way into a partners' meeting.

I've got another for your list:
5) Harry is condescending, mean spirited or revoltingly entitled toward Joan in nearly every scene they've shared together since the beginning.
Harry is kind of a sloppy pig.

Since the season is over, I wanted to come back to this. All of the above is plausible, but I just don't think the show did a very good job of letting us know just why it was that she had SUCH animosity toward Harry being a partner.

She told us herself why she was against Don; his behaviour had cost her money, but we get no such precise reason why she hates on Harry being a partner. Her reaction to Harry's promotion seems too "extreme" compared to what we know about her prior relationship with Harry.

As Cos pointed out, most of the men in the office who have been there for a while have insulted Joan including the partners, well Don, Roger, and Bert, but the only one she is hostile toward is Don and we are told why. And Joan did sleep her way to a partnership. She knows it and so does the exec staff ...and Harry. Didn't Pete throw it in her face at some point? But no Joan hate for Pete. Harry, on the other hand, runs the most important department in the company which he built from scratch, and is the most forward thinking of all of the partners. He is without question deserving of a partnership. Okay, Harry is a bit of a doofus and a lap dog. Even Cutler, who liked Harry's ideas, still didn't respect him.

BTW, in the plot void, my own explanation for her animosity toward Harry is that she feels he is beneath her and just not worthy of respect OR a partnership. Or it might be that she simply didn't want any additional partners who she would take part of the companies' (her) profits.

 

[Jonas Grumby]

^ While the disrespect Harry has shown for Joan is certainly a valid cause (maybe even her primary cause) for her objections to him becoming a partner, I'm sure a lot (if not most) of her reason is the same as that of any of the other partners. And that is that any new partner means less money for all of them.

While Roger Sterling has generally been the quickest and loudest to voice this concern whenever the subject comes up, I'm sure all of the partners share it.

 

[Snaploud]

^Well, it's not all about money, or Don never would have had the votes to be kept around post-contract-breach. His shares would have been given to the other partners per his latest agreement (a major windfall for the group). The McCann deal changes that calculation completely, but, before that deal, Roger, Pete, and Bert were giving up a ton of cash to side with Don.