Important lessons to take away from the must-see midseason finale
The first half of season 7 has resonated with the cold truthful accents of longing and family. Creator Matthew Weiner brilliantly satisfied fans with one of the best written episodes of Mad Men to date. Similar to other AMC shows including Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead, the network decided for the first time to split its final season in half, creating controversy and disarray among fans and producers.
In this mid-season finale episode titled “Waterloo,” themes of anxiety, scepticism, and materialism echo against the historical portrayal of the 1969 Moon Landing. This episode perfectly captured the awe and wonder at the achievement of landing on the moon. The characters of Mad Men deal with intricate personal relationships and adversities while reacting to the monumental news of Apollo 11’s successful mission. The turbulent episode had everything a thirsty fan could ask for in a mid-season finale including a vision of family values, a major company decision, and a show-stopping musical number.
One of the central events revolving around this episode was the pitch for Burger Chef. Landing such a prominent client in the 1960’s fast food industry, Sterling-Cooper & Partners would make tremendous strides in the advertising world. Chief Copywriter Peggy Olsen led the charge against Burger Chef executives with an incredibly heart-felt pitch with the title “Family supper at Burger Chef.” Invoking feelings of nostalgia and families ‘starving’ for more than just dinner, Peggy delivers a must-see pitch that will send shivers to the viewer.
While intensely filming the characters’ reaction to the moon landing broadcast, the young football player Sean and his dorky younger brother are briefly introduced as guests in Betty’s house. While everyone is in awe, Sean’s angst-filled claim echoes through the episode – “Because there’s no problems back on earth?” At first Sally was attracted to him, but after mirroring Sean’s opinions in a phone call with Don, her father claims “You don’t really think that do you?” A roaring statement made by Don Draper against cynicism and materialism.
Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner found the perfect cocktail for a mid-season finale. Balancing complex character growth alongside the growth of the company, Weiner introduces a change to the Sterling-Cooper& Partners Agency that will resonate throughout the rest of the show. In the aftermath of Bert Cooper’s death while sitting on his couch watching the moon landing, the other founding partner of the agency decided to take charge. In an episode filled with Napoleonic references, Roger Sterling decided to make the agency a subsidiary division of a much larger and dominating advertising company. However, with McCann- Erickson effectively buying out the entire company, each partner is awarded an extremely generous amount of money. In essence, the company has lost its unique identity- it has been bought out. Robert Morse, the actor who played Bert Cooper, was sent off in a unique fashion. Although viewers have seen his final days at Sterling-Cooper & Partners, the series regular left a lasting impression. Don hallucinates the recently deceased Cooper singing “The Best Things in Life Are Free,” written by Lew Brown and Buddy G. DeSylva, with music by Ray Henderson. The lyrics, catching every viewer off-guard, echoes the historic moon landing in such a way that reinforces the themes of family and materialism:
“The moon belongs to everyone
The best things in life are free
The stars belong to everyone
They cling there for you and for me”
After selling the company he helped build, the musical ending to Mad Men’s midseason finale preaches the mistakes Don has made repeatedly. Material wealth is indefinitely equated with happiness throughout the entirety of the episode. From Peggy’s crucial Burger Chef pitch to the sale of SC&P to McCann- Erickson, Cooper’s words haunt the viewer as we are left with the image of a defeated Don, our Napoleonic hero, staring into the empty space he has created- his Waterloo.