Accepting the past as it lags behind you
The airing of Mad Men’s series finale truly signalled the end of an era. After seven phenomenal seasons of intricate storytelling, complex character arcs, and brilliant historical accuracy, AMC’s coveted program entertained viewers for one last time.
The seventh season, which was split up into two halves and began airing in early April, was unique and impactful. The first few episodes focused primarily on Don’s inability to find happiness by displacing viewers into an environment that was not familiar for regular fans of the show. Introducing new subplots, while seemingly focusing on unimportant characters, specifically, I’m referring to the waitress Don can’t seem to shake named Diana.
In retrospect, this short and frenzied relationship between Don and Diana, served as a crucial turning point in the show as a whole. The finale of the first half of the season dauntingly reminds us that “the best things in life are free.” In the episodes following those words of the late Bert Cooper, it becomes increasingly evident that he could not have been more correct. We see Don lose his ego, his office, his independence after being bought out by McCann, and his apartment.
While there have been many instances over the years where we have seen Don on a bender and try to fix his own problems with a relationship, the storyline between Don and Diana didn’t quite play out as it typically tends to on this show. Diana, who looks eerily similar to all of the women who have played an important role in Don’s life, represents the inability to accept the actions and inactions of one’s past. With child problems of her own, Diana abandoned the life she had with her family because she couldn’t cope with the events of the past- instead, the past lingers like a phantom, constantly looming behind her.
It may have seemed sudden to introduce a storyline this complex nearing the end of the show, but ultimately, the relationship with Diana urged Don to move forward into the world and find purpose outwards rather than trying to decipher the complexities of his past.
One of my favourite storylines, which came to a brilliant and well-deserved end involves Peggy Olsen, whose transformation as a woman in the workplace over the years has been truly majestic. In the series finale, we see Peggy coming to terms with her personal self – with the ability to reflect positivity and manipulate the McCann office hierarchy, the constant dialectic between work and personal life finally finds middle-ground. Peggy has constantly placed her career over her personal life, similar to numerous characters on the show as a whole. However, it wasn’t until Stan confessed his love for Peggy in the series finale that she finally understood one of the key messages throughout the show: “there’s more to life than work.” The last thing we see of Peggy in the final episode is a portrait of intimacy, happiness, and personal fulfilment found in the comforting embrace of Stan. Personally, I felt that Peggy’s character arc came to a fitting end, leaving the viewer with contentment and hoping that her enduring ambition and passion will carry her through the rest of her personal and office life.
By infusing elements of nostalgia, melancholy, ambition, and ambiguity (in no particular order), showrunner Matthew Weiner has created a particular aura for the series finale which embraces the endless possibilities of Don’s storyline. As we have seen multiple storylines and character arcs come to an end, including those of Pete Campbell, Joan Harris, and Roger Sterling, many questions still linger regarding the closure of Don Draper’s.
Be sure to check www.theontarion.com this upcoming week for a web exclusive featuring part two.