I wanted to blog about Sunday night’s sixth season finale of Mad Men–but then I read Tim Goodman’s spot-on deconstruction. Goodman says it all and says it well. Read it here at The Hollywood Reporter.
I agree with Goodman that the jam-packed finale redeemed an up and down season. It was as if creator Matthew Weiner, who co-wrote and directed the episode as he does at the end of every season, retook control of his baby. For a few episodes, it felt like Weiner had lent the sporty Mad Men mobile to writers who, like Pete in the finale, couldn’t drive a stick.
Sunday’s 65-minute finale hummed. Draper’s not-so-snap, career ending decision to end the lie, tell the truth and come clean about his hellish past, restored a virtue sorely lacking for most of this season: faith. Don Draper needed to believe in something again in order for viewers to care, too. A number of things conspire to jolt him out of a very dark, drunken funk and into a future filled with questions and uncertainty but also loaded with hope and promise.
It’s a gutsy, heroic move. Draper’s no where near redeemed yet as a father or as a person but it’s a hell of a step in the right direction, setting up an interesting final season in 2014. As well, several other characters have a fresh shot at a Wonderful Life ending.
I’ve tried to make this summery spoiler-free. Goodman goes into detail so watch the episode first if you can. Watch it anyway–twice.
