All of the Internet is awash with Mad Men tributes, spoilers, disagreements about the finale, tearful goodbyes from fans and, of course, questions. (Warning: spoilers ahead) Like who wrote the iconic Coca Cola ad — Don or Peggy? Was the ending idealistic or cynical? In its eight years on air, chronicling the 1960s, why did it disregard the issue of race, especially the civil rights movement?
The series, which began in 2007, concluded on Sunday after seven seasons and 92 episodes. Set in the swinging 60s, Mad Men follows the life of suave Don Draper — whose existential angst is always simmering under the surface — a creative director at Sterling Cooper and later, a founding partner at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.
The show’s feisty female characters — Joan and Peggy — in a sense, saw more satisfying endings. Joan, who found love with her tycoon, blazes an upbeat path by choosing her career over a man; she starts her own company, Holloway Harris. For someone who had to fight sexual harassment and troubling male bosses, Joan’s journey traces feminism’s triumphant ascent. Peggy comes into her own — she rises from being Don’s secretary to a copywriter, becomes a mother although she gives up her child for adoption, finds happiness and companionship in her colleague Stan Rizzo (hotly debated amongst fans: one camp finds the romance to be most abrupt while the other is glad that the duo are ending up together) and fights it out at McCann Erickson, emerging every bit like the protégé of Don Draper that she is.
As for Don, who has held seven seasons in his sway despite his boozy behaviour, shadowy past and brazen infidelity, the story comes to a close with his ‘OM’ moment: with him perched on a cliff that brought him enlightenment à la the 1971 Coke ad (it’s best to be agnostic about it though, like most of the Internet is). Unsurprisingly enough, Don’s life doesn’t change although his collapse is real — his wife dies of cancer (leaving him like his mother did) and after a long journey that involves a meditative Don with a maudlin smile, he gets back to doing what he does best: selling.
Mad Men , however, will best be remembered for its contribution to the world of pop culture. Through its costumes, we experienced the allure of the 60s — the series’ costume designer Janie Bryant confessed to Vulture that people have donated their clothes to the show; through rampant sexism present in the ad agency (much like the society at that time), it encouraged discussion about gender — watching Peggy and Joan struggling with misogyny and patriarchal entitlement every day only to find them come on top is rewarding; through the whiskey-drinking Don Draper, the cocktail-preferring Betty Draper and vodka-downing Roger Sterling, it gave us alcohol choices that reflected the characters and social norms at that time; and, as NPR pointed out, creator Matthew Weiner chose to employ lesser-known songs of the time by The Beach Boys, The Tornados and Mr. Acker Bilk rather than classics by Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan or The Beatles.
While fans debate on the ending, it has to be noted that Matthew Weiner did leave the characters on an optimistic note: Peggy and Stan are united, Joan has her own company, Don gets back to work, Pete and Trudy leave on a jet to Wichita, Roger includes his son in the will... It may not be a fairytale, but every character finds their happy ending. Like Don Draper said, “Happiness... screams reassurance that whatever you are doing is okay. You are okay.”
