Mad Men

WHERE IS MY PEGGY STORY ARC YOU FUCKS

edit - HIISSSSSSSSSSS

Betty. BETTY.

I don't think Don's broke broke. I think he's still got at least a million, which is pleeeeeenty. He's just not Roger Sterling rich, or even close to it anymore. It is like the maid said, he made so many commercials he don't have to work no more.

I wonder if the final episode is gonna be 100% Don. I'm thinking it probably will be.

He's gonna buy that damn farm. That, "You know what you can buy with a hundred bucks in Wichita? EVERYTHING" wasn't just a throwaway, I don't think.

Glad to see Pete and Trudy patching it up, but I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop with his new job opportunity. Nothing good ever came from the machinations of Duck Phillips in the Mad Men world.

Everything with Don just felt like filler this episode.

Well, he did finally confess to strangers. He's only ever confessed to a few people before, and he was forced to do that (with the exception of the real Donald Draper's wife). And it confirmed what we assumed, that he told Turd to go fuck off. Just not on camera. And he gave that hick ass kid the leg up that he never had himself. And he got mugged by hick town veterans for a crime he didn't commit. Damn near got mugged twice, that bit with the collection plate felt like he was being fleeced. Since he was. In his new life, whatever it is, he's gone from the guy that people look up to and now he's the rich out of town stranger who's an easy mark.

It did feel like filler, but there was actually a lot going on in Don's story line.

There was a spot I last season where after his apartment gets emptied he sits out on the balcony and it looks like he's behind bars.

Just a guess. I'm shit at symbolism and/or paying attention to metaphor and crap.

BrutulTM_sl said:

Is Don broke? He gave a million dollars to Megan and they said he is going to lose 2 million by walking out of McCann. I am not sure how rich he was but that is a shitload of money to lose back in the early 70's and him lecturing Sally about money kind of implies he's either nearly broke or about to abandon her.

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Well, they may say he's broke for story purposes, but he shouldn't be. If we assume his paycheck was enough to live on (Which it probably was, considering he was making 45k per year even at the old SC; which is the equivalent of 270k-300k per year today. Even if he took a pay cut, he should have had enough to support his life style without touching his savings.) If we know he had500kfrom theoriginalsale of SC (Which we can garner from his 12% stake and how much Roger made); which he invested 100k into the new company and we know the new company paid back before they tried to go public (So he, as far as we know, still had it). But even if he only maintained half of this, it's still 250k we know he has (But most likely more, depending on what his apartment cost)

Then he got 25% of the Ericson buy out up front. Don was a 17% partner (The share left after Pete/Joan's minor partnership and split among the major partners), which means the total buy out for him was about 5.1 million dollars. Of which he got a quarter up front, so--right off the bat we know he has 1,525,000 dollars directly after the McCann sale (250k from last sale+25% pay out of half his 17% that he sold to McCann). However, we go by Joan's payments, who had thus far received 66% of her buyout (Which came in payments in the months since the buy out) then Don SHOULD have, before Megan--around3.61 Million dollars.

After Megan, Don should, unless there was an enormous expense the show just never talked about, have 2.61 million dollars. Effectively he'd be worth around 11 million in today's dollars. That is with leaving 2 million at McCann. Also though, depending on his partnership agreement, he still owns equity in the company (They only sold 51% of the their shares--which means the other 49% would be traded in for McCann.) I'm unsure whether that gets dissolved for him violating the contract too. (So, his leaving most likely left far more than 2 million on the table, depending on their equity agreements.)

But regardless, yes, Don should stilleasilybe a millionaire even after Megan. If the show has him being broke it would be very poor writing, unless they give us some explanation that he made a series of retard investments. But since, apparently, Don keeps all his money in a checking account--even that would be silly. But yeah, for his time period Don shouldn't have to work again, even if he doesn't invest.

Its crazy to think only one left. Will have to download and rewatch the series sometime this summer or fall.

We've sort of said goodbye to all the characters, going to be interesting to see if the finale is 100% Don only or if other characters show up too. I have a really hard time believing things are going to come up roses for Pete, between Duck being a walking disaster recipe and Trudy almost certainly regretting her 4am decision a few minutes later, I'm pretty sure Pete's life will re-implode asap.

Don's been giving away things every episode this half season, all he has left is some money and his name...

RIP Betty and Fat Betty, you were awesome. bonus 7 year old sally

End scene felt like a throwback to the Hobo's code. Where the hobo told him he used to be rich, and never used to sleep--now he has nothing and sleeps fine. Don's been getting progressively happier as he has left stuff behind. This whole episode was great. I think the final episode will be Roger, Peggy and Don.

Royal_sl said:

Glad to see Pete and Trudy patching it up, but I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop with his new job opportunity. Nothing good ever came from the machinations of Duck Phillips in the Mad Men world.

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I honestly hope that was Pete's last time on screen. If it just ended there I'd be happy. We know from history Leerjet gets huge so if they say nothing else it's pretty easy to assume Pete will be okay (I mean, he's going to be regardless, he's a millionaire.)

spronk_sl said:

I have a really hard time believing things are going to come up roses for Pete, between Duck being a walking disaster recipe and Trudy almost certainly regretting her 4am decision a few minutes later, I'm pretty sure Pete's life will re-implode asap.

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Well, the Duck thing is true--that guy is like the Man Men grim fucking reaper. But Trudy didn't look like she was regretting anything. My wife and I both said she just looked a little shocked--but she seemed excited/happy.

I'm gonna miss this show. It's just been consistently great for the entire run.

I know it's a soap opera for middle aged white men. But I'm a middle aged white man.

I am not exactly sure why another episode is needed.

Epilogue. And they can do a little better still with Don.

Leaving him there at the bus stop would be ok. But they can do a little better, too.

Reality has to tap Don on the shoulder and present him with the dilemma of how to move forward knowing that Betty is on a ticking clock.

I almost hope they leave Peggy's storyline over. If her final scene was boss walking down the halls smokes in mouth and tentacle porn in arm that will be a fitting end for her.

Yeah, I can see Peggy and Joan's storylines both being over last week. Probably Harry too.

Pete and Betty got theirs this week, and also possibly Sally.

Which basically leaves us Don, Ted, and Roger. Ted is kind of iffy to me, but they've got to give Roger a better sendoff than drunk organ playing. That all said, whoever said that this could've been the finale nailed it.

I wish I could find this video on YouTube or something, but I can't. Finale promo:

Watch: This exclusive trailer for the Mad Men finale will make you tear up - Vox

Makes me sad as shit that we've only got another hour of Mad Men.

Matthew Weiner could always troll the living shit out of his audience by devoting the entire finale to Glen Bishop (his kid plays him) in 'Nam.

Weiner's kid cannot fucking act at all. That scene with him and Betty before he went off to war was fucking painful.