Mad Men

For those of us unable to watch and unafraid of spoilers, what happened tonight?

 

I've been thinking of that final scene where they're all gathered together in the hotel setting up their new agency and it reminded me (well, at least in spirit) of Ocean's 11. The gang's all back and they're going to conquer the world

 

PPL was sold to McCann, Don wanted nothing to do with it, eventually they hatched a plan for Lane to fire Sterling, Cooper and Draper and use the time lag across the Atlantic to poach Lucky Strike and a few other clients and start their own agency.

Don, Roger, Sterling, Lane, Peggy, Harry Crane and Pete are all in on it. Of course, when they wanted to loot the office, they had to call in Joan, so Red's back in the house.

Meanwhile, Betty and Don are for real splitsville, she went to a lawyer who told her she had to get divorced in Reno, at the end of the ep, she's on a plane with the square and the baby, the maid's at home with the other kids and Don is checking into a hotel.

 

It's testament to the emotional journey of 3 seasons of this show that I was giddy for tonight's winners and devastated for the young losers.

Sal's the last man missing ... unless Don honestly wanted him gone -- "you people," etc. -- and wasn't just stuck firing him to appease the bosses. Plus, Lucky Strike is more than ever the cornerstone of (the new) Sterling Cooper's accounts. So maybe no gay art director. I really thought they were going to call him when they couldn't find the keys to the Art office. But Don just kicked the door in.

 

And it certainly opens the door for Don to woo Connie at the open of the next season.

 

No, it was a look from Don of "this is my family." That's one thing he does want - a family presence.

 

I am so there.

Love me some (lots, actually) January Jones.

 

Maybe they'll call the new agency McMann and Tate, I hear there's a young account exec named Darrin Stevens who's a real wiz.

 

That was tremendous. My favorite moment was when Sterling asked Peggy to get him coffee and she just said no.

 

I have only watched bits and pieces from this show until the last couple of weeks, so I don't know the whole background. But I really enjoyed last night's show, especially the Don and Peggy scenes.

 

Phenomenal episode in a phenomal season of a phenomenal series. I'm really going to miss it for the next few months. The scenes between Jon Hamm and Elisabeth Moss were excellent and my heart broke for Bobby and Sally Draper.

 

Hell, I felt bad for Paul Kinsey and Ken Cosgrove because they didn't get asked to join the cool kids' company.

Are we to assume that these start-up folks are drawing salaries right away? If so, how -- a business loan to the new enterprise? If not, how is Peggy going to pay the rent or Harry feed the kids?

I'm expecting both Sal and Conrad Hilton to ride to the rescue next season.

Re: the divorce attorney, are you telling me that when he said there are only a couple of ways a divorce gets granted in New York, that marrying under an alias (Don Draper vs. Dick Whitman) and never telling your spouse your real identity wouldn't qualify? I was surprised right there that Bets didn't have her grounds on a silver platter. Never mind his serial infidelities. Jimmy Barrett could have helped on that front.