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Since the second episode of this season, Faye’s prediction that Don would be remarried within a year has been hanging over everything that's happened. Sometimes Mad Men pulls off the most amazing plot twists, like the revelation of Don’s true identity, but other times, it’s a remarkably straightforward show. A marriage is predicted at a Christmas party; before the next year is out, someone is wearing an engagement ring. For the last few episodes, the big question has been who Don would choose: Faye or Megan?
As soon Faye found out the Don/Dick story, though, the end of their relationship was in sight. Megan represented a fresh start for Don, someone who doesn’t know about his past and only sees the best in him. Just when you thought he couldn’t get any better, Jon Hamm brings a whole new side of Don: Don in love. Their happiness may not last, but Don announcing his engagement to the partners was the closest we’ve seen to Dick Whitman in that office. He’ll never reveal the truth about himself to the world, but he’s definitely taking small steps towards uniting his two identities.
It’s also been clear this season that Stirling Cooper Draper Price’s reliance on Lucky Strike couldn’t last, but it was still tough to watch it play out. I’m glad that the season didn’t end with a big company swooping in and saving the day. Instead, the ending was admirably low key, with salvation coming in the form of Peggy Olson and a small pantyhose company. I’ve loved Peggy’s journey throughout this season, as she’s becoming more and more Don-like, and Elisabeth Moss has played it to perfection.
The most satisfying thing of all this season has been the pay-off of storylines and relationships that have bubbled through the show since it began. Never has January Jones been better than in her final scene with Hamm, as their two characters muse on the past. Her obvious disappointment that her hoped-for reunion with Don wouldn’t happen, and then her quick cover-up, were stunningly played. I make no secret of my love for Pete, and few scenes in any TV programme have made me happier than the small moment in the penultimate episode when he silently thanked Don for paying his share. But the biggest pay-off of all came in the finale, as Joan and Peggy finally put their history behind them for a moment to bitch about Don’s engagement. It was beautifully staged, written and acted, and the ultimate reward for people who have been watching Mad Men since the start.
Ultimately, what we see with these characters is flawed but compelling individuals who keep making the same mistakes, but hopefully making them slightly better. So Peggy still finds herself attracted to a man who doesn’t fully understand her, but at least he’s willing to try. And Joan and Roger are drawn together once again, but this time Joan stopped it before they fell into their old affair. I hope that they continue to share small, intimate scenes together, because John Slattery and Christina Hendricks always nail those so much it hurts.
And Don may have picked a new wife who is fairly close to what Betty must have been when they first met – beautiful, clever and creative – but hopefully Megan’s assertiveness and genuine warmth give them a chance of doing things better. This programme's ability to surprise and engage has only grown over time, and no matter what happens next, I’m sure Mad Men will continue to be as rich, engrossing and fascinating as ever.
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