Mad Men Season 3 Finale
Mad Men Season 3 Finale, Episode 13: 10/10I never give anything a perfect score but wow this is easily the best drama, let alone show on television. Superb in every aspect it is such a fascinating show that provides a great outlook into the 1960's America and the social changes that were taking place during the time period such as the women's movement, civil rights, the Kennedy Assassination, and much more. The primary setting of course is in a huge office floor where you are presented with conflicting interoffice politics along with character interaction as they compete and work with one another.
The main focus of season 3 pretty much has been about Don's office and personal life and how it starts to break down. He loses his independence when forced to get into a contract for Sterling Cooper and then his marriage starts to fall apart slowly as his relationship with Betty has been on the rocks since they've both lost passion with one another. They stick together for their kids but you can see a clear breakdown of any sense of romance or love they had for one another (even though Don's adultery has started to decrease).
This season started off a lot slower than previous (and that says something considering the snail pace of the show) but by mid season everything started to come together and you saw the evolution take place from a lot of the main cast. Don, the strong alpha male who led by example and did his best to harbor control and independence slowly starts to lose this as he can't come to work on his own terms in the office and then with Betty becoming a nuisance for him with her constantly childish antics and loathing behavior drives him to seek pleasure in a woman of a vastly different personality.
Along with Don, two of the other interesting characters are Peggy and Pete who are
the younger view point of growing careers within the office and you can see their evolution and progression come to terms as Peggy tries to gain more respect as well as a bigger role in the office, and Pete tries to seek acknowledgment and move up the corporate ladder to further his ambitions. They both run through various hardships as they compete with their fellow co workers along with adjusting to the vastly changing time period. Then there is Betty as she struggles with her identity and trying to figure out what she really wants in her life. Whether what she has already created is really what she wanted, or just what she had thought was expected of her to have. It's a constant battle she goes through this season along with learning more and more about Don that she didn't know for the many years of their relationship.
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Now before I make a long winded essay as I could simply go on and on about the countless aspects of the show let me get down to the finale and just how amazing it was. It was so unusual as it felt kind of 'action' packed with the quick pace and shifting of focuses and characters. Don basically made amends with all the people he 'wronged' and didn't really respect as he worked with them. It was really great seeing him fix the relationship with his boss Roger and how great they work as a tandem together. They're both smart and wise, and while Roger is more on the 'fun' spectrum he can still be introspective and realize things in situations that many other people would not be able to figure out. Then you had Don fixing things with Peggy/Pete and telling them just how much he actually needed them when he pretended not to. And it was quite intriguing to see that that was actually all they really seeked. They wanted Don's approval all along and you can see that deep down every character is pretty much conflicting ego's with one another as they do not want to stain their pride.
Now the sadder aspect of the show came into with Don and Betty having their divorce scene. The part where they had to tell Bobby and Sally that Don was leaving was really heart breaking to see as the children would really miss their father (even though he was never around much, they were clearly more attached to him). It was quite daunting to see that Betty wasn't even really that affected by it and further stains her image of being a good mother.
The best part of the episode had to be the Ocean's Eleven vibe you got with Don Draper, Roger Sterling, Bert Cooper, and Lane Pryce all conspiring together and creating an operation that would save them from the future buyout of PPPL and thus giving away Sterling-Cooper advertising inc. as well. The whole plan they had was so damn clever and as they assembled everyone they needed to get started on their new business as they brought in the various accounts they needed for the business, the personal they acquired to run it, and the taking of the files as they moved into their new space. I literally cheered out loud when Joan came back to help them all move!
The final 20 minutes of the show was so enthralling as everything was coming together and you can see Don evolving yet again as he makes amends with all the people and makes new bonds and cuts off the toxic one with Betty. The last scene with when they are all in the hotel room and Don enters from out the bed room and looks upon everyone chatting and eating you can see a content smile on his face as he embraces his new surrogate family.
The music was fabulous and mixed well into the show matching the mood and setting perfectly to create the right atmosphere. The 'cliff hangerish' ending with all the potential new story lines that can conspire. Don's new job, his new apartment in the city, Betty on the plane to Rino, the rest of the cast abashed by the cleaning out of the original Sterling-Cooper office. Everything was just fantastic in every damn way that the finale was simply 'epic' .
It is going to be a long grueling wait for season four when such a great show ends. The last three months have been some of the best damn T.V. I've watched with every week ending with a episode that always leaves me completely satisfied with how fulfilling it is. The show has continued to exceed expectations and deliver everything it provides for when it received it's universal critical acclaim. Not since The Sopranos aired have I enjoyed a show so much that it breaks back my faith that something good can exist amongst the boat load of crap on t.v. nowadays.
The only real pity is that since the show requires a high level of thinking and not for those who can't analyze the themes as well as symbolism in the show won't appreciate the full aspect of it and thus has led to a small yet comfortable fandom which leaves little room for the stupidity and uncultured fans which in the end is probably a better thing after all. I will have to look forward to hopefully Breaking Bad to match up to the great level of providing drama.
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