Greatest Season in TV Series History Pt. 2

Note: This is the Part 2 of this write-up. To view Part 1 or Part 3, click the link below:

PART 1 | PART 3

 My Take on the Season Finale

I had mixed feelings after I watched the season finale. This is arguably their most polarizing season finale that the show had (with more people hating it than liking it.) I was perplexed when Don proposed to Megan. It was excruciating to watch the remainder of the episode after that. It further doubled when I saw the break-up scene. The rushed decision made the Joan-Peggy conversation (on how stupid Don was) the best scene of the episode. Seeing the two women sharing a laugh was heartwarming after the times this moment was broken before (i.e., lawnmower scene in Season 3).

No matter how frustrated I was with Don’s decision, I still realized that this is “Mad Men” that I am watching. It never was your typical TV show to begin with. The only time they had a brilliant, kick-ass ending was in Season 3. Seasons 1 and 2 featured subtlety and realism of the narrative. In fact, “Mad Men” is not even plot-driven. I guess I was just pampered from the Season 3 finale (which remains the best in show’s history) and the fact that majority of Season 4 was plot-driven. Don’s decision still made it appear that the writers forced something so that it would be contrary to “Mad Men’s” fans’ wishes. However, it still changed the dynamic of the show’s direction. Don might not have learned after all the hardships, but we also know that Faye knows a lot about Don. It is good to speculate on how Faye can use it for revenge.

If LeBron had "The Decision," LeDon had "The Proposal"

The finale was cringe-inducing for a good fifteen minutes. Ironically, that is actually a positive thing. A TV show can be cringe-worthy and superb at the same time (remember, Michael Scott of “The Office?”) It is because you know you get great entertainment when what you are watching is making you feel something out of the ordinary.

I also liked the acting of the season finale. Dr. Faye Miller’s reaction in the break-up scene was painstakingly golden. Peggy’s facial reactions tell everything without her uttering a word about it. Betty might be the biggest bitch in the show but January Jones’ acting was solid.

All in all, kudos to “Mad Men” for being non-cliché in the season finale. I always believe that staying away too much from cliché moments might make something forced and terrible, but this season finale had it decently. I may have hated Don’s decision but it was not that terrible if you look at it on the character consistency perspective. Furthermore, I am starting to understand the relevance on why Don chose Megan. It was established since Season 1 that Don wants to take care of his kids and he does not want them to hate him. Furthermore, Don grew up mother-less. Betty was a horrible mother so Megan definitely brought something fresh to his family. The first-ever personal conversation that Don had with Dr. Faye Miller was about his kids and how he missed them. Don maybe flawed and damaged but him caring for his kids gives some redemption to his douchebaggy-ness. Grade: B

As a single episode, “Mad Men” Season 4 Finale merited a B. However, I think that this episode could be pivotal to the next seasons. “Mad Men” was seldom about spectacular endings anyway. Some plots extend to future seasons. We see shades of Seasons 1 to 3 this year.

Why is this Season the Best?

Actually, I am still contemplating if “Mad Men” Season 4 as surpassed “Lost” Season 1 but I am sure that this season was the best since “Lost” Season 1 happened. Shown below are the reasons.

Acting. The boss-employee drama between Don Draper and Peggy Olson in “The Suitcase” had pundits declaring it the best “Mad Men” episode of all-time. It also produced brilliant lines. Don told Peggy to be grateful and take everything as an opportunity. It infused the idea on how Peggy loves her work and seeks for recognition from Don. All of their tension from the past season just exploded in this episode. This also started one of Don’s signature puking scenes.

Another brilliant episode for acting would be “The Beautiful Girls.” Kiernan Shipka, as Sally Draper, shone in this episode. It was heartwarming to see her make her father’s breakfast. Yet, it was heart-wrenching to watch her being helplessly pushed to return to her mother. Lastly, “Hands and Knees” featured the intense nervous breakdown of Don Draper.

Character Development. I have pretty much discussed this in this write-up.

Tons of Comedy Scenes and Lines. For a serious drama show, “Mad Men” succeeds in making its audiences laugh. Maybe, it is because you tend to focus on the conversations a lot. This makes you notice the witty comments. The subtlety also makes the funny lines stand out (just like in “The Office” which does not have a laugh track). Mrs. Blankenship delivered huge punch lines (actually, her voice is already funny) and was even funny when dead. And of course, Roger Sterling is just comedy gold. He is Mr. Punch Line because his reactions just break the ice.

Plot-Driven Season. This season has to have the most intense plot in this slow-paced TV series. Don Draper’s downward spiral showed a different side of him that climaxed with Anna Draper’s death. The startup company’s struggles were also realistic and well-written. The meeting when Pete discussed “losing” the North American Aviation account (because he wants to save Don Draper) was just fantastic. I could not help but laugh with Roger because they lost two huge accounts, Lane Pryce is leaving the company for a while and even states confidently that they are financially stable without most of them knowing that they lost their largest client. Sally Draper’s story was also intriguing with the psychiatry thing ongoing.

Joan is smoking hot

The Joan sub-plot was also remarkable and I liked how it ended (with her keeping the baby). There were various sub-plots this year but I loved how “Mad Men” stayed realistic. There were no extreme or unimaginable plot twists (except for Don’s proposal). This is also probably why I somehow liked the finale. It had several loose ends but we must remember that there were also several plotlines. It would be unrealistic to knot everything up in just one episode.

All in all, the plot of “Mad Men” has always been cross-seasonal. This is why not all of its season enders are very spectacular. The show focuses more on character development and on episode themes than on the plot. This year’s season finale could become more relevant in the following seasons than on making a closure on things. “Mad Men” is not formulaic on plots. That is why it never gets mistaken as a soap opera. This is why we see SCDP landing a minor client to break their losing streak rather than a predictable huge client that would save their day. It is realistic and anti-cliché.

More Focus on Corporate Drama. The first three seasons of “Mad Men” featured heavy exposure on Don Draper’s family. In Season 4, he is divorced thus there was more time for office drama. We got to see that Don is not as superior and respected in the office as his officemates backstab him with jokes and rumors. The same goes with Joan Harris who gets the bitter end of the stick as she was blatantly disrespected by Joey. Corporate drama hits its best in “The Suitcase” as Don and Peggy settled their differences.

Pivotal Change in History. I believe “Mad Men” wins the critics’ hearts with the History card. The ability of the show to tackle how socio-cultural changes influenced its characters make it one-of-a-kind. The Kennedy Assassination in Season 3 was gripping and the sadness was contagious. In Season 4, there may have been no major news (aside from the Muhammad Ali bout) but the fact that culture was flipping from pre-60s to the 60s made the story and the cultural change’s effect to the characters interesting. As Alan Sepinwall of Hitfix.com states in his blog, the season finale was about fresh starts. In a period in our history were culture had its “fresh start,” it was just appropriate to end the season with that theme.

We'll miss the Dick and Anna conversations

Compelling and Insightful. Only shows like “Mad Men” and “Lost” can make me write a lot of analysison the insights that the show provides. “Lost” primarily benefits on its sci-fi mystery angle which is a good plot device in revealing something abstract that depicts reality more than the reality. As with “Mad Men,” we get it first-blown with realistic scenes which make you ponder on its bigger effect in life. Topics like psychology, socio-cultural effects, politics and personal development are staples in “Mad Men.” Due to the subtle nature they are presented, some are open to interpretation and speculation. This is why I have written this long write-up and yet I have not tackled more than 20% of “Mad Men” Season 4. That is how deep the show is.

Continue to PART 3