Mad Men Season 6 Finale

Sadly, season six has now ended of Mad Men which means we only have one more season left of the entire show. I really enjoyed this episode as a season finale, it definitely laid the groundwork for new plots and directions of the show and gave it that fresh start feel that each season manages to bring. Honestly, it reminded me very much of the finale in season 3 which is one of my favorite episodes.

So let's begin.....

Random Thoughts As I Watched the Episode 

We start off with Stan and all his glory, and it was nice to see Stan really trying to make a move in his career, he does come of as very laid back, so it was interesting to see him proposing the idea of a CA office and he being the one to get the ball rolling.

"It's like Detroit but with palm trees."- haha

Margaret annoys me. She annoyed me as angst ridden teenager on the show and she still annoys me. She's all kissing up to the same man that a few weeks earlier told him he would no longer be able to see his grandson.

"What do I have to do to get on the list of girls you give money to?" Oh burn. She is no Sally Draper, she knows her father inside and out.

  However, I am in love with her plaid dress.

The agency has their own mugs. Fancy.

Next client is Hershey, this is the second client from PA where last season they were in deep with Heinz.

I love Pete venting about Detroit saying the airport is like Calcutta. Pete is turning into the new Roger with his zingers and one liners.

Ken- thank god you are not dead, and if anyone can pull off that eye path- it's you.


Best Roger Line- "It's all fun and games until someone gets shot in the face."

Bob is a tricky little one, but I am in full support of his platonic relationship with Joan, I may be naive in thinking this but I do not believe there is malice behind it, and thought it was cute that he brought back Kevin a little car.

Again, I know I've mentioned this in earlier episodes, but once again Mad Men does not sugarcoat the holidays and shows them in all their emotional, dysfunctional glory.


Don talking to the Minister -"I'm doing fine, Nixon is president, everything is back just the way Jesus wants it to be." Oh hunny...you are so naive.....

Love Uncle Mack's line when he kicked out the preacher from the brothel- "I would say go to hell but I never want to see you again." classic.

I thought the line that the ultimate sin is to believe God cannot forgive you. This is definitely Don, he never faces down any of his problems, if he's good at one thing its beginnings, and running. He wants to run this episode again, away from work, NY, issues with his daughter. He never believes that anyone will ever forgive him for anything, and never gives them time to, partly because he never thinks they will, and partly because to forgive is to love, and he never has believed he was worthy of that. He has never believed anyone would love him enough to forgive him, so he runs.

Don wakes up in jail- yup he's hit rock bottom.

Ted's wife definitely gave Peggy a look as she paraded herself in that fabulous coat, and kids in front of Peggy. One thing Peggy craves is a family, as much as she is a modern woman, she still wants a family, and is jealous of so many that do.

Oh no, Pete's mother is lost at sea. I do believe they should forbid any of the Campbell clan from traveling. His father died in an airplane crash, his mother fell over the side of a boat, and Peter is a disaster at driving. They were not meant for travel.

Sally is looking all 1960's Connecticut preppy in that sharp little cardigan as she gives her father lip.

I will give Megan one thing, as she confronted Don the next morning when he woke up in jail, she definitely has some fight in her, she definitely speaks up more than Betty ever did, which shows generational differences. However, sometimes you look at her and think she's just as naive.

"I've gotten out of control."- Don. Damn right you have. and oh, what's this? You want to run again, surprise, surprise. Not like we didn't see this coming, and then he steals Stan's lines about going out there, and of course that would appeal to Don. That idea that once again he can start over, that the west offers a clean slate, you can be pioneers and really build a life for yourself. But he has a life here, he just doesn't want to deal with it. It also shows how once again Don is losing his touch, stealing ideas, just reciting lines playing the part of Don Draper. He tells her that they were happy there, that they could be happy again. Escapism once again.

Joan's suit in the meeting where Don tells them he is going to CA is wonderful. Ted has a point, everyone else has to jump through hoops, and have ideas be discussed, except Don- he can just run with whatever he wants.

So the nurse married Pete's mom- total con artist. Pete was being harsh on Bob but honestly Bob is a con artist in his life that he made up for himself, and so he looks very suspicious to have suggested the male nurse to Pete.

Oh damn Peggy rocking those boobs and tights and I love her little move of going in to say she was taking off early. Ted's wife sashayed in front of her what she doesn't have, so she sashayed her goods to Ted.

"Chanel number five. It's all I wear." so good. Vixen by night. love it.

I want that car, it is amazing. Pete doesn't know how to drive, and I love how Bob got his revenge on him by making a fool of him in front of Chevy. Pete does not have the upper hand as he would like to think.

Ted waiting for Peggy. " Get inside before my neighbors kill you." He went to her apartment, and I loved his outburst:

"I don't know why women do anything!" He's in love with her, and cut to kissing and Peggy locking her door which cracked me up.

I thought the conversation between Betty and Don really showcased how far Betty has come. In the past she always seemed to call Don in hysterics whenever something happened, but she's very cool and calm saying their daughter was suspended for buying beer with a fake ID (like father like daughter). Betty did still make it about her, but it wasn't all about how it embarrassed her (well with her mother in law not wanting her to know, which is understandable that mother in law is from hell). She's also not blaming Sally, saying oh she's doing this to hurt me, etc, shes so calm stating that Sally needs more than she can give her. I thought it was interesting to note that she mentioned she tried to think of all the things that her mother would have done, but it wasn't enough. Betty is realizing that so much of what her mother drilled into her in how to be a woman, and how to live, isn't enough for her either. I felt this was a small way of acknowledging that her own mother failed in some ways with her, and didn't give her enough of the tools to be grownup.

So now Ted wants to run too, he and Don are not that different, and Don turns him down. Once again, someone is coming to Don for help, being in a situation that is very similar to one that he was in, and he turns them down. His brother did it, Lane did it. Ted is running from Peggy and maybe it will work. He should leave so she can be with Stan. There is such a desperation in Ted's voice when he says its his only chance. Don recognizes that, that desperation to disapear.

Ted saying I can't throw this away, I have kids. Ted wants to run with his kids, Don always wants to run away from his kids, and when he doesn't at the end of the episode, there is growth. Maybe like Ted, he knows that his kids may be the glue that keeps him together in this crazy world. Maybe Ted was right when he said to Don, I know there is a good man in there. It could have just been his plea, but part of me thinks he meant it, and I don't think Don has heard that much from people, not in a childhood where he grew up being told he was trash.

"It's too late Ted, my wife- they're writing her off the show." oooh foreshadowing of Megan.

Don in the Hershey meeting was just brilliant acting on the part of Jon Hamm, first his bs story about his dad in the store, and then when there was that raw emotion of telling them about being in the brothel, being an orphan and dreaming of being wanted, that feeling of being a normal kid. The Hershey bar symbolized so much for Don as a child.. The true story was more compelling, but isn't that often the case?

The look of shock on everyone's face was just unbelievable, Don Draper finally opening up, so I guess they can rule out Harry's theory from the first season that he was found under a rock, and could be batman for all they know....

"Happy Thanksgiving, sweetheart." a true affectionate moment to Dawn. He too is an outsider.

Poor Peggy, once again her heart is broken, so sick of her being the punching bag for pretty much everyone. She needs to catch a break in love. I thought it was heartbreaking when she said to Ted, "Well you are lucky to have decisions." She always feels trapped, and can't seem to get ahead in her personal life. She wants the freedom the men in the show have in running their own lives, sure she's been a trailblazer in her own right, but she is still limited. I do love how she wears that pantsuit in the end of the episode.

Pete and Bud talking to the investigator, hilarious how they were wondering if it would be worth it to find out the true situation of their mother's death. She was not a warm woman to either one of them, and now they are both free. Trudy said it best when she tells him that at the end of the episode

Megan looks like a pilgrim which made her comment about the children and how she used to pity them but now she knows they are in the same boat that much better. Megan is leaving, I really don't think she will be back, she was his rebound second wife. Three times may be a charm for Don in marriage.....well, maybe.

Then Don is fired, he is the golden boy no more, like his daughter he has been suspended, however unlike his  daughter he has no return date. Duck must have loved seeing him when he stepped out of the elevator.

"Going down?" and another great burn on the show.

A few thoughts about the thanksgiving scene at Joan's:

One, Bob in a apron is a riot
Two, I want Joan's amazing deep green dress, its perfect
and most importantly: They are playing MOON RIVER! One of my all time favorite songs. They could have ended the episode right there, and I'd be thrilled.


But they had to end it with Don, and let me just say, that the last scene of this episode was just purely beautiful and perfect, when they pulled up to Don's old house and he opened up to them. It's interesting to note that the last couple seasons, they had Heinz, and then Hershey two huge brands from PA, and Don himself grew up in PA, so it was in a way getting him to go back home. They were bringing him back to his past.   He told them this is where he grew up, and as Both Sides Now (another one of my favorite songs!) played that look that he shared with Sally was beautiful. He was saying he was sorry, he was saying I'm going to tell you about me now. It was a perfect scene, and for whatever gripes people had about season six (which I really did enjoy) that scene was just wonderful. Can't wait to see what is in store for Don next season as he finally confronts his past......

I don't think I've ever been more excited for a season to start.....2014 you are too far away!


PS I would really like it though if next season I see more of Joan in the show than just Johnny Walker commercials during the break.....thanks.

Until next year folks- I hope you enjoyed the recaps of Mad Men.

Mad Men Season 6 Episode 11 Recap "Favors"

I know, I know- I didn't recap last week's episode. The reason being was that I was in Houston for a long overdue visit with some of my most favorite people, and when I came back, it was right back into work, and chaos, so the recap got a little lost in all that. But I am back, and will promise to recap the rest of the season which by the way, I can't believe is approaching so fast! Only a couple more episodes and were are done with season six and are onto the LAST season. I better find a new show to recap soon. So getting right into it....your recap and random thoughts

Random Thoughts as I watched the Episode:

I LOVE Peggy's green suit, she has been all about the kelly and emerald green this season, and I am all for it since green is my favorite color.

Roger drinking in the morning- classic.

"Not all surprises are bad"- Roger. Um, I am pretty sure most people in this episode would think all surprises are bad. Sally for sure on this one.

Oh lordy, Peggy and Pete's mother alone together- immediately I thought well this is awkward, Peggy sitting down talking to the grandmother of her child, a child that said grandmother has no idea even exists.

And she thinks Peggy is Trudy. Of course this is one time when her dementia is taking over, but she is actually speaking some truths in relation to Peter and Peggy having a baby. Peggy looks so uncomfortable and like she is about to burst into tears.

"Did she go to China for that tea?"- Peggy, waiting with Peter's mother. Hahaha!

Don walks in on Megan chatting with Mitchell. Mitchell is closer in age to Megan than Don and there is that generational difference. Don and Roger's generation had a very different view of American duty, while there is so much gray towards Vietnam.

"He can't spend the rest of his life on the run." Don about Mitchell wanting to run to Canada to avoid the draft. Again, his hypocrisy takes over, like he should even talk.

I Loved Ted, Peggy, and Peter drinking together, celebrating their victory in getting Cranberry (let the wars of the fruit juices begin). Peggy looking at both her past and possibly her future in the two men in front of her. However, surprised to say that my favorite moment of all this was not a moment between Peggy and Ted, but one of brutal, raw honesty between Peggy and Peter:

"Because you really know me."- Peter
"I do."- Peggy.

I thought this was such an honest, real moment, one of those moments when you connect again from someone in your past, and even though its all said and done and is staying in the past, there is that raw recognition that you do really know that person and maybe have forgotten to recognize that. Peggy's face when she responds that she does is both an affirmative but also one of wonder, as in wow, you are right, I do know you. You recognized that.

Betty fighting with Sally- teenage angst. Love Henry's line that the UN is a joke.

"Join this company and read a memo once and awhile."- Ted to Don. This season people are really starting to call Don out on his crap and his going rogue routine. They have all started to come into their own, playing the rules, and not playing the rules, but are all sick and tired of Don doing whatever he wants, whenever he wants.

Sally meeting Mitchell. Oh I wouldn't for the world want to be a 13 year old girl again, but seeing those girls react to the older boy made me laugh about the excitement back then with those silly crushes.

I liked Don sitting down with Sylvia's husband at the restaurant. Its so odd, that Don has a male friend finally, someone who he does talk to in a non business setting. Ted is right when he calls Don out on not having many friends, and of course its the husband of the woman he is sleeping with, and the woman I'm sure that will be blowing all this to shreds soon.

I LOVE Peter's blue couch and green pillows. If anyone can find me one like this, let me know.

Ouch. Poor Peter, he was screwed up from the start. Never been a fan of his mother, and her whole you were always unlovable line was just brutal. It's always hard seeing the child who was treated the worst doing the most for the parent that treated them horribly, that endless cycle of unconsciously and consciously wanting their approval.

Peggy's apartment, she's still in that place and it looks like she caught a rat or a mouse. Blood is everywhere, and again there is that brutality coming into the show again. Blood from the rat race?

Peggy called Stan! Sadly, she gets turned down. But I loved their conversation and thought for a second he might just take her up on her offer to make it worth it for him to come over, and then accusing him of using his sexy voice. All of Stan's voices are sexy, Peggy. When you have a beard like that, all your voices sound hot.

That was one awkward dinner, but again it showed the division in the country towards Vietnam, the division about serving and not serving, and not just among the young, but these older men.

I thought it was good of Ted to help Don, and a nice way to call for a cease fire between them. Sylvia thanking Don was just hard to watch, and all I could think was please don't have them get back together, this woman will bring it all crashing down, because she's not exactly like all the other women he's been with, she has too much guilt inside, and if what happened at the end of the episode hadn't happened, I'm sure her guilt would have eaten at her and she would have confessed to her husband.

I was actually not surprised that Pete's mom was not sleeping with the nurse, but the mystery of Bob Benson has been solved. He's just in love with Peter Campbell, which means he has about as much sense as Peggy did in the first season about men. But how on earth, did he even think that Peter would go for it? Let's see how this one plays out for the rest of the season.

Um. how old is Sally? 13, maybe 14? and her friend is talking about going all the way. Um, no. Her portrayal of her embarrassment of being found out about having a crush on Mitchell was pretty spot on. When you're that age, you're pretty sure you will die if the boy you liked was to find out you liked him. She was sneaky getting the key from the doorman, but as soon as she grabbed that key I just knew it was going to get bad, and quickly.

and it did. Sally walked in on Don and Sylvia going at it, and again her future therapy bills pile up. What was that, Roger about not all surprises being bad? Suuuure.....

So now, for future reference, Sally has walked in on two sexual encounters- Roger and Marie in the Codfish ball episode and now this one.

What was that you were saying before about not really knowing your father, Sally? Do you really want to?

Also, Sylvia's punching the bed when they got caught was just ridiculous. Like a wailing Italian widow.

That dinner was so uncomfortable and Sally's outburst was long overdue. Megan saying Don was such a sweet man, no he is a frustrating man, who does nice things like that, but then consistently cheats on everyone who loves him.  Don having that meltdown was amazing acting by Jon Hamm. He tries to talk to Sally, but she doesn't open the door to him, and he closes the door when he reaches the end of the hallway, their relationship is changing again, and then it all goes to black..

Thoughts on this episode?

Mad Men Season 6 Episode 8 Recap "The Crash"

Well what can I even say? This was one weird episode, where no doubt people either loved it or hated it. I'm still not even sure how I feel about it at this point, and will no doubt be watching it again. 

Random Thoughts As I Watched the Episode

First thought: Don't kill Ken! Please don't kill Ken.

Phew. Ken is not dead, has a cane right now, but still gets yelled at for not winning over the clients and not doing his job well enough. I suppose if he had died, they would have still thought he didn't give it his all. 

Sylvia "I'm afraid of you." Gee Sylvia you didn't see it early how messed up this guy was? Don gets the shaft, he's not used to things not going his way, he always manages to come out on top. The guy seems to have nine lives. 

Oh damn. Old Betty is back and blonde. I love when Sally told her she had bought that short mini skirt her response was "On what street corner?"

Gleason is dead.

Interesting the first thing Don sees is Peggy comforting Ted. Peggy used to be his go to girl to lift his spirits, sleep on her lap, etc. 

"I  hate how dying makes saints out of everyone."  ouch. But true.

Ken dancing. Priceless.

Peggy nailed it with that dead pan response- "that was very inspiring" to Don's completely BS ramble that was supposed to rally the troops but really showed someone just high out of their mind.

The flashbacks are back. Do we need to see them? We get it- Don has a whore/Madonna obsession. Interesting to note that the prostitute is really the second person to ever be nice to Don- the other being the hobo. He finds comfort in society's outcasts yet works at a job selling the American dream and mainstreaming everyone.

Stan has 666 ideas. Number of the devil and nod to the Inferno from the first episode of the season.

"Does someone love me?" That's everyone's question. Yup Don, it is, you aren't special.

His face when she said it was broken meaning the stethoscope, and he thought she meant his heart.

Megan standing up to Don saying that her plans were just as important as his. Betty never would have pushed back.

This whole episode is so weird. I kept thinking is it a dream? Did it really happen? It reminded me of "The Fog" when Betty gave birth with the dream sequences.

STAN AND PEGGY KISS!!! Yes! She rebuffs him only slightly- "You're lucky I don't like beards." Oh Peggy, no, Stan's beard is AMAZING. Girl you are crazy.

Best advice from Peggy - "You have to let yourself feel. It will get you through things."  Maybe she isn't exactly like Don who has yet to deal with a single thing in his life.

Sally is reading Rosemary's Baby- she is way too young for that book and yet again we see the Devil pop up.

The whole Grandma Ida thing made me think it was a dream, and it made me really nervous and tense the whole time. Is she going to kill the kids? 

Back to the office- Peggy is playing babysitter and having none of it. Ginsberg announces he's wasting his Saturday with lunatics, and that pervy Roger lite (people keep calling him Roger's twin, but John Slattery has no equal and if he did it sure as hell wouldn't be Harry Hamlin)  is watching people have sex. More importantly we find out later, his recently deceased partner's daughter. Perv.

And old Betty is back again, looking fab in Don's apartment as she yells at him and calls him Trash. She's right, those kids should have never been alone. Love how she also managed to throw in his face Henry running for State Senate. 

"Sally seems so grownup but she's really still a kid." Exactly Megan, which is why you don't leave three children alone on a Saturday night in 1968 NYC. Forget the rest of the country, this episode touched upon once again how violent and scary NYC was in the 60's. 1968 being one of it's most volatile years (Mayor Lindsay even noted it was one of the worst years of his political career) from race riots, sanitation riots, teacher riots, etc. Then add in other events that touched the whole country, and 1968 was surely a year when people probably looked at one another and thought is the world going to end? What the hell is wrong with people?

Don called Sally. But first he tells her he's okay (alright I get it he did collapse) but love how its first about him, then checking to make sure his young daughter is okay after being robbed and basically held hostage by an old lady intruder who claimed to be his family.

"Then I realized I don't know anything about you."- out of the mouth of babes. No one knows anything about him Sally, get in line.

Don does take responsibility- well that's some growth.

Haha. Chevy is spelled wrong.

"Every time we get a car this place turns into a whorehouse." - Ouch Don. But true.

Lastly, random side note- the song playing when Don was being taken care of by the prostitute (in the 1930's) was Dream a Little Dream for Me which was  then later covered by the Mamas and the Papas who sang the ending song of this episode ("Words of Love").  So as much as things change, they stay the same?

Clothes That I Want In My Closet

Peggy's pillbox hat- sure its dated by 1968 but its adorable.

Mad Men Recap Season 6 Episode 6 "For Immediate Release" Episode Recap

Mad Men! 

Random Thoughts As I Watched the Episode

Joan's hair looks fabulous down- one of the few times we've seen it this way, her bangs are looking very seventies.

Pete looks like Mr. Rogers- a very creepy Mr. Rogers.

Trudy that nightgown is over the top. As in Elizabeth Taylor over the top.  She did not give in to sleeping with Pete.

Julia Ormond is back, love her. Giving away her flowers, haha and complaining about being called a grandma.

Looks like Peggy got her place, and isn't exactly thrilled about where she is living. At all.

"I'm tired of rockets, that's all" - The space age trend was pushed really hard in the fifties and sixties, I'd be getting over it too by then.

Ted is wearing a Peggy color, that golden tone.

"Everybody loves astronauts" so very true in 1968.

Pete being funny? "We don't have any laudanum either." haha

I love Marie, oh wait, I already said that, but her advice to Megan about what to wear to the dinner.

Don- "I love puppies." hahaha

Megan is wearing her signature gold metallic look again.

I love that Don finally gave it to Herb, he hated him from the start and I know some of that disgust stems from what transpired between Herb and Joan.

"She is the apple that goes in the pig's mouth"- Marie on Herb's wife. I'd be drinking the whole bottle of wine too that night if I had to sit through a dinner like that.

That guy Bob is still climbing the creep factor ladder. "I'd like to pay for my friend" eww gross. Of course he would then use it to hold it over Pete.

oh, my. god. Pete's father in law.

"It's mutually shared destruction, that's why I don't worry about the bomb" Ken the voice of reason.

"Don't act like you have a plan. You're tarzan swinging from vine to vine" Pete on Don.

"just once I would like you to use the word we." You tell him Joan. Don thought that this would make him the knight that saves the day, giving it to Herb, instead it makes her wonder what it all was worth, since it was just thrown away. I'm glad she didn't keep her mouth shut and spoke out like an equal partner.

"It's one thing to want something, its another thing to need it" Ted to Peggy and then they kiss. Called it.

Andy is now interested, as soon as he heard it was Chevy 1968 he was on the hunt to discover what it was.

"I don't believe in fate, you make your own opportunities," - with the doctor having quit his job, will he be home for a bit, and mess with Don's affair. No Sylvia this episode.

"Anybody have a cough drop?" oh no. Vicks.

Oh damn, Pete underestimated his father in law. I knew he would do something to Peter, its one thing for him to do it, but for Pete to do it to his daughter, no way would that fly. That is one set of parents who dote on their daughter.

"You have no business being a father."

"You can either walk out like a man, or I can have you thrown out like the low life that you are." Burn, and Burn.

"I don't like change, I want everything to stay as  it was" yes Peggy, and so does everybody else on this show and obviously you don't want to change by constantly getting involved with the wrong men.

"Giving away creative one car at a time"

Combining agencies

"You had lots of choices Peter. We're done, get your things." Stand tall Trudy, stand tall.

Peggy is in shock. Peggy and Don working together again. Will he respect her new authority?

May 17th 1968- next month is Robert Kennedy's assassination.

Looking forward to the next episode and the adjustment of the two firms converging. Nice way to mix up the season.



Outfits that I Want in My Closet


Marie's black dress
Joan's emerald dress. Stunning color on her. 


Best Roger Lines of the Night

"My mother just died" - to get the girl back in bed. 

"I closed Pete. That's cause I close things" To Pete after getting the Chevy deal. 

"Daisy's gonna lose their luggage." haha