Were you content with the ending of Mad Men?

This is merely a summary of the episode, not a dissection as stated in the description.

after 5 years you finally learned how to summarize the last episode

This has no analysis or new understanding or anything. You're just summarizing the episode. Waste of time. There was nothing in this video that I haven't heard in any other video I've watched on the ending so idk why you're saying you "finally" understand the ending

To basically sum it all up: " A warrior does not give up what he loves, he finds the love in what he does"

He cleared his mind, went back to work and created the iconic Coke Commercial.

This doesn’t shed any new light. You literally just summarized the last season of Mad Men....

Finale conclusion: Don is, and always will be, an ad man.

We saw don falling from a skyscraper in the intro for 8 years and never focused on what we see after. Him sitting on the couch smoking and drinking. That's the answer.

One of the best conclusions I’ve ever seen to a television show

Spam. This wasn't an explanation of the ending, it was a recap. Why didn't you even try?

Sally was my favorite. Grew up to be a boomer

A very well-written show. One of the best TV series ever. ❤️

This was literally just an 11 minute recap of a 50 minute episode. two thumbs down.

i always thought the ending scene with coca cola's "hands across america" tied back into what don said earlier about "landing coca cola" reaching his own personal nirvana

KZfaq creators of 2019 - let’s trick you into watching a long video that doesn’t add anything new or interesting at all.

(paraphrasing): "Don decides to meditate with the group the next day." How do you figure that? The way it looked to me, Don had been at Esalen for some time as he sure did seem already comfortable at meditation, a skill that cannot be mastered overnight even in the very best workshop.

Absolutely loved MadMen. Watched every episode recently (DVDs and Blu-Rays). That was a lot of episodes. Sometimes it dragged a bit but not for long. TBH could have watched another 90+ episodes, it was that good.

I’m glad Pete was given a big opportunity and wanted to fulfill that next stage with Trudy and his daughter. Pete was always a go-getter and yes...a weasel but not anymore than the other guys on the show. Moving away from NY was probably the best thing for the Campbell family.

I know it’s just a TV show, but I was born in 1951, a contemporary of Sally, and was completely consumed with the show. I would love to see a movie, with the original actors, say, 15 years later in the mid 80s. But, on the other hand, I would never read the sequel to Gone With The Wind. When Rhett walks out that door, that is THE end! Most likely Don went back to his old ways, Joan became a billionaire movie producer,, Stan and Peggy got married and had six children, and Sally became the USA’s ambassador to Spain!

Matt Weiner said that first scene of the series is key to the ending... Don asked the waiter what he’d do if his brand of cigarettes were no longer available...the man really didn’t even want to think about that. Don lost everything and tried to add all these new layers...but he was going to go back to his brand...creating ads.

Loved the end, for all the main characters...I lived that Era as Sally. Don makes a personal change in his life and sheds some emotional stuff, but ends up making an award winning tv ad for Coke. He sticks with it,

Mad Men is about how the 1950's became the 1970's.

I think all Mad Men understood all of this but it was nice remembering what a great show, with a fantastic finale, Mad Men was.

I remember the scene where Betty leaves a note for her daughter made my cry.

Don found inner peace and as a ad man, he found a way to sell it. Don't watch the video. It's just a summary of the episode.

I believe a big part of the ending has to do with Don finally learning to accept himself so he can ultimately love himself which is why all of his relationships never worked out because you need to love yourself before u can receive love & it work out with that person.

Thank you Looper for your interesting , insightful, and coherent synopsis of the final episode of this amazing series! Mad Men is truly one of the best written and well acted shows of all time which provides not only an interesting study of the many characters portrayed in the show, but also illustrates one of our most tumultuous decades, the 1960s!

Nothing here is new for people averagely intelligent, Looper, be careful towards the audience you are asking for.

When everything is said and done and all the layers are stripped off the series you can understand it is basically about the decade of the sixties. Arguably the most pivotal decade in the history of the U.S. and maybe the world. All through the series Don is the only character that doesn't change with the times and finally at the end embraces the period and discovers the greatest advertising pitch of his life and finally understands what it's all about (not work but life).

Having spent 30 years crawling thru the Big Surgery mountains, the last scene at Esalen almost brought tears. The perfect counterpoint to NY. As weird as the " counter-culture" was then (I was in it) , they were the pinnacle of sanity compared to genx genz, etc.The coke commercial was the beginning of the co-option of the movement by our corporate overloards (as was clear at the time). A lovely commercial none the less.

The title should be "I finally understand the ending of mad men because I am a bit slow."

No, the ending means he has accepted his contradictions and defects, something that until the very end of the show made him suffer multiple times. For anyone who has entered the realm of meditation and self reflection, it's often a process activated by a strong need for mental peace, in Don's case, because of the suffering that it is perfectly summarized in this video. At the end of the process there is acceptance for what you truly are including your virtues and defects.

This is just a summary of the finale not a full understanding of the series and where they go afterwards. Disappointing. I truly teared up when I saw Pete reconnected with his family. Watching his character grow that way was so wonderful. He came full circle. So did Roger altho I didn't care for Megan mother. Loved where Joan ended up. Don tho. That was another enigma. Don truly is a mystery even at the end. Mad men is truly one of the best shows if all time.

There was nothing mysterious or confusing about the finale. It was damn near perfect in every way. Only millennials who have never seen a 1980 Coke commercial didn’t get it.

I just ended seeing the mad Men series and found the ending flawless. I'll truly miss Don Draper and Peggy shenanigans and the whole series. Now with a bit of sadness can move on and try to find something else to watch and enjoy but Mad Men left the bar so high that I know it's going to be hard to find a replacement. Any suggestions?

Damn I miss Mad Men. Even after the show dropped off post season 3, still a damn good show

If they had ended the show with Don's smirk ! It would be just as gut punch as the ending of lost ! But ,that classic cola commercial made all the difference ! Best iconic ending for the T.V 's most sophisticated character.

I totally agree with your premise that Don got the Idea when meditating. Nothing wrong with being and Ad Man. Especially when your the best.

Those final episodes capture how everything turns to shat when your company is sold. The new situation almost always destroys the things that made the company great and desirable to buyers in the first place. At that point the people controlling the buying company are invariably lost in a vast, impenetrable ego trip - they see themselves as powerful, special, genius, masters of the universe who have just obtained a new toy that they can throw around and play with at their whim. It is extraordinarily rare to ever see anybody who is not instantly seduced and corrupted by that feeling of power. Most people do not even try to resist being corrupted. Instead they quickly and eagerly jump in whole hog, and never look back.

I wish they made one more episode of Mad Men to see how his life turns out. I too thought of the same idea when I saw the last scene of the finale of Mad Men.

I thought it was funny Betty wanted her kids with her brother & his wife- she spoke so poorly of them constantly! His wife seemed so nice- I think Betty was jealous of her warm personality

Lol, at “really was an ad man in the end”. Good synpnosis.

It all goes back to when Don runs into Midge again and her husband explains the painting No. 4. Go back and watch that conversation, it’s the end foreshadowed but Don’s view of the world wasn’t open enough to see it, until his moment of enlightenment on the hilltop.

Finally, after all these years, we are able to understand this thing that no one didn't understand in the first place. God bless you, Looper.

This content must be hard to make. I hear summarising stuff is really hard. ESPECIALLY when you have to do it in chronological order.

Sooo you guys simply recapped the entire last episode then took a cheap shot at Don as some sort of analysis? Not sure you guys understand the ending of this show as well as you think you do..

This has no analysis.

That's pretty much the way I took it..Kind of related..My place of employment has a Coke machine in which the local Coke distributer restocks. One day shortly after the Mad Men finally I was singing that song since the coke guy reminded me of it. And was perplexed that he had no idea what it was.

In the end he created one of the most iconic coca cola ads ever. I watched the finale in my grandparents' house last year and when that song played they watched the ad too and was surprised hearing that again after probably so many years haha.

I don't agree with your conclusion. I think Don finally realises that life is about giving. His view of advertising was always strangely idealised - it was about touching people and creating a better world. All the money, women and competition was a distraction despite dominating all 7 series. Finally, he finds some peace ...

Gee, thanks, I managed to wrap my head finally around the last episode properly, a fantastic drama. I enjoyed it so much.

You put in more work making this video longer than 10 minutes than actually making a video. This is a summary, thanks for that.

I totally missed what that last smile meant. Thanks for the explanation.

He figured out how to co-op the "Love Generation." He probably developed the messaging on how industry co-oped "Earth Day."

But there was no analysis in this at all :(( more of a summary of the last few episodes?

So pretty much the way we understood it 5 years ago

Mad men will be it's own unique masterpiece of television history.

People were confused with the ending? I thought it was pretty clear... Also Don isn't exploring the hippy culture, he just simply got an idea

What is really cool is that I truly believe the Coke ad was an ode to Betty. The last person he saw before he left town was Betty and they shared a really sweet moment. She was the Coke girl in season one. Betty loved Rome. Their last romantic trip before their divorce was to Rome. On his road trip, by a hotel pool, he sees a woman reading 'The Women of Rome' that he thinks looks like Betty. And then finds out she's dying and is grief stricken. The Coke ad was shot in Rome, and she most certainly had passed away by the time he came back and put the ad together. Betty absolutely inspired his ad.

Don found some level of peace. That was obvious when I saw it.

As a spiritual person, I see something entirely different in that last scene. I see Don tapping into the Akashic Records during that meditation and being given the idea for one of the most successful and memorable commercials ever. That's exactly how Steve Jobs got the idea for the iPhone.

I love Don ending up at a Alan Watts event at Eselan Institute, Big Sur. Okay, but it wouldn’t a bad place to end up after Don’s trip through the real world. Lots of great Alan Watts lectures, fun with answers and questions, and Alan Watts at UCLA 1973

you cut off the line "I dont want to wake up pregant". It always makes me laugh

I freaking love this show

I wished they show more how Joan and Peggy did with the new company after all we saw them climb every step.

The world may refer to a Jean jacket as a Canadian tuxedo but anyone in Canada will tell you it’s really a plaid lumber jacket .. a Jean jacket is just a Jean jacket

Always hoped don and Betty got back together

I've always preferred to interpret the ending as Don finally finding inner peace in his life while the rest of the mad world he left behind goes on without him as he starts a new chapter of his life in the '70s. The final shots of the episode are deliberately ambiguous, inviting a different reading of his ultimate fate, and while it's more probable that the intent was to show how he found renewed creativity by coming up with the Coke ad, it may actually be a happier ending for him that he walked away from his past and the drama and angst he was part of. Maybe he finished out his days making surf boards on the beach in L.A., dressing in Hawaiian shirts and living in a small cottage. At least I'd like to think that.

Nice video however, and not just here I keep hearing: the kids are alright. I find this strange as theres no real closure on the kids. Bobby was ignored most of his life, and was only giving negative attention. At those years this doesnt tend to be bump, but a real life lesson take away. now he is moving with his uncle. This will definitely have a negative impact on his development. Hes looking set up for classic middle age syndrome. And Sally grew up too fast. This is something that will benefit everyone around her, but not her directly. Her and Bobby will grow up taking care of others, and seldomly taking care of each other. They will have children and repeat this cycle. Maybe its just personal but I always felt this was something the show was constantly saying. People have kids, so that there kids can take care of them. They somewhat punctuate this at the end with Don's friend (her name escapes me) Abondondment issues are very real, very complicated, and have huge issues on everyone involved, even when slightly.

I like how Don's "this never happened" speech did not work on Stephanie. Earlier, when we catch up with Peggy, it turns out it didn't work on her either. It was season 2's most effective speech. And ultimately, it didnt work. Not on Peggy, not on Stephanie and not on Don.

I understood it right away. What´s so hard to understand??

He changed his life and became a new man a self made one.he ended up creating the number one iconic commercial ever.he overcame and succeeded what he started

No summary as promised and what little analyses there was was wrong. Draper's slight smile at the end is because he's finally learned how to feel emotions he only pretended to have before and he's finally at peace able to forgive himself for his past sins and mistakes. The advertising world goes on without him and he'll likely live out his years in modest comfort in semi retirement.

I see Steve Jobs in the Don Draper character and there are hints... soda commercial, retreat at the shore of California, meditation, loose all, and the comeback... maybe a common recipe?

Great show, loved them all.

Watch ‘The Take’s video instead

I love this show, it’s def my all time fav. I’ve watched it so many times & I pick up something new each time. Don really did have to lose everything to gain some clarity. He always had everything but I feel like he’s always been a really generous person. He was selfish yet selfless. He tried to give too much and made promises he couldn’t keep. Both of his wives were the ones to leave him, which I thought was interesting. He wanted to satisfy everyone & gave too much of himself. I absolutely love how Pete changed from a sleezy womanizer to a caring responsible man. And how his relationships w Don and Peggy became genuinely respectful. So, when Roger told Pete that Don saved his job, is that when Pete became Don’s butt buddy? Bc at one moment Pete is trying to blackmail Don, but then he starts defending Don to those that talk sh*t... anyhow, the only thing that really pissed me off is when Joan’s old man boyfriend made her choose him or her career... i understand he’s old and didn’t want to waste his time. But that was really sh*tty of him to do. She was on the phone & he couldn’t even wait until she finished her phone call w someone else. Rude. Glad he left. I love this show so much. I usually end up hating some characters but I really liked all of them. OH JK, I hate Harry Crane so much. He’s always been a chubby gross pig & I even dislike the actor who played him. He was in that show “Love” and he was also a selfish creep in it. I just really dislike him so much. Great show though. These analyses are excellent! Thanks :)

This show suckered me in with the Don Draper in the earlier seasons. The powerful executive that could .manage affairs, drinking, a family and most of all being one of the most talented and respected people in his profession. That is what really attracted people do this show. The writers then turned the show around in a different direction to make Don a lost soul loser. I started to not like his character and the show but the writers kept over and over dangling a karrot to make you think they were bringing the old Don back but it never happened. He would clean his act up and then lose it. I feel so disappointed for his character.

It all was wrapped up. Perfectly.

A little funny finding this video. I just broke out season 1 last night and I'm 3 episodes in. LOL

This tells us nothing we already know this😕

The characterization of Don and Betty being bad parents is overstated. I feel it's more accurate to say they were uneven parents--they had good and bad moments, like many parents. The idea that Sally turned out ok on her own is both inaccurate and spurious.

They did Pete dirty with that hairline. 💀

Hmm. I always assumed that Roger had moved to Montreal, not Paris, as Marie was French Canadian.

It was the second best ending to a series in the history of television. M*A*S*H being the first. Breaking Bad is #3.

Just a summary but now I want to watch the series again

love it!!!!! :)

Loved Mad Men in the first several seasons, but just like other devolving shows, it eventually just stitched together by characters jumping into each other's beds.

TL;DR. Don finds innner peace and comes up with a Coke jingle.

Paris? Roger and Megan's mom were in Montreal. And Din didn't have a car, Stephanie just left him. The guys getting the speed record dropped him off in LA.

Did anyone notice that in one scene in Mad Men Two and a half men was in the background on TV?

Mad men is definitely one of best historic dramas.

Loved that final scene

Kiernan Shipka is an incredible actress.

What do you mean by "finally." Pretty straight forward at the time of its airing I thought.

He found Cornholio who needed tp for his bunghole. Are you threatening me?!!😂😂😂

Come on, don"t be so down to earth or cynical. It's just about finding one's true self eventually. If you sum up the whole journey just to find out Don Draper is a real adman, well, you have it in the very first scene of season's 1 first episode...

In the end they all got what they truly wanted and Don got Coca-Cola

Don is a Master at monetizing the painful human experience; the hippe movement, (culture/life of the times) he made fun of he used to sell a toxic product that destroys life. Sums up Don as a man