re: Mad Men Season 5 Finale "The Phantom"

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I need to go back and watch the episode again, but, I did think the blond at the bar was Megans friend and after watching I thought "was the brunette at the end of the bar Megan?" Maybe a little roll play/pay back action for getting the role in the commercial.

It's good to be the Don.

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It wasn't Megan, but the blond did look like her friend.

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I need to go back and watch the episode again, but, I did think the blond at the bar was Megans friend

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I initially thought this, too. Payback, etc. But at the second viewing, I did not think so. I would like to know for sure.

Most importantly, when is Season 6?

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I'm a Bond fanboy so I'm going to reach really hard for this symbolism:

Casino Royale was a spoof of the novel. It wasn't a real James Bond. Sort of like the Don of the last few seasons isn't the 'real' Don Draper. At the end, they played a song from a real Bond movie (one that was about returning from the dead) which could signal the return of the real Don. He's been chasing a phantom just like Meagan has. You have to wonder if it's a coincidence that they played two Bond themes in the same episode.

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no that's pretty spot on, Sepinwall even mentioned that. BTW, am I crazy to think that Betty and Don might frick again before the series is over? Or does Don end up with Joan?

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You have to wonder if it's a coincidence that they played two Bond themes in the same episode.

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I think you are correct in your assessment. There are no coincidences with Weiner. I reach a lot with symbolism (comes from being an English Lit major), but that guy has blown my mind many times with his hidden meanings, etc.

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I'm a Bond fanboy so I'm going to reach really hard for this symbolism:

Casino Royale was a spoof of the novel. It wasn't a real James Bond. Sort of like the Don of the last few seasons isn't the 'real' Don Draper. At the end, they played a song from a real Bond movie (one that was about returning from the dead) which could signal the return of the real Don. He's been chasing a phantom just like Meagan has. You have to wonder if it's a coincidence that they played two Bond themes in the same episode.

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Thanks; I'm not much of a Bond guy so I wouldn't have gotten all that.

As for the phantom, remember the season 5 poster:



In my attempt to sound deep, it's like he's looking at a picture of his happy home life with Megan, and it isn't real to him. The real Don/Dick is standing on the outside as an observer, with the kind of detached view that makes him so great at what he does for a living.

Maybe I missed it, but I saw no mention of Don's toothache throughout the episode. As a dentist, hard for me to ignore the HUGE metaphor.

I guess it's symbolic of all the crap Don't carrying around with him:
--his marriage to Megan is really a sham, she left the firm and wants him to help her with acting;
--Lane's suicide, indirectly facilitated by Don's firing, reminded him of his bro Adam's hanging, and he feels partly responsible for both;
--he's been in a rut creatively through the season, even though things are looking up now;
--he's just not "the old Don".

Once it's pulled, it's the weight off his shoulders, the fog lifting, etc.

You've already all mentioned things are changing and the old Don is back:
--that old Hollywood, symbolic, walk away scene from Megan and the commercial shoot-they got from each other what they wanted and it's over;
--Joan finally slammed it into him how well the firm is doing, and the partners staring out the window of their new digs shows that;
--his reconciling with Peggy in the theater, and her doing what he told her--"clearing the cobwebs" in the theater. Rather important that he returned to doing that also.

What was up with Lane's wife? I know she's bitter buy what did she mean by dismissing the $50K as only a part of what Lane gave to the firm? I know she was pissed that they pulled nights at the "brothel" and she found the pic of the babe in his wallet, but it seemed maybe there was more there about money? Not sure.

Peggy with the dogs at the window...classic. Every other time in all the seasons of Mad Men that someone looks out of the window, you see the New York skyline.

Good episode...I think after time I'll come to feel it was great.

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Maybe I missed it, but I saw no mention of Don's toothache throughout the episode. As a dentist, hard for me to ignore the HUGE metaphor.

I guess it's symbolic of all the crap Don't carrying around with him:
--his marriage to Megan is really a sham, she left the firm and wants him to help her with acting;
--Lane's suicide, indirectly facilitated by Don's firing, reminded him of his bro Adam's hanging, and he feels partly responsible for both;
--he's been in a rut creatively through the season, even though things are looking up now;
--he's just not "the old Don".

Once it's pulled, it's the weight off his shoulders, the fog lifting, etc.

You've already all mentioned things are changing and the old Don is back:
--that old Hollywood, symbolic, walk away scene from Megan and the commercial shoot-they got from each other what they wanted and it's over;
--Joan finally slammed it into him how well the firm is doing, and the partners staring out the window of their new digs shows that;
--his reconciling with Peggy in the theater, and her doing what he told her--"clearing the cobwebs" in the theater. Rather important that he returned to doing that also.

What was up with Lane's wife? I know she's bitter buy what did she mean by dismissing the $50K as only a part of what Lane gave to the firm? I know she was pissed that they pulled nights at the "brothel" and she found the pic of the babe in his wallet, but it seemed maybe there was more there about money? Not sure.

Peggy with the dogs at the window...classic. Every other time in all the seasons of Mad Men that someone looks out of the window, you see the New York skyline.

Good episode...I think after time I'll come to feel it was great.

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The toothache was omnipresent until he got it pulled. First shot of the show was him doctoring it himself. Not sure how you missed it -- especially as a dentist!

I also felt like the tooth was indicative of his marriage to Megan and the "new leaf" that came along with that. He kept trying to ignore the facts about it, but finally it bothered him to the point of action. (Ironically, MEGAN kept telling him to get it tended to at the dentist.) The dentist told him it was almost abscessed and he could have lost his jaw. Losing use of his jaw would have been the worst thing that could happen to Don. Talking is his livelihood and talking around things is his life. He risked his "life" the same way by taking "love leave" and changing the essence of his personality trying to be a different person. I struggle with the idea that it seems that Don HAS to be bad to be himself. Good is not him. I have heard him compared to Tony Soprano in that regard. The viewer is constantly shown that he is not and cannot be a good person.

The view thing with Peggy is funny, because what would her view have been had she stayed at SCDP? In the new offices...probably pretty good. Yet, she is happier in the new position with the shitty view. (At least for now.)

Great season and fantastic last episode. I'm here to eat my plate of crow, as it doesn't seem that Don has permanently moved away from the figure of anti-hero like I proposed at the beginning of the season, but instead simply took a sabbatical from accepting and living with his own flaws. Some great takes in this thread from some insightful folks. I think this may have been the most metaphorical season to date. I expect next season to see Don and Megan no longer together and a renewed focus on the dealings of SCDP.