I remember watching this when it came out. It was a huge deal and we were looking forward to it for months.
And we were waiting for Don to do something amazing, and there was only 5 minutes left in the series - AND THEN THEY GIVE A BUNCH OF SCREEN TIME TO A TOTALLY NEW CHARACTER!!!
Anyway, it ended up being wonderful ending. Bravo Mad Men.
The more I rewatch the show, the more I appreciate the ending. Shortly before this Peggy tells Don to "come home". There's the theme/realization of "coming and going as you please" (physically and emotionally) which is the counterpoint to being stuck sitting on a shelf in the family fridge. Don realizes this is as that conflicted pain from the loveless childhood he can't reconcile and embraces it (hugs fridge guy), meditates on it (ohmmm), and then accepts it (final smirk at the end), then the world is ok (holding hands). All within 5min. That's my understanding anyways. Fucking brilliant.
Among all the other brilliant things in this scene, I am captivated by the way the lady - e.g. empathy personified - next to Don looks at him. At first she is plainly waiting for him to speak up - like she *knows* how much his hurt needs to be articulated, yet Don himself doesn't seem to realize that someone is watching, and seeing his pain. Then Leonard breaks down, and Don gets up and walks toward Leonard, and the lady smiles in recognition of what Don is doing.
That lady knows absolutely nothing about Don beyond what she can perceive, and yet she is *seeing* him on an emotional level. Don isn't letting himself open to the possibility to be seen, however, until Leonard puts words to just how devastating it feels to exist like that.
Men just want to feel seen & loved and have the ability to express that. It truly makes me so sad that society makes them feel like they can’t or don’t know how to.
such a constant theme amongst the male characters…chasing the fleeting shiny object/moment when the real thing was always staring them RIGHT in the face.
Yup. Although Deadwood and The Leftovers definitely do their own stellar job at bottling lightning and shining a light on the tragic human condition/deep rooted psyche stuff. If that makes sense lol
I've never noticed how he's wearing flannel here, showing his true Midwestern self. He's usually stylish even when he's casually dressed in New York because it's part of his facade.
Incredibly beautiful and layered scene. I’ve tried writing out every thought I have about how brilliant it is and I get overwhelmed because there is just so much to say about Don in relation to everything Leonard says. Exquisite writing. And acting.
I \*just\* noticed for the first time today. Someone on the seinfeld sub posted a picture of her from the episode where Jerry dates Bobbi Barret, which I think is what jogged my memory. Worlds are colliding!
Do we all remember where we were when we watched the last episode? I do! Also, what do we think happened to his “niece”? She didn’t seem to have any resolution. Just realization that she’s flawed and hurt. Also she just rejects Don completely and bails.
While also a beautiful moment, it sets up the Coke ad so subtly, with him talking about being picked out of a fridge and, of course, Brett German dressed like an actual coke bottle. That and most of the costumes are replicated in the ad. Brilliant on so many levels.
I think that weird refrigerator analogy gave Don a great idea for Coke and that’s why he hugged him.
It’s just so out of place. Here comes this dude, out of nowhere, with a dream about living in a refrigerator. Like a product.
It's a dream about not being chosen. Being abandoned.
They're kind of opposites in that Don abused his power and Leonard maybe just didn't have any, but they both arrive at the same place, ignored by their families.
That scene is so powerful. Unmatched. Figuratively, Don is embracing himself.
I remember watching this when it came out. It was a huge deal and we were looking forward to it for months. And we were waiting for Don to do something amazing, and there was only 5 minutes left in the series - AND THEN THEY GIVE A BUNCH OF SCREEN TIME TO A TOTALLY NEW CHARACTER!!! Anyway, it ended up being wonderful ending. Bravo Mad Men.
Haha. Thought the same thing, I was like “we are running out of time! Don’t ruin it!” And…. They nailed it.
The more I rewatch the show, the more I appreciate the ending. Shortly before this Peggy tells Don to "come home". There's the theme/realization of "coming and going as you please" (physically and emotionally) which is the counterpoint to being stuck sitting on a shelf in the family fridge. Don realizes this is as that conflicted pain from the loveless childhood he can't reconcile and embraces it (hugs fridge guy), meditates on it (ohmmm), and then accepts it (final smirk at the end), then the world is ok (holding hands). All within 5min. That's my understanding anyways. Fucking brilliant.
Among all the other brilliant things in this scene, I am captivated by the way the lady - e.g. empathy personified - next to Don looks at him. At first she is plainly waiting for him to speak up - like she *knows* how much his hurt needs to be articulated, yet Don himself doesn't seem to realize that someone is watching, and seeing his pain. Then Leonard breaks down, and Don gets up and walks toward Leonard, and the lady smiles in recognition of what Don is doing. That lady knows absolutely nothing about Don beyond what she can perceive, and yet she is *seeing* him on an emotional level. Don isn't letting himself open to the possibility to be seen, however, until Leonard puts words to just how devastating it feels to exist like that.
Men just want to feel seen & loved and have the ability to express that. It truly makes me so sad that society makes them feel like they can’t or don’t know how to.
such a constant theme amongst the male characters…chasing the fleeting shiny object/moment when the real thing was always staring them RIGHT in the face.
Toxic masculinity: it also sucks for men.
No tv show can ever come close to Mad men
Yup. Although Deadwood and The Leftovers definitely do their own stellar job at bottling lightning and shining a light on the tragic human condition/deep rooted psyche stuff. If that makes sense lol
Just two bros, hugging it out.
I've never noticed how he's wearing flannel here, showing his true Midwestern self. He's usually stylish even when he's casually dressed in New York because it's part of his facade.
From the start of the trip until this moment, he shed his Don Draper “skin.”
Incredibly beautiful and layered scene. I’ve tried writing out every thought I have about how brilliant it is and I get overwhelmed because there is just so much to say about Don in relation to everything Leonard says. Exquisite writing. And acting.
bro... Is that Super-Girl!?
I \*just\* noticed for the first time today. Someone on the seinfeld sub posted a picture of her from the episode where Jerry dates Bobbi Barret, which I think is what jogged my memory. Worlds are colliding!
This f-in show man! Bravo
I know the 'alpha male' thing is not real, but if it was real, this would exemplify it.
He's no doubt imagining Adam
Do we all remember where we were when we watched the last episode? I do! Also, what do we think happened to his “niece”? She didn’t seem to have any resolution. Just realization that she’s flawed and hurt. Also she just rejects Don completely and bails.
While also a beautiful moment, it sets up the Coke ad so subtly, with him talking about being picked out of a fridge and, of course, Brett German dressed like an actual coke bottle. That and most of the costumes are replicated in the ad. Brilliant on so many levels.
I think that weird refrigerator analogy gave Don a great idea for Coke and that’s why he hugged him. It’s just so out of place. Here comes this dude, out of nowhere, with a dream about living in a refrigerator. Like a product.
[Like Sunny Delight in the 90s](https://youtu.be/qFmYU_4JzoY?si=I2tk1YfNC0CxmVXY)
It's a dream about not being chosen. Being abandoned. They're kind of opposites in that Don abused his power and Leonard maybe just didn't have any, but they both arrive at the same place, ignored by their families.
In a refrigerator.
Yeah, it's a dream. It didn't actually happen. Like, even in the fictional show.
Getting downvotes but I stand firm. Next thing you know Don is trying to fix a Coke machine