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I've been a devoted fan of MadMen since the pilot episode. The early seasons harkened back to simpler days both in life and business. But as the seasons have progressed through the 1960's, I see the characters going through many of the same struggles--due to times of transition and uncertainty--that we battle today. That's painful to watch.



I enjoyed the appropriate wardrobe costuming for each character, and the surrounding furniture and decor always offered me a snapshot of my childhood. In this respect, MadMen was my little blast from the past that reminded me of things I'd long forgotten. But now that the time period had advanced into the late 60's, I see it declining much like society declined at the time. For example, the drab and dull color palettes for clothing as well as the ugly paneling on the walls. It's like people lost their collective 'way' in a rapidly changing and unstable world.



This new episode for the final season seems crass and crude, particularly in comparison to the first four seasons. Yes, those times changed rapidly and societal norms loosened considerably, but seeing the main female characters struggle to find and/or keep their places in the work world just depresses me. The underlying messages to Peggy and Joan, for example, seem to be that they will never be happy with how their lives turned out, and they will never be treated as bona fide equals in the work world.



The late-60's were taudry and risque times, at least to me, and I've never found them as interesting as the late 50's and early 60's. It hurts me to see the adult characters fumbling to find their ways in the era of youth culture and lax social boundaries. Just like today, the world is in transition and that's hard to live through. That type of difficulty doesn't make for good entertainment. It's too real and too close to home. And it demonstrates how little attitudes have changed or progressed, since then.



I'm sorry to write this, but I'm glad MadMen is ending with this season. The details and issues that originally made the show captivating and thought provoking have evaporated as the seasons progressed. Now it's too sad and painful to watch Roger Sterling and Don, for example, flounder to adapt and remain relevant. This episode doesn't bode well for the entire season, I hate to say.