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Usually the intros to the episode tell you a lot about what was is going to happen in the next 60 minutes....in this one, we saw the scene where Don/Betty hook up at the camp...I don't feel like that was fully addressed in this one, thus it will be next week, and possibly over the course of the series. I'm not predicting that Don and Betty get back together, but him at least trying wouldn't be a surprise. Lets be honest, if he could go back in time and be a better Father/Husband, and never have been divorced in the first place and away from his kids, would he do it? Right now I think he definitely would. I don't think they can write this to where they someow get back together without it seeming ridiculous, so i don't think it happens, but I think we are way more likely to see Betty have a significant role going forward than the waitress (feel like I'm talking Always Sunny here) or Megan.

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It wasn't about the hook up part, it was about seeing Betty and Henry together and happy at the diner afterwards, which was mirrored by Don looking back to see his family happy together without him in the kitchen as he left after making milkshakes.

Look, I love mad men. But that doesnt mean they aren't prone to mistakes. I think ultimately having Don marry Megan was a big mistake. They set up Dr. Faye so much, that the Megan marriage just felt hollow from the start.

That being said, I really love the Diana storyline and dynamic. I think it has brought out some of Hamm's best acting on the series. It's been a long time since he has felt that human to me. Elizabeth Reaser has been unbelievable imo.

While I do like that storyline, it's unfortunately bogged down when combined with so much Megan and family bull****. It got me to thinking... Had thus storyline been written in and intertwined back when Don was courting Dr Faye/Megan stuff, I would have really loved 2 seasons discovering Diana and seeing Don/Diana deal with grief together, etc.

It's unfortunate that this just now got written in. But oh well. Hopefully we are completely done with Megan, and the final handful of eps will be very strong. Depending on what happens with Don, it might all still work out very entertaining and interesting yet.

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Look, I love mad men. But that doesnt mean they aren't prone to mistakes. I think ultimately having Don marry Megan was a big mistake. They set up Dr. Faye so much, that the Megan marriage just felt hollow from the start.

That being said, I really love the Diana storyline and dynamic. I think it has brought out some of Hamm's best acting on the series. It's been a long time since he has felt that human to me. Elizabeth Reaser has been unbelievable imo.

While I do like that storyline, it's unfortunately bogged down when combined with so much Megan and family bull****. It got me to thinking... Had thus storyline been written in and intertwined back when Don was courting Dr Faye/Megan stuff, I would have really loved 2 seasons discovering Diana and seeing Don/Diana deal with grief together, etc.

It's unfortunate that this just now got written in. But oh well. Hopefully we are completely done with Megan, and the final handful of eps will be very strong. Depending on what happens with Don, it might all still work out very entertaining and interesting yet.

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I definitely agree that the Megan marriage was a mistake. Was never a fan of that decision.

I think knowing we only have a few episodes left made that episode infinitely more frustrating.

Clearly, Pete's comment about ending up back where you started was the theme of the episode (and maybe this back half of the final season)

Diana seems to me a clear call back to the women from the wh**ehouse where he was raised. Fine. We got that last episode. Spending another entire episode with her sad sack just seemed like overkill.

To me what's frustrating is that Don's mistresses have devolved from interesting fully drawn women like Rachel, Faye, the teacher or the bohemian to bores like the doctors wife or Diana. Even the bimbos were more interesting. Maybe that's the point, but it makes for boring TV IMO.

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Starting to feel like the finale might just end with Don going back to work another day and nothing really significant will happen. That ditzy-ish secretary will just tell him he has a meeting at [x] and then it just fades to some cool song that will wrap up the episode and series.

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Probably the most spot-on prediction yet. I could definitely see it being something like that.

I don't see how the series ends without Don killing himself.

Suicide has been foreshadowed the entire series. In almost every episode, there is a reference. Heck, the intro to every episode is a man in a business suit falling from a tall building.

I don't see Don killing himself. But I can definitely see that waitress involved in a murder/suicide.

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Starting to feel like the finale might just end with Don going back to work another day and nothing really significant will happen. That ditzy-ish secretary will just tell him he has a meeting at [x] and then it just fades to some cool song that will wrap up the episode and series.

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This is what will happen

I would be very disapointed if he commited suicide. But suicide has been a part of this show. Dick's brother, Lane. Anyone else?

I would like it to have a 6 Feet under type ending. Where are they today? Who died when?

I'll bet anyone here $1000 Don doesn't commit suicide. Nor will he fall out of a window, tumbling to his death.

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Starting to feel like the finale might just end with Don going back to work another day and nothing really significant will happen. That ditzy-ish secretary will just tell him he has a meeting at [x] and then it just fades to some cool song that will wrap up the episode and series.

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Seems most likely to me. I do not see Don committing suicide at all, even though characters have in the show. Just don't see it.

regarding the finale...from Weiner some time back...

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"Mad Men is not Lost or even Breaking Bad. There will be a whole story told, but there is no mystery to be solved. All I can tell you is that we made it one episode at a time. And, of the seven years, there are at least three of those seasons where the season finale I thought was possibly the series finale. So I've ended it before."

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Leads a lot of credence to the idea that the ending will just be another moment of Don entering his vicious cycle. Whether that is with a new woman, or simply walking into the office after resolving some sort of issue, with the company and/or Don turning the page to whatever is on the horizon.

and for guessing what season finales those would be...I'd say 1, 2, 4?

1 and 4 for sure.

He said a couple of times that he used his original ending for Season 6, so that is one of them. No clue on the others.

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I would be very disapointed if he commited suicide. But suicide has been a part of this show. Dick's brother, Lane. Anyone else?

I would like it to have a 6 Feet under type ending. Where are they today? Who died when?

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I doubt we have a six feet under ending. That was a masterpiece and every episode leading up to it was nails. This feels like some kind of Hollywood wet dream.

Gotcha. Then I'd assume 1, 4, 6.

Who is the top dog at SCP now? Roger? And Don's #2?

Yes, I believe so. Lane - dead, Cooper - dead, Cutler - cut out.

Also, is Bob Benson still in Detroit or is he gone completely?

Bob took a job with Chevy.. He asked Joan to marry him and move to Detroit with him.

I like that don took Lane's mets pennant into his corner office.

Roger got to be acting president of SC&P when they were bought out by McCann. Cutler, to the best of my knowledge, got his big pay day, then was cut out.

Usually after a character-specific episode like that where most of the action took place out of the office, they bring us back in to a full ensemble the following week. So next week, I'd expect to see Joan, Ted, and more inter-office storylines, but I may be wrong.

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Roger got to be acting president of SC&P when they were bought out by McCann. Cutler, to the best of my knowledge, got his big pay day, then was cut out.

Usually after a character-specific episode like that where most of the action took place out of the office, they bring us back in to a full ensemble the following week. So next week, I'd expect to see Joan, Ted, and more inter-office storylines, but I may be wrong.

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Next week's tease definitely showed Joan, Ted and Betty, in addition to the usual suspects.

Good to know. With 5 episodes left, I'd assume the ball is going to get rolling on the final major storylines of the season next week. It'll at least begin to develop.

Anyone want to guess whether or not Don has a new apartment next episode?

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Good to know. With 5 episodes left, I'd assume the ball is going to get rolling on the final major storylines of the season next week. It'll at least begin to develop.

Anyone want to guess whether or not Don has a new apartment next episode?

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I was kinda thinking he would.

Oh i know. Doesnt mean I cant want it.

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He said a couple of times that he used his original ending for Season 6, so that is one of them. No clue on the others.

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What was the ending season 6? Don and the kids in front of the hoor house?

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Anyone want to guess whether or not Don has a new apartment next episode?

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Next week's preview also had a shot of Don waking up in his same bed/apartment. A woman is standing in the foreground holding a purse. Think it might be Betty.

Damn. I guess I should start watching the teasers just for setting clues.

I usually refrain completely because AMC/Mad Men are geniuses at giving you 8 snippets of scenes that make no sense whatsoever, and don't do anything to enhance the week long wait for the next ep.

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He said a couple of times that he used his original ending for Season 6, so that is one of them. No clue on the others.

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What was the ending season 6? Don and the kids in front of the hoor house?

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Yep.

Season four ended with Don proposing to Megan.

Five ended with Don walking away from the stage where Megan was shooting a commercial. He then gets hit on a bar ("Are you alone?").

Six ended with he and the kids looking at his childhood home.

The first half of seven ended with Bert dancing.

Gracias

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Five ended with Don walking away from the stage where Megan was shooting a commercial. He then gets hit on a bar ("Are you alone?").

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I could've definitely seen this being the series finale ending

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Five ended with Don walking away from the stage where Megan was shooting a commercial. He then gets hit on a bar ("Are you alone?").

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I could've definitely seen this being the series finale ending

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For sure.

There are multiple points that could have worked as endings. Episode 1 of season 4 would have worked as a finale. I feel like that was the end of act 1, so to speak.

You have the exciting inception of SCD&P (my favorite part of the series so far), Don's heartfelt validation of both Peggy and Pete, the return of Joan, the agency struggles to gain a firm foothold, then it ends with the WSJ interview:

"There are 4 names on the door. Is Draper the most important?"
"Damn right."

How much money did Don get again from the buy-out?

From what I remember, $1MM isn't that big of a deal for Don, especially with his current high income.

Don got around $5 million on the sale.

Here's a good article that broke it down after last year's mid-season finale

http://www.vulture.com/2014/05/mad-men-how-much-did-each-of-the-partners-make.html

what if he was pushed?