Oooh, just checked, and Nev Campbell's appearance was the season seven premiere. What a great little bookend that would make. I know it's a contrivance better suited for a romantic comedy, but I could see Weiner pulling it off. If anything, there was promise of a great couple there.

The plane thing got me thinking, though - will we see Don get the news about Betty, and if so, will that bring him back to New York? I definitely feel like her story is 100% over, and that we won't see her again, but I kept waiting for Don to call Sally again and her break the news. I briefly thought that was what they were setting up for. Again, I don't see January Jones making another appearance, and it feels like Don needs to stay on the road, but it'd also feel weird if we never see his reaction to the news, and that when told, he wouldn't be on the first plane back.

Of all the characters I least wanted to see brought back, duck had to have been in the top 5. Along with creepy Glen, Megan, the drippy waitress and the doctor's wife. So...thanks, Weiner.

You jerks want to see if Sal is okay? Nah..let's give Glen some more screen time.

I lost way too much sleep last night trying to figure out the Coke machine at the hotel. Don was asked to fix a Coke machine because the owner didn't want a new one, and liked the old one. Don is the perfect man to pitch nostalgia to Coke at McCann. Does it symbolize a lost opportunity, or is it foreshadowing for the finale?

I feel like the show said goodbye to Pete and Betty this week. The only characters I'd want a little more from in the final is Roger, Sally, and Don.

At this point I am convinced that Don's finale will be him finally stepping up for his daughter instead of running away like he planned. one last shot at redemption.

Betty dying just throws everything off. No one expected this. Surely Don is going to call Sally at some point and then how can he not go back to NY? Henry is a train wreck.

Pete and Trudy get to live happily ever after! Very satisfying. Now as we're watching reruns it changes how we view the couple knowing that they end up together. Of course if there's a season 8 they would be miserable in Wichita and would probably be back in NY by episode 4 . But as a finale this works. Pete was blessed with a great understanding wife that let him work through his issues and come back to her.

I'm going to miss these characters.

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Of course if there's a season 8 they would be miserable in Wichita and would probably be back in NY by episode 4

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I disagree. I think Pete finally gets it. He realizes all his wandering and wanting what was on the other side was right in front of him all along. I think they'd be very happy. He really is amazing that he has been such a putz this whole time, but came out of it pretty well.

However, IS his deal a done one? By blowing off that guy at dinner and pissing off Duck, I'm not sure it's actually still set. Would be a downer if it gets yanked next week.

And speaking of Duck, I still don't like him, but was interesting they brought him back. Always been a slime ball.

At the VA thing, I thought Don was going to meet someone who knew him as Dick in Korea, but they didn't go there.

Didn't see the Betty death coming at all. I agree that if Don finds out he'd almost have to come back for his kids. I guess Henry could raise them though. We might see a funeral scene. Who knows.

Very curious to see where they go next week. Now that Don has no car and is wandering. He still may make it back to the lady in California, but we'll see.

I'd like to see something with Roger too.

If you read the info for next week's episode (at least on DTV) it says Don and all the characters wind up their stories. So hopefully they'll touch on all the main characters.

Gonna miss this show immensely.

Right before the end of this season, I went back and re-watched the series.

Due to the ending of season 7 part 1, and the last year or 2, I had already built up a little sympathy for Pete.

Therefore, when re-watching the series, I watched it with the idea to not look at Pete as smug as I used to, and to the credit of the writers, he was a lot easier to relate to the 2nd time around, or at least feel something other than "that smarmy piece of ****."

I think that is due a lot to re-watching it, and knowing that none of the other people around him are good people necessarily, when we watch through the series the first time we still have hope that Don is this good guy, or someone Harry in the early years was the sympathetic one, etc. Now that we know all their flaws, going back and re-watching it changed my idea of Pete and his storyline. I was really happy to see that ending for him and Trudy.

Also, Buddy Holly - Everyday...how perfect a penultimate song than that.

As always, a phenomenal and enlightening recap from Sepinwall...

http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/review-mad-men-the-milk-and-honey-route-for-old-times-sake

Also, this is pretty hilarious...

http://www.gq.com/blogs/the-feed/2015/05/jon-hamm-mad-men-ending-topeka.html

https://madmen.withgoogle.com

How Wiener would it be if that was our last look at Don, giving away his life to that kid, trying to be more involved as a father, and seeking out Kerouac on the road. Then the finale is all Peggy creating the coke pitch, becoming the new Don at ME.

Or the entire finale is an epilogue. We jump forward and see Pete at Learjet, Peggy killing it at McCann, Joan happy with her man, Sally as an adult visiting her retired dad in California. And the reunion for Roger's funeral.

Or maybe that's too Sorkinsian.

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How Wiener would it be if that was our last look at Don, giving away his life to that kid, trying to be more involved as a father, and seeking out Kerouac on the road. Then the finale is all Peggy creating the coke pitch, becoming the new Don at ME.

Or the entire finale is an epilogue. We jump forward and see Pete at Learjet, Peggy killing it at McCann, Joan happy with her man, Sally as an adult visiting her retired dad in California. And the reunion for Roger's funeral.

Or maybe that's too Sorkinsian.

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Honestly, you might be on to something. I feel like it's either going to be all-Don, picking up from that bus stop, or more of an epilogue kind of thing. years/months later. Especially based on that GQ quote, I could see last nights' episode being the end of Don's story as we know it.

I just realized something... Don's in Kansas. Pete's on his way to Kansas. Surely this isn't coincidence? Then again, seeing these two somehow meet up in Kansas, of all places, would feel like an incredibly random way to end things.

Yeah I thought about the Kansas aspect last night. Would be hilarious in some sort of "down the road" epilogue for Pete to run into Don in Kansas.

Don is in Oklahoma.

Oh yeah, he just said he was rolling through Kansas when he was on the phone with Sally. Yeah Don is gone.

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Don is in Oklahoma.

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Huh?...

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But in last night's episodethe second to last episode ever Don tells Sally in a phone conversation that he is well, we'll let Don take it from here: "Well, I'm in Kansas right now. I'm going to take Route 35 and then over on 40, to 89, to the Grand Canyon." We looked at a map. This route takes him directly through Topeka.

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Yeah when he was talking to Sally, he told her his route, which took him through Kansas. But then he arrived in Alva, Oklahoma where the car broke down, indicating he had already driven through Kansas.

Then again, not hard to just take the next bus that shows up and let that take you wherever it leads, which could be Kansas.

Edit: Meant driven through Kansas*

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Yeah when he was talking to Sally, he told her his route, which took him through Kansas. But then he arrived in Alva, Oklahoma where the car broke down, indicating he had already driven through Oklahoma.

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Wow. Totally missed that. Gotcha.

In that case, we're so close to Don ending up in Texas.

Nm.

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Maybe he enrolls in college and rushes a fraternity at tu?

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I think you missed the joke...

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Maybe he enrolls in college and rushes a fraternity at tu?

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I think you missed the joke...

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Guess so. In reference to Hamm's hazing allegations?

Maybe he didn't mean Topeka literally, but used it as a placeholder for somewhere in the midwest?

Man, when Don told the kid that the "pink slips are in the glove box," I initially thought he said, "Bank slips are in the glove box." I thought he'd handed, not just his car, but his whole fortune over. Had to go back and watch again.

Great episode, overall. I could easily see the bus stop view being the last we see of Don in his current state. I'd be good with an epilogue-type episode to finish it out.

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In that case, we're so close to Don ending up in Texas.

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Maybe he enrolls in college and rushes a fraternity at tu?

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Why can't he end up at A&M?

In fact, maybe Don's last great triumph is to remove the bevel.

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Don vs. Jason Cook.....a fitting end!!

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Maybe he enrolls in college and rushes a fraternity at tu?

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I think you missed the joke...

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Guess so. In reference to Hamm's hazing allegations?

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yeah, given that he did really go there.

BUT, I like the bevel beating scenario better!

Just looked it up. I knew about the whole hazing thing, but I somehow missed that it took place at UT. Thought it was in Missourri for some reason.

He went to texas for freshman year, then returned home and finished school at mizzou.

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Just throwing out random guesses at this point (since it's the last time we'll ever get to do so).

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So sad, but so true.