Official Mad Men Season 5 Thread - Episode - 13 - "The Phantom" 6/10 10pm - Season Finale

[big j 33]

Oh no, I know she didn't die... I was talking about "what if" she didn't look and the elevator wasn't there like when it wasn't working for Don earlier in the season.

Anyway, it's the penultimate episode tonight.. it feels like this season went by really fast.

 

[hymen man]

Gonna catch it around 1

 

[tonton32]

!?

 

[krazychino]

Lane....

 

[big j 33]

This show is swinging for the fences these final few episodes.

I can't recall two episodes in a row that have floored me like the last two have

 

[danger style]

Damn.

 

[tonton32]

that was a crazy ++* episode

 

[|A-Man|]

Wow

Damn man, at first I was bugging out thinking they just gonna fire my man Lane like that? The whole time with this forged check/Lane needs money subplot I was figuring he'd find a way out of it which would connect back to them getting a new client or and old one or something like that.

Then they murked him. I knew things were going bad when ol girl bought him the new whip (I wonder if Jag feels some type of way about how ++%%** their cars are being shown to be or how MM brings up the past about the quality of their cars

).

I know Don feels horrible. Son just wouldn't budge. It's funny cuz Lane says he forged Don's sig cuz of how real he is and didn't keep in mind Don wouldn' continue to do the right thing and make him resign cuz he doesn't play that *@%% when had it been Roger or even Pete he would've let it slide and tried to make it work.

Did not see this coming.

 

[tonton32]

^^pretty sure all but maybe roger would of fired him straight up...don did the nice thing by allowing him to resign on his own as a sign of respect.

oh and apparently the reference is jaguars were notorious for having issues with their electrical systems

 

[big j 33]

The recurring theme of things either not staying good or having a great moment followed by bad has been done very well this season.

Lane is a really sympathetic character. He was vital to the survival of the company in the transition to the new firm, but his job has been much less important. At the same time, he didn't ask for a raise or express his concerns to the partners, so I can't OK the embezzlement. He probably chose Don because he expected him to be easier on him if caught.. but that was wrong of Lane. He put the company at risk and by involving Don he put both their careers along with the firm in harms way... there was no way out. And even if Don could look the other way since no one found out, he made the point, how could he ever trust Lane again?

Don and Jon Hamm had an amazing episode. Don's anger at the firm's lack of initiative was well done and I liked seeing his relationship with Roger play into it. Don let that guy get to him when he said he shouldn't have written that letter.. and Roger pointing out that Don used to love being told no and it would motivate him. I always like when we see the strengths of characters that might have been dormant or forgotten.. Roger knows how to deal with people really well, and he knew what to do for Don. Then Don comes through and Hamm gives another amazing performance in a season full of them. The show is sometimes too on the nose about the underlying meanings of speeches or comments, but his pitch was done perfectly. Just like his and Joan's conversation at the bar, he was talking about himself.. I'll rewatch it for the exact quotes but something along the lines of "You're not happy.. you want all of it" is a great point on one of the running themes of Don, can he ever be happy because he's always wanting more? His happiness is so fleeting.. but is he alone in that? Roger's marriage didn't last and he was incredibly happy, then his enlightenment following his LSD trip has worn off too. Lane was doing important work and was needed at his job, then he wasn't and had money troubles. Pete's string of success this season has been undercut by his affair and discontentment with his life. And I'm sure when we see Peggy, she'll have initial success at her new job but then things might turn bad.

Sally's story was OK at first.. and I was a little surprised they showed the blood

but I guess they didn't want to be subtle. While her story was important for her character and Betty because they got to connect over it.. I didn't really like it until Don and Glen had their scene. Glen's comments of how "Everything you think is going to make you happy turns to crap" was pretty poignant for a kid. And much credit to the writer and show for coming up with that perfect ending. The episode could have ended on a much sadder note.. maybe Don breaking down and crying over his sense of blame and guilt (after all, if he just looked the other way with Lane, maybe he wouldn't have done it.. but Lane's life has been bad for awhile so who knows). But to end it with Don and Glen connecting over a sense of shared dissatisfaction with their life and Don making a small gesture to make this kid happy and let him drive. It was a pretty awesome moment for the show and Don. So much chaos in his life between Lane's suicide, trouble with Megan, stagnation at work, for him to take a moment through all of it and find a small moment of happiness was great.

 

[venom lyrix]

Originally Posted by Big J 33

This show is swinging for the fences these final few episodes.

I can't recall two episodes in a row that have floored me like the last two have

completely agreed, UNBELIEVABLE - amazing - great writing and storytelling.
what can we possibly expect from the Finale 

 

[shogun]

I knew what Lane would end up doing the moment he started crying in Don's office.  

The ending of the episode was great.  I had to laugh.

I wish more shows were as well done as this show.  This season has been amazing and the best one yet.  They were able to take it to a whole new level.

 

[krazychino]

Mad Men going to take a 6th Emmy... Unreal season!I have a feeling Glen gonna be creeping hard on Megan next episode.

 

[airedweezy]

first time watching.....just saw like 15 minutes cause my girl was b**** about the music awards....is it a show worth watching from the start or can i get into from where it is at now...

 

[big j 33]

Though this was Lane's farewell episode, this is Don Draper's show, and as the tragic news punched him in the gut, I couldn't help but think of a prior situation Don found himself in very much like this one. This isn't the first time, after all, that Don has learned that a man he knew well (even if he tried to hold him at a distance) had hung himself as a result of Don telling him to leave. Before there was Lane Pryce, there was Adam Whitman. The circumstances, and Don's motivation, were different, but the end result is the same: rather than run away, **** Whitman tells someone else to do the same, and that man instead ties a length of rope around his neck and violently exits this life of ours. Even Don's reaction is framed similarly each time:

**** Whitman could start over; Lane Pryce can't. Don's speech to Peggy gave her life a new beginning; his speech to Lane brought his life to an ending. 
Though Don was never as close to Lane as he was to his half-brother, nor was he as cold in dispatching him — if anything, this was a rare case this season of a character acting relatively selflessly, and it still leading to bloodshed — the parallels are inescapable for him. It feels like he insists on going into Lane's office as much to deal with lingering memories of Adam (who was long dead before Don learned about it) as to confront what's happened to Lane, and to keep the man from dangling up there, alone, until the coroner comes.

The quote and pictures are courtesy of Alan Sepinwall and he caught the half-brother connection that I missed. Especially since it was a suicide by hanging, that makes the comparison all the more accurate. Don was able to give the "start over, move on" speech to Peggy and it worked because he and her share similar traits.. but Adam and Lane were different. Whether intentional or not, but it's pretty impressive that even when Joan is prostituting herself or Lane kills himself, Don Draper/Jon Hamm can totally steal the episode. In a way, I almost feel worse for Don. Lane's ending was tragic but his pride in living above his means and failing to speak up when he needed help was ultimately his undoing. Don thought he was doing Lane a favor by letting him resign and keeping the scandal to himself.. but even his best intentions still caused harm.

Man I love this show.

 

[big j 33]

Originally Posted by airedweezy

first time watching.....just saw like 15 minutes cause my girl was b**** about the music awards....is it a show worth watching from the start or can i get into from where it is at now...

In case you haven't read yet, there's plenty of spoilers in this thread and page, so just read this one reply.

No, you can't really jump into it now since next week is the season finale of the 5th season. There's plenty of twists and surprises over the course of the show and you'd be doing yourself a huge disservice if you just catch up via Wikipedia. The show is available on Netflix Instant Stream if you have it.. and if you don't you could always get it for just a month to watch the earlier seasons. It's been one of the top 3 shows on TV since it started and is universally praised by critics and a fan favorite as well.

 

[hankmoody]

Best season ever.

 

[presequel]

Im gonna have to rewatch this seasons episodes back to back, its so easy to get lost week by week for what the season means/holds. So much has happened

 

[|A-Man|]

Forgot all about Don's brother. That was a good catch. A few parallels are definitely there.

The way things have been going this season it made me feel the show would be coming to an end soon, like 2 more seasons max. Don't see Don bouncing back or getting a long lasting renewed motivation and with that in mind they can only do Don's downfall for so long.

 

[True Blues]

Wow.

Weiner decided to just drop bombs in the last 3 episodes.

 

[hymen man]

Originally Posted by venom lyrix

Originally Posted by Big J 33

This show is swinging for the fences these final few episodes.

I can't recall two episodes in a row that have floored me like the last two have

completely agreed, UNBELIEVABLE - amazing - great writing and storytelling.
what can we possibly expect from the Finale 

THESE.
Amazing show, amazing acting and the writing.. my goodness.  Weiner is really doing out doing himself this season.. it's been great on every level.  But these past 2 episodes have been magnificent in every way.

I can't believe Lane offed himself, esp. with the icing on the cake with his resignation letter to Don's dismay.  Crazy.. but did not expect it.

All in all, I think this has been the best season so far.  I love Megan's addition to the show and her and Don's chemistry.  I think this is the best show on TV right now (until Breaking Bad comes back), yes even better than Game of Thrones.  (Not comparing really, because you can't compare the two.. but the writing on this show is just so top notch, whereas GoT is more fun to watch due to the characters)

 

[noskey]

What an episode. I thought Lane was gonna drive himself into death with his new car, but damn... hung himself right in the office 

 

[hymen man]

I kind of had a feeling Lane was gonna off himself as soon as Don told him to resign.. it was a bit obvious to me but I thought he would of shot himself in the office instead of hanging himself. Either way, still sad to see 'em go.

 

[shogun]

Originally Posted by ATGD7154xBBxMZ

Forgot all about Don's brother. That was a good catch. A few parallels are definitely there.

Damn.  Forgot about that 

.  Don is like the Grim Reaper.  People are probably hoping he tells Pete off so he can kill himself too.

 

[ASE]

Don has more bodies than Chris and Snoop.