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Mad Men Postmortem
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Dead presidents, divorce, and new digs: Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner talked exclusively to The Daily Beast about Sunday’s game-changing season finale.
Sunday’s gripping season finale of AMC’s Mad Men embraced both bitter endings and bright, new beginnings, even as its characters were recovering from the tragic events of November 1963.
For a series that has thrived on exploring the subtle nuances of its characters and the unspoken subtext that hangs in the air like the curls of smoke from one of Don Draper’s cigarettes, creator Matthew Weiner ended the third season by removing its central settling—the Sterling Cooper office—and ripping apart its romantic leads, all while giving the enigmatic Don Draper (Jon Hamm) a new outlook on life and the future. In a single hour, Weiner, who co-wrote and directed the installment, offered a stunning set of reversals for the ad men and women the series revolves around, not only shattering the Drapers’ marriage past any hopes of mending but also giving birth to a new advertising agency, which rose up out of the ashes of Sterling Cooper and set up shop in a hotel room. (The Pierre, to be precise.)
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The Daily Beast spoke to Weiner about the end of the Drapers’ marriage and Sterling Cooper, new beginnings for Don and Betty, the Kennedy assassination, and real-life figure Conrad Hilton.
The Daily Beast: We witnessed the birth of the new agency Sterling Cooper Draper and Pryce last night. What was behind your decision to remove the series’ central setting, and hit the reset button?
Matthew Weiner: My intention from the beginning of the season was to accentuate the corporate nonsense that is unrelated to work: the acquisition by the British, which was done for money… and the fact that the British company acquired them with no understanding of why they were doing it… I felt that Don Draper would get sucked into this thing because he wanted his whole life to be that guy in the suit… in the end, the work is what mattered. That firm was not fully taking advantage of Don’s talent… if we believe that Don is as good at what he does as he says… he could not continue working in the place. And to me, that meant him being in a new place and the rest of that was working backward from there.
“I am proud of the fact that I use it all up… [Getting rid of Sterling Cooper] was very scary but I knew in my heart it was what I had to do.”
The Daily Beast: The formation of the agency left a lot of characters in the wind. Have we seen the last of Ken, Paul, and Sal?
Weiner: I am going to say something that I don’t always say: I don’t know.
The Daily Beast: While there have been cracks in Don and Betty’s (January Jones) marriage before, their marriage appears now to be well and truly over; is there any hope for the two of them to mend the wounds they’ve inflicted on each other?
Weiner: It’s so unambiguous to me that this marriage is over, but the audience seems to cling to the idea that they should be together because we want to believe in those things. The marriage was not good. It was built on a lie and the lie was exposed. In the end, Don coming clean really damaged his relationship with her, more than the lying, her seeing who he actually was. I do believe when he says his mother was a 22-year-old prostitute that Betty is looking at something that is very far from what she had planned for herself... That was the whole story of the season. When Henry Francis (Christopher Stanley) came on to her… a switch went off in her head of what was missing in her life, which was a true, romantic attachment. In the end, that combination with her gut feeling that something wasn’t right in her marriage and finding out the truth, they don’t belong together anymore, kids or not. You’ve got to take it pretty seriously when someone’s flying to Reno to get a divorce.
The Daily Beast: You could have withheld Don telling Betty the truth about his identity for several more seasons; why was it crucial that he come clean to his wife now?
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The Daily Beast is dedicated to news and commentary, culture, and entertainment. We carefully curate the web’s most essential stories and bring you original must-reads from our talented contributors.
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Paul Schrodt is a writer living in New York City. He has contributed to New York magazine, Radar, and Esquire.com.
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Jace Lacob is the writer/editor of Televisionary, a website devoted to television news, criticism, and interviews. Jace resides in Los Angeles. He is a contributor to several entertainment Web sites and can be found on Twitter and Facebook.
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Jace Lacob is the writer/editor of Televisionary, a website devoted to television news, criticism, and interviews. Jace resides in Los Angeles. He is a contributor to several entertainment Web sites and can be found on Twitter and Facebook.
Lost, for the Last Time
Jace Lacob is the writer/editor of Televisionary, a website devoted to television news, criticism, and interviews. Jace resides in Los Angeles. He is a contributor to several entertainment Web sites and can be found on Twitter and Facebook.
bdomenech
So many frustrating aspects of this season, and of this show. But it always seemed like Mad Men was on a collision course with time: in the next season, it's going to be 1964, and really the end of the art deco remnants of the 1950s that seemed so charming for the first two seasons. Much as I love the look and feel of this show, uprooting it from the old world of the ad agency and pretending as if characters like Henry Francis are characters and deaths by lightning-induced horsekick are inventive as opposed to shallow, vanilla plot devices is as sure a way to ruin a show as one could invent. I'm reminded of the ad to promote this season that showed Draper sitting in an office full of rising water -- who knew he was going to drown in cliche?
ponderingsometimes
If you think this wonderful show is full of cliche, I wonder what TV you like. Two and a Half Men?
DavidReese
The death of Don's Father was not cliche, nor is Henry Frances. I've never seen a man's face kicked in by a horse before on TV. Lighting does tend to be over used for dramatic effect, but in this case it works. Weiner created a quick flash back to show that Don's world is unraveling. It was a very small piece of the episode. Also Henry Frances is painted in that way because that is how Betty sees him. He is perfect, caring and everything Don is not. I PROMISE you he will have flaws that arise in season 4. Betty unfortunately will not get "what she always wanted," because it doesn't exist. Which is exactly the type of choice that makes this show GREAT. Perhaps you should watch the episode or season again and really try to pay attention to what is being presented. Everything on the screen is a choice, be patient, this show isn't like the rest of them, it's a bit deeper and a bit more subtle. Mr. Weiner knows exactly what he is doing, even is some of his viewers aren't savvy enough to keep up...
UncleSam
It's like you're watching the stage props and not the play. Weiner and team create feelings and experiences non-stop that reflect memory echoes of the same. Agree or not, the past influences our present. Death-by-hoof is not the attention getter; the sudden death of a strong domineering father as felt by a small insecure boy, is. Don wept and was afraid, the same as Don's son wept and was afraid after hearing the news of his parent's breakup. The sadness and empathy of both parents might have been missed by the heartless but not the rest of us.
Henry is a prop, period. He was and is the life raft Betty is clinging to after her perfect world imploded. Betty's world reality has been about all the illusions fed to her by her mother, her peer group and the media. HF is just another one of those illusions (temporarily?) supporting her old sense of reality, but he is as irritating as Greg's character. Like Greg, Henry must leave the show if there is any hope Betty can reinvent herself parallel to Don's reinvention of himself. I see Don and Betty as the hero and heroine, representative of the real changes that occurred in American culture and the continuances of whatever good values that survived the 60's. Conrad Hilton's stern cutting statement applies to both and to us all - you don't give up and then whine about it; success and happiness must be earned by hard work!
What a fantastic contrast it would be to the scene where Don manhandles Betty in her robe,her looking like a small,scared child being scolded and threatened, to a fourth season scence where she finds an inner strength and compass to rebel against everything that has kept her in a guilded cage all her life. We want her to become a caring mother and liberated person (much like Joan and Peggy). Bring back the BB shooter! (and please don't dwell on the gun's brand.)
AlwaysOptimistic
Wonderful, smart television series....thanks!
I think the divorce was inevitable, realistic, and needed. I think there is still plenty of story line for Don and Betty because of the children. And of course, Betty will soon find that her new love isn't perfect, which gives the writers a lot room for just about anything.....
Beatrice405
I think Betty's story has the greatest potential for growth. Chronologically, the feminist revolution is just around the corner. Every woman in America, under 40, was profoundly affected by it. There's great stuff in that for the narrative.
Veronicaxy
My mom is still a Betty Draper, so were many of her friends, and now they're in their 70s. Some will adjust to the changes ahead and become full-fledged adults -- often because they'll be abandoned by their husbands just as happened this season with Don's business partner for a younger woman.
I don't think we'll see Betty change much, she's a pretty limited human being. I think Joan who we saw this season is more cut out to be a doctor than her doctor husband is going to show us the most change. She's poised for it.
amapola101
Always optimistic,this show really beats politics.!!Its,Fun,sexy,drama,enetertainig.Or maybe it resembeles politics.?I think that the Drapers might encounter, a set back. Like the baby,getting ill,or something with the daughter.?You're angle is better.great,great show.!!!How about son's of anarchy.?its the sopranos in motorcycle.Mad Man,awesome.Youre name is very inspiring.Im not going to start out negative. Have a Good Day .
overdue
Hey Jace Lacob, have you ever heard of alerting your readers with "Spoiler Alert"?!?!?!
Thanks, I'm only on the 6th episode of this season, now I guess I don't need to watch anymore?
Really, is it asking too much for you to say "Spoiler Alert" at the head of your article?
Grrrrr.........
:-(
bybrandy
i don't think you can expect spoiler alerts for shows that have already aired. That's asking a lot. If it's aired and you haven't seen it, don't read it!
decyphersmc
I got to the homepage and all I see is "MADMEN! Divorce!"
thanks for spoiling it right from the homepage, and I'm also all caught up on the episodes..
slw49332
overdue -
the intro to the article reads:
"Dead presidents, divorce, and new digs: Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner talked exclusively to The Daily Beast about Sunday's game-changing season finale." Emphasis on SEASON FINALE - did you really expect that this article would be free of spoilers?
houstondude
Overdue......its not Jace Lacob that needs to be telling us spoiler alert...which should be obvious when it says "MATT WEINER DISCUSSES SEASON FINALE..." what was he going to talk about episodes 1-5??? NO the season finale..yes it is too much to ask....moron.
Circumvrent
"Dead presidents, divorce, and new digs: Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner talked exclusively to The Daily Beast about Sunday's game-changing season finale."
You would think that's all the "Spoiler Alert" someone would need...
citivas
It's clearly labeled a Mad Men "Post Mortem" By definition isn't that an analysis of the season? Why would anyone care to read that if they hadn't watched the season yet? That's like getting mad because you recorded a football game and hadn't watched it yet then deciding to watch the Post Game Wrap Up first and learning who won.
MichiganMark
The header said: "Dead presidents, divorce, and new digs: Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner talked exclusively to The Daily Beast about Sunday's game-changing season finale."
Did that give away too much? VBG
timwindsor
overdue:
If that subhead didn't stop you, you're just not paying attention. You have to expect that an article written after the initial airing of a pivotal episode will discuss plot points.
If knowledge of certain plot points will spoil your experience, it's up to you to be especially vigilant in what you read and what you avoid.
djgrisman
Cheers to the writers like Weiner and the others who have created outstanding drama for cable. Great storytelling at its best.
flyoverland
I love the Pierre. I was sitting there once near the side entrance when an elegant lady approached me and said, Sir, the King of Sweden is going to be coming through in just a moment." Not even knowing they had a King in Sweden, I told her, "that all right, he won't bother me and kept talking on the cell." I somehow got the impression that she wanted me to move. Perhaps, you could work that into next year's script.
TheOldSchool
flyoverland, the fact that it will be 1964 might make your cellphone incident seem more sci-fi than Mr. Weiner intends.
flyoverland
So, what they didn't have a King there in 1964? Make it a pay phone.
Barbara416
I can't wait to see the 'visual' changes. The scenery, the sets, clothes, hair and makeup. The 60's had 3 major stylistic shifts. Brilliant writing! What a series of cliff hangers. When does season 4 return? Any dates?
DEhrenstein
Such a great show. Though "The Sopranos" was teriffic, this has it beat. Not jsut because of the depth of he characters but the breadth of the story. A Mafia Don from New Jersey is alien territory. A businessman in New York is not. And speakign as someone who was a teenager at that time and recalls it very well the period details are perfect.
So great that he got Barbet Schroeder to direct the Kennedy assassination episode. But the season finale beat all. It's obvious the Draper marriage was heading for collapse but I wasn't expecting the fireworks that John Hamm and January Jones brought to their big confrontation. Their son crying in Don's arms was truly heartbreaking. Plus Sally running out of the room suggests she feels Don is divorcing HER -- and in many ways he is.
Damn it Weiner, Sal HAS to come back! Go into the Ramble and pull him off that sailor he's having sex with!
Trilby16
Jace Lacob? Are you sure you don't mean Lace Jacob?
I love this show but as someone born in 1952, I think some details are off. My family looked exactly like the Drapers (I was Sally) except that my mom was a dark-haired beauty. But we looked like that in 1958, not '63! Where are the white go-go boots, the miniskirts, the painted on lower eyelashes, the wider ties with flowers on them? I hope that the Beetles show up soon and usher this show into the REAL 60's.
JustinTimberwolf
Oh, Lord, please don't hurry up the descent into the hippie nightmare! Keep it in the stylish 60s! The best aspect of this show for me is how strongly they have resisted nauseating baby boomer nostalgia.
TheOldSchool
Trilby, pehaps you and your family were VERY avant garde.
André Courrèges unveiled the go-go boot in his Fall 1964 collection. Nancy Sinatra's song, "These boots are made for walkin,'" popularized them in America in 1966.
Mary Quant introduced the miniskirt in 1965.
GreybirdK
It's BeAtles, dear, unless you are referring to insects. I was 13 when JFK died, eighth grade. In the DC suburbs we dressed exactly like the prim preppy women in Season 3. The white go-go boots and Mary Quant minis showed up in 1964. Betty's last scene in the suit with white trim is a fashion harbinger, along with the sheath dresses sported by some Sterling Cooper secretaries. Would love to see Peggy update her wardrobe, she's still dressing too much like a school girl (and I should know).
highflag
Sorry, but I was 16 in '63 and I think you're memory is getting ahead of itself. Sure, the Beatles arrived on the scene in late '63, but "She Loves You, Yeah,Yeah,Yeah" is not Sgt, Pepper ('67). They may have been considered "revolutionary" because of their moppet haircuts, but the "60's" movement really didn't arrive until the"Summer of Love" ('67) and Woodstock ('69)...
Natalee
Season 3 box set now please!
GinAgin
Regarding Trilby 16's comments, I see her point regarding anachronistic hairdos, dress, etc... but only to a certain extent. I was born in '49 (yeah, right, I'm an old-timer), and my first job out of high school was a "Peggy" type (clerical) position at Benton & Bowles advertising at 666 Fifth Avenue (Procter & Gamble was our big client at the time). It was the later 60's when I was there (1967) and that's when we began wearing thigh-high go-go boots (mine were alabaster; tre cool), falls and false eyelashes were big, too. The show is set in the earlier 60's - with remnants of the 50's still in evidence. I surmise the show's fashion will change appropriately as time moves on. But one thing I MUST say...on this show they have got the sets down spot on! Kudos to the set designers. The Sterling Cooper offices, window treatments, use of color, artwork, furniture, secretarial set ups, are absolutely perfect! I feel as though I'm peeking into my old office setting whenever I watch this show. It is positively surreal. The alcohol flowed freely back then, too - and two-martini lunches for us all were the rule and not the exception. So were cigs in the office and the smell of pot forever wafting through the air - especially so on the 13th Floor (Creative Department). Everyone there wore their hair long and looked perpetually stoned. Ah...fun times!
We were all too familiar with the intense rivalry between B&B, McCann Erikkson, J Walter Thompson, Doyle Dane & Bernbach (DDB), Ogilvy & Mather, and Grey. It was brutal. I later moved on to a smaller, more creative agency - Jack Tinker of Alka Seltzer fame - and I'm betting that the newly-formed nucleus group that we left assembled in the Pierre will be highly successful, too, defined by their little-fish-in-a-big-pond intuitive creativity (ala Jack Tinker).
Thanks for the interview, Jace. Enjoyed it and Televisionary tremendously!
Veronicaxy
I'm with you on the surreal quality of the visual accuracy. I'm the age of their youngest baby but far away from NYC, so things changed later and got to experience the Don & Betty life.
The dress, hair styles and even the stylized manners that some say can't be real, well people really did act like that then. Betty flipping the blanket and tossing the remnants of their picnic lunch all over the park grass? Yep. We had to get a national compaign about 'littering' in the 70s to show us the error of our ways.
What a great gift to be able to live through it again and say, thank goodness that's changed!
mavennyc821
fantastic interview Jacob!
par3182
As much as I'd miss them, I'd love the show even more if Paul, Ken and Betty were gone for good - that'd be more truthful to the wrenching changes the brilliant final episode of Season 3 served up.
(That being said, I hope we haven't seen the last of Sally - Kiernan Shipka really holds her own with the adult actors)
Thank you.
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