8 Moments From The ‘Mad Men’ Series Finale We’ll Never, Ever Forget

After seven seasons of retro fashions, high drama, catchy ads, how-will-he-ever-get-out-of-this-one intrigue and lots and lots (and lots) of ice cubes, AMC’s “Mad Men” closed the book with its season finale, “Person to Person,” Sunday night (May 17).

We watched Don (Jon Hamm), Peggy (Elisabeth Moss), Pete (Vincent Kartheiser) and the rest play out their endings tonight on the Emmy-winning series. Here’s what we just can’t stop thinking about from tonight’s historic episode.

Warning: Spoilers for the series finale of “Mad Men” ahead.

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1. Speed Racer Don.

 

 

Mad Max? “The Master”? Nope, Don Draper, dressed in a Canadian tuxedo, opened the finale episode. He sure knows a lot about cars for a guy who doesn’t have a car, and he’s apparently still on the run, now in Utah. Hell of a lunch to blow off, in favor of helping break a land speed record.

2. Peggy takes a gamble (or nine). 

Peggy finally learns to stand up for herself, light years away from that be-ponytailed secretary we met so long ago. Taken off an account, she spits the most spiteful line reading possible of, “You know what? Call David.” Later to be contrasted with her breathless declaration of love for Stan. Polar. Opposites. Safe to say, Peggy is a boss.

3. Joan does coke — and gets some very good news.

 

The universe has a message for Joan as she tries new things in Key West with boyf Richard. “Who gave you cocaine as a birthday present?” Followed by the most unexpected half-assed proposal — and rejection of a proposal — we’ve ever seen. Later in the episode, Joan doesn’t have to make the choice between her ambition and Richard: Richard makes it for her. Good riddance, and that good news that she felt like she’d gotten when she took that line? Looks like it came, albeit a little later than she expected. Welcome to the era of Holloway Harris. Joan was right — two names really are better than one, especially when they’re both Joan’s.

4. Bye, bye Birdy.

 

Sally tells Don that Betty has cancer…and Don calls Betty Birdy, his nickname for her. That single “I know” response to Don’s rare (yet still subdued) outpouring of emotion)? That one hurt.

5. Girls help out the girls.

 

After Peggy pulls a power move, Joan pulls a boss move herself: there’s a $1,200 fee for a 10-page script on the table, and she chooses Peggy to do the job. Anything for a friend, right? Remember how Peggy and Joan were back in the day? Oh, how times have changed. Peggy may not have taken Joan up on the partnership, but that’s just on paper.

6. Put a ring on it.

 

Don goes to see Anna Draper’s niece, Stephanie, one of the few people in the world who actually knows who he is. She takes Dick in and gives him a couch to sleep on. In exchange, he gives her Anna’s wedding ring. And she gives him…a trip to some kind of spiritual rehab, plus the truth bomb that he’s not her family.

7. Word to your mother.

 

Roger stopped by Joan’s to tell her he wanted to bequeath his wealth to his (secret) son with Joan, and told her about his new flame in the meantime. “I met her through Megan Draper. She’s old enough to be her mother. Actually, she is her mother,” he said, in possibly the greatest line in this episode/ever in the whole history of the spoken word. “You’d be surprised, nobody cares!”

 

8. Don messes up, gets stuck and comes clean. 

 

 

Don, in a vacuum, goes to a very huggy nature retreat with Stephanie. After she splits, he makes a confessional phone call to Peggy.

 Peggy: “What did you ever do that was so bad?” Don: “I took another man’s name and made nothing of it.”

What he did make, after hanging up, was an emotional breakthrough weeping on the shoulder of a man he met in group therapy. Of course, we aren’t given a conclusive answer as to whether Don ever left California, and whether he’s living his life as Don or Dick, but whatever he decided, he sure looks happy letting out that Om. Namaste, Don. 

In the end, he didn’t fall out of a window, but he may or may not have bought the world a Coke. 

So there you have it: the end of many eras. Pete left on a jet plane, Meredith got fired, little Kevin watched TV from a very close range, and some other beloved characters faded off into that TV sunset. What did you think of the “Mad Men” series finale?