This episode blew my mind and made me so energetic that i want to jump off my seat. if you merge epicness of unforeseen events which adhere to a magnificent conspiracy eventually create something very creative and thrilling. what a hell of an episode you're about to enjoy. i just love this show.
16 Reviews
Great finish is a new beginning.
zhanup9 November 2009
A business deal that makes your heart race is something, only the creators of Mad Men are capable of. Hilton deal future? Don's marriage? Will Betty tell Don about Henry? Will Peggy defect? Will Pete defect? What does the future of the ever so charming Joan hold? Tension between Roger and Don? Duck Phillips, an outsider at Sterling Cooper? And the biggest question is will the company be sold again or will they buy it back? If you are waiting for answers, then you are in for a treat. Its not just the answers you will love, but the how each answer is a start for something new!! You see almost every side of Don here. Angry at Hilton, loving and caring towards his children, Drunk, Some childhood scenes (as Dick), Sad sometimes, and best of all is his professional look. You will be left stunned by the turn of events in this episode and you will be left wanting for more.
The Twilight Zone
ladyisjazz9 November 2009
Those very black days between the assassination of JFK and the arrival of the sixties with the Beatles in February. Sally & Bobby are my little sister & brother, & I'm glued to the set with them. Incredible time machine. People still are trying to understand that time, or why it continues to define a generation who grew up practicing air raid drills under desks. Watching "On the Beach". being told during the Cuban missile crisis that if I knew how to pray, this was the time to pray. "Mad Men" is a great show but its appeal is more than the story line. Sally playing with the dry-cleaning bag and Betty warns that if her clothes are all over the floor, she'll be in trouble. If you didn't live it, you can see it 100% accurately in this excellent, riveting, fabulous show.
The start of a new change!
Red_Identity8 November 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Mad Men's season three finale was a start of something new. The new direction in which these characters and their business is going will be very interesting, and it opens the doors for a lot of new story lines. However, this meant the end of the iconic Bertram-Cooper building. I will miss it's desks, it's offices, it's employees who will also probably not be coming back next season. But it is a new start for Don Draper's business, but what about his personal life? Well, this episode marked the end of Betty and Don's relationship. Their scenes together were the best, and perfectly acted. The scene when Don confronts Betty in the night in their bedroom was sad to watch, simply because of how misguided these characters are. But in the end, they resolved their grudges against each other, and it seemed that this season finale was optimistic. Here's hoping for another great season of Mad Men, seeing as how Season Three was no disappointment after the amazing Season Two.
The Best Episode Yet
borowiecsminus21 August 2016
Warning: Spoilers
It took two seasons for an episode of "Mad Men" to dethrone the titan of good television that is "Nixon vs. Kennedy." But alas, they finally did it. Mad Men has a new magnum opis. This is the best episode yet.
I was tempted to use a couple other titles for this review as well. They included "Dethrones "Nixon,"" and "A Rare Happy Moment." And they're both true. Don Draper has never been happy before, and he is now. Everyone (except the unlucky members of Sterling Cooper who weren't picked) is happy. It's like a reunion of all the characters -- but only the ones we like. And they're all there. Don, Roger, Bert, Peter, Pryce, Peggy, Kinsey, and best of all, Joan. We all love Joan. The only one missing is tragic character Salvador Romano, who I still miss.
But what makes this episode so good? After all, television is usually better in tragedy than in happiness. But here, happiness works very, very well. We have everyone we like, they're back to their own thing, which Don is more importantly a part of. But what keeps this from being sappy?
For one, there's Don's startling altercation with Betty, something we knew was just -this- close to getting really, really bad, and luckily it didn't. There's the goodbye and good riddance to that annoying British teenager who I can't remember the name of, and there's the "awwwww" moment where Don tells Peggy that if she says no, "I'll spend the rest of my life trying to hire you."
The writing is fantastic, the directing is great, and the acting is spot on. I'm so glad the season ended on a happy note. And for the record, they said "Shut the door. Have a seat" three times. I counted.
A great show at its greatest.
I was tempted to use a couple other titles for this review as well. They included "Dethrones "Nixon,"" and "A Rare Happy Moment." And they're both true. Don Draper has never been happy before, and he is now. Everyone (except the unlucky members of Sterling Cooper who weren't picked) is happy. It's like a reunion of all the characters -- but only the ones we like. And they're all there. Don, Roger, Bert, Peter, Pryce, Peggy, Kinsey, and best of all, Joan. We all love Joan. The only one missing is tragic character Salvador Romano, who I still miss.
But what makes this episode so good? After all, television is usually better in tragedy than in happiness. But here, happiness works very, very well. We have everyone we like, they're back to their own thing, which Don is more importantly a part of. But what keeps this from being sappy?
For one, there's Don's startling altercation with Betty, something we knew was just -this- close to getting really, really bad, and luckily it didn't. There's the goodbye and good riddance to that annoying British teenager who I can't remember the name of, and there's the "awwwww" moment where Don tells Peggy that if she says no, "I'll spend the rest of my life trying to hire you."
The writing is fantastic, the directing is great, and the acting is spot on. I'm so glad the season ended on a happy note. And for the record, they said "Shut the door. Have a seat" three times. I counted.
A great show at its greatest.
"We're Going Into the Future, Pete. We Need Someone Who Knows the Way."
Dan1863Sickles24 March 2021
This is my favorite Mad Men episode, hands down. The fact is that this show was always longer on attitude and atmosphere than on actual drama. But for once you have an episode that's got the entire cast working together under pressure, everyone fighting so that they can create a brand new future together. It's the one time when you might even call them heroes!
There are so many standout performances in this episode. Jared Harris (son of Richard Harris, the legendary Man Called Horse) is incredibly sympathetic as the timid outsider, the Englishman who has to learn how to play rough like a Yankee in order to survive. Watching the way he switches sides and sticks it to his British boss in this episode I wanted to stand up and cheer!
The greatest thing about Mad Men was always the chemistry between Don Draper and Peggy Olsen. It was always romantic, intense, and complicated. The scene where he begs her to join the rebellion is my personal favorite between them. Watching the way she tears up and hearing her speak her mind moves me every time!
The scene between Roger, Bert Cooper, and Don in the office is another series high point. Don and Roger Sterling have such a great rivalry. But here Don really has to face the truth about why Creative types need Accounts to make things work. These two guys have so much chemistry you can tell they love each other even whey they're cursing each other out. "Join or die? He was doing better!"
Last but not least, I'm a big Pete Campbell fan and I loved the scene at his house when he was playing sick and the big boys invited him out to play. The way Roger sneers and says, "because you'll do what it takes" might shut some young men up. But Pete stands up for himself! "I want to hear it from him." That really is quite a ride that Pete and Don have taken since Season One. "We're going into the future, Pete. We need someone who knows the way."
Now this being Mad Men, it's not a perfect episode. To me, the Depression flash backs are fall down laughing funny. Tom Joad says: Don't drink and drive, Pa! Seems to me even Rosasharn would know better than to saddle up the horse when a stroke of lightning might hit any minute. Oh, well! And by the way, did anyone ever notice how clean those farmers are? All their clothes are so new, not frayed, the kitchen looks clean . . . you'd never know they were all starving to death!
There are so many standout performances in this episode. Jared Harris (son of Richard Harris, the legendary Man Called Horse) is incredibly sympathetic as the timid outsider, the Englishman who has to learn how to play rough like a Yankee in order to survive. Watching the way he switches sides and sticks it to his British boss in this episode I wanted to stand up and cheer!
The greatest thing about Mad Men was always the chemistry between Don Draper and Peggy Olsen. It was always romantic, intense, and complicated. The scene where he begs her to join the rebellion is my personal favorite between them. Watching the way she tears up and hearing her speak her mind moves me every time!
The scene between Roger, Bert Cooper, and Don in the office is another series high point. Don and Roger Sterling have such a great rivalry. But here Don really has to face the truth about why Creative types need Accounts to make things work. These two guys have so much chemistry you can tell they love each other even whey they're cursing each other out. "Join or die? He was doing better!"
Last but not least, I'm a big Pete Campbell fan and I loved the scene at his house when he was playing sick and the big boys invited him out to play. The way Roger sneers and says, "because you'll do what it takes" might shut some young men up. But Pete stands up for himself! "I want to hear it from him." That really is quite a ride that Pete and Don have taken since Season One. "We're going into the future, Pete. We need someone who knows the way."
Now this being Mad Men, it's not a perfect episode. To me, the Depression flash backs are fall down laughing funny. Tom Joad says: Don't drink and drive, Pa! Seems to me even Rosasharn would know better than to saddle up the horse when a stroke of lightning might hit any minute. Oh, well! And by the way, did anyone ever notice how clean those farmers are? All their clothes are so new, not frayed, the kitchen looks clean . . . you'd never know they were all starving to death!
Slam Bang Season 3 ender.
gmoore4430 July 2020
WOW, what a hit. It just makes you so hungry for Season 4. A whole new direction for the Mad men, the machinations that are in play, to get it to work, without blowing the deal apart. It's a real winner, kept me hooked, and the sense at the end, the closure of a major chapter in their lives, and the vision of a whole new chapter about to start, this is why it won the Emmy.
greatest heist ever
matdeman25 September 2020
JFK is buried, and the story can CONTINUE
TheFearmakers23 October 2019
This is one of the best episodes. Especially a comeback from the last boo hooing about JFK's death. This is all business but in the way the show Dallas used to do it. Strategy and twists and turns. Good stuff. No messing around. RIP to the mobster's son turned President and long live Don Draper!!!
Hangover Part 2
DKosty12329 May 2011
Warning: Spoilers
This is an outstanding episode. As I get ready to watch Season 4 which is now out on DVD, I am wondering if it can keep pace with this season 3 ending. In fact, this one wraps a lot plot lines up but then opens a whole bunch of new ones.
Update - this is the best episode of the series, it went down hill after this one.
I think of this one as a second part of the Mad Men hangover because this is set at the end of 1963, just after the JFK murder which was in the previous episode. Where the previous show had it's downs plus the occupation with the Dallas events perfect, this show goes beyond and brings us back up to a high never seen before in this series.
One great thing about this one is how the dry British wit is brought into this one. This humor in this episode is priceless. The amazing thing to me is how Don & Betts even though both are obviously mad at each other for different reasons, settle on a divorce they both can agree too. I have never seen this done in real life. She gets custody of their 3 kids but he will have visiting rights. This goes with the 1960's as back then the wife almost always got custody.
The only weak point but a point that I hope will be further explored is the business relationship between Draper & Olsen. There are some dynamics about their relationship developing though the conversation in this episode really just touches the surface.
Update - this is the best episode of the series, it went down hill after this one.
I think of this one as a second part of the Mad Men hangover because this is set at the end of 1963, just after the JFK murder which was in the previous episode. Where the previous show had it's downs plus the occupation with the Dallas events perfect, this show goes beyond and brings us back up to a high never seen before in this series.
One great thing about this one is how the dry British wit is brought into this one. This humor in this episode is priceless. The amazing thing to me is how Don & Betts even though both are obviously mad at each other for different reasons, settle on a divorce they both can agree too. I have never seen this done in real life. She gets custody of their 3 kids but he will have visiting rights. This goes with the 1960's as back then the wife almost always got custody.
The only weak point but a point that I hope will be further explored is the business relationship between Draper & Olsen. There are some dynamics about their relationship developing though the conversation in this episode really just touches the surface.
Awesome finale of season 3
Tarpsi17 March 2022
Top Drawer
mchnive29 May 2022
Season Three
zkonedog4 July 2019
After what I considered to be somewhat of a disappointing Season Two, I had high hopes that Season Three of "Mad Men" would right the ship and get back to compelling drama once again. After about 3-4 episodes, I was almost ready to give up entirely, as I felt that the drama and mystery of the show had been completely sucked dry. I am glad I didn't, however, as towards the end of this third season the show suddenly recaptures that first-season magic and turns into must-see TV again!
Here is the conclusion I have come to while watching "Mad Men": While the show can be about so many different things such as period (1960s), fashion, "current" events, relationships, and glamour, it really only hits on all cylinders when these two difficult conditions are met:
First, the show needs to revolve around Donald Draper (Jon Hamm) and his complex character relationships. Without Don at the center of things, the show lacks its sense of mystery and high drama. I realize fully that the supporting cast is also incredible, but I truly believe that at heart Don Draper is "running the show", so to speak. Also high in this category is Don's relationship with wife Betty (January Jones), his children, and his many female dalliances (which in this season include a school teacher).
The other "condition of greatness" for Mad Men is to keep things interesting and grounded (not too far-fetched) in the advertising agency (aka the "business aspect" of the show). While I think that perhaps the show at first (during the beginnings of that first season) wanted to focus on advertising campaigns specifically, the focus gradually shifts by this point into more of an abstract "this is how business got done in the 60s" kind of thinking. I have a grandfather (now nearly 80 years old) who was at the peak of his "working years" during that time frame, so it is always fascinating for me to imagine him in that sort of culture (so different from what we have now).
Thus, this third season of "Mad Men" starts off so slow because it focuses too much on the secondary characters who, while great, are not dramatic enough to carry the show. After 4-5 episodes, the season was firmly in the 2-star range and I was struggling to want to watch the next episode. When the focus gets back to Don, his family, and the drama of Sterling-Cooper, however, the show builds up a head of steam and gets back to first-season levels towards the end.
I am eager to begin Season Four, and that is a tall statement considering where I was at the beginning of this season.
Here is the conclusion I have come to while watching "Mad Men": While the show can be about so many different things such as period (1960s), fashion, "current" events, relationships, and glamour, it really only hits on all cylinders when these two difficult conditions are met:
First, the show needs to revolve around Donald Draper (Jon Hamm) and his complex character relationships. Without Don at the center of things, the show lacks its sense of mystery and high drama. I realize fully that the supporting cast is also incredible, but I truly believe that at heart Don Draper is "running the show", so to speak. Also high in this category is Don's relationship with wife Betty (January Jones), his children, and his many female dalliances (which in this season include a school teacher).
The other "condition of greatness" for Mad Men is to keep things interesting and grounded (not too far-fetched) in the advertising agency (aka the "business aspect" of the show). While I think that perhaps the show at first (during the beginnings of that first season) wanted to focus on advertising campaigns specifically, the focus gradually shifts by this point into more of an abstract "this is how business got done in the 60s" kind of thinking. I have a grandfather (now nearly 80 years old) who was at the peak of his "working years" during that time frame, so it is always fascinating for me to imagine him in that sort of culture (so different from what we have now).
Thus, this third season of "Mad Men" starts off so slow because it focuses too much on the secondary characters who, while great, are not dramatic enough to carry the show. After 4-5 episodes, the season was firmly in the 2-star range and I was struggling to want to watch the next episode. When the focus gets back to Don, his family, and the drama of Sterling-Cooper, however, the show builds up a head of steam and gets back to first-season levels towards the end.
I am eager to begin Season Four, and that is a tall statement considering where I was at the beginning of this season.
Don collects what he's been sowing for so long
ciffou14 June 2010
Warning: Spoilers
I think this is one of the best season finales ever. It is amazing how the creators make the pace grow and make you feel engaged in the quest for a solution for the whole team.
It's amazing how everybody is expecting some sort of affection and/or appreciation from Don Draper (Dick W) and even though we may find him extreme and completely compelling, one can only accept that he has coming. His marriage has been on the rocks since forever and he has repeatedly cheated on his wife, Peggy has been there for him always (as he once did) but she doesn't see opportunities to grow under his shadow and of course, she is looking for a father figure, and the latter is the same situation for Pete Campbell who needs to hear some praise from him. He keeps on doing that throughout the whole episode after being rejected by Hilton. The most impressive thing for me is all that it is not said with words. I love how Peggy and Pete are going to "share a space" and I loved Peggy's face when Trudy came by the new place with the cake. What's going to happen with this 3?
My only complain is the casting: Maxwell Huckabee was weird to look as the Drapers' son but Jared Gilmore doesn't make his job any better and he's nothing like them...but of course we have to deal with that ourselves.
Anyway, they didn't need a plain crash, an earthquake, a wedding or a funeral, they built the momentum and just by letting us see their lives and their emotions, we are already hooked to see what's next for all the characters.
It's amazing how everybody is expecting some sort of affection and/or appreciation from Don Draper (Dick W) and even though we may find him extreme and completely compelling, one can only accept that he has coming. His marriage has been on the rocks since forever and he has repeatedly cheated on his wife, Peggy has been there for him always (as he once did) but she doesn't see opportunities to grow under his shadow and of course, she is looking for a father figure, and the latter is the same situation for Pete Campbell who needs to hear some praise from him. He keeps on doing that throughout the whole episode after being rejected by Hilton. The most impressive thing for me is all that it is not said with words. I love how Peggy and Pete are going to "share a space" and I loved Peggy's face when Trudy came by the new place with the cake. What's going to happen with this 3?
My only complain is the casting: Maxwell Huckabee was weird to look as the Drapers' son but Jared Gilmore doesn't make his job any better and he's nothing like them...but of course we have to deal with that ourselves.
Anyway, they didn't need a plain crash, an earthquake, a wedding or a funeral, they built the momentum and just by letting us see their lives and their emotions, we are already hooked to see what's next for all the characters.
Season 3: Another engaging and enjoyable season that makes for sturdy drama with a good comic edge
bob the moo17 October 2010
Season 3 of Mad Men picks up where season 2 left off. Betty and Don are together thanks mainly to her pregnancy, while the other new arrival in Don's world of the British management is also having an impact. Unlike when I started season 2, I was looking forward to season 3 simply because I had enjoyed the second season more than the first having found it to be more engaging and interesting. Season 3 covers a lot of ground with the main characters and also the secondary tier ones and again I found it to be enjoyable and engaging stuff.
It perhaps engineers a bit too much stuff to happen but generally it has a good narrative flow to it at both the Agency level of the story and the personal level of the main characters. Don is the key to all of it and the season makes good use of his identity while also not playing all of the cards at any point. The stuff with Conrad Hilton didn't always work for me because it did seem to come out of nowhere, likewise some other aspects seemed to happen very quickly – the fate of the Englishman's foot was funny but I felt it robbed me of some interesting competition with Don within minutes of introducing it. The period is not ever really forced upon us as it was in season 1 but rather it is shown in changes in the characters and in their situations. OK we have MLK's speech and JFK's assassination within this season but both of them are best played out through the characters rather than being something done to set a period for the viewer.
Beyond Don the degree of narrative spread among the second tier of characters is better again and I didn't feel the show was all on the shoulders of one or two characters. Betty may have finished being our "fresh eyes" as she was in bits of season 1, but she remains an important character. Her time is limited but her role as a progressive woman is solid but yet not pushed down our throats to make a judgement or to have others make a judgement on her. Likewise Sal's preferences are nicely revealed and are "dealt with" in a manner that unfortunately suits the period, without overdoing it. This is the way the season plays out – with the narrative making good use of the "second tier" characters through, filling the show with more energy and allowing social observations to be made without them being too obviously inserted.
The direction continues to be good, as are sets and costumes – the whole thing looks very of the period throughout. The cast benefit again from having stronger (in my opinion) material than they did at the start. Hamm is still a strong lead but the cracks and pressures spreading across Don's life are well shown. As with season 2 Jones improves by having material to do more with. Moss has a little less to do but she is still an engaging character and her upward struggle is neither forced on us nor allowed to fade into the background and be forgotten. Below these everyone else plays their part well, having moments of focus and background across the season. Hendricks, Kartheiser, Slattery, Sommer, Morse, Batt, Gladis and many others all stick in the mind.
Overall season 3 of Mad Men continues the standard I felt it achieved in season 2 over the worthy but rather less engaging first season. The narrative threads all engaged me whether they were business or personal and I thought it did them in a good mix while also balancing comedy and drama well too. Season 4 is just finishing on the BBC at the moment and I'll watch my recordings of it once I've left a gap from season 3 – however 4 will be the last season freely available as Sky, as usual, has come in and done what they did with 24, by outbidding for the remaining seasons and putting them into a channel bundle that you have to subscribe to all of even if you only want to watch Mad Men for 12 weeks out of the year. Essentially Sky will be holding the established audience to ransom to watch the show for however many more seasons they do; and yet this is the same Corporation that complains about the growth of online piracy / file-sharing without a hint of irony or self-awareness about their part in encouraging it.
It perhaps engineers a bit too much stuff to happen but generally it has a good narrative flow to it at both the Agency level of the story and the personal level of the main characters. Don is the key to all of it and the season makes good use of his identity while also not playing all of the cards at any point. The stuff with Conrad Hilton didn't always work for me because it did seem to come out of nowhere, likewise some other aspects seemed to happen very quickly – the fate of the Englishman's foot was funny but I felt it robbed me of some interesting competition with Don within minutes of introducing it. The period is not ever really forced upon us as it was in season 1 but rather it is shown in changes in the characters and in their situations. OK we have MLK's speech and JFK's assassination within this season but both of them are best played out through the characters rather than being something done to set a period for the viewer.
Beyond Don the degree of narrative spread among the second tier of characters is better again and I didn't feel the show was all on the shoulders of one or two characters. Betty may have finished being our "fresh eyes" as she was in bits of season 1, but she remains an important character. Her time is limited but her role as a progressive woman is solid but yet not pushed down our throats to make a judgement or to have others make a judgement on her. Likewise Sal's preferences are nicely revealed and are "dealt with" in a manner that unfortunately suits the period, without overdoing it. This is the way the season plays out – with the narrative making good use of the "second tier" characters through, filling the show with more energy and allowing social observations to be made without them being too obviously inserted.
The direction continues to be good, as are sets and costumes – the whole thing looks very of the period throughout. The cast benefit again from having stronger (in my opinion) material than they did at the start. Hamm is still a strong lead but the cracks and pressures spreading across Don's life are well shown. As with season 2 Jones improves by having material to do more with. Moss has a little less to do but she is still an engaging character and her upward struggle is neither forced on us nor allowed to fade into the background and be forgotten. Below these everyone else plays their part well, having moments of focus and background across the season. Hendricks, Kartheiser, Slattery, Sommer, Morse, Batt, Gladis and many others all stick in the mind.
Overall season 3 of Mad Men continues the standard I felt it achieved in season 2 over the worthy but rather less engaging first season. The narrative threads all engaged me whether they were business or personal and I thought it did them in a good mix while also balancing comedy and drama well too. Season 4 is just finishing on the BBC at the moment and I'll watch my recordings of it once I've left a gap from season 3 – however 4 will be the last season freely available as Sky, as usual, has come in and done what they did with 24, by outbidding for the remaining seasons and putting them into a channel bundle that you have to subscribe to all of even if you only want to watch Mad Men for 12 weeks out of the year. Essentially Sky will be holding the established audience to ransom to watch the show for however many more seasons they do; and yet this is the same Corporation that complains about the growth of online piracy / file-sharing without a hint of irony or self-awareness about their part in encouraging it.
That was just about perfect
toadwriter8 November 2009
Warning: Spoilers
What a great episode. I loved the way it all came together and how everyone realized the importance of one-another.
The plan of attack and the way they chose to move forward was just great.
I loved when he said, I suppose gentlemen that you're all fired.
lol.
I don't know what else to say. I need to keep an eye out for encore's of that episode because I could watch it over and over. The Color Blue was another intriguing, captivating episode to look for.
gnite
The plan of attack and the way they chose to move forward was just great.
I loved when he said, I suppose gentlemen that you're all fired.
lol.
I don't know what else to say. I need to keep an eye out for encore's of that episode because I could watch it over and over. The Color Blue was another intriguing, captivating episode to look for.
gnite
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