Both Mad Men and Albert Camus’ The Stranger are landmark works of existentialism, where characters' question what their own purpose is, if any, outside of the forces that exert down upon them. But as the members of Sterling Cooper and crew have always yearned for a more prosperous future for themselves and their collective business, those efforts seemed to be futile, as they could no longer see where the career ladder rested at the dark, impossibly high walls of McCann Erickson.
Mad Men’s best episodes are the ones that include experimental storytelling, and “Lost Horizon” continues this trend with a spooky ghost appearance, some organ-inspired roller disco, and a creepy may-be-dead child of one of Don’s former beaus, all as a wonderful ode to the power of not caring. But as Don apathetically ventures west towards no clear goal or horizon in pure Kerouac On The Road fashion, his colleagues are the ones having to suffer in the careless disaster he’s created.
Don Draper B
In the recent so-so, good to watch on a Saturday afternoon when there’s nothing else on Mark Wahlberg film The Gambler, John Goodman’s character brings up an important concept called “Fuck You Money.” Essentially, every person has a certain monetary goal in mind that if reached, they can then look at their work responsibilities and say "Fuck You." Don is a wealthy man and has well-exceeded his "fuck you money" goal, the only thing stopping his leaving from work is that, well, he actually really enjoyed his work.
But when Don was sitting in the Miller meeting, officially relegated from ace advertising pitcher to mind-numbing statistician rooting from the stands, Draper silently said “fuck these lemons” and bailed, driving on out to Wisconsin to hopefully find Diana with only spooky Bert Cooper as his roadside company.
Bert seemed to be a strange but interesting choice, seeing how there are numerous other dead characters whom Don had been closer to who could have hopped shotgun, particularly Anna Draper. But it’s important to note that Bert was officially the first person who accepted Don for who he was after learning his horrid past. Anna knew Dick Whitman better than anyone, but Bert was truly the first to know Don Draper. After he learning of the ad man’s tortured past back in the first season, Bert confidently uttered “who cares?”, proving to Don that while he may not be able to fully escape his past, he greatly underestimates the number of people who don’t give a shit.
While Don’s friends don’t care about his past, that doesn’t hold true for those he cares about, as Diana’s ex-husband was less than happy to see the ad man, or any man associated with Diana for that matter, show up at his doorstep. Diana has essentially been confirmed to have killed one of her and her ex-husband’s kids (the ghost of which may have been at their home, or that may have just been the dead-child’s sibling, don’t you loveMad Men ambiguity?) Long story short, Don’s romantic road trip was cut short, and with no immediate desire to head back the cold, soulless offices of McCann, Don heads west again towards Minnesota with his hitchhiking buddy, looking for something he lost but may have never truly had to begin with.
Peggy Olson A
"I need men to feel at ease." - Peggy Olson
After being mistaken for a secretary, Peggy was determined not to become just another female cog in the masculine McCann machine. So she hid out at what remained of the SC&P offices until it was confirmed she had her own office at McCann. But in the meantime, Peggy boozed it up with Roger while receiving Bert Cooper’s infamous and nearly-vulgar painting of a giant squid making love to a woman. “I can’t put this up, they’ll never take me seriously,” Peggy pleaded to Roger. “I need to make men feel at ease.” But then, Roger suggested that she just not give a shit and hang it up anyway. And after some late night roller-skating at SC&P, Peggy showed up to McCann hung over, smoking a cigarette, painting in hand, establishing that Peggy wasn’t so much here to impress people but just to do a kick-ass job, regardless of what any of her male peers may think.
When it comes to inciting change, there are two ways to go about it: gradual small changes over time easing people into new situations with them not even realizing anything has changed at all, or sudden and quick, with one making a bold statement that doesn’t request others listen, but rather demands that they do. Her other female trailblazing friend Joan failed at the first option, Peggy will undeniably succeed at the second. With that confident strut down the hallway, Peggy has begun to extend her tentacles throughout McCann office, planning for the day when the old advertising dinosaurs officially go extinct.
Joan Holloway D
Joan was bound to be in a Catch-22 from the moment she stepped over to McCann. If she asserted herself and complained, she would receive pushback from her male peers who dominate the office. If she remained passive, her male cohorts would step all over her, subjecting the redhead to exponentially more sexual harassment than they usually reserve for their not as buxom peers. But even when Joan tried to address her situation with Jim Hobart in a well-rehearsed, diplomatic function, Hobart simply tells her he doesn’t care. So now Joan leaves the company with only half of her partnership share, with all those years of struggling and succeeding at SC&P to ultimately fall to nothing. By not caring all of those years, Joan would have amounted to nothing in her professional career. And by still caring, she still wound up nowhere.
Roger SterlingB+
Roger has been one of the most philandering and selfish characters on the series, but he’s also been one of the most forward-thinking. Roger was officially the first one to drop into serious psychedelics, and has reorganized his company and birthright three times over to help out his friends. He pardons some great advice to Ms. Olson, and heads over to McCann without a care. Roger still cares too much about his status to leave McCann, but he seems to be the only to realize that the joy of working at SC&P came from not being inside its walls but sharing space with who accompanied them. With his name no longer on any door accept his own, Roger now knows only his friends will be the ones to remember him.
Jim Hobart B
Hobart seemed pragmatic towards the partners when absorbing SC&P, but now things have changed dramatically. It seems Hobart’s intentions for buying his new Don Draper toy wasn’t so much because he wanted it, but more so no other kid on the block could have it, essentially rendering Don useless as the McCann research train powers on forward over any of his creative briefs. And while Joan was taken seriously at SC&P, Hobart is no man for change or being told what to do. He’s pretty much lost Don, Joan, and may be on track to lose Roger and potentially Peggy (Ted however is just enjoying the ride.) But Hobart knew that when he plucked the ripest advertising fruit for his own, it was only a matter of time until it spoiled for good.
"Lost Horizon"A
Even in the series’ final moments, "Lost Horizon" put viewers for a spin, making us care again about these characters whom we were near apathetic towards a week ago.
Extra Credit:
- Just watching the roller-skating organ scene, it’s hard to imagine anything as absurd and wonderful as that occurring in seasons 1-3. It just goes to show how far this show has evolved over the past years.
- Pete Campbell is going to thrive at McCann Erickson. While he isn’t nearly as sleazy as he’s been in prior seasons, his unapologetic and obnoxious go-getter attitude will put him miles in front of his peers.
- If we get any more ghost appearances, I’d like to see the following, in order from most desired to least: original Don Draper, Anna Draper, Adam Whitman, Lane Pryce, Gloria Trillo from Globe Motors (wait, wrong show,) Frank Gleeson, Gene Francis, and Dorothy Dyckman.
Demerits
- It’s disappointing to see Ted’s character fall from charismatic, agency cool-guy to apathetic loner. I get it, LA isn’t for everyone, but geez dude, leave the depression back on the west coast.