1)

I agree, Max.  Yikes!

In a way, nothing much happened.  Well, except that Don fell in love on vacation, got hypnotized and engaged.  Very very unexpected and strange.

Wonder if Dr. Joyce Brothers/Miller will try to use her knowledge to punish Don.

Joan will have some 'splainin' to do if hubby makes it back from Nam.  Roger is going to know.  There's some good conflict for next season.

Not as much of a cliff hanger as I'd hoped, but lots of good stuff to work out next season. We'll see whether Don actually marries his secretary...

I felt bad for Faye.  How unexpected for her it must have been when Don's last words to her were, "I'm going to miss you" at his bedside!

"Hey.  Yeah, uh...I'm marrying my secretary.  Thanks again for betraying your morals and getting me that interview, by the way.  Later."

As for her getting revenge on Don by outing him - I don't think she'd do that.  She tries very hard to keep up a professional appearance in a man's world, and backstabbing him and betraying his confidence like that would be beneath her character.

Disappointed.

Though truthfully, this season has been so good - which I guess is why this finale finally felt like a letdown.

It's just more of the same.  Don running away, Don being impulsive, and Don filling an emotional vacuum.

I actually Facebooked a cryptic note to myself:

"Note to self: Next time you go travelling, keep your wits about yourself and try not to pull a Dick (Whitman) move."

I mean, don't get me wrong, I totally LOVED how they progressed with the Megan character (and I am so in love with Jessica Pare because she's from La Belle Province), but I was kinda hoping she wouldn't be the next Mrs. Draper.


Or will sHe? We'll see next season I guess.

Nail on the head, he is not going to marry her.

Season 5 will open with her completely out of his life and back to wherever she came from.

Jeez, DD frightens me, he reminds me of me... dr fay got it... we like the begininng, because we cant cope with the middle and ending.

I love this show, i bet there are so many people out there that can ring true with elements of certain charachters.

This has now topped sopranos for me... i think!

I agree with Faceman, just as this season opened two years into the future from the previous, I think this one will open with the same sort of surprises.  That is what will make last nights finale more meaningful.  It seems to be leading you down several paths that are as we think, typical, or uninteresting.

Joan's ( a widow by then) child will be walking.

The company will be in big with Heinz or someone.

Dr. Faye will be in jail for attempted murder.

The marriage won't happen.  Don was seeing himself in a particularly paternal way with his kids all around him and a beautiful woman tending to them.  Megan stated what she wants, she wants what he has, and she's not talking 3 kids!  Besides, it's the brink of the women's revolution.  Betty will split with Henry, it'll be too much for the kids to go through two dads, a move, maybe another move ahead of them, and no nanny.  Don will want custody of the kids and Megan will flee.

I think the marriage could happen.  I don't see why not.  Don is a serial adulterer, no matter who the blushing bride may be.  Dr. Faye is completely right that he likes beginnings.

Dr. Faye's pain is deep, probably the most exquisite of anyone's, though we in the audience can wryly shake our heads and say we're not surprised.  You play with fire, you get burned. Ouch.  At least she did get a phone call and at least he did seem regretful.  Plus she doesn't have to look at him in the office. Small crumbs for her.  And you're right, WB, she's classy and professional and probably wouldn't "out" Don.  Maybe.  But we can't forget her emotional scene on the telephone way back a few weeks ago that Don overheard.  Being knowledgeable about human emotions doesn't always mean you can control your own.

This whole episode was surreal.  There is no relationship between Don and Megan - come on!  The writers spent most of season 4 cultivating the relationship between him and Dr. Faye, only to have him "fall in love" with his secretary du jour at the last minute?  No, I don't think so.

I think the finale was more a comment about Don's inability to come to terms with his own identity.  He was actually "more himself" with Dr. Faye  one of the best scenes of the season was when he revealed his true identity to Dr. Faye. That was real. However,  he was the guy he "wished" to be when he was with Megan - completely in charge, the boss, confident, the good breadwinning father. 

I can't see him marrying her, and I think it will be Megan who breaks off the engagement.  She's gorgeous, young, a bit ambitious.  I think next season will be about Don becoming a bit of a fading prom queen, and needing to address what's real and what isn't in his own life.

I think the most telling scene of the episode was Don and Betty leaving the kitchen similtaneously through opposite doors. No matter what happens (or what Betty wanted to happen), they will not be getting back together.

Just saw the finale. I actually liked it very much. Seemed real to me, except maybe having to take his secretary on vacation with him, that was a little easy. But once you admit that, then everything falls into place. It is so typical to do dumb things on vacation,everything seems so much easier and simple in the sun away from tthe daily routine at home and work. And for DD, when the choice is a pretty girl who admires you (as you'd like to be) and digging deep to be a better person with someone who actually knows who you are, it's much easier to sucomb to the dream, the advertized image, even if you know it's not real. I think he knows, in that last frame he looked like his bubble had burst and he was back to his anxious self.

Loved the conversation between Peggy and Joan. Its rare to see these two women bond.
Betty is deranged but I can't see where she heading!

I wish the doorbell did not ring. I loved the moment Ken and Barbie I mean Don and Betty shared. The drrink the walk down memory lane, her confiding that essentially her glittery marriage is in fact gold plated. I'm sure they would have reconciled if they had more time...
I agree with Max on point 2 for sure. Of course the show is called Mad Men hence the manic pace

Don wont marry "whats her face" he has to resolve the mess in his life and only when that happens it will be ..............DON AND PEGGY FOREVER.

Peggy is not on the same attractive level as Don and she knows it.

I think he will get married, although I personally think it’s a wildly stupid idea on the part of DD.  But the potential for drama is more interesting if he is married.  Then what happens with his wife who wants to be a copy writer, does he give her a job ? does he even want her to work ? And what if she’s really bad as a copy writer.  Also it makes Betty even more unhappy which makes her even wilder.  And there’s Dr Faye hanging in the background with potentially harmful information. 

If he doesn’t get married then he’s just back dating and worriying about work, That has been done.

He's nver going to get with Peggy, that would just kill what they have.

just my thoughts.

Well Max, I do believe your Weiner factor argument is strong .My predictions are probably to predictable and simlpistic although the twist might be in how it's written.  Anyways now there almost seems to be a consensus that they will not marry so I don't know what would be more surprising. And believe me I'd love to be taken for a ride like in the previous seasons.

Mneely490 the two leaving through different doors was indeed  symbolic. I think there's unfinished business there. I'm hoping that was more for dramatic effect. Megan has creeped me out since her "I want to learn advertising" seduction of DD. That is a wedding I don't want to see. I also don't like Dr. Faye's holier than though know it all attitude. DD doesn't need a protege/built in mom for his children as a wife; or a mother figure either. The woman for DD hasn't been introduced yet...or maybe it's Bets?

As for the scene with Betts and Don; as she exits stage left, he stage right, who has the last word - calmly holding center stage? 

The bottle.

@ Max

I agree with u "he  is an incredible cool guy", but u know Max, remember when he was in the cab with Dr Fay and they were kissing and she said where do u live, ah that cool guy grabed the opportunity to take charge of the situation and contol her by his refusal, so once more he holds the power.  Same situation in the restaurant when asked if he was seeing other women.  Of course he would be - but his answer kept her hoping.  Don keeps his options open, so the chances of meeting a new potential "wife" is always present.  He is a "cold fish" in or out of the water.

Yep - it is written all over her face, she is a grand master manipulator and he has some work ahead of him to survive that affair.  As one post said earlier "nothing is for free".

The fact that Megan is Canadian is no doubt significant and for just the reasons that have been said.  There would be no other reason to have a character from there.  There are no coincidences in plot lines, not as tightly woven as these are.

hmm yeah, the canada thing could be the final ever finale set up!

She's insanely sexy while speaking French... that's a good enough reason for me!

I was struck by the scene after the defence guys left betty immediately called don and told him what questions they had asked her.  whilst talking to don, betty had the good sense (but too late) to question whether they should be discussing it on the phone and the realisation of this suddently put the fear of God in both.  If don now has a flag on his file I would suggest no more phone conversations regarding this or better still talk out in the garden, etc (sopranos, remember the bug in the lamp in the basement)  It seems to me a gradual exposure is beginning to take place.