Mad Men series finale recap: What the world wants today

In a remarkable capper to its seven-season run, Mad Men settles the question at the center of its narrative: Who is Don Draper?

Mad Men
(Image credit: Frank Ockenfels/AMC)

In Mad Men's very first episode, all the way back in 2007, Don Draper laid out the philosophy that defined his basic approach to both work and life. "Advertising is based on one thing: happiness," he said. "And you know what happiness is? Happiness is the smell of a new car. It's freedom from fear. It's a billboard on the side of the road that screams reassurance that whatever you are doing is okay. You are okay."

There's a key juxtaposition that could easily get lost in the middle of that speech. To Don Draper, "the smell of a new car" and "freedom from fear" are equivalents — two separate roads heading to the same destination: happiness. It's the philosophy of a man who reinvented himself, filling all his empty spaces by seeking out the powerful, emotional experiences that unite all human beings — and then reshaping those experiences into cute, commercial little packages that could be hawked to any sucker with a wallet full of cash.

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Scott Meslow

Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.