Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner says Don and Peggy will never hook up

AMC

Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner says Don and Peggy will never hook up
(Image credit: AMC)

Mad Men won't premiere its final seven episodes until next year, and fans will no doubt spend the months ahead trading crazy theories about Sharon Tate and D.B. Cooper. But whatever surprises Mad Men has in store, there's one possible plot line that fans can cross off their wish lists: a Don Draper/Peggy Olsen hookup.

In a recent interview, Vulture asked series creator Matthew Weiner if Don's late-night visit to Peggy's hotel room in Sunday's midseason finale was intended to tease fans who think the duo should hook up before the series ends. In his response, Weiner was uncharacteristically forthright:

I'm gonna admit it's not on our mind. To me that's more almost a cliché scene: It's backstage, she looks awful, he comes back and says, "The star's sick. You're gonna go on, kid." That's what I wanted it to feel like. We're in her dressing room and she says, "Did Harry tell you about my dream?" Again, it's about how real can you make it. Don comes to Peggy's bedroom? Maybe it's part of showing their relationship doesn't have that aspect to it. [Vulture]

Later in the interview, Weiner returned to the subject of Don and Peggy's relationship. "Within the show we wanted to start Don and Peggy as far apart as possible because that's where we left them," said Weiner. "Part of the story of the season was them repairing their relationship. It has the structure of a romantic relationship but to me it was about: Don cannot give Peggy confidence and Peggy cannot give Don integrity, both of them have to earn it for themselves."

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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.