his role as Don Draper. Hamm finally won the Emmy for his work in the series finale, which found Don attending an oceanside retreat.
Hamm reflected on his final days as Mad Men’s Don Draper in an interview with GQ, revealing why he found the last few episodes difficult to film. Hamm recalled that he found his final episodes portraying the complex protagonist to be oddly withdrawn:
“A lot of that stuff from the last season I was very difficult to do, for many reasons. My character was going out on his kind of vision quest. And I realized, oh, shit, there’s probably going to be three or four episodes of the show that I’m not going to be working with the main cast of the show.”
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Hamm's description of Don's "vision quest" highlights that the final episodes were intentionally focused on Don's individual psychological and spiritual journey, rather than being primarily about the agency or the ensemble cast. This reinforces the idea that the show, at its core, was Don's story, and his resolution was paramount.
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The difficulty Hamm experienced filming these episodes, due to the separation from his co-stars, suggests a deeply personal experience for him. This can resonate with viewers who also felt a shift in the show's dynamic as it honed in on Don's inner world. It emphasizes that the ending was both a plot device and a deliberate artistic choice that had a real impact on the actors involved. It also solidifies the idea that Mad Men's legacy is fundamentally tied to Don Draper's complex and often isolating journey of self-discovery.
Our Take On The Final Season Of Mad Men
Don Finally Faced Himself In The Show’s Final Hours
Season 7 nicely ties up the arcs of the ensemble cast, but having Don Draper at the retreat allows him to finally face his core feeling of loneliness and alienation within both the family unit and his professional life. This fundamental pain has leaked into his interactions throughout the seasons, and it comes full circle.
The early seasons of Mad Men are all about Don facing his past identity and reconciling that with the one he adopted to start over. Often, this crisis of identity catches the viewer off-guard - such as in season 3, episode 11 “The Gypsy and the Hobo” when a neighbor inadvertently asks, “and who are you supposed to be?”
In the final episodes of the series, Don finally faces up to the many mistakes he has made in his life.
In the final episode of Mad Men, Don finally faces up to the many mistakes he has made in his life. Although only connected by a phone, Peggy’s concern for Don is palpable during the conversation that sees Don’s ego break down. A pivotal scene in those featuring Don separated from his family and colleagues is the group therapy session in which he holds a perfect stranger, who weeps after confessing that he is alone within his family life.
That Hamm himself felt isolated during the filming of these heart-wrenching scenes only contributes to the appreciation for how these final Mad Men episodes were handled. Just as Don has to grapple with who he is outside of SCDP and the executive lifestyle, Jon Hamm had to be confident enough in his knowledge of the character without having the usual suspects to offset his performance.
Source: GQ
Mad Men is a drama series set in 1960s New York, focusing on the lives of competitive men and women working in Madison Avenue's advertising industry. The show explores the social mores and cultural dynamics of the era while delving into the personal and professional challenges faced by its characters.
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