Matthew Weiner's End Game Part 3

Part 1 - End Game

Part 2 - Don and Tony's similar women

Ultimately, Tony Soprano went back to his old ways.  He returns to his dangerous life and no longer has therapy to help him.

Don's return to a mistress may signal something similar for him.  Having learned some lessons along the way, like the value of a group and loved ones, he still returns to his loner, self interested ways.  Learning the value of the help a group can provide was a central tenet of "Shut the Door, Have a Seat" when Don's own father spurned the co-op compared to Don who worked with his colleagues to start their own business.

Joan emphasized Don's use of "I" versus "we" recently.  It doesn't seem like the idea of doing what's best for the group has totally set in on Don.  As Pete said he's out for himself "swinging vine to vine" without a plan or consideration how it may affect others.  Always impulsive, think his plan to go overseas with Rachel Menken, or, you know, when he became Don Draper, Don is not one to think out the consequences of his actions.

While the merger may prove to be a success, it could easily go the other way.  A merger that was conceived and executed almost entirely by Don alone...not unlike his letter quitting tobacco*.  While Don tries using "we" by the end of the episode, the means by which he does so are almost a one man show.

Don has that ability to mentor and lead, given Peggy and his speech about landing Jaguar last season.  But he also lacks the ability to understand others' perspectives.  This is somewhat surprising for a man so successful at advertising.  In the first episode, he dismisses a scientific study out of hand.  He also pushes his singular focus for work onto Peggy which both partially drives her away and rubs off on her, which we see in her treatment of her own staff. 

Don is also consumed with denial/self loathing/double standard/something else when it comes to judging his wife for not conforming to the idea he has of how she/the ideal wife should behave.

With the country changing as much as it is, particularly in 1968, Don may be left as a man without a country.  Even at work there are changes and the influence of CGC is more collaborative than Don's hiearchical style. Don, in a theme explored when Peggy feels he's taking credit for work not his**, feels the world exists for him as the head of the household/head of the agency/the one in charge with his relationship with Sylvie ("You exist for my pleasure.")  When Sylvie's had enough, she leaves the hotel and leaves Don behind.  When the agency, when the country has had enough...when they can get along without Don, he is going to be left behind, standing there, shocked.

Like Tony, he can't get away from the deep flaws that define him.  If he can't empathize with the new culture and see how the next generation (i.e. his second wife) is viewing the country he is going to be left behind professionally and personally.  If he can't adapt he is going to alienate everyone around him, though he will view it as everyone else having the problem.  Assuming Don maintains his 1960-behaviour, which we originally found acceptable given the context, we'll have a different reaction to such behavior given a 1970s context.



* Cooper's strongest object to that letter was that he didn't include the other partner's names.

** It's unclear how much he did this to Peggy but he also clearly does it with "the cure for the common breakfast"