So, "Mad Men" Season 4 just ended this week...

That shouldn't be news to those who watch the beloved 3 time winner for the Best Drama Series Emmy. There better be some Damn Good Television this next season, because this Season was even more deserving than those first three!

But in reading several recaps of the finale, both intellectual, and humorous, I realized I should be like everyone else and their extended families and post about it too. Especially after I wrote a much too long comment to Sarah Skilton's thoughtful analysis. So, I'm gonna elongate what I wrote on Sarah's blog...

!!!SPOILER ALERT - SERIOUSLY DON'T READ FURTHER IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED SEASON 4 AND DON'T LIKE TO BE SPOILED - SPOILER ALERT!!!

Don Draper (along with co-workers Roger, Peggy, Pete, Harry, Layne, Bert and Joan from the old Sterling-Cooper) ended last season on what seemed like an uncertain high note. They were starting a new agency from scratch, Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. Top that with Betty filing for divorce from Don to start her new "dream" life with the "perfect man", Henry Francis, and the prospect for "drama" was pretty high for what Season 4 could do. The possibilities were limitless.

Well, flash forward to this year and the new season started fun enough, and the new agency was certainly confident in itself despite uncertain about it's finances (Thanks Layne!). And Betty's inner troll seemed to come out in full swing, starting a theoretical war (who knew Sweet Potatoes would be the first shot fired?) with daughter Sally that's sure to end in Sally running upstate to Woodstock and taking lots-o-LSD at Woodstock five years from now!

But. This show is mostly about Don, and this season focused on his downward spiral into a VERY LONG WEEKEND that lasted for probably seven months until the real Don Draper's wife Anna died, and Don had to cry it off in the arms of Peggy of all people (no they didn't have sex, and it was the best episode of the season, but that will be addressed again later). Don seemed to be having sex with A LOT of random nameless woman and call girls, and drinking A LOT (think Nicholas Cage circa Leaving Las Vegas). Not to lop more shit into the gutter, Don (who is really po'farm boy Dick Whitman) has pretty much been forced to face the fact that he stole a dead man's identity, and may have to bring that into the public. One would think he could never get out of this pit of despair.

But, alas, there were two other woman besides Peggy, Betty, and Anna that had their way with Don, in a very positive way. He first fell for Dr. Faye, the "social scientist" the firm hired for market research, who was quite a strong woman and awesome character who forced Don to see that sexy women can be smart and stand up to him. The second was, Megan, his THIRD secretary of the season! (He managed to sleep with two of the three, and would have slept with the third if Miss Blankenship was fifty years younger and didn't die). Anyhow, Megan seemed to know what she wants, is eager to move up the corporate later, and doesn't want to have a complicated relationship with Don (Office coach sex is perfectly fine and it's just sex, right?). Not to mention she's FANTASTIC with kids! But more on that in a minute...

So we get to the last episode, "Tomorrowland", and guess what? Don's promised to take the kids to Disneyland while he's on business in SoCal. But, ruh roh, The Betty Monster fired Carla, the housekeeper/nanny they've had since Sally was an infant, because Carla actually let Creepy Glenn into the house GODFORBID! (Glenn was obsessed with Betty in season 1). But, like I said, Betty was possessed by Beelzebub this season so, she wasn't thinking rationally. Anyhow, Carla is obviously "unavailable for the trip", so Don asks has to think on his feet, cuz that's what he does best... His secretary! Megan! Everything's working out Perfectly!

Well, I'm not sure anyone anticipated he'd propose to her by the end of this episode, because the first scene was of Dr. Faye kissing him, declaring her love (I think?), and to travel safe.

Not to compare to another (BRILLIANT but-I -can't-believe-they-canceled-it-after-two-episodes) show, but there were tons of people complaining that the reason they wouldn't even give Lone Star a chance was because Bob, the main character, was "overtly womanizing"... And I'd retort, "But it's okay for Don Draper?" I only bring this up because, man, has Mr. Draper been even more of a Floozy than ever before, this season. Love Don, but wow did he get around?! Though, the show actually made it feel less than glamorous, even downright sad, which was kinda interesting.

But enough about Don. Who else?

Peggy. This was by far Peggy's strongest season. I know they tried to give her lots of Dramatic I'm-trying-not-to-think-the-baby-Pete-impregnated-me-with-and-I-gave-away stuff in season two, but that all seemed so maudlin to me. But here in season 4, we saw what kind of woman Peggy truly is and strives to be. Her and Don's episode, "The Suitcase", was probably the best episode of ALL Mad Men episodes. Ever. And through the rest of the season, we really got to go with Peggy. I feel like she's the character that is the "eyes of the audience", and they kept it up into this finale. When Don proposed to Megan and told the people at work, Peggy was the one who had the same "Really Don?" attitude that I assume much of the audience had. And it was great, followed by her and Joan venting about it like typical office gossipers was awesome. Rare for them since they always seem to hate each other.

Speaking of Joan, this was also her strongest season. I mean, wow, did she deal with a lot. A husband going off to war, followed by a one-night-stand rekindling of an old romance with Roger that results in a "Whoops! We got pregnant!" and... well, I'm so glad they finally gave Christina Hendricks some real good meat to chew on this season (I know that the "spousal rape that shant be mentioned" from season two was also pretty Razor Blade worthy, but was practically swept under the rug and has yet to be seriously re-addressed, if it ever will).

Even though we never see where this show is going, sometimes you think they're gonna do certain things. My one (very cliche) depressing storyline prediction that did NOT happen was that I anticipated Roger Sterling jumping off the George Washington Bridge. With all the depressing stuff that's happened on this show, i'm surprised no one has "offed" themselves yet. But I'm starting to think that Matthew Weiner is now holding his "Suicide Card" for Henry Francis, when next season The Betty Monster will finally drive him to the brink and he'll park his car on train tracks as the commuter rail approaches...

All kidding aside, I was very satisfied with this season. They just keep getting better and better, and there's no show I can think of that has remained so consistant for four whole seasons, getting better with each. Maybe Hill Street Blues or the first four of The West Wing, but that's debatable. And in typical Mad Men fashion I'm definitely not sure where Season 5 is going. Not sure if I can wait until next frickin' July!