Special guest Jeff Swystun, an actual Madison Avenue advertising veteran, joins us to discuss the Season 3 finale of Mad Men! Often praised as one of the best episodes of the entire series, we're far from closing the door on new tidbits, trivia, and ideas to unpack in this exciting season closer.

Discussion Points:

• How characters in Mad Men balance their personal and professional challenges, particularly in this episode.


• Why do Don and Roger choose Pete over Ken?


• The role of father and mother figures in shaping the characters' experiences and relationships.


• Needs vs. wants. "Shut the Door. Have a Seat." is all about decisive action.


• The emotional toll of divorce on children was particularly tricky to navigate in the 1960s.


• This is a truly pivotal episode for every single character in the show, and that's obviously intentional.


• A running thread of the show is that the characters in are driven by a desire for stability and a sense of identity.


• The show effectively captures the cultural and societal changes of the 1960s through the lens of the advertising profession.

Extra Credits:

Matthew Weiner created Mad Men, which aired on AMC from 2007 to 2015. Matthew Weiner directed this episode — “Shut the Door. Have a Seat.” — and he co-wrote the script with Erin Levy. The show stars Jon Hamm, January Jones, Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser, Christina Hendricks, John Slattery, Robert Morse, and many more. Our intro music is "Mad Men Men" by Tom Davidson, which is an original remix of the show's opening theme "A Beautiful Mine" by RJD2. Podcast illustration is by Jon Negroni. Our podcast hosts include Jon Negroni (Film Editor of InBetweenDrafts), Will Ashton (cohost of the Cinemaholics podcast), and Michael Overhulse (The Original “Negroupie” and inventor of dogs interrupting podcast conversations).

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