Mad Men: The Jewish end

Those of us in Israel who watched Season 7 (part 2), Episode 6, of Mad Men-The End, last night on Hot Plus, can only hope for happy endings for the remaining characters in this long, beloved and award-winning series. With Ken, (leaves firm) Betty (advanced lung cancer seemingly determines her fate), Cooper (demise-he died late in the series but reappears in Don’s dreams) and others gone, the Jewish mind behind the series (Matthew Weiner) might do just that for us. After all, we, Jews, like good stories and happy endings.

Didn’t the Israelites (of the Bible–Torah) make it to the Promised Land? Don’t the Chanukah and Purim tales end happily? More recently, the Holocaust, a historical event in our time _(more or less) and touched on several times by Weiner, helped catalyze Zionism. We are indeed, a nation of re-birth. Even the fictional Rachel Katz’s “shiva” seems civilized and comforting. Endings aren’t necessarily doomed to angst and pain, seems to say Weiner. (Of course who knows what’s in store for us next week?)

So I am hoping that Don’s “teshuva” is rewarded as are Peggy and Roger’s feelings and doings. Having said all that, Weiner is also a child of “The Sopranos,” which ended ambiguously. So he might be influenced by that. I hope not. If “Betty” dies, and the kids go back to “Don” (Sally goes off to college) a more normal (age-wise) wife and life are in store.

And for us? A new series.