The Forecast (S7x10)
Airdate: 19 April 2015
Written by: Jonathan Igla & Matthew Weiner
Directed by: Jennifer Getzinger
Running Time: 48 minutes
Matthew Weiner’s decision to conclude the saga of Mad Men with the seventh season was, in retrospect, a stroke of creative genius. By this point, the series plot and character trajectories had reached points that could be maintained only in an artificial way. The world had been turned on its head, and the characters had been forced to evolve in directions that often felt forced. Furthermore, Weiner himself appeared to have run out of his creative juices, a phenomenon that was sometimes reflected in certain creative choices that were unfortunate or baffling to the audience. These baffling moments were often so opaque that they had to be explained in excruciating detail during DVD audio-commentaries, a testament to the fact that the showrunners were struggling to find a natural narrative path. One such example of these baffling choices can be found in the episode "The Forecast," a title that serves as both a literal descriptive of the content and a sarcastic commentary on the state of affairs at Sterling Cooper & Partners.
The episode, set in May 1970, opens with a scene that serves as a potent metaphor for Don Draper’s current existence. Don is attempting to sell his Manhattan apartment, a task that brings his real estate agent, Melanie (Rachel Cannon), to the door. Melanie, a competent and attractive woman, is tasked with showing the space to potential buyers. However, the apartment is in a state of disarray, having been deprived of its furniture by his former mother-in-law, Marie. Melanie complains that the apartment looks empty and "sad," making it difficult to sell. The visual of Don’s pristine, expensive home stripped of its personal history highlights the isolation that has consumed him. This scene is also notable for the direction of Jennifer Getzinger. She plays with the audience's expectations in a subtle, Hitchcockian manner. Melanie enters the apartment to wake Don up, and for a fleeting moment, the combination of her attractiveness and the intimacy of the setting could be mistaken for a romantic encounter. It is only later that the audience realizes she is merely a professional, a catalyst for Don’s next step in life.
Back in the S&CP office, the atmosphere is one of impending doom. Don is asked by Roger to write a speech for the McCann Ericson subsidiaries conference in the Bahamas. The request is mundane, but it highlights the bureaucratic nature of Don’s new role. McCann Ericson also demands performance reviews of his subordinates, forcing Don to formally interview Ted and Peggy, who give very different descriptions of how they see their respective futures in the company. While these interactions provide insight into the characters, they serve mostly as exposition dumps in a show that has run out of patience for subtlety. More serious, however, is the storyline involving Johnny Mathis. He has to deal with aftermath of potentially disastrous argument with his colleague, Ed Gifford (Kit Williamson), during a presentation for the Peter Pan peanut butter-producing company. Mathis, clearly out of his depth, comes to Don’s office and asks how to defuse the situation. Don, perhaps weary or simply misjudging the moment, tells him to turn the awkwardness into a joke. Mathis attempts to do so, but he fumbles the delivery. Later, he bursts into Don’s office, lashing out against him for giving him wrong advice. Don takes no other recourse but to fire him. This sequence feels somewhat contrived and highlights the show's struggle to generate new, organic conflicts for its supporting cast.
The episode shifts to Los Angeles, where Joan Holloway arrives to interview potential replacements for Pete, who is returning to the New York office. It is a storyline that feels slightly detached from the main action but serves to flesh out Joan’s character in a new setting. She learns that Lou Avery, who has been reassigned to the Los Angeles office, is trying to sell his cartoon to the Hanna-Barbera animation studio, a detail that adds a layer of humor to his character. Joan also meets Richard Burghoff (Bruce Greenwood), a retired and divorced businessman, with whom she has a one-night stand. Richard is so smitten with Joan that he follows her to New York City, where they continue the affair. However, the dynamic shifts when he hears about Joan having a four-year-old son. Richard appears willing to end the affair because he, being a former parent, doesn’t want to sacrifice his freedom. Joan is heartbroken at this rejection, but Richard later comes around, telling her that taking care of Joan’s son is a price he is willing to pay.
This storyline involving Joan and Richard sparked a significant amount of confusion among the audience. When Joan initially expresses her willingness to abandon her son for the sake of her relationship with Richard, it shocks him. Many fans were willing to believe that Joan was serious and indeed wanted to abandon her son. This ambiguity was frustrating. Catherine Hendricks, who plays Joan, had to later explain that her character was, in fact, being sarcastic. This misunderstanding highlights the struggles the show faced in its final episodes in communicating tone and subtext, a stark contrast to the clarity of earlier seasons.
Elsewhere in the narrative, the subplot concerning Sally Draper reaches its logical conclusion. Sally is about to go on a school trip with other teenage girls, and before that, she is visited by Glen Bishop. Glen delivers shocking news that he, despite his former adoption of counterculture and the peace movement, has volunteered to join the US Army and fight in Vietnam War. Sally is devastated by this, which feels like a betrayal of everything she believed in. However, Betty, surprisingly, commends his action as noble and patriotic, displaying a shift in her character that is both surprising and somewhat jarring. Glen later comes back to her home and admits that the real reason is that he flunked the college and got drafted. He tries to kiss Betty, but he is rejected, closing the loop on his unhealthy years-long obsession with her.
Betty is deep inside affected by these events and reacts in a moment of emotional release by throwing Bobby’s toy gun into the garbage. This physical act symbolizes her rejection of the violence and conflict that Glen represents, as well as her own complicated feelings about motherhood and protection. The departure of Glen Bishop, a character who was sometimes dismissed by fans as an excuse for nepotism (since he was played by Weiner’s son, Marten Holden Weiner), is handled in a realistic manner. His character arc ends logically, providing a sense of closure to a subplot that had dragged on for years.
Sally and her friends later meet Don for dinner before the school trip. Before taking the bus, Sally accuses Don of flirting with her friend Sarah (Deindre Taylor) and says that she doesn’t want to be like Don or Betty. Don, showing a rare moment of maturity and empathy, tells her that she is her parents’ daughter and a beautiful woman, and that whether she wants to be something more is up to her. This interaction is perhaps the most heartfelt moment of the episode, showing Don finally accepting his role as a father figure rather than a distant parent.
The episode ends with Melanie telling Don she found the buyer, and Don leaving the apartment, realizing that he would have to find a new home and open a new chapter of his life. As he walks out, the episode uses Roberta Flack’s famous song "The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face" near the end. This musical choice serves a clear anchoring function, marking the rest of the series as firmly set in the 1970s.
The Forecast is a better episode than New Business, primarily because it is more focused and serves less as fan service and more as a hint at what awaits the characters in the future—the series won't cover. It touches upon the looming spectre of death in Vietnam, the career choices hinted at by Peggy, Ted, or even Lou Avery, or Joan trying to reconcile the complexities of career, single motherhood, and their own romantic urgings. While the episode suffered from some baffling writing choices and tonal confusion, particularly regarding Joan's reaction to Richard, it generally stands as a solid and well-directed effort. The direction is good, especially in the opening scene, and the performances are generally strong, with Jennifer Getzinger’s work being particularly noteworthy. Despite the occasional misstep, "The Forecast" manages to provide a realistic and poignant path for the final chapter of Mad Men.
RATING: 6/10
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