Mad Men was an incredibly intricate and detailed television show that had a wide range of diverse characters, all who were incredibly fleshed out over the course of the seven seasons. Because of that, the show had a lot of pressure and difficulties in having to wrap everything up in the perfect manner.
When a show is as beloved as Mad Men was, ending things to suit everyone and make all the fans happy was an impossible task. There was always going to be people who didn’t like certain elements, but for the most part, the writers did a terrific job.
Every character got their time to end their individual storylines and it certainly left audiences debating over which went well, and others that didn’t. Here are five characters who got fitting endings, and five that deserved better.
Fitting Ending: Roger Sterling
When we leave Roger Sterling on Mad Men he is in a cafe with Marie, engaged and seemingly growing up in his life. Throughout the show, Roger is incredibly childlike and never seems to want to grow up, often dating younger women and drinking as much as possible without taking any real responsibility.
Even though he had finally settled down with someone his own age, he appeared to be incredibly happy and felt young at heart again. It was a total change for his character, accepting his age and responsibilities, but also still being as young and happy as he had always been.
Deserved Better: Betty Draper
Betty Draper ended Mad Men by sadly passing away after being diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. But that wasn’t why she deserved better, as Bett dying wasn’t really an issue, and it did highlight something that was a major problem from that time period with the chain-smoking and drinking catching up with her.
The issue with her ending is that everything felt rushed. While Betty had health issues at several points throughout the show, her cancer diagnosis didn’t come until late. It felt like the show was unable to commit the necessary time to this particular storyline to give it the attention it deserved.
Fitting Ending: Pete Campbell
Pete Campbell was an interesting character throughout Mad Men, going from the biggest villain to the nicest of characters several times. However, in the end, it seemed like Pete had realized that he didn’t need to become Don, and that being rich and becoming a womanizer isn’t the key to success.
In the end, he lands a job with a private jet company where he finally gets given the credit he has desperately been searching for. He brings along Trudy and his daughter, seemingly patching his family back together and hitting the restart button on his life.
Deserved Better: Michael Ginsberg
Michael Ginsberg was a character who clearly had mental health problems throughout the show, bouncing from being incredibly happy to seriously grumpy and wild within a matter of moments. Because of that, it makes sense that he gets stretchered away after a breakdown.
However, it would have been nice to see what exactly happened to him. Michael Ginsberg became very popular with audiences, and his character was sympathetic due to the difficult times he had, so it would have been good if the show had at least highlighted that he was getting back on track.
Fitting Ending: Sally Draper
Throughout Mad Men, one of the greatest characters just so happened to be young Sally Draper. She went from just being a little kid to being one of the most important characters on the show, being a wise head on top of some young shoulders.
Things don’t end in the happiest of manners for Sally as Don leaves and gives up on his life, while Betty Draper dies. However, this is where it becomes fitting for Sally as she takes on the responsibility of running her family, essentially becoming her mother.
Deserved Better: Megan Draper
Megan Draper desires to be a major actress all the way through her time on Mad Men, and while she has some success, it’s clear she never reaches the level that she wants to do. The ending of her character was supposed to show her making those steps to get to the next level as she met with Harry Crane, but it didn’t make much sense.
Megan had always hated Harry during her time working in advertising with the television expert making it clear how he was attracted to her. But then all of a sudden she was happy to meet him and spend time with him, which felt like a confusing twist.
Fitting Ending: Lane Pryce
It might have been a sad ending for Lane Pryce, but it certainly felt like a fitting one. Suicide is something that was teased continuously throughout Mad Men, and in the end, it was Lane who went down that road, highlighting just how stressful a high-pressure job like this can be.
Lane’s money troubles eventually catch up on him, with the fantastic professional making a series of major mistakes that lead to him losing his job. Not having the confidence to admit to his failings, Lane decides to take his own life, and even though it’s incredibly sad, it is a fitting ending to his character.
Deserved Better: Salvatore Romano
Much like Lane Pryce, Salvatore Romano’s time on Mad Men came to an end far sooner than the final season. However, unlike Lane, Salvatore’s ending wasn’t a fitting one, and it certainly felt like his character deserved a lot better, as his storyline was a brilliant one.
Salvatore’s hidden sexuality had the potential to really be fleshed out and developed over time. While this did play a major impact on him losing his job, the show could have explored this topic in much more detail and really given him a great ending.
Fitting Ending: Don Draper
While Don Draper’s ending did leave a few question marks, it also felt like a perfectly fitting end for him. Giving the audience a chance to think and decide what would be next for him suits Don’s character and plot throughout the show, where he isn’t always the most straightforward.
However, seeing him finally break down mentally, heading to a hippie retreat as he gives up his life was the right way for things to end for Mad Men’s main character. It was time for Don to accept his failings and mistakes, which he certainly did, making this a great ending.
Deserved Better: Peggy Olson
Some people loved Peggy Olson’s ending, which was enjoyable in the sense that she finally found love and actually admitted and accepted her feelings for Stan. However, because she was such an important character throughout the show, it felt like Peggy deserved a little more.
Peggy was arguably the biggest character outside of Don Draper, and while she did prove that women could succeed within the advertising world, it would have been nice to have seen her gain some form of promotion. While she certainly got a happy ending, it felt like Peggy deserved more.
