Which one of these shows had the best series finale?

[Lief 🗽]

Mad Men (a show that has likely gone on a season too long as it is)

what

Mad Men is one of the few shows where it's later seasons are better than its earlier ones. The fifth was perfection, and the latest was still better than any other drama on TV (including Breaking Bad, imo).

And I reject Gilligan's interpretation of the finale. The only way it works is if it's Walt's dying fantasy.

[Хahar 🤔]

Yeah, I definitely prefer Mad Men to Breaking Bad, although that seems to be an unpopular opinion for whatever reason.

[Eraserhead]

Mad Men (a show that has likely gone on a season too long as it is)

what

I still haven't watched the most recent season but it seems like a lot of people are saying it is by far the weakest one yet. I hope that isn't the case. The one before it was excellent, especially that Peter Campbell centric episode.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Mad Men (a show that has likely gone on a season too long as it is)

what

Mad Men is one of the few shows where it's later seasons are better than its earlier ones. The fifth was perfection, and the latest was still better than any other drama on TV (including Breaking Bad, imo).

And I reject Gilligan's interpretation of the finale. The only way it works is if it's Walt's dying fantasy.

Exactly. I can't understand how it was anything but Walt's dying fantasy. Otherwise, he got everything he wanted in the end, which wouldn't make any sense considering how the show had played out till that point.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

That's another problem. Gilligan shouldn't be shooting down people's interpretations. He shouldn't be talking about the finale at all.

Well it's fine to talk, but trying to control people's interpretations is a little odd.

Mind you I never watched it as the subject seemed kind of morally repugnant and really not very interesting (not the drugs, but the central character; amongst other things I'd argue that a man who was always a controlling sh!t cannot have a Fall), so what do I know.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I still haven't watched the most recent season but it seems like a lot of people are saying it is by far the weakest one yet.

Mostly it's only morons who are saying that.

[Eraserhead]

I still haven't watched the most recent season but it seems like a lot of people are saying it is by far the weakest one yet.

Mostly it's only morons who are saying that.

Good to know.

[Paul Kemp]

And I reject Gilligan's interpretation of the finale. The only way it works is if it's Walt's dying fantasy.

Well that's the thing . . . it doesn't work. Obviously it should be left up to the viewer though (as most art). I personally can't buy into it myself so I just believe that it wasn't very well written. If you take it that way though, more power to you.

That's another problem. Gilligan shouldn't be shooting down people's interpretations. He shouldn't be talking about the finale at all.

Those "Talking Dead", Talking Bad", etc. shows are terrible. Do the viewers really need every aspect of each episode explained to them in detail? I'm sure "Talking Mad" will be the next one. Ugh.

Yes, I completely concur with both points. On the former, just look at David Chase following The Sopranos finale; the most he's said AFAIK is "It's all there."

The "Talking" shows are obviously awful and just a sign that AMC really has become The Worst. The parallels between AMC and HBO following their massive television hits are becoming quite obvious. HBO is just beginning to pick up the pieces now, nearly 7 years later.

[Paul Kemp]

Mad Men (a show that has likely gone on a season too long as it is)

what

Mad Men is one of the few shows where it's later seasons are better than its earlier ones. The fifth was perfection, and the latest was still better than any other drama on TV (including Breaking Bad, imo).

And I reject Gilligan's interpretation of the finale. The only way it works is if it's Walt's dying fantasy.

Exactly. I can't understand how it was anything but Walt's dying fantasy. Otherwise, he got everything he wanted in the end, which wouldn't make any sense considering how the show had played out till that point.

As I said, it makes sense if AMC execs intervened and wanted to appease the most casual (and awful) fans. It's also possible that Gilligan's vision of the show was completely different than most and that's not for the best. I tend to think Gilligan's "brilliance" or whatever is overstated; he has some great DPs, directors and writers throughout the seasons that really made the show what it was.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I would tend too be a bit leery of any writer who has evidently not at least heard of the whole 'death of the author' thing.

(incidentally in The Singing Detective characters from the story-within-the-story achieve consciousness, break free and then proceed to hunt down the author of the story-within-the-story as revenge for writing them badly. Literary PoMo is great).

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Breaking Bad