Sadly the only honorable option he could take given his upbringing, relationship with his father and old British code of ethics. Death was better than dishonour by the old rules. A real tragedy.
Unique perspective as I haven't seen the whole series, only the first two seasons and this (this plot line had already been spoiled before I started watching), and yeah, Pete reacts with more sadness and perspective here then he does do the death of his own father. Striking how compassionate this one scene makes him look compared to the rest, and it's not done in a way that's out of place with the character.
@@TheArranBicKman that kind of just strengthens my point, war dehumanizes you, therefore Pete has more emotion because he hasn’t been to war and seen all of that death.
I love how Joan maneuvered that discovery of lane's body. I think she suspected pretty quick but didn't want to be proven right and have a public reaction or lose her composure first.
The first stage of grief is denial. Joan is shrewd. She can dissect any situation with razor sharp precision, which is why we love her. However, I don’t think she was trying to maintain her composure here for propriety’s sake. Upon first opening that door and seeing the turned chair, she has put together what’s happened immediately, but simply doesn’t want to believe it. She defers that responsibility onto the men in the adjacent office because she’s in denial. She knows what terrible thing has occurred, but is prolonging her transition into the next stage of grief: Pain and Guilt. She’s delaying the incoming trauma. Which she immediately slips into when they peer over and inform her that her suspicions are correct, and Joan subsequently breaks down. Christina Hendricks played this perfectly.
@@blairfoley2675 The thing is too, she is a secretary and a woman in an age when neither was considered a "senior" station. Deferring the judgement to a man in an office isn't an unusual mindset--many would do it even today.
Kenny the only gentleman in mad men (though he grew into one as he wasn't at first). He comforts Joan whilst the others just stand there shocked. He knew she had a daughter like relationship with him. He evolved from mid 20s idiot looking up a girls skirt in season 1 to a smart and caring man in his 30s
@TMPanos96 It could be that traditional gender roles always aren't good or bad, they just exist as products of their place and time, as these characters do. Joan needed comfort because she was close to Lane and Ken provided it.
Between having his own brother die the same way, and seeing soldiers getting killed around him back in Korea, it's very telling how Don reacted to Lane's death. Bothered even more by the guilt of driving Lane towards suicide, the mix of emotions Don must have went through to keep that a secret while processing his own dark past. Damn, the combination of great writing, acting, and cinematography makes for stellar entertainment. The likes of Mad Men are such that even those of that generation find it difficult to watch. Sometimes, truth IS stranger than fiction...🇵🇷🇺🇸😎
Yeah sometimes truth is stranger than fiction but Don and the others are fictitious characters there are sales and advertising people and suicides but not quite like that.
@@gezenews when Don is having dinner with Peggy she ask 'did you ever shoot anyone?' and he said 'no, but I some some men die' so I'm assuming there were more
@@spinblackcircles Lengthy segments from season 3 onwards is just repeats and repeats, they work because they built very strong characters in the first seasons but it's still filler. but that's the nature of the beast. Tv series gotta squeeze that script till the show keeps going. In terms of pure plot this show is likely only a 4-season series.
@@austinyoung3315 didn’t he? Without getting into if it would’ve been right or wrong to do so, it seemed to me like Don could’ve easily brushed the whole incident under the rug and other than himself and Lane, nobody would’ve been the wiser. But instead, he cut Lane out of the company completely, effectively turning his back on him. Even if Don didn’t see it that way Lane certainly did.
The sound design when they discover the body is fucking incredible. It just dissolves into this messy, raw soundtrack of men cutting down a suicide. Don and Roger are both vets who have clearly seen a lot of death, and the near-clinical approach to the act of giving Lane some basic human dignity before the coroner arrives is on track for men of war
The sound design in this show was always next level. Every scene, every setting has a plethora of details that puts you right in the world with the characters, but hardly anyone really notices. It's one of the many incredible things that the team did with this show that set it apart from the normal tv drama schlock of time.
Don isn't interested in "human dignity," he just wants to get into the room before anyone else finds the note--and anything incriminating it may say about him. And Roger, well, Roger was just fine leaving Lane where he was--he tries to stop Don from going in and only helps after it's clear nobody is listening to him. "Men of war" indeed.
@SanctusPaulus-ic5gl: Most people assume that there will always be a suicide note (even though in reality this is not the case). Don covered up Lane's embezzlement, something Lane could have brought up in such a note if he left one. This anxiety in Don is made VERY obvious in the scene where Roger discovers Lane's resignation; they all assume it's a suicide note, and we get one definite shot of Don's fear as Roger reads it. It's all there on the screen.
Absolutely... both my parents are baby boomers and its so true, they don't really believe in talking ab their inner pain that much. Even more so, my dad would say, "what good is it?" awwww. My grandparents both southern and depression era kids barely talked period.
0:37 Pete's reaction- this entire scene was great acting. Though heartbreaking to watch. The first time I saw this, I was SHOCKED they actually showed his body.
Pete's Reaction was one of the most interesting parts. Even though Pete is kind of a terrible person and deeply hostile with Lane (even getting bloodied by him in a fistfight) he still has a pretty strong reaction to seeing his death. I guess it shows that even though Pete can do some very evil things he's not soulless just deeply damaged. I don't like Pete and I deeply enjoyed watching Lane beat him up, but I can also appreciate the level of nuance in Mad Men's characters.
The final shot of Don's face is so powerful - - he wants to explain Lane's fraud but decides not to. Others have commented that this is out of shame, and maybe so, but more so I think Don stays quiet so as not to tarnish Lane's legacy. Don's decision to privately ask for Lane's resignation was strong, but not unfair.
I'm sure he doesn't want to be blamed for Lane's death and that's why he doesn't explain it. It's in his best interest to say nothing now. Either he didn't tell his partners about fraud and he's at fault. Or he just drove a fellow partner to suicide. It's lose lose for the machiavellian Don so he stays quiet.
DON: “We can’t leave him like that” PETE: “Dear lord...” ROGER: “Come on I’m taking you home” JOAN: “No I want to stay” BERT: “Lane hung himself....” KEN: *first instinct is to comfort Joan This scene perfectly sums up the characters of this show and their first instincts in crisis situations. Don takes action to preserve Lane’s image and pride as a man (even in death), Pete lets shock take over so others take action for him, Roger’s first concern is Joan, Bert lets others take action due to his fatigue in his age, Joan’s first instinct is grief and Ken’s first concern is comforting those around him who need it
I disagree on Don. Don always needs to be in control. This can benefit others, yes, but even before Roger and Don know about what happened, we are given an example: Pete says: "You might wanna sit down." And Don's answer is: "What happened?" And after he knows, he sits down. He needs to be one step ahead of things. And that is both his strength and his weakness, because this urge is also driven by the fear that one of his many secrets might be uncovered.
@@blaustein_autor I disagree on Don. He realise he was too harsh on someone, causing horrible consequences, so he has to erase his guilt by playing the hero. A total hypocrite.
Don tries to act noble by demanding that Lane’s body be taken down, but you see that he is terrified of his role in Lane’s suicide being found out: if Lane has written a tell-all suicide note, then Don was going to be forced to explain everything. That’s a theme throughout the show, how Don was constantly looking over his shoulder, scared to death of being found out, whether it was his assumed name or his adultery. The man kept so many secrets that he could hardly keep track of them all.
But in this case the thing he did 'wrong' was giving Lane a chance of a graceful exit. Partners would be right to be mad at him for not informing him but won't blame him for the death.
@phucker tan I think Don thought it was disrespectful to let him hang that way. He is certainly flawed, but he liked Lane and was legitimately sad, not just out of guilt.
There's really nothing for Don to be scared of. He did the right thing from a business ethics standpoint forcing Lane to resign. His reaction is likely more due to guilt over his role in Lane's decision to take his own life.
Wow, that’s a bad take on it. Campbell found out about Draper’s past and told Bertram Cooper early in the show. I think Draper genuinely felt guilty (as he should) and not wanting to see the body of a friend in that position.
@@user-tq3rr8vy2w Yep, hypocrisy is nearly every human's middle name. We all talk nobility but when it comes down to it, when the noose is hanging in front of us (mostly metaphorically), most find a way to slip out. Try to find a boss and coworkers that don't shy away from political obstacles/challenges. There aren't too many that are honest when it comes at a personal cost. That's why friends, family, and colleagues that stick with you despite hardships and failures are truly priceless.
It really hit me that Roger has seen the most death in war, Don the second, and Pete never, but they're all gathered around a fallen comrade. One of the many layered moments that showed MadMen was about more than an office.
Lane was depressed. Not because of Don asking him to resign but because of his lack of authority over his life. His previous company would just bounce him around wherever they needed him, his wife decided to leave him when he was just settling down, then he fell in love with a waitress. But again his father came, beat the shit out of him and made him get back to his wife. Towards the end during his crisis he thought he has enough power to take up money from the company and answer to no one. But that didn't happen and he had to forge Dons signature. When he got caught he realised he doesn't have any authority in the his office as well. Later that day.... His clueless wife buying him a jaguar they clearly can't afford... Again 'without' his permission just led him towards suicide. Tragic. But not Don's fault.
But she still doesn’t accept the reality of the wire, the overturned table, or the smell until she has to, when the guys look inside the office. Joan, who is normally so unflinchingly pragmatic and clearheaded. That’s why it’s good writing and acting.
@@SjofnBM1989 and that's realistic, too. The bowels would have emptied by then. What's odd is the gang joking next door didn't pick up on it--those offices really seal tight. But once the door opens, they all react to the scent. Don and Roger just have been in battle before, so they aren't caught off guard by it as much as say, Pete would be.
He first tries to kill himself with carbon monoxide asphyxiation inside his brand new Jaguar in the parking garage, but the writers instilled a little bit more humor in the situation by having the Jaguar, infamous for unreliability then and now, not able to start. This is why he resorted to hanging.
Also gives a bit of false hope. I thought it would be one of those scenarios where he had a failed attempt and decides to live on afterwards after coming close to death with a renewed perspective, as is a common trope in TV. I’m sure it didn’t surprise most people but it still had impact to me when they found him just because they subverted expectations in the first place
As most mechanics know, Lucas Electric, was the prince of darkness! When Ford bought Jaguar, they sacked lucas and brought in Bosch.... that save Jaguar.
Jesus Christ, the amount of detail in this show. You can see the wire that he hung himself with at the top of the door at 0:10. This show is phenomenal.
@@JohnSmith47534 Maybe because they fired Lane he didn't see the need in writing a personalized letter to his partners who he ultimately though were his friends.
When one realizes that terminating a career, for some recipients, is the same as terminating a life. When your name is gone and your work unwanted, there's very little left.
Yeah. There is something very seriously wrong with people who wrap themselves up so tightly in a career or a job. Jobs end. Careers end. I mercifully killed off a well-paying career almost 6 years ago. Sh*t happens. But that doesn't mean your life should. Life is too beautiful and wonderful to have it end because something stoopid like a job ended. Don gave Lane an out--go get another job. Honestly, with his British background and accent, he would've found one quickly in the NYC ad world. People in NYC love having Brits around to provide some class in their companies...
That's right, why did the business did this to us, by propagating this and other toxic behaviors I"ll never know, cause witholding a worker is easy; Just dangle the carrot and most people with responsabilities will chase without much thought, but creating this notion that, without job you Don't provide anything to your friends, your loved ones, that you're worthless? That's callous and borderline nihilistic.
Something about Don’s face when he says “he’s still in there?” Is so raw to me. His expression is unexplainable but, spot on, and it almost doesn’t even really look like him. He almost looks more unlike Don than any other moment in mad men.
on the DVD commentary Jared Harris says that Joan smells Lane’s voided bowels when she tries to open the door, not that the body is decomposing, people void their bowels when they die
Interesting, isn’t it, that Don rushes to rescue Lane from hanging in his office because he didn’t want him to be disgraced in his death, but was not willing to do the same thing for Lane when faced with shame and desperation in life, which would prevented his death in the first place.
Don feels terribly guilty, but firing Lane was the right thing to do. He embezzled money from the firm. How was he going to be able to trust him again? What if he did it again? He had no idea Lane would kill himself and now he lives with the knowledge that if he gave Lane a second chance he would have been alive.
@@tartfuel maybe. But Don's fake identity and desertion puts the company at risk every day. Cooper knew about it and didn't fire him. Who knows what else Don was capable of? He put Pete Campbell in the villain role for losing the aviation contract to save himself, which could've put the company out of business with such a scandal. Of course he felt bad after Lane wasn't a risk to him anymore, like his brother. Others have said that Don expects others to be as cold as he is when things like this happen and just move on; maybe that's true. He throughout the show, became more of himself as he faced each downturn, but he was an ass in this scenario. They could've put financial controls in place that would have protected the company, like separation of duties (maybe they already had them and it wouldn't been caught elsewhere) to ensure it didn't happen again. In Don's defense, he's doing this unconsciously to survive because he had to in childhood and faced each situation along the way, which is all anyone can do.
Don's attitude is indeed, "you'll be surprised at how much this didn't happen or matter", and thinks everyone else can do it (ie, Peggy's baby). In an America of constant rebirth (think American Hustle), he's got it down pat. So when Lane does the opposite, Don's act to cut him down is not for Lane's benefit at all, but to assauge Don's guilt--his brother Adam hung himself and was left for days alone. and Don fired Lane for a simple reason--faking Don's name can attract attention to the fact that even Don is not Don Draper. Cooper let that go when Pete pointed it out...likely since Cooper couldn't get Don to sign a contract, but knew THIS was real leverage should he ever need it.
@@tartfuel It bothers me that so many people take that scene at face value. Don is a hypocrite, that is a core aspect of his character. The real reason Don let Lane go was that he didn't want it traced back to him, which might cause problems for his identity if an investigation were to begin. The hypocrisy of that scene was so evident-- Don was making such a big fuss about "forging my signature" when Don forges his own signature every single time he writes it. This is back in the day when all sorts of shady missteps could be easily covered up and forgiven with a gentleman's agreement to not do it again. This is why he feels so guilty and insists on cutting Lane down, because it's eating Don up.
I loved this whole series as it had particular meaning for me. My favorite aunt worked for a large ad agency in Toronto (Foster's) starting in the late '50's and in the late '80's I worked with her for 2 years. I have old photos of her at work and it's amazing how they get the set details so right. Also, the big agency that buys Sterling Cooper at the end...McCann...is a real agency that does do Coca-Cola and they are the same agency that bought out Foster's in 1989.
I worked closely with ad agencies in LA in the 80s and 90s and so many things resonate, not in just this episode, but the entire series. I tell my husband, who is 5 yrs my junior, that if we ever really want to understand the nitty-gritty of our parents' and grandparents' generations, to master watching and understanding this series.
I can't believe they actually showed the full body. One of the most powerful scenes in television history, especially when Campbell first puts his hand over his mouth.
Felt sorry that actor Jared Harris character ended with Mad Men in such a finale like this. But Jared went onto other ventures such as The Terror and Chernobyl. He is doing alright
Hamm's acting is so good at 4:00....Don is feeling so many things, relief that Lane's issue was not revealed, bigger relief that his role in this event was not exposed, and guilt on top of it all. I think he really liked Lane and genuinely hoped he would take his advice about starting over despite having to part ways.
I love the writers' choice to make it boilerplate resignation letter. It's reflecting back the cold, corporate treatment Don gave Lane asking him to resign and ignoring Lane's humanity and sacrifices he made for the success of the company, all of his sacrifices and labors directly contributing to Don's own success and power. Lane mistakenly thought the other partner's were his friends, especially Don. But Don/Dick dehumanized Lane in Lane's most vulnerable moment, ignoring his pleas and sacrifices, so Lane dutifully makes a final sacrifice that Don could not ignore. A sacrifice that Don, himself, Lane's corporate overlord, ordered him to do. Certainly, being asked to resign and "make a graceful exit" could be intercepted as suicide to the desperate and depressed mind. It's a good lesson: if you are in a position of power, the weight of your words and actions can have incredible influence on people's lives, so be mindful. The world is filled with shades of grey, not black and white, and sometimes doing what's right isn't always following the rules. Don let Lane go to punish him, but the guilt of Lane's suicide will punish Don for the rest of his life. Be good to people when there is room for it.
I felt so bad for Layne. He was being threatened with jail by Inland Revenue, Britain's version of the IRS for failure to pay back taxes and he saw embezzling money from SCP & Partners as his only way out. Unfortunately, he did not count on being found out and being fired, which automatically invalidated his VISA and ability to continue working in the US. He could not face the shame he had brought on himself and his family. A terrible loss.
Just saw this episode and I'm completely shocked... After his failed attempt i thought he was done with this and he would get a fresh new perspective.. damn it i really liked him especially after he destroyed campbell..
I remember reading somewhere that the actors were purposely kept unaware of the suicide storyline. They were directed to simply look over into Lanes office to see what was blocking the door. So the reactions we see from Vincent, Richard, Aron and Christina are their genuine reaction to what they saw. I don't know how true that is, but I do remember reading that. Great show.
It’s true. I was reading an article about Jared Harris talking about his character Lane, he said he didn’t tell anybody, not even his agent, other cast. This episode hurt me deeply :(
@@wyald8890 It's a creative choice. Some directors like to talk to the actor's about the story, rehearse and have everything absolutley planned, others may prefer to leave more room for spontaneous reactions by keeping the cast in the dark about what's goint to happen. A good actor should be able to be convincing when faking a reaction, sometimes a "true" reaction may look more convincing. Both things work.
I don't believe that one freaking bit. There are several camera setups and angles in that shot. So they are going to have that kind of shock in real life seeing what...the actor with blue makeup on hanging in a body harness? Was the actor going to just stand there while all those shots and reactions were made? How could they guarantee the reactions if the actors were not acting? Christina would start crying over seeing a fellow actor off camera? Next you are going to tell us that reality shows are real.
that’s baloney, the audio commentary with Jared Harris makes no mention of such a ridiculous thing, matthew weiner even talks about some of the other actors’ acting choices during this scene like how Christina Hendricks reacted to the horrible smell of Lane’s voided bowels. This is simply false drivel and nothing more
Gah.. this episode has me still shaken (watched this a week before it was pulled off Netflix) the character of Lane Pryce broke me.. a man who carries shame, fear and sadness. I felt so truly sorry for him/ I think a lot of us feel like him sometimes- it’s so sad it had to end this way- the resign meeting he had with don discussing what he had done, the wave of emotions of the steps of grief- the moment he sits in the jaguar car and breaking his glasses in half was such a dramatic move.. I loved Lane, Jared Harris was excellent ❤️
Lane's death crushed me. This was, and remains, the hardest part of the show for me to watch. I could never really identify many of the other characters like Don or Roger with people I knew in real life, even though they were so well written they definitely felt real. Lane, on the other hand, always reminded me of my own dad.
I've just watched this episode right now and I see your comment is the most recent. That part of this show was hard to watch, but I just don't think it was Don's fault. I feel very sorry for Lane, but in real life, if someone did the same thing to me as He did, I'd never trust that person anymore.
@@williamrodrigues8442 Fair enough. I wouldn't trust them either. I don't think anyone can really be blamed for someone's suicide. I will say that it was extremely hypocritical of Don to force Lane to resign though. Don literally deserted the army, stole someone's identity, and committed other crimes constantly. It baffles me how Don took such a hard line against Lane. I think he should have used the opportunity to gain himself an ally, the way he did with Pete.
My husband and I were great fans of Mad Men. My husband in particular felt strongly about the character of Lane. He died before this episode was aired. He too would have been devastated by Lane's death. It shows what excellent writing there is in Mad Men, like all the best series whether they be comedy or drama, what draws us in, is that we care what happens to these people.
@@leelahasan3988 Thank you. Mad Men has been the finest television series I have seen in 50 years. We used to talk about it so much, the ideas, the allegories, the symbolism, the use of colour, visual imagery - there was so much to enjoy. If you are a keen fan, it might amuse to look back at the very first episode where Sal and Don are discussing a cigarette campaign and Sal quite ironically mentions the idea that people live one life while secretly being a completely different person- that in effect is the premise of the whole series.
For some reason I'm drawn to Rogers reaction. There's depth there, an instinctive depth which harks back to his days in WW2. He's pulling from emotions back there and finds the resolve help don move the body. Its the scared, vulnerable Roger we rarely see.
Hello, I saw this comment last time I watched this clip and got very confused by the random LA Noire reference. I have since realised Cosgrove is Phelps and I feel I must return my brain as it is clearly defective.
I rarely cry watching tv but this scene had me in tears for a long time. Jared Harris' acting was brilliant all the way trough. He really captured the sweetness, humour and tragedy of this character.
When you rewatch the season knowing what happens it is so obvious because there are multiple mentions of suicide and at one point someone sketches a noose as they daydream
This is one of the most disturbing scenes in Mad Men in my honest opinion, for the second actual death scene in the show to be one of the more likable characters is simply gut-wrenching, not to mention the circumstances of it.
I remember watching this episode when it premiered. It was definitely disturbing and tragic. It’s probably the one scene that continues to come to mind when I think about this show…. Most people recall the pitches, but Lane’s story arc is the one that keeps resonating with me.
Death is actually very messy, but they did a pretty good job to make it look authentic. Depending on how long he was in there, I'm sure the stench would have permeated the entire office floor. That whole company would have to have been closed for a week in order for a professional crime scene cleaning crew to properly get all the fluids and smell out of the carpets and upholstery.
I think it’s clear he didn’t murder him based on the table blocking the door and in that era I don’t think they would have taken office bullying seriously as a contributing factor to suicide
For me, what makes Lane's death even sadder is that, instead of faking Don's signature and getting fired for it, he could just asked Don for help lending him the money: they shared great moments together in the movies, getting drunk, later with hookers, just getting bond, and more importantly, Lane saw Don paying 50k for Pete's partners obligations, and Pete didn't even asked for it neither knew about it, so clearly (for me at least) Don would be more than happy to help Lane, as we also see during the series that Don doesn't care much about money (like he gives his car away to some kid)... but Lane chose the way of honor, pride or whatever...
@@neuralmute well, General Grant survived the war, was elected President and died of throat cancer. The point is, the actor's character didn't die in the movie.
Don really was fucked up for all of this. Yes lane forged his signature but this entire show is these people mostly Don doing illegal degenerate things. It was dons idea to have lane fire them out to exploit a loop hole in their contracts and steal clients and create a new company. That was shady as he'll. Let's not forget that he stole another man's identity. But for some reason lane was out of line for this.
This popped up in my recommendations but this for me has brought back some terrible memories I myself had to cut down my best friend or as I like to call him my brother his last message to me was “hey I need your help can you come cut me down” as soon as I got that message I ran as fast as I could dropping my phone on the way luckily my dad saw my phone picked it up and saw the message and drove me to my brothers place where I cut him down I was told that if I was there just a few minutes faster I could have saved my brother Edit: Before anyone asks I’m alright I finally moved on after a long time so no need to say “sorry for your loss.” or anything just liking my comment is fine
@@jsrlord2625 he respectfully fired a guy that forged checks in his name??? lane was clearly a deeply depressed man, suicide doesn’t happen because of one thing
For those suggesting Don keeps silent to protect Lane's legacy rather than shame, you're wrong. Sterling and Cooper tolerated a lot in the interest of the company, including the whole theft of identity by Don. Despite being allowed to steal a whole life of a veteran to escape war, Don never reciprocated that understanding, and he knows now he was too righteous with Lane, especially considering the allowences he was given.
I will never forget this scene. I was just completely on shook. Never expected that Lane would end up like that.
If you've watched Chernobyl before Mad Men, you can see it coming
Yeah it seems like it would have made more sense for him to kill Don instead of himself that weekend
Daniel Treadwell 😂
He didn't in chernobyl also. He's always hanging around
Sadly the only honorable option he could take given his upbringing, relationship with his father and old British code of ethics. Death was better than dishonour by the old rules. A real tragedy.
I think truly this was Pete Campbell‘s most honest human moment in the entire series.
Unique perspective as I haven't seen the whole series, only the first two seasons and this (this plot line had already been spoiled before I started watching), and yeah, Pete reacts with more sadness and perspective here then he does do the death of his own father. Striking how compassionate this one scene makes him look compared to the rest, and it's not done in a way that's out of place with the character.
I wouldn’t agree, the other men react like that presumably because of their time at war
@@TheArranBicKman that kind of just strengthens my point, war dehumanizes you, therefore Pete has more emotion because he hasn’t been to war and seen all of that death.
@@gregoryborton6598 it's even funnier when not long ago, Lane and Pete fought
I think this affects Pete perhaps more than anything and it's after this event he begins to change
I love how Joan maneuvered that discovery of lane's body. I think she suspected pretty quick but didn't want to be proven right and have a public reaction or lose her composure first.
True, she opens the door and sees the stool turned over...and she is pretty sure the results. But she'll let the men make the horrible discovery
And she looked up and saw the rope through the glass above the door, so she knew deep down what happened.
The first stage of grief is denial. Joan is shrewd. She can dissect any situation with razor sharp precision, which is why we love her. However, I don’t think she was trying to maintain her composure here for propriety’s sake.
Upon first opening that door and seeing the turned chair, she has put together what’s happened immediately, but simply doesn’t want to believe it. She defers that responsibility onto the men in the adjacent office because she’s in denial. She knows what terrible thing has occurred, but is prolonging her transition into the next stage of grief: Pain and Guilt. She’s delaying the incoming trauma. Which she immediately slips into when they peer over and inform her that her suspicions are correct, and Joan subsequently breaks down.
Christina Hendricks played this perfectly.
@@blairfoley2675 she did play this perfectly, and you have a valid point.
@@blairfoley2675 The thing is too, she is a secretary and a woman in an age when neither was considered a "senior" station. Deferring the judgement to a man in an office isn't an unusual mindset--many would do it even today.
Whenever someone died tragically in this show it was always creepily realistic
Except for Ms. Blankenship. Her death was mined for comedy gold. LOL...
@@Luboman411😂😂😂 I remember her
@@Luboman411 still was an astronaut tho
@@Luboman411 Her final parting scene was pretty deep though "She's an astronaut" -Bert
Kenny the only gentleman in mad men (though he grew into one as he wasn't at first). He comforts Joan whilst the others just stand there shocked. He knew she had a daughter like relationship with him. He evolved from mid 20s idiot looking up a girls skirt in season 1 to a smart and caring man in his 30s
True
Cooper was also a true gentleman
Kenny was always a fav of mine
Yeah, I'm so sad he lost an eye for that agency :(
He deserved a lot more.
@TMPanos96 It could be that traditional gender roles always aren't good or bad, they just exist as products of their place and time, as these characters do. Joan needed comfort because she was close to Lane and Ken provided it.
Between having his own brother die the same way, and seeing soldiers getting killed around him back in Korea, it's very telling how Don reacted to Lane's death. Bothered even more by the guilt of driving Lane towards suicide, the mix of emotions Don must have went through to keep that a secret while processing his own dark past. Damn, the combination of great writing, acting, and cinematography makes for stellar entertainment. The likes of Mad Men are such that even those of that generation find it difficult to watch. Sometimes, truth IS stranger than fiction...🇵🇷🇺🇸😎
Yeah sometimes truth is stranger than fiction but Don and the others are fictitious characters there are sales and advertising people and suicides but not quite like that.
Don's main connection with Lane's death is his half-brother's death. Don drove both of them towards suicide, making this extra hard for Don.
Ok but this IS fiction, DUⓂ️🅱️🅰️💲💲
@@gezenews when Don is having dinner with Peggy she ask 'did you ever shoot anyone?' and he said 'no, but I some some men die' so I'm assuming there were more
I wonder if Don's embrace of Lane's body here prefigured his embrace of the crying man in the final season.
This show had real ups and downs, but this was one of the most impactful episodes they ever did.
Yes, it was heartbreaking (
What were the downs? The whole show was brilliant
@@spinblackcircles I dunno...for me once they started going out to California the show took a nosedive.
@@spinblackcircles Lengthy segments from season 3 onwards is just repeats and repeats, they work because they built very strong characters in the first seasons but it's still filler. but that's the nature of the beast. Tv series gotta squeeze that script till the show keeps going. In terms of pure plot this show is likely only a 4-season series.
@@douggraham5082 The last two seasons were really a letdown
Something that didn’t truly sink in until a rewatch was that Lane was the second guy who hung himself after Don turned his back on him.
who was the other, his real younger brother?
@@TheTTWTYessir
Exactly. And here, Don sits down immediately upon hearing the news knowing he had a hand in Lane's demise.
Don didn’t turn his back on Lane.
@@austinyoung3315 didn’t he? Without getting into if it would’ve been right or wrong to do so, it seemed to me like Don could’ve easily brushed the whole incident under the rug and other than himself and Lane, nobody would’ve been the wiser. But instead, he cut Lane out of the company completely, effectively turning his back on him. Even if Don didn’t see it that way Lane certainly did.
The sound design when they discover the body is fucking incredible. It just dissolves into this messy, raw soundtrack of men cutting down a suicide. Don and Roger are both vets who have clearly seen a lot of death, and the near-clinical approach to the act of giving Lane some basic human dignity before the coroner arrives is on track for men of war
The sound design in this show was always next level. Every scene, every setting has a plethora of details that puts you right in the world with the characters, but hardly anyone really notices. It's one of the many incredible things that the team did with this show that set it apart from the normal tv drama schlock of time.
💯
Don isn't interested in "human dignity," he just wants to get into the room before anyone else finds the note--and anything incriminating it may say about him.
And Roger, well, Roger was just fine leaving Lane where he was--he tries to stop Don from going in and only helps after it's clear nobody is listening to him.
"Men of war" indeed.
Don’t forget that Don’s brother hanged himself too and started thinking about him after this incident
@SanctusPaulus-ic5gl: Most people assume that there will always be a suicide note (even though in reality this is not the case).
Don covered up Lane's embezzlement, something Lane could have brought up in such a note if he left one.
This anxiety in Don is made VERY obvious in the scene where Roger discovers Lane's resignation; they all assume it's a suicide note, and we get one definite shot of Don's fear as Roger reads it. It's all there on the screen.
Rumor has it that after the scene was filmed, a stage hand named Bob asked Layne how he was doing, to which Layne replied, “not great, Bob!”
Nice
This show makes me realize just how much unpacked trauma the silent generation has/had.
Absolutely... both my parents are baby boomers and its so true, they don't really believe in talking ab their inner pain that much. Even more so, my dad would say, "what good is it?" awwww. My grandparents both southern and depression era kids barely talked period.
Maybe we need to stop talking so much about our feelings
@@johnpaul4435because its clearly been so healthy for them.....
@@johnpaul4435 Feelings are a part of the human experience. To stuff them down and ignore them is to miss the whole point.
@josephtownsend7481 I think they were healthier mentally we got transexual children now.
0:37 Pete's reaction- this entire scene was great acting. Though heartbreaking to watch. The first time I saw this, I was SHOCKED they actually showed his body.
Pete's Reaction was one of the most interesting parts. Even though Pete is kind of a terrible person and deeply hostile with Lane (even getting bloodied by him in a fistfight) he still has a pretty strong reaction to seeing his death. I guess it shows that even though Pete can do some very evil things he's not soulless just deeply damaged. I don't like Pete and I deeply enjoyed watching Lane beat him up, but I can also appreciate the level of nuance in Mad Men's characters.
@@simle6010 I think as well, Pete did not serve in war but Sterling and Don did, so they have seen even worse up close.
@@simle6010 He kind of changed throughout the series. He became more loyal to Don, he got involved in the civil rights stuff, maybe less selfish.
The final shot of Don's face is so powerful - - he wants to explain Lane's fraud but decides not to. Others have commented that this is out of shame, and maybe so, but more so I think Don stays quiet so as not to tarnish Lane's legacy. Don's decision to privately ask for Lane's resignation was strong, but not unfair.
I think, too, he's recalling how he heard his brother Adam died, also by suicide by hanging.
What about the money?
I'm sure he doesn't want to be blamed for Lane's death and that's why he doesn't explain it. It's in his best interest to say nothing now.
Either he didn't tell his partners about fraud and he's at fault. Or he just drove a fellow partner to suicide. It's lose lose for the machiavellian Don so he stays quiet.
Lane should've swallowed his pride and asked Don for some money to get by rather than embezzling and counting on Don's leniency. 😢
Unfair? No. Hypocritical? Yes.
DON: “We can’t leave him like that”
PETE: “Dear lord...”
ROGER: “Come on I’m taking you home”
JOAN: “No I want to stay”
BERT: “Lane hung himself....”
KEN: *first instinct is to comfort Joan
This scene perfectly sums up the characters of this show and their first instincts in crisis situations. Don takes action to preserve Lane’s image and pride as a man (even in death), Pete lets shock take over so others take action for him, Roger’s first concern is Joan, Bert lets others take action due to his fatigue in his age, Joan’s first instinct is grief and Ken’s first concern is comforting those around him who need it
I think for Don it was more about it bringing up emotions from his younger brother hanging himself, and how he feels guilty about his death.
Actually, Bert take the wheel sending the staff home and hiding them the truth.
Bert is succinct and to the point. No wasted words. Very on-character for him.
I disagree on Don. Don always needs to be in control. This can benefit others, yes, but even before Roger and Don know about what happened, we are given an example:
Pete says: "You might wanna sit down." And Don's answer is: "What happened?"
And after he knows, he sits down.
He needs to be one step ahead of things. And that is both his strength and his weakness, because this urge is also driven by the fear that one of his many secrets might be uncovered.
@@blaustein_autor I disagree on Don. He realise he was too harsh on someone, causing horrible consequences, so he has to erase his guilt by playing the hero. A total hypocrite.
Don tries to act noble by demanding that Lane’s body be taken down, but you see that he is terrified of his role in Lane’s suicide being found out: if Lane has written a tell-all suicide note, then Don was going to be forced to explain everything. That’s a theme throughout the show, how Don was constantly looking over his shoulder, scared to death of being found out, whether it was his assumed name or his adultery. The man kept so many secrets that he could hardly keep track of them all.
But in this case the thing he did 'wrong' was giving Lane a chance of a graceful exit. Partners would be right to be mad at him for not informing him but won't blame him for the death.
@phucker tan I think Don thought it was disrespectful to let him hang that way. He is certainly flawed, but he liked Lane and was legitimately sad, not just out of guilt.
There's really nothing for Don to be scared of. He did the right thing from a business ethics standpoint forcing Lane to resign. His reaction is likely more due to guilt over his role in Lane's decision to take his own life.
Wow, that’s a bad take on it. Campbell found out about Draper’s past and told Bertram Cooper early in the show. I think Draper genuinely felt guilty (as he should) and not wanting to see the body of a friend in that position.
@@user-tq3rr8vy2w Yep, hypocrisy is nearly every human's middle name. We all talk nobility but when it comes down to it, when the noose is hanging in front of us (mostly metaphorically), most find a way to slip out. Try to find a boss and coworkers that don't shy away from political obstacles/challenges. There aren't too many that are honest when it comes at a personal cost. That's why friends, family, and colleagues that stick with you despite hardships and failures are truly priceless.
I met Jared Harris a few years ago and specifically brought my season 5 bluray for him to sign. A total gentleman.
He is Richard Harris' ("Camelot") son.
Did his handwriting also imply he was a sociopathic maths professor? lol
It really hit me that Roger has seen the most death in war, Don the second, and Pete never, but they're all gathered around a fallen comrade. One of the many layered moments that showed MadMen was about more than an office.
Yeah, Roger fought at Iwo Jima.
Lane was depressed. Not because of Don asking him to resign but because of his lack of authority over his life. His previous company would just bounce him around wherever they needed him, his wife decided to leave him when he was just settling down, then he fell in love with a waitress. But again his father came, beat the shit out of him and made him get back to his wife. Towards the end during his crisis he thought he has enough power to take up money from the company and answer to no one. But that didn't happen and he had to forge Dons signature. When he got caught he realised he doesn't have any authority in the his office as well. Later that day.... His clueless wife buying him a jaguar they clearly can't afford... Again 'without' his permission just led him towards suicide. Tragic. But not Don's fault.
He sure showed some authority over Pete with those fists
I agree. But Don didn't need to fire him. And shouldn't have.
Lane's problem was one of honesty. He could not be honest with his wife, his father, and possibly himself.
You're right about everything. Even about Don. It's just the hypocrisy Don shows is horrible. Even Don is committing fraud whenever he signs checks
@@mikehawk4865 The fact he had to use violence proves to me that he didn't have authority like OP said
At 0:17 when Joan looks up and notices the wire she puts two and two together. That’s why she rushes in Pete’s office and slams the door shut.
I mean she also....smelled him
But she still doesn’t accept the reality of the wire, the overturned table, or the smell until she has to, when the guys look inside the office. Joan, who is normally so unflinchingly pragmatic and clearheaded. That’s why it’s good writing and acting.
@@SjofnBM1989 and that's realistic, too. The bowels would have emptied by then. What's odd is the gang joking next door didn't pick up on it--those offices really seal tight. But once the door opens, they all react to the scent. Don and Roger just have been in battle before, so they aren't caught off guard by it as much as say, Pete would be.
I think it was that smell and the doorway being barricaded.
@@julieerin115 ...and those buts of graphite all over the floor.
He first tries to kill himself with carbon monoxide asphyxiation inside his brand new Jaguar in the parking garage, but the writers instilled a little bit more humor in the situation by having the Jaguar, infamous for unreliability then and now, not able to start. This is why he resorted to hanging.
Also gives a bit of false hope. I thought it would be one of those scenarios where he had a failed attempt and decides to live on afterwards after coming close to death with a renewed perspective, as is a common trope in TV. I’m sure it didn’t surprise most people but it still had impact to me when they found him just because they subverted expectations in the first place
As most mechanics know, Lucas Electric, was the prince of darkness! When Ford bought Jaguar, they sacked lucas and brought in Bosch.... that save Jaguar.
poor Joan. she knew right away
Unfortunately death has a very specific smell...
Jesus Christ, the amount of detail in this show. You can see the wire that he hung himself with at the top of the door at 0:10. This show is phenomenal.
And again at 0:24. Fuck.
And Joan's eyes noticing it and understanding right away.
yes but don't blaspheme
"Wow they actually built a set for the office! This show is phenomenal!"
@@olzhas1one755notice how not a single person liked the comment in a whole year.
Oh how noble and caring of you to cut him down, Don.
for sure, Don does it for his own reasons. Like his brother Adam hanging himself and being left alone.
"It's a resignation letter. It's boilerplate."
This kills me.
What is boilerplate?
@@MiladyToxic it's standardized, not personal or customized in anyway. It's like when you open a letter in Microsoft Office and it's very generalized.
@@sionan7937 thank you:)
Why does it make a difference for it to be boilerplate? In this particular context I mean
@@JohnSmith47534 Maybe because they fired Lane he didn't see the need in writing a personalized letter to his partners who he ultimately though were his friends.
When one realizes that terminating a career, for some recipients, is the same as terminating a life. When your name is gone and your work unwanted, there's very little left.
That's how I feel about my old job.
That’s a sad way to live, people only finding their identities within their careers.
Yeah. There is something very seriously wrong with people who wrap themselves up so tightly in a career or a job. Jobs end. Careers end. I mercifully killed off a well-paying career almost 6 years ago. Sh*t happens. But that doesn't mean your life should. Life is too beautiful and wonderful to have it end because something stoopid like a job ended. Don gave Lane an out--go get another job. Honestly, with his British background and accent, he would've found one quickly in the NYC ad world. People in NYC love having Brits around to provide some class in their companies...
That's right, why did the business did this to us, by propagating this and other toxic behaviors I"ll never know, cause witholding a worker is easy; Just dangle the carrot and most people with responsabilities will chase without much thought, but creating this notion that, without job you Don't provide anything to your friends, your loved ones, that you're worthless? That's callous and borderline nihilistic.
No. Family always comes first. Especially in hard times. At least in my family
Something about Don’s face when he says “he’s still in there?” Is so raw to me. His expression is unexplainable but, spot on, and it almost doesn’t even really look like him. He almost looks more unlike Don than any other moment in mad men.
Maybe it was war veteran Don speaking?
@@JackJanuaryno it was Dick Whitman thinking about his brother.
You never know what people go through until it's too late to realize what they go through.
The way they showed Lane's body is so disturbing for me
He kind of looks like a pinata hanging there.
I had to make sure the actor was aright. Jared Harris played Lane very well❤️ It was soo realistic
I can tell you that’s what people look like when they’ve hung themselves... 😕
i was NOT expecting that
@GodEmperor Bigfoot CHRIST😭
This show is fucking perfection. The cuts, the reactions, the precision.
on the DVD commentary Jared Harris says that Joan smells Lane’s voided bowels when she tries to open the door, not that the body is decomposing, people void their bowels when they die
Interesting, isn’t it, that Don rushes to rescue Lane from hanging in his office because he didn’t want him to be disgraced in his death, but was not willing to do the same thing for Lane when faced with shame and desperation in life, which would prevented his death in the first place.
Don feels terribly guilty, but firing Lane was the right thing to do. He embezzled money from the firm. How was he going to be able to trust him again? What if he did it again? He had no idea Lane would kill himself and now he lives with the knowledge that if he gave Lane a second chance he would have been alive.
@@tartfuel maybe. But Don's fake identity and desertion puts the company at risk every day. Cooper knew about it and didn't fire him. Who knows what else Don was capable of? He put Pete Campbell in the villain role for losing the aviation contract to save himself, which could've put the company out of business with such a scandal. Of course he felt bad after Lane wasn't a risk to him anymore, like his brother. Others have said that Don expects others to be as cold as he is when things like this happen and just move on; maybe that's true. He throughout the show, became more of himself as he faced each downturn, but he was an ass in this scenario. They could've put financial controls in place that would have protected the company, like separation of duties (maybe they already had them and it wouldn't been caught elsewhere) to ensure it didn't happen again. In Don's defense, he's doing this unconsciously to survive because he had to in childhood and faced each situation along the way, which is all anyone can do.
Don's attitude is indeed, "you'll be surprised at how much this didn't happen or matter", and thinks everyone else can do it (ie, Peggy's baby). In an America of constant rebirth (think American Hustle), he's got it down pat. So when Lane does the opposite, Don's act to cut him down is not for Lane's benefit at all, but to assauge Don's guilt--his brother Adam hung himself and was left for days alone. and Don fired Lane for a simple reason--faking Don's name can attract attention to the fact that even Don is not Don Draper.
Cooper let that go when Pete pointed it out...likely since Cooper couldn't get Don to sign a contract, but knew THIS was real leverage should he ever need it.
But he offered him an honorable way out, without involving the justice system or anyone else.
@@tartfuel It bothers me that so many people take that scene at face value. Don is a hypocrite, that is a core aspect of his character. The real reason Don let Lane go was that he didn't want it traced back to him, which might cause problems for his identity if an investigation were to begin. The hypocrisy of that scene was so evident-- Don was making such a big fuss about "forging my signature" when Don forges his own signature every single time he writes it. This is back in the day when all sorts of shady missteps could be easily covered up and forgiven with a gentleman's agreement to not do it again. This is why he feels so guilty and insists on cutting Lane down, because it's eating Don up.
I loved this whole series as it had particular meaning for me. My favorite aunt worked for a large ad agency in Toronto (Foster's) starting in the late '50's and in the late '80's I worked with her for 2 years. I have old photos of her at work and it's amazing how they get the set details so right. Also, the big agency that buys Sterling Cooper at the end...McCann...is a real agency that does do Coca-Cola and they are the same agency that bought out Foster's in 1989.
I worked closely with ad agencies in LA in the 80s and 90s and so many things resonate, not in just this episode, but the entire series. I tell my husband, who is 5 yrs my junior, that if we ever really want to understand the nitty-gritty of our parents' and grandparents' generations, to master watching and understanding this series.
I can't believe they actually showed the full body. One of the most powerful scenes in television history, especially when Campbell first puts his hand over his mouth.
Felt sorry that actor Jared Harris character ended with Mad Men in such a finale like this.
But Jared went onto other ventures such as The Terror and Chernobyl.
He is doing alright
And 'The Crown' as well...
He’s one of my favorite actors
His father would be so proud of him. So much so that I believe he would have been okay with Jared being more talented.
Was great on Chernobyl.
His 'Chernobyl' character ends up the same way.
One of the saddest scenes in the whole show. Lane was one of the best characters.
I love how much everyone in this comment section hates Don
it's like they REALLY hate and blame him
Well, he's not a likeable person.
@@theshadowfax239 I like him.
He’s not a good person. Though he is a great character
@@justdrewit2498 he has his good moments but overall he is not great no
Hamm's acting is so good at 4:00....Don is feeling so many things, relief that Lane's issue was not revealed, bigger relief that his role in this event was not exposed, and guilt on top of it all. I think he really liked Lane and genuinely hoped he would take his advice about starting over despite having to part ways.
The pain and shame was just too much for Lane. For him, there was no other way out. How sad.
Better than dying of nuclear radiation.
@@shoaibahmed588 Yeah, his statement doesn't contradict that fact.
@@shoaibahmed588 what's this reference from?
Hah, poor Jared, he deserves more)
Funny how he died the same way
Or cut in half trying to cross universes.
Even tho they kill off his character, Jared Harris directed an episode in season 7
I love the writers' choice to make it boilerplate resignation letter. It's reflecting back the cold, corporate treatment Don gave Lane asking him to resign and ignoring Lane's humanity and sacrifices he made for the success of the company, all of his sacrifices and labors directly contributing to Don's own success and power. Lane mistakenly thought the other partner's were his friends, especially Don. But Don/Dick dehumanized Lane in Lane's most vulnerable moment, ignoring his pleas and sacrifices, so Lane dutifully makes a final sacrifice that Don could not ignore. A sacrifice that Don, himself, Lane's corporate overlord, ordered him to do. Certainly, being asked to resign and "make a graceful exit" could be intercepted as suicide to the desperate and depressed mind. It's a good lesson: if you are in a position of power, the weight of your words and actions can have incredible influence on people's lives, so be mindful. The world is filled with shades of grey, not black and white, and sometimes doing what's right isn't always following the rules. Don let Lane go to punish him, but the guilt of Lane's suicide will punish Don for the rest of his life. Be good to people when there is room for it.
I felt so bad for Layne. He was being threatened with jail by Inland Revenue, Britain's version of the IRS for failure to pay back taxes and he saw embezzling money from SCP & Partners as his only way out. Unfortunately, he did not count on being found out and being fired, which automatically invalidated his VISA and ability to continue working in the US. He could not face the shame he had brought on himself and his family. A terrible loss.
And the money he embezzled only covered the back taxes, not the interest (“commissions and fees”) that had accrued. He still wasn’t in the clear.
Just saw this episode and I'm completely shocked... After his failed attempt i thought he was done with this and he would get a fresh new perspective.. damn it i really liked him especially after he destroyed campbell..
I remember reading somewhere that the actors were purposely kept unaware of the suicide storyline. They were directed to simply look over into Lanes office to see what was blocking the door. So the reactions we see from Vincent, Richard, Aron and Christina are their genuine reaction to what they saw. I don't know how true that is, but I do remember reading that. Great show.
It’s true. I was reading an article about Jared Harris talking about his character Lane, he said he didn’t tell anybody, not even his agent, other cast. This episode hurt me deeply :(
@@wyald8890 It's a creative choice. Some directors like to talk to the actor's about the story, rehearse and have everything absolutley planned, others may prefer to leave more room for spontaneous reactions by keeping the cast in the dark about what's goint to happen. A good actor should be able to be convincing when faking a reaction, sometimes a "true" reaction may look more convincing. Both things work.
I don't believe that one freaking bit. There are several camera setups and angles in that shot. So they are going to have that kind of shock in real life seeing what...the actor with blue makeup on hanging in a body harness? Was the actor going to just stand there while all those shots and reactions were made? How could they guarantee the reactions if the actors were not acting? Christina would start crying over seeing a fellow actor off camera? Next you are going to tell us that reality shows are real.
@@ToyKingWonder That's a mannequin, not the actual actor lol
that’s baloney, the audio commentary with Jared Harris makes no mention of such a ridiculous thing, matthew weiner even talks about some of the other actors’ acting choices during this scene like how Christina Hendricks reacted to the horrible smell of Lane’s voided bowels. This is simply false drivel and nothing more
Gah.. this episode has me still shaken (watched this a week before it was pulled off Netflix) the character of Lane Pryce broke me.. a man who carries shame, fear and sadness. I felt so truly sorry for him/ I think a lot of us feel like him sometimes- it’s so sad it had to end this way- the resign meeting he had with don discussing what he had done, the wave of emotions of the steps of grief- the moment he sits in the jaguar car and breaking his glasses in half was such a dramatic move.. I loved Lane, Jared Harris was excellent ❤️
@justin abraham sadly I think the show contact has expired or something
That actor went on to perform in a spectacular role as Captain Crozier in AMC's The Terror ... definitely worthy of an Emmy!
He takes after his father, the great Richard Harris.
He also played Valery Legasov in Chernobyl
He picks really good projects generally. Either that or he’s simply just in everything. He’s always good though.
See if you can find his bit part in Natural Born Killers. It's about as far away from Lane as you can get.
And he played King George VI, the father of Queen Elizabeth II, in The Crown.
One of the most, if not the most shocking moment in the whole series.
Such a sad scene… This is one of the best shows ever made.
I would argue THE best show ever made.
This was the best season of Mad Men and honestly and incredibly cruel and heartbreaking moment. It's crushing every time you watch this. So very sad
They surprised Hamm, Slattery, and Kartheiser with the realistic makeup you get a realistic reaction to such a grisley scene.
Lane's death crushed me. This was, and remains, the hardest part of the show for me to watch. I could never really identify many of the other characters like Don or Roger with people I knew in real life, even though they were so well written they definitely felt real. Lane, on the other hand, always reminded me of my own dad.
I've just watched this episode right now and I see your comment is the most recent. That part of this show was hard to watch, but I just don't think it was Don's fault. I feel very sorry for Lane, but in real life, if someone did the same thing to me as He did, I'd never trust that person anymore.
@@williamrodrigues8442 Fair enough. I wouldn't trust them either. I don't think anyone can really be blamed for someone's suicide. I will say that it was extremely hypocritical of Don to force Lane to resign though. Don literally deserted the army, stole someone's identity, and committed other crimes constantly. It baffles me how Don took such a hard line against Lane. I think he should have used the opportunity to gain himself an ally, the way he did with Pete.
My husband and I were great fans of Mad Men. My husband in particular felt strongly about the character of Lane. He died before this episode was aired. He too would have been devastated by Lane's death. It shows what excellent writing there is in Mad Men, like all the best series whether they be comedy or drama, what draws us in, is that we care what happens to these people.
@@AGMundy I couldn't agree more. Sorry to hear about your loss though.
@@leelahasan3988 Thank you. Mad Men has been the finest television series I have seen in 50 years. We used to talk about it so much, the ideas, the allegories, the symbolism, the use of colour, visual imagery - there was so much to enjoy. If you are a keen fan, it might amuse to look back at the very first episode where Sal and Don are discussing a cigarette campaign and Sal quite ironically mentions the idea that people live one life while secretly being a completely different person- that in effect is the premise of the whole series.
“What is the cost of lies?”
"ONGOING."
I miss this show. It was such a great experience.
For some reason I'm drawn to Rogers reaction. There's depth there, an instinctive depth which harks back to his days in WW2. He's pulling from emotions back there and finds the resolve help don move the body. Its the scared, vulnerable Roger we rarely see.
I had to look up the word “boilerplate” after this scene.
I keep saying that Mad Men is the best TV show ever written and every day I find justification why.
This looks like a job for...
COLE PHELPS BADGE 1247!!
:D You make me laugh in this sad scene lol
:D
"How can I help you, detective?"
Get me r and i
Hello, I saw this comment last time I watched this clip and got very confused by the random LA Noire reference. I have since realised Cosgrove is Phelps and I feel I must return my brain as it is clearly defective.
love how bert sort of wraps his arm around Joan as if to protect her from further harm or inapropriate comments by Don and Roger
Lane's all right, he's just hanging around somewhere.
Poor Lane, the saddest bastard ever to be on tv.
Cause of death: Don Draper
Pretty much Lane's fault for forging that cheque
Vinneish Varmend I mean he did steal what was a considerable amount of money at the time.
@@QixTheDS I know, I did say it was his fault
Vinneish Varmend meant to reply to him. Didn’t notice I clicked your name. I’m what you call “an intellectual.”
@@QixTheDS haha, we fuck up all the time, it's cool. Lane's death fucked me up real bad btw, took me a while to watch the next eps
The look on Rogers face when he sees Lane dead... Roger saw navy buddies die in WWII and now a business partner on Madison Ave.
Don's reaction is how I feel many who know suicide victims feel. The guilt of "If I was just a little nicer, they would still be here"
This episode broke my heart :-(
I rarely cry watching tv but this scene had me in tears for a long time. Jared Harris' acting was brilliant all the way trough. He really captured the sweetness, humour and tragedy of this character.
This broke my heart 💔💔
Very in character for Ken to be the only one who even thought to comfort Joan.
One of the saddest scenes I've ever watched. Up there with Ade from The Sopranos and D from The Wire.
When you rewatch the season knowing what happens it is so obvious because there are multiple mentions of suicide and at one point someone sketches a noose as they daydream
It's Draper who draws the doodle.
This is one of the most disturbing scenes in Mad Men in my honest opinion, for the second actual death scene in the show to be one of the more likable characters is simply gut-wrenching, not to mention the circumstances of it.
I remember watching this episode when it premiered. It was definitely disturbing and tragic. It’s probably the one scene that continues to come to mind when I think about this show…. Most people recall the pitches, but Lane’s story arc is the one that keeps resonating with me.
best depiction of suicide in film I've ever seen, decomposition + changing color with stiffness!!!
u good?
Death is actually very messy, but they did a pretty good job to make it look authentic. Depending on how long he was in there, I'm sure the stench would have permeated the entire office floor. That whole company would have to have been closed for a week in order for a professional crime scene cleaning crew to properly get all the fluids and smell out of the carpets and upholstery.
You need to see more movies then
>>decomposition
@@jospenner9503 >>Depending on how long he was in there, I'm sure the stench would have permeated the entire office floor.
1:32 "I saw his soul leave his body."
Absolutely heartbreaking.
I’m actually kinda shocked they didn’t do a “people suspect Don killed Lane” arc after this.
I think it’s clear he didn’t murder him based on the table blocking the door and in that era I don’t think they would have taken office bullying seriously as a contributing factor to suicide
For me, what makes Lane's death even sadder is that, instead of faking Don's signature and getting fired for it, he could just asked Don for help lending him the money: they shared great moments together in the movies, getting drunk, later with hookers, just getting bond, and more importantly, Lane saw Don paying 50k for Pete's partners obligations, and Pete didn't even asked for it neither knew about it, so clearly (for me at least) Don would be more than happy to help Lane, as we also see during the series that Don doesn't care much about money (like he gives his car away to some kid)... but Lane chose the way of honor, pride or whatever...
Lane was one of my favorite characters. I always hoped him and Joan would end up together.
Don of course sees echoes of his brother Adam; both men were asking for some help and Don rejected them.
One he gave $5000 to without asking, the other denied $5000
Ugh I love ken in this scene he is comforting Joan ❤️
Season 1 Pete would have been to scared to help. He matured a lot during the series
God that was dark.
Man the sickening flip my stomach made when Joan couldn't get into his office. Mad Men was just a master at keeping you on such a razors edge.
He went out like a true gentleman.
Here! Here!
Nothing gentlemanly about it.
I remember watching this, and being completely floored.
I was shocked as well
Christina Hendricks is superb in this scene.
Im gonna miss this Ol British Bird !! Loved his humour.. and style. One of my Favorite characters .
Wonder if there’s any movie where this actors character doesn’t die
The Terror
@@HHindsight Yup, and even then, he's just barely the lone survivor, cut off from his old life forever. I'd love to see him NOT be another Sean Bean!
Lincoln. He played General Grant.
@@stevecole8047 I haven't seen that one, and I'm not American, so I don't know the history here. How did things turn out for General Grant?
@@neuralmute well, General Grant survived the war, was elected President and died of throat cancer. The point is, the actor's character didn't die in the movie.
And that ladies and gentleman, is how an RBMK reactor core explodes.
lmao
Don really was fucked up for all of this. Yes lane forged his signature but this entire show is these people mostly Don doing illegal degenerate things. It was dons idea to have lane fire them out to exploit a loop hole in their contracts and steal clients and create a new company. That was shady as he'll. Let's not forget that he stole another man's identity. But for some reason lane was out of line for this.
love how they positioned lane the lowest in the frame as they're looking to him even when he's physically above everyone else
Petes hairline receded rapidly lol
I like how Pete immediately checks when Joan says something is wrong. He knows if Joan is upset, something is definitely wrong
1:08 As sad as this scene was, the way that Don took off his hat made me laugh XD
I agree. The details were brilliant!
Academy awards for anyone who can stay focused and in-character when in a scene with Joan
Don sure is the kind of guy that people like to hang with... he didn't know Lane from Adam.
I felt like Don and Roger’s time in the military were the reasons for their actions. Such a moving scene.
Ken, Lane and Joan were always my favourite characters.
This popped up in my recommendations but this for me has brought back some terrible memories I myself had to cut down my best friend or as I like to call him my brother his last message to me was “hey I need your help can you come cut me down” as soon as I got that message I ran as fast as I could dropping my phone on the way luckily my dad saw my phone picked it up and saw the message and drove me to my brothers place where I cut him down I was told that if I was there just a few minutes faster I could have saved my brother
Edit: Before anyone asks I’m alright I finally moved on after a long time so no need to say “sorry for your loss.” or anything just liking my comment is fine
Lost my uncle in a similar way, be well friend!
In all honesty Don really has no fault in this scene. People just seem to have a hard time separating what don did in his personal life with his work.
He does though? Even he knows it, the guilt eats him up. Like Don hasn't done morally questionable stuff before lol...
@@jsrlord2625 he respectfully fired a guy that forged checks in his name??? lane was clearly a deeply depressed man, suicide doesn’t happen because of one thing
Pictures are hung, People are hanged
The number of lives Don destroyed..... He deserved all the pain he got.
For those suggesting Don keeps silent to protect Lane's legacy rather than shame, you're wrong.
Sterling and Cooper tolerated a lot in the interest of the company, including the whole theft of identity by Don. Despite being allowed to steal a whole life of a veteran to escape war, Don never reciprocated that understanding, and he knows now he was too righteous with Lane, especially considering the allowences he was given.