MovieChat Forums > Mad Men (2007) Discussion > Why does Don soften as the series progre...

Why does Don soften as the series progresses? (Spoilers)

posted 8 years ago by mizkex
2 replies | jump to latest

Don started off as this big bad ass stoic baller type that douchey, libertarian, Fight Club fan boys seem to worship like a god. Don is openly antagonistic, outright insulting his fellow employees and acquaintances, his philandering and unscrupulous business sense in the first two seasons (especially start of season 1) but by he seems to become so mopey, sulky and actually somewhat more considerate as he advances at the ever-shifting chimera that is Sterling-Cooper-Whatever-Whatever.

I feel like maybe this change in personality kicks in when his brother commits suicide, resulting in his marriage to Betty collapsing as his real identity is revealed.

For whatever reasons it happens though it just seems so unrealistic and also like lazy characterization on the part of the writers.
Don is a completely different character from the pilot to even how he is in season 4, it almost seems like he makes a return once, when he leave's Joey's poster in the taxi cab (can't remember what season). I get that this is television and it's an elongated, serialized formatted which would mean subtly changing character arc, but It just seems hard to buy.

[–] cdz6969 8 years ago

Mid - life Crisis? Keep in mind when he married Betty he was probably in his Mid 20's. By the time he married Megan he was nearing 40.

Jesus would support Universal Health Care

[–] Jhines01 8 years ago

The series covers over ten years, and all of the main characters change over that time.

By the way, the material left in the taxicab was Ginsberg's. The point of that story line was that Ginsberg was one of the young blades nipping at Don's heels, which was one of his primary concerns in the pilot. Don wanted to prove that (a) he was still the boss and (b) had not lost any of his creative talent.