Mad Men is a very literary show. Matthew Weiner is evidently an exceptionally well-read and thoughtful individual, with great appreciation for the artistic and historical context of his subject matter. I very much view Mad Men as being of the Western literary canon. Because of this, I have a hunch that Don is poised for a stunning personal and professional comeback.
When Don returns to his old ad agency in Field Trip, the third episode in the show’s seventh season, he is unwanted, almost forgotten. His own former subordinates are shocked to see him, bemused as to what he is doing there. Some, like Peggy, were outright nasty to him. Most of the partners who put him on leave don’t really want him back. His replacement, Lou Avery, blasphemes Don’s style of dramatic creative with his regime of mediocrity. Don is not given back his old job, but is demoted to copywriter, reporting to Lou. His continued employment is predicated on his following of a set of onerous rules, designed only for him. By accepting these humiliating terms from the agency he built, Don is performing an act of great humility.
A hero demonstrating humility far below his station in his own home has precedent in the Western literary tradition of which Mad Men is a part.
In the Odyssey, Odysseus returns to Ithaca in rags, unrecognizable to his own subjects. He cannot return to his rightful place in his palace next to his wife, Penelope, because his palace is crowded with vile suitors, drinking his wine, trashing his property, trying to get Penelope into bed. Our hero is forced to take shelter in the hut of his old swineherd.
Odysseus, as we know, is down, but not out. One by one, he reveals himself to subjects and family members after being assured of their loyalty. Through planning and ingenuity, Odysseus executes an elaborate scheme to reveal his identity. In the epic’s climax, Odysseus strings his stubborn old bow and kills every last one of the suitors, finally reclaiming his home and legacy.
I don’t think Don is going to go on a killing spree, and I don’t think his story will have such an unambiguously triumphant ending. But the precedent of the Odyssey makes me hopeful that Don will be able to slowly remind his colleagues why they respected him so much in the first place, and vindicate his creative craft.