Roger Sterling asks Donald Draper to write a speech that resembles “The Gettysburg Address” to discuss the firm’s future to their client McCann, while Roger goes on a nice vacation to the Bahamas. My first thought was that the viewer would see some nostalgia with a famous Donald Draper speech. The fan in me wanted something that's not too close to the famous “Carousel Speech" but at least something of substance. However, Roger gives the same task to the lethargic Ted and it ends up being an address that doesn’t matter or even come close to a “Gettysburg Address” type speech, nor a Draper-esque one.
Nostalgia is key, there are many moments that bring us back to the past 6 seasons. We even get to see characters (all grown up now) that were staples in the beginning of Mad Men. Draper’s constant problem is that he knows what others want, but not what he wants. He obsesses over making this address great and even calls for older copies of his successful pitches. But, he is spinning in circles which closely resembles how Donald’s life is.
One of the most exciting parts of the episode is the blossoming relationship between Joan Harris and a new character, Richard; and the relationship between Sally, and her old childhood friend: Glen Bishop. Glen comes back to say goodbye to Sally and notifies her that he is enlisting but [SPOILER] he makes a move on Betty.
But the focus of the episode is on Don Draper. In the opening scene, his realtor comes before the first open house to sell his apartment, and complains that the apartment is too lonely. Later, when Don comes back to the apartment, Melanie, the realtor, gives him the news that there was no luck in selling it because the emptiness and the wreak of failure is too much of a problem - ouch. Stating that it requires to much imagination to sell. Don replies with a line that made us so intrigued with him over the past seasons: “that’s the best opportunity in the world."
The episode is ultimately rather slow and for the second time of the final season, we are left with a closing scene of Donald Draper, left in an empty apartment, pondering what the future holds. With three episodes left, we are all wondering the same thing.