This entire season has had to do with the way that Don sees himself and him growing as a person and figuring out what he wants. He has such a love/hate relationship with the advertising business. At times you can tell how passionate he is about certain aspects of Advertising. But I think he thrives on being able to do his job well, opposed to actually like the job. He likes to win, I loved the episodes where we saw the conflict between Draper and Ginsberg, in terms of Don feeling that he had to prove something with his pitch being the best. I also think he's just wanted to be a better man, especially when it came to Megan. Her youth brought out a different side of Don, but he's so afraid of losing her because he thinks he'll lose the new sense of goodness (or whatever it may be) that he has found. Which is why through out several episodes we saw yet another side of Don that we didn't see before, him chasing Megan around the house needing her forgiveness, their fights, what happened at the diner scene... he is so much more emotionally invested with Megan because he ties succeeding in the marriage with her to succeeding in being the person he's struggling or aspiring to be. I think he had such a problem with Megan trying to be an actress/do broadway because he feels that a woman depending on him gives him a sense of security, as far as her sticking around and being as available goes. That wasn't uncommon of men back then, nor is it uncommon of men in present day. But I think he is afraid of Megan being so invested in something other than him, that with the lack of her attention or the lack of her presence, he might resort to his old ways. I think the poster for the season symbolizes just that, his struggle and fear of returning back to his old ways vs. moving forward as he is. But I think the mannequin without clothes is just a random girl that he would probably would have slept with in the past. I think Megan quitting the firm, started Don's insecurity of how things will end up with Megan, and in essence the way he sees himself. With her starting to act, by the end of the season you could see Don's assurance in himself and his marriage start to dwindle as the sense of security (for him, in his perception) started to dwindle.
(All of this is just my perception!)
On a side note, I think Don has a negative perception of liberals. At least liberal hippie types (as we've seen in past seasons) but I think he doesn't have too much of a direct appreciation for the arts. Even the art of acting. While I was watching the finale I couldn't notice the scene below in the Gif
He kisses Megan, then he looks at her all Don-like, and then it goes back to Megan, and then when it comes back to Don that last time (in the gif) you can see the look of judgment, criticism, and dismay in his face. It's almost as though he looks down at her for wanting to even participate in commercials (maybe this has to do with his job as well), but it's almost as if he's slightly disgusted .
Do you guys think he will end up cheating? How will the next season start? I hate/love these Mad Men cliffhangers. First it was will Don actually marry Megan? And he does. Is he going to cheat? I think that he won't, but at some point in the next season he will. I think it'll take one more push or nudge of him feeling that Megan is drifting apart for him to go back to the old Draper.
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