‘Mad Men’ series finale: Jon Hamm offers up his take on final scene

Did Don Draper have an epiphany during the closing seconds of the “Mad Men” series finale, or was it a moment meant to be something else? The thing about the conclusion of the show is that there was at least something open to interpretation. Maybe you saw Don’s smile and the playing of the Coca-Cola “Hilltop” commercial as a sign that that he is meant to be seen as the creator or the ad. Or, maybe you saw it as a bit of a symbolic connection, wrapping up the themes of the final episode in just a few seconds.

While creator Matthew Weiner has not really offered up too much of an interpretation on the scene (and we doubt that he will share it), we have heard now from the show’s star in Jon Hamm. In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the actor had the following to say about how he feels the ad and Don’s smile are connected:

“My take is that, the next day, he wakes up in this beautiful place, and has this serene moment of understanding, and realizes who he is. And who he is, is an advertising man. And so, this thing comes to him. There’s a way to see it in a completely cynical way, and say, ‘Wow, that’s awful.’ But I think that for Don, it represents some kind of understanding and comfort in this incredibly unquiet, uncomfortable life that he has led.”

Of course, this ending is probably not canon necessarily; it’s just an actor’s interpretation of what he thinks happens at the end of a series. We do think that this is a warm, comforting end, and one that speaks to Don’s understanding. So much as we have this, it is easy to be satisfied.