21 Pictures from the ‘Mad Men’ Finale

AMC paused the final season of Mad Men over 10 months ago, as if the studio chief had a fantastic stopwatch that froze the world around him. Or, more favorably, he was like a Tantric sex therapist forcing patients to prolong the pleasure before release.

Either way you look at it, it’s been a painful wait that will end on April 5, when episode 8 of the 14-episode final series airs on AMC. The last seven episodes are said to be self-contained finales, each resolving a core character, bookending the first seven episodes of Mad Men, which each introduced a major character.

Mad Men has progressed to the point where it no longer reflects the three-martini, ass-grabbing, glory days of WASP aristocracy, which is what initially made it such a ball to watch. In its seven seasons, we have seen Sterling Cooper hire its first female copy-writer, a black and an openly gay employee, and promote a buxom beauty to partner-status, even if she did have to literally prostitute herself to get equity.

In short, the Mad Men of Season 7 are much closer to modern men then traditional men. Yeah, it’s been maddening at times, but passion and conflict are the point, right? Who want’s to watch Mildly Peeved Men?