Taking a cue from BREAKING BAD, MAD MEN will stretch it’s final season over the next two years. The number of episodes will increase to 14 (one more than usual) and will be split in half: 7 airing in the Spring of 2014 and the other 7 in the Spring of 2015. They are calling each half of the season “The Beginning” and “The End of an Era” respectively.
MAD MEN was the launching pad for drama series on FX and paved the way for shows like BREAKING BAD, THE KILLING, RUBICON, LOW WINTER SUN, HELL ON WHEELS, and THE WALKING DEAD. While THE WALKING DEAD is getting a spin-off to capitalize on the high ratings of the zombie drama, BREAKING BAD and MAD MEN have always benefited from having shorter seasons with higher quality episodes. Is adding one additional episode going to make that much of a difference? Creator Matthew Weiner thinks so:
“We plan to take advantage of this chance to have a more elaborate story told in two parts, which can resonate a little bit longer in the minds of our audience. The writers, cast and other artists welcome this unique manner of ending this unique experience.”
For me this sounds like an attempt to boost ratings. BREAKING BAD gained an enormous push from marketing the final episodes of the series, but the saga of Walter White is also a mystery with an ending everyone wants to see resolved. MAD MEN is mysterious, but not in the same way. I love both shows, but I am not looking forward to this split.
The seventh and final season of MAD MEN will begin around April 2014.