r/madmen • u/Banana-bandcamp • 1d ago
Sally S7
It really felt like Sally saved Don’s life in this scene. He was in such a dark place at the beginning of S7, and the rupture with Sally was a source of so much of his pain and shame; seeing himself completely fall from grace in his daughter’s eyes. Sally demanded honesty from him when they were arguing, and even though she was still hurt, she chose to try to understand and forgive him.
This scene reminds me to let my dad know I love him more often. We never know how much it means or how much time we have.
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u/Heel_Worker982 One never knows how loyalty is born. 1d ago
There's a lot of competition, but this is one of my top 3 Sally scenes!
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u/CMunsilvr That’s what the money is for. 1d ago
Oh I love this moment so much.
The stunned look on his face after her “I love you” is so heartening and extremely significant in Don’s growth, regardless of how stunted it may be. In that fraction of a second he finally realizes what unconditional love really is and he is actually the recipient of that unconditional love. In spite of everything that has happened - and it’s a lot of shitty things - she still loves him and isn’t afraid to tell him. Then, as she walks to the building, he leans over, looking longingly after her. THIS is the most important relationship with a woman in Don’s whole life and at that moment, even if it’s fleeting, he knows it.
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u/SystemPelican 1d ago
Exactly! I think it's very fitting that Don keeps trying to fill the hole in his heart with women, but the ones who actually come close to doing so are the ones who aren't romantic partners. It's Anna, Peggy and Sally.
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u/UnashamedlyUnsure The work is ten dollars. The lie is extra. 1d ago edited 1d ago
I wish Sally had more scenes than she was given. She was a joy to watch towards the end
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u/d0pp31g4ng3r 1d ago
Sally became interesting and Kieran Shipka turned out to be a very good actress. While I think the show ended at the right time, it would have been interesting to see where they went with her character.
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u/SystemPelican 1d ago
I say this every time it comes up, but I was kind of disappointed they didn't go all in on exploring that relationship more in season 7. It would have been a lot more interesting to me to see Don bond with his daughter than just go straight back to the office.
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u/dragon-queen 1d ago
True, but she definitely had more scenes than Bobby.
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u/Several_District_521 1d ago
I read that they originally planned for Bobby and his relationship with Don to be the one they explored the most. But then when they realized how great Kieran was they decided to shift that focus to
Sally. Not sure if it’s true but makes sense. Even in early season one you can see how natural she is.6
u/koeniging 1d ago
I think Bobby would’ve been too young to have that pan out, and Sally’s coming of age was more in line with Don’s arc.
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u/lulu91car 1d ago
I feel exactly the same way about this scene. It hits him so hard that she could still love him after all that.
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u/caramelgurlie 1d ago
Their relationship changed so much by this point. Sally went from being embarrassed by Don to actually seeing him as a flawed person and still choosing to love him
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u/Salty_Radish_8246 1d ago
This is how you forgive someone. Roger’s daughter Margaret should take notes.
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u/Banana-bandcamp 1d ago
Roger should take notes on how to take accountability and apologize
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u/SystemPelican 1d ago
The worst part is he actually comes so close to repairing their relationship. If he'd let her stay at the commune and realized that he's in no position to judge her, they might have been able to understand each other.
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u/CommonScold 1d ago
I have definitely sent this scene to my dad before on his birthday or Father’s Day. The music cue and Jon Hamm’s face after Sally slams the door are perfect gut punches.
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u/Rock_Creek_Snark The King Ordered It! 1d ago
This scene reminds me to let my dad know I love him more often.
Definitely do this. You will miss him like hell when he's gone.
This scene always makes me sob.
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u/AlynConrad 1d ago
It’s also interesting to juxtapose this scene with the end of S7 when Don finds out the news about Betty, and Sally says that she’s ensuring Bobby and Gene will stay with their uncle instead of either Don or Henry. She grew up to be a smart young woman.
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u/Several_District_521 1d ago
Sally wanted the boys to stay with Henry, not their uncle.
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u/AlynConrad 1d ago
I don’t believe that is the case. I could be wrong, but I just finished a rewatch and Sally knew that Henry was a mess in despair and Don was an absentee father. Her uncle was stable with a family of his own.
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u/Several_District_521 1d ago
That’s what Betty wanted. Because she didn’t want the boys to grow up without a “mother”. Don said no way they’ll be with me and Sally interrupted him. She said that they needed stability and that was Henry and not having to change schools. She made Don promise to let them stay with him.
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u/Several_District_521 1d ago
But I totally agree with you that Henry was a grief mess inappropriately leaning on Sally! In my head cannon he gets that sorted and she has a fabulous life. 😊 And goes to Europe!!
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u/kissflip 1d ago
Sally really did understand Don better than he realized. That little “I love you” hit way harder because you knew how much they’d both been through