We totally need a Peggy and Joan ‘Mad Men’ spinoff. Here’s why
Today marks the end of an era as Mad Men wraps up its run on AMC with it’s much anticipated series finale. And, like many other fans, I’m not ready to say goodbye.
My history of saying goodbye to TV shows I’ve been a loyal viewer of has been… dramatic, to say the least. I cried for ten minutes after the last episode of Friends, and even wrote some middle school poetry about it in my journal that thankfully never saw the light of day. Earlier this year when Parks and Recreation bowed out, I was flabbergasted at the amount of people on my Facebook feed that were not discussing the show’s farewell. For me, the idea of moving through life Knope-less was akin to the ground splitting underneath me. Nothing would be the same.
My relationship with Mad Men was different because I grew into it. It was there to nurture you as my brain takes shape in other directions. I started watching Mad Men while I was in college and continued to keep with it as I graduated and headed into the real world to work.
While the stories and dialogue were constantly intriguing, and Jon Hamm was always nice to look at, I loved the women who worked at Sterling Cooper & Partners (SC&P) most of all. They were like a great beacon of light to me. Joan, with her business smarts and savvy that could practically run a business single-handedly and Peggy, whose ambitions allowed her to never stop moving forward and rise in the ranks.
I know good things do come to an end, but if anyone deserves a spin-off series it’s these two ladies. Here’s why.
Joan and Peggy could take on the world if they had their own show
Combined, the two have enough experience and success in the workplace that there’s no question they could run their own shop. The spin-off could feature a plotline of Peggy and Joan opening up their own agency (Olsen-Harris has a nice ring to it, no?) Joan would be the account supervisor and Peggy would be the copy chief. They could hire a whole new staff, bring on new business, and really make waves in the ad industry circa the 1970s and beyond.
Their workplace dynamic is really special
Years ago, with regards to Joan and Peggy, Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner stated, “These two women will never be friends.” In the first season of the show, that’s pretty obvious as Joan writes off Peggy as just a new girl in the secretarial pool. As the seasons continue and Peggy begins to show the team just how skilled she is with words, the barbs between the two begin to cease. Peggy and Joan start coming to one another to vent and for help and advice. In a dream spin-off world, I’d like to see that dynamic take baby steps towards turning into a bonafide friendship, in and out of the office.
We need more strong women like Joan and Peggy on TV
It doesn’t matter what era the show is set in either. If you’re a woman crushing it within your profession in a TV series, then I need to be watching you. I need to hear about your accomplishments and downfalls and how you picked yourself up and continued trailblazing onward. Even if it is fiction, I need those kinds of stories all day, every day, and I know I’m not alone in that respect either.
We’d really love for them both to get more screen time
A minor spoiler, but still a significant one if you consider that season seven is split in two parts: In the second-to-last episode, neither woman is really present. If they aren’t in the second to last episode, then we gotta do a spin-off to give them both extra screen time. It’s only right!
Elisabeth Moss has been quoted saying she’s down with a spin-off, guys.
“I would totally do that because I love Joan so much, and I love Peggy and Joan’s relationship,” WHY WAIT ANY LONGER, AMIRITE?
So…. The end of an era, huh?
I’m still not ready to say goodbye. However, if I must, I am thankful for every minute Mad Men let me grow into it.
