Peggy Had Better Get Don's Job On 'Mad Men'

There was a little scene in last week's episode of Mad Men that gave voice to something we've all been thinking for a long time: Peggy Olson should leave Mad Men as the next creative director at SC&P — as soon as she sat down in Don's office and told him that her goal was to be the first female creative director at the agency, it felt like some special sort of foreshadowing... and with only four episodes left, it's time to get this potential conclusion going.

When it comes down to it, there are actually a lot of ways Peggy could end up with Don's job — one of them could end up moving to another firm, so both of them could be creative directors at their respective agencies. Or, Don could retire, he could get fired (again), he could get taken away by the feds for identity theft and desertion, Don could fade away into uselessness — or, you know, he could make like the infamous opening credits and die. Now, I'm not personally of the "Don's going to die camp," but that's just to say, hey: Peggy becoming the first female creative director of SC&P is not that far off of a possibility — in fact, I'd even go so far as to call it downright inevitable.

I mean, that shot of Peggy in that awful, awful plaid jumpsuit enjoying the view from Don's corner office back from the Season 6 finale has to mean something. That was foreshadowing, right? Right?

Sure, Don might have dressed her dreams down this time around, but in his heart of hearts, he knows that Peggy's a damn good copywriter, and will someday make a damn good creative director — you only need look as far back as Burger Chef (and their sweet slow dance "My Way") to see how deep his respect for her truly runs. And that's really the heart of the show, isn't it? Don and Peggy's mutual respect and mentor-mentee relationship? There's got to be some finale torch-passing between the two of them.

Now, Mad Men's not a show that's widely known for its happy endings (after all, most Mad Men theorists are busy thinking up ways either Don or Pete Campbell might throw themselves out their respective windows), but I could definitely see Peggy being the one bright beacon of hope in a sea of nihilism. Besides, the show's top secret ending might actually have some sweetness to it — after all, all the cast members have pretty much unanimously said the ending was satisfying — for example, Christina Hendricks called it "beautiful," and so did January Jones — and what could possibly be more beautiful than Peggy making creative director, I ask you?

Nothing, that's what. Except possibly Peggy taking over the world.

Images: Jaimie Trueblood/AMC; Giphy (2)