The final season of Mad Men starts next Sunday, which means I’ll be recapping the show once again. The Matthew Weiner cone of silence seems to be holding, so anything I say today is mere speculation but what’s a little speculation among friends?

Season 6 ended with Don Draper being suspended from the agency. I think he’ll return and that the series will end with either his resignation or death. Megan will NOT be Sharon Tate but there will be allusions to the Tate-LaBianca murders. I’m not sure if Sally and Weird Glenn will run away and join the Manson family but I have a hunch that they’ll go to Woodstock.

At the firm, I think that Ted Chaough and his sweaters will stay at the home office and that Stan and his fringed Roger Daltrey jacket will go West to head up the LA outpost. Who knows Stan may even hang out with Terry (Manson’s Real Target) Melcher and help Brian Wilson put that sandbox in his living room.

I’m hoping for more mordant interplay between Cutler and Roger. They really need to share the screen more. I think Peggy will continue to be mistress of the universe only without the whole dominatrix thing. I’m less sure of what will happen with Joan but Pete Campbell will continue to be insufferable. I’m also reasonably certain our dreams of Sal Romano’s return will be dashed for good. There hasn’t been a peep in NOLA about Bryan Batt rejoining the cast so Sal be gone for good, alas.

Okay, that was rank speculation. There are a plethora of short teaser videos at AMC’s Mad Men site but I’m going to share just two vids. The first is a psychedelic teaser featuring Milton Glaserianimagery just like the fabulous poster he designed for Season 7:

Finally, here’s the last scene from Season 6 wherein Don takes his kids to see the old whorehouse homestead: