{alltv} 'Mad Men' season finale primer

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Mad Men never has been better than it has been over the past month and a half.

That's saying something for a series that has won three straight Emmy Awards for best drama. But we firmly believe it.

This fourth season began sluggishly -- a relative term for Mad Men, which always bubbles and simmers rather than boiling over.

But the most recent half-dozen episodes have been like little theatrical plays that both fold in upon themselves and deftly set the stage for what's coming next.

The fourth-season finale airs Sunday on AMC, and tipping points have been reached for many of the characters.

If you're a DVD person and aren't up to date on the fourth season of Mad Men, you should bail out of this column now.

But if you're a communal-viewing, watercooler-talk person, you're well aware of the stunning and risky way in which Don Draper (played by Jon Hamm) either saved or doomed Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce with a full-page ad trashing tobacco in the New York Times.

We've written in the past that we prefer it when work-place comedies such as 30 Rock and The Office remain largely focused on the work place. We've come to realize we feel the same way about work-place dramas, too.

The third season of Mad Men spent a lot of time on the disintegration of the marriage between Don and Betty (January Jones). There was some great stuff in that, obviously, but it's the highs and lows and politics and romances and alliances and betrayals at a 1960s ad firm that make Mad Men special.

Don remains at the centre of the saga, and for him the theme of this season has been survival.

On the work front: Don's firm is on shaky ground after losing Lucky Strike cigarettes, and while no one knew exactly what to do, he at least did something bold. We'll see if it works or backfires.

On the home front: Navigating the emotional swamp that is his ex-wife's emotional state has been tricky for Don, not to mention dealing with his increasingly complex daughter Sally (Kiernan Shipka). By the way, Sally's scream when she found out her dad was taking her to see the Beatles at Shea Stadium was pitch-perfect.

On the personal front: Don's past as an army deserter almost caught up with him, and his frightening panic attack arguably was the most memorable scene of the season.

Nothing against Bryan Cranston, who has won three straight acting Emmys for Breaking Bad, but isn't Hamm due a little Emmy love?

There are two types of TV shows. Some are pure escapism and you don't have to think about them. Some entertain you for an hour and then you can spend two hours discussing them.

There's nothing wrong with either type. Every PVR should have a healthy mix.

But by far, we've thought and talked more about Mad Men over the past four seasons than any other show on TV. We wouldn't take back a single minute.