I was somewhat ok, but now Iām feeling cheated
From a Jay Ferguson interview:
Did Weiner tell you anything else about the scene that wasnāt in the script?
I chewed his ear off about it, because I said to Matt from day one when I came on the show, āThese two are obviously going to hook up at some point, right?ā First of all, you never want to preface a question to Matt Weiner with the word āobviously.ā Then it was a resounding ānoā from him. At the time I think he really believed that. But Stan and Peggyās relationship kind of caught everybody off guard on the creative end of the show, and that can certainly be attributed to Lizzie and I being such good friends in real life and being able to carry that chemistry onto the show. Maybe that finally sold Matt on the idea of doing what ended up happening, which I heard was a really hard to do.
Who did the selling, the writers?
Yeah, the writers told me that they had been on him for some time about it, and he resisted every step of the way. I think maybe in the middle of season 6 is when they pulled the trigger on it, or so I heard.
Knowing that Stan was not initially planned for Peggy irks me. That Matt Weiner had to be campaigned by his writers into changing the story makes me suspect that Pete may well have been planned as the partner for Peggy. Why have all those lingering glances well into the series? Why have the accidental touches like when he catches her in āGuy Walks Into an Ad Agencyā? Why have the freaking complimentary holiday outfits in āChristmas Comes but Once a Yearā, complete with him looking her over? And why have the many, many subtle clues that they were something more to each other than just a fling gone wrong in the saddest way possible? They had alliterative names, for f-sake. Got pears?
If they āpulled the triggerā midway through season 6, then thatās when P/P went off the rails. Out-fucking-rageous. Stanās evolution into a true friend for Peggy was wonderful, but honestly, I NEVER felt anything other than platonic energy between them, even in their final kiss. Meh. Sure, the idea that Peggy falls for the guy who becomes her friend is a nice story, but damn, so boring.
Give me Pete and Peggy, coming together in a story of forgiveness and acceptance. Give me the burning chemistry between those two. Give me a stunning P/P reunion that left Stan in painful longing, tortured by unrequited love; a secret relationship come out into the light and blooming and surprising all the other people in their lives. Thatās the story I was hoping for, and thatās the story that might have been told had MWās vision not been interfered with. Seriously, would Trudy have taken Pete back? Probably not. Iād have rather seen her cut Pete out of her life. Iām afraid Iām a little bloodthirsty as I wanted to see bodies left behind both Pete and Peggy rather than the pap I was fed.
My god, Vincent Kartheiser got screwed. The way the P/P storyline ended was so weak and unsatisfying considering the drama of their arc. And what about āyou really know me?ā Yeah. That went nowhere.
I am full of regret that Matthew Weiner changed his story because of pressure in the writing room. Trust your gut next time, Matthew Weiner!
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