Mad Men was a very gnostic show. Bert Cooper was the demiurge and the Sterling Cooper agency was a sort of microcosm of the universe.
There are many clues throughout the show.
In the early seasons, Cooper's office is above and sort of set apart from everyone else. Don and Roger are called up to his office like being summoned into the king's court. They treat Bert with a certain deference and respect, perhaps even a little bit of fear in Don's case, that they rarely show to anyone else. Cooper describes New York City as a "machine". Right off the bat we have this mechanistic imagery of the world as like a big clock, as it were.
Cooper also displays a painting in his office that confuses his employees. A red smudgy void. An abyss of nothingness that they feel is sucking them in. Red was also the color of Marxist socialists, the Luciferian fire that rejects the traditions of old and burns it all away into nothing.
Cooper also admires Japanese culture. Japanese Zen Buddhism, like all eastern religions, is extremely gnostic.
Cooper also embodies the "wise old man" archetype, having foresight in the dispute between Don and Pete in season 1, when Pete discovers that Don stole someone's identity. Bert foresees that this conflict between Don and Pete will ironically be the grounds for an alliance years down the road, which becomes true as Pete helps Don keep his secret later in the show.
In the last season Cooper dies but his spirit is still seen talking to Don on two occasions.
Don at the end of the show joins a new age/Hindu cult and achieves a sort of "gnosis" at the very end where he comes up with some kind of "enlightened" new ad.
There are many clues throughout the show.
In the early seasons, Cooper's office is above and sort of set apart from everyone else. Don and Roger are called up to his office like being summoned into the king's court. They treat Bert with a certain deference and respect, perhaps even a little bit of fear in Don's case, that they rarely show to anyone else. Cooper describes New York City as a "machine". Right off the bat we have this mechanistic imagery of the world as like a big clock, as it were.
Cooper also displays a painting in his office that confuses his employees. A red smudgy void. An abyss of nothingness that they feel is sucking them in. Red was also the color of Marxist socialists, the Luciferian fire that rejects the traditions of old and burns it all away into nothing.
Cooper also admires Japanese culture. Japanese Zen Buddhism, like all eastern religions, is extremely gnostic.
Cooper also embodies the "wise old man" archetype, having foresight in the dispute between Don and Pete in season 1, when Pete discovers that Don stole someone's identity. Bert foresees that this conflict between Don and Pete will ironically be the grounds for an alliance years down the road, which becomes true as Pete helps Don keep his secret later in the show.
In the last season Cooper dies but his spirit is still seen talking to Don on two occasions.
Don at the end of the show joins a new age/Hindu cult and achieves a sort of "gnosis" at the very end where he comes up with some kind of "enlightened" new ad.
