When the ending of Mad Men first premiered back in 2015, audiences were initially confused about what to make of it. By the end of the 7 season series, Don Draper (John Hamm) is completely out of his element after being abandoned at a hippie commune in a remote and verdant area of coastal California. Throughout the Emmy-winning series, Don Draper represented a steadfast image of masculine bravado and material wealth in the bustling and cutthroat world of advertising during the 1960s in New York City.
https://screenrant.com/mad-men-don-draper-smiling-final-scene-theories/