Burt Cooper help found the agency and he was key in many early parts of the series, but after their next to last venture as a merged entity with another firm Burt didn't seem to be doing anything of relevance if at all other than filing his nails and kicking his feet up on the desk.
Was he really just there to lend prestige if the highest officers of any of their big clients like Chevy decided to tour the factory?
I think he owned the damn place, plus he had all the major political contacts and was deep in New York society, and also he had damn good business judgement. I thought the Burt Cooper character was very interesting.
shareI thought so too, but his equity stake shrunk as the seasons progressed. I may have just answered my own question.
shareHe was there as kind of an 'elder statesman.' Normally as a partner in the firm, he wouldn't really need to do any hands-on stuff. But I'm not sure how that would play out once SCDP was acquired by the other company.
shareI think that's why Weiner killed Burt off before the McCann buyout. He probably revered Burt too much to watch him kicked to the curb but if that was the case I think he cheated the audience and that we should have seen the brutality of corporate America and how it could also be a precursor to its acceleration in the 80s onward. Not that Burt's firing would end in death (that would be a bit dramatic) but from a pass the torch POV it would have been cool seeing Burt cleaning out his office and offering a distraught Peggy his Japanese Octopus painting. He'd be fine and walk off into the sunset, regardless.
share