Just like it did with the last season of Breaking Bad, AMC is splitting the seventh and final season of Mad Men into two halves. Fourteen episodes will air in 7 episode chunks across two years; the first batch of seven is set to air in the spring of 2014 (act one is dubbed “The Beginning”) and the final seven installments (dubbed “The End Of An Era”) will bow in spring 2015.

Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner agrees with the cable network that this is indeed the best way for his show to end. “We plan to take advantage of this chance to have a more elaborate story told in two parts, which can resonate a little bit longer in the minds of our audience,” he says. “The writers, cast and other artists welcome this unique manner of ending this unique experience.”

AMC president Charlie Collier backs up Weiner’s statement: “This approach has worked well for many programs across multiple networks, and, most recently for us with Breaking Bad which attracted nearly double the number of viewers to its second half premiere than had watched any previous episode. We are determined to bring Mad Men a similar showcase.  In an era where high-end content is savored and analyzed, and catch-up time is used well to drive back to live events, we believe this is the best way to release the now 14 episodes than remain of this iconic series.”

So what do you think about this not-so-unexpected news? Do you prefer to sit and watch everything unfold without a sudden, potentially fragmenting break, or do you find solace in knowing that Mad Men will live on until the distant future that is the year 2015?

[Via EW]