The finale received mixed to positive reviews from critics . Alan Sepinwall of HitFix commented : " Some of the most memorable scenes and moments of the series ' run occurred over these last three months " . However , he added : " ' The Phantom ' was an episode that seemed to take some of the smaller earlier missteps of the season and magnify them . If not for a great final 10 minutes or so ... I 'd be going into the hiatus feeling much more sour about the season than I should . " '' Newsday '' s Verne Gay called " The Phantom " " just another episode ... What was lacking however has been much the same as the rest of the season — a certain passion , or emotional resonance . It all felt terribly chilly and remote — characters in service of Matt Weiner 's grand overarching themes , as opposed to an episode in service of their hearts . " More approvingly , Matt Zoller Seitz , writing in '' New York Magazine '' s Vulture blog , wrote that the finale was " a summation of core Mad Men themes : the displacement of an existing order by a new one ; the gradual , mysterious , outwardly imperceptible changes experienced by individuals , businesses , cities , and nations over decades ; and the possibility of reinventing oneself and starting over , again and again and again . " " The Phantom " garnered the highest ratings for a '' Mad Men '' season finale to date , attracting 2.7 million viewers . 1.4 million adults in '' Mad Men '' s core demographic of the 25-54 age range watched the finale while 1.2 million viewers in the 18-49 demographic viewed the finale . In response , AMC President Charlie Collier said , " As in each season prior , Season 5 is now '' Mad Men '' s most-watched season , an uncommon television growth record and a testament to the ongoing quality and uniqueness of this rare property . I 'd be remiss if I did n't point out that the record live-same-day Nielsen ratings that gain so much attention are only a small part of the '' Mad Men '' success story . Congratulations to the entire '' Mad Men '' team on another terrific season . " Julia Ormond received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her work as Marie Calvet for the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards . The episode also received nominations for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series and Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series
64th Primetime Emmy Awards
64th Primetime Emmy Awards
The Phantom (Mad Men)