Character Death Shocks 'Mad Men' Fans

There is still one episode left in the fifth season of Mad Men, but it can't get any more shocking than last night's episode, which saw the suicide of partner Lane Pryce (Jared Harris), after Don Draper (Jon Hamm) canned him for forgery and embezzlement.

Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce will be knocking the "Pryce" off its long, cumbersome title and hopefully adding "Harris," in light of last week's developments with Joan (Christina Hendricks), who earned her place among the partners more decisively than any of the boys in the boys' club ever did.

After Bertram Cooper (Robert Morse) called Draper's attention to a check made out to Lane signed by Draper himself, Draper assured his partner that he'd "take care of it." Of course, Draper never signed the check at all, and he called Lane into his office to ask for his official resignation. Lane tried to negotiate his way back into the company before acknowledging that the effort was futile and making up his mind to give up — altogether.

Lane hanged himself in his office after making a feeble pass at Joan, going home to his wife, who had extravagantly bought him a forest green Jaguar to celebrate his landing the account, and first trying to off himself by plugging up the exhaust pipe in the new automobile and starting it up. Just one problem — the car wouldn't start, as a few well-placed jokes earlier in the season have foreshadowed.

Rich Sommer, who plays Harry Crane on Mad Men, spoke of the mood among the cast when it was revealed that the character of Lane Pryce was being written off. "It was sad and awful," he told Entertainment Weekly, but, meanwhile, Harris feels that it was an appropriate end for Lane. "I think so, yes. We all did," Harris said. "As hard as it was to lose him, it was one hell of an arc. We are lucky to have him around as long as we did."

Catch the season finale of Mad Men next Sunday on AMC.

For more on Mad Men and Jon Hamm, check these out:

'Mad Men' Season Five Premieres On AMC

SPOILERS: 'Mad Men' Zigzags Around Expectations

When Is 'Mad Men' Back On? Jon Hamm Dishes

SPOILERS: 'Mad Men' To Explore The Don-Joan Dynamic

REVIEW: 'Mad Men' — Season Five