Poor Salvatore Romano thought he was safe with Don Draper. After dismissing any fear that he would reveal Sal’s sexual orientation with his “limit your exposure” speech, Don gave him the opportunity to direct commercials even after the Bye, Bye Birdie effort for Patio flopped. However, another commercial ultimately proved to be Sal’s downfall, and Don turned on him in the blink of an eye.
Sal’s Unlucky Strike
As Sal worked on a commercial for Lucky Strike, smarmy executive Lee Garner insisted on having a say in every part of the creative process. Once the two of them were alone in the editing room, Garner came on to Sal, who turned him down, weakly protesting that he was married and that Garner had the wrong idea. After sending Garner on his way, Sal vented his frustrations on some film canisters.
Garner, on the other hand, dealt with his rejection by getting drunk and calling Harry Crane to demand that Sal be removed from the project. A befuddled Harry opted to do nothing in the hopes that things would blow over, but Garner stormed out of a meeting as soon as he saw Sal there. When Roger learned what had happened, he unceremoniously fired Sal and send Harry to Don with orders to “fix it.”
Sal was also looking to Don for help. After all, Don’s the only person at Sterling Cooper who knows about Sal’s sexuality. Instead of offering any comfort or sympathy, however, Don implied that Sal should have given in to Garner’s advances since he’s such an important client. After sneeringly referring to homosexuals “you people,” Don sent Sal out into the streets, where he remained instead of going home to his wife.
Don’s Daddy Issues
Meanwhile, Don fielded calls from Conrad Hilton at all hours of the night and listened to the tycoon’s increasingly zany ramblings about his hotels and his country. It's clear that Connie is more to Don than the usual client, and when Hilton told him he was “like a son,” Don became visibly emotional before replying, “Thank you. I mean it.”
But, just like his real father, Hilton turned on Don, telling him he was “deeply disappointed” that Sterling Cooper’s campaign didn’t literally include the moon. “What do you want from me? Love?” Hilton asked sarcastically, but that was exactly what Don was seeking. And he continued to seek it from Miss Farrell, first picking her up on her morning jog and then showing up at her door, where she finally gave in to his advances despite her reservations.
Betty’s Pen Pal
Betty also decided to seek some action on the side, writing letters to Henry Francis and giddily checking the mail for his replies. When he suddenly showed up at her door, Carla was not far behind, and Betty hosted a fundraiser for Rockefeller to cover up her true intentions. Carla, however, clearly was not fooled.
When Francis sent a dowdy woman to the fundraiser in his place, Betty made no attempt to hide her disappointment, pouting like a petulant child and driving up to Francis’ office to fling the cash box at him. Of course, she was exactly where he wanted her, and the two shared a passionate kiss before Betty again broke things off. Perhaps she would have gone through with it if she had known what Don was up to.
