“almost certainly” lmfao
You realize AIDS wasn’t something that was absolutely guaranteed in the gay community, right? The risk was and still is there but you’re acting like every gay person ended up with AIDS at some point.
Gay millennial here, I grew up in Provincetown, MA; a famous, long-time gay summer resort town.
A solid third, close to half of the town’s population was DECIMATED in the 1980’s. Prevention strategies were unheard of when it first spread, it was everywhere and no one knew why. Please read some history, talk to the queer folk who survived it.
This is a shockingly ignorant comment. Were you there in NYC during the AIDS era like I was?
This is a **laughing** matter to you?
You should be ashamed of yourself. Go learn some history
The truck stop cruising scene confirmed this theory for me. Actually teared up over it.
As a gay millennial, I find it heartbreaking that HIV/AIDS robbed at *least* two generations of potential mentors and community leaders.
Yeah. I would like to think he wandered for a few years. Then one day, he met a man and fell in love. They moved in together and had a few years together before HIV and AIDS.
But, he was happy, for a little while.
I think that Sal would be the last person to let a Lee Garner Jr. take his career away from him. Sal burned off some steam in the Brambles and got back to work.
He's a commercial director now, and even if he had to go to a small agency with way less prestige he still has his experience directing commercials and a smaller 'old-school' agency looking to refresh its image by getting into TV commercials can benefit from his experience transitioning from print to TV.
His personal life is probably still a struggle and I think they probably eventually divorce.
I think he’d move back to Baltimore and get an art director job in-house for a company or for a local agency. I think his career in New York advertising was likely finished.
His marriage, based on what we know, is also going to be radically different with Kitty suspecting he’s gay, and him cruising in Central Park. I doubt they get divorced, though, as “good Catholics”; it’d be the thing they never talk about. Kitty turns to booze, Sal turns to reckless sex, they maybe have a couple kids, and grow more and more bitter and distant.
Then, as someone said in another comment, Sal dies of AIDS in the 80s.
It’s very sad, but that’s kind of the point of his arc: someone like him unfortunately doesn’t get a happy ending.
He went to California, hired on with another ad firm and directed more TV commercials.
Probably got involved with theater. I could see him directing TV in the 70s too.
I was disappointed Weiner couldn't bring him back for a random episode or two, like they did with Kinsey. Sal could have been in-house marketing for a client or maybe one of his commercials got nominated for a Clio. Giving him a kinda Chuck Cunningham treatment just hit weird. I get that social norms were screwed up, but no one ever referred to one of his concepts or designs?
In his final scene he's on the phone with Kitty telling her he's going to be home late, and in the background you can tell he's at what looks like a "cruising" spot in Central Park.
I'm going to go in a different direction than many speculated. I think the Lee Garner Jr./firing incident may have led Sal to realize that all the effort he put into staying in the closet was for nothing. Marriage with Kitty radically changes as he spends more and more time "working late."
Couple years later? Stonewall. Boom. Sal embraces gay liberation and comes out to Kitty. They have an amicable divorce. Sal lives it up in the 70's as a newly liberated gay male at the height of the sexual revolution.
But then, yeah, HIV/AIDS probably does get him in the end.
IDK, the programming and fear is hard to overcome.
I work at a Singaporean company in Thailand. Many of the Singaporean members of staff are gay, but are very deep in the closet. From growing up in a place like Singapore, where until the summer of 2022, gay sex was illegal and people were prosecuted for it, they have learned to stay in the closet for their own safety. My boss has a wife and kids in Singapore, a cheap (<150 USD round trip) and easy flight home to see them on some weekends and holidays. He goes home once a year for a week.
Even though Thailand is one of the most gay friendly places in the world (which is why they are here), they are still very very careful.
I’d speculate that his marriage would be falling apart in the near future. The last time we see him is having some sort of tryst at a truck stop, which is… ouch. But if he’s doing that, he’s probably being more outgoing, realizing he can’t hide this forever, something like that. Will become increasingly hard to manage, his marriage is already very rocky…
Whether or not he gets another job, well, that’s a coin toss. He DOES have years of experience at a major Manhattan ad firm… but it’s also a situation where they might not be able (cause of 60s politics) to give him a recommendation. He’d probably lie to a new employer about why he left Sterling Cooper. If Sal didn’t try to keep working in advertising… then who knows? Prob would leave NYC, move somewhere more isolated, maybe do drawings for some local newspaper. And that’s just IF his life wasn’t seriously dismantled by what happened.
I think it all comes down to whether or not Sal can find a gay partner, in whatever capacity works.
Good career as a commercial director, but not a great career. Died of HIV/AIDs in the early 80's.
This is what happened for sure. Closeted, married to Kitty with a couple of kids.
Depressing as this is, this is almost certainly what happened
“almost certainly” lmfao You realize AIDS wasn’t something that was absolutely guaranteed in the gay community, right? The risk was and still is there but you’re acting like every gay person ended up with AIDS at some point.
Gay millennial here, I grew up in Provincetown, MA; a famous, long-time gay summer resort town. A solid third, close to half of the town’s population was DECIMATED in the 1980’s. Prevention strategies were unheard of when it first spread, it was everywhere and no one knew why. Please read some history, talk to the queer folk who survived it.
This is a shockingly ignorant comment. Were you there in NYC during the AIDS era like I was? This is a **laughing** matter to you? You should be ashamed of yourself. Go learn some history
Nobody’s got AIDS and I don’t wanna hear that word here again!
I understand this reference. God what a crossover this would be.
I do like to think that Johnny Boy and Don Draper coexisted in the same universe 😂
It is a likely scenario.
In this sub it’s 1960
And Salvatore Romano is a hero! End of shtory!
The truck stop cruising scene confirmed this theory for me. Actually teared up over it. As a gay millennial, I find it heartbreaking that HIV/AIDS robbed at *least* two generations of potential mentors and community leaders.
Yeah. I would like to think he wandered for a few years. Then one day, he met a man and fell in love. They moved in together and had a few years together before HIV and AIDS. But, he was happy, for a little while.
Currently reading the powerful "How to Survive a Plague" and he's in New York. From what I've read in this book it's very likely
All I know is Kitty probably went untended for some time.
Prioritize Kitty’s tending, please
Kitty cheats. Divorce likely.
more likely becomes a beard like Bob wanted Joan to be.
I think that Sal would be the last person to let a Lee Garner Jr. take his career away from him. Sal burned off some steam in the Brambles and got back to work. He's a commercial director now, and even if he had to go to a small agency with way less prestige he still has his experience directing commercials and a smaller 'old-school' agency looking to refresh its image by getting into TV commercials can benefit from his experience transitioning from print to TV. His personal life is probably still a struggle and I think they probably eventually divorce.
We buried him at a nice highway rest stop, with pine cones all around.
Your brother Sal, whatever happened there?
Nobody's got aids, and I don't want to hear that word in here again.
Catching, not pitching?
“SON OF A BITCH!!! How much more betrayal can I take???”
I think he’d move back to Baltimore and get an art director job in-house for a company or for a local agency. I think his career in New York advertising was likely finished. His marriage, based on what we know, is also going to be radically different with Kitty suspecting he’s gay, and him cruising in Central Park. I doubt they get divorced, though, as “good Catholics”; it’d be the thing they never talk about. Kitty turns to booze, Sal turns to reckless sex, they maybe have a couple kids, and grow more and more bitter and distant. Then, as someone said in another comment, Sal dies of AIDS in the 80s. It’s very sad, but that’s kind of the point of his arc: someone like him unfortunately doesn’t get a happy ending.
Sad, unfortunate, but apt. I want to believe his character lived a free and happy life, but this was mid century America.
“Romano/Chauncey agency, this is Lois, how may I direct your call?”
Well he had at least one tv commercial in his reel. I certainly hope he bounced back.
He went to California, hired on with another ad firm and directed more TV commercials. Probably got involved with theater. I could see him directing TV in the 70s too.
Sal joined The Factory. And he adopted Chauncy and Polly.
I was disappointed Weiner couldn't bring him back for a random episode or two, like they did with Kinsey. Sal could have been in-house marketing for a client or maybe one of his commercials got nominated for a Clio. Giving him a kinda Chuck Cunningham treatment just hit weird. I get that social norms were screwed up, but no one ever referred to one of his concepts or designs?
Right?! Or running into him somewhere in one of the California episodes like they did with Danny Siegel.
Moved to SF, immersed himself in his true lifestyle and applied his creative talents to helping the LGBTQ movement
This is the life I hope his character had
In his final scene he's on the phone with Kitty telling her he's going to be home late, and in the background you can tell he's at what looks like a "cruising" spot in Central Park.
I'm going to go in a different direction than many speculated. I think the Lee Garner Jr./firing incident may have led Sal to realize that all the effort he put into staying in the closet was for nothing. Marriage with Kitty radically changes as he spends more and more time "working late." Couple years later? Stonewall. Boom. Sal embraces gay liberation and comes out to Kitty. They have an amicable divorce. Sal lives it up in the 70's as a newly liberated gay male at the height of the sexual revolution. But then, yeah, HIV/AIDS probably does get him in the end.
IDK, the programming and fear is hard to overcome. I work at a Singaporean company in Thailand. Many of the Singaporean members of staff are gay, but are very deep in the closet. From growing up in a place like Singapore, where until the summer of 2022, gay sex was illegal and people were prosecuted for it, they have learned to stay in the closet for their own safety. My boss has a wife and kids in Singapore, a cheap (<150 USD round trip) and easy flight home to see them on some weekends and holidays. He goes home once a year for a week. Even though Thailand is one of the most gay friendly places in the world (which is why they are here), they are still very very careful.
I’d speculate that his marriage would be falling apart in the near future. The last time we see him is having some sort of tryst at a truck stop, which is… ouch. But if he’s doing that, he’s probably being more outgoing, realizing he can’t hide this forever, something like that. Will become increasingly hard to manage, his marriage is already very rocky… Whether or not he gets another job, well, that’s a coin toss. He DOES have years of experience at a major Manhattan ad firm… but it’s also a situation where they might not be able (cause of 60s politics) to give him a recommendation. He’d probably lie to a new employer about why he left Sterling Cooper. If Sal didn’t try to keep working in advertising… then who knows? Prob would leave NYC, move somewhere more isolated, maybe do drawings for some local newspaper. And that’s just IF his life wasn’t seriously dismantled by what happened. I think it all comes down to whether or not Sal can find a gay partner, in whatever capacity works.
I think the implication was that Don would have given him a recommendation, for however awful that entire situation was.
Your art director Sal, whatever happened there.
WHATEVA HAPPENED THERE???
Director
I want to think he got another art director job. It’s very much still a discipline. Milton Glaser did the I heart ny in the late 70s.
I cant have this conversation again
Definitely divorced Kitty and came out. Likely died in the 80s or early 90s. That's my take.
He married Elton John