Mad Men: Salvatore Sal Romano's Original Ending Was Very Different
Salvatore "Sal" Romano (Bryan Batt) is one of the most memorable characters from Mad Men, despite his early departure from the show in season 3; however, originally, the character was planned to have a different exit from the series. Sal was fired from Sterling Cooper at the request of an important client — a decision that was profoundly unfair, and one that served as a harsh reminder of the cutthroat nature of the advertising industry.
Sal was an Italian-American Art Director at Sterling Cooper Advertising Industry, introduced in the first season. Sal was fashionable and suave — and to contemporary audiences, clearly gay; however, it being the 1960s, Sal was in the closet, passing for straight. He even had a wife, Kitty Romano, whom he married between seasons 1 and 2.
Season 3 further developed Sal's character, deepening (and complicating) his relationship with Kitty and seeing Sal explore his new love for film directing. Although Sal had some close calls regarding his sexuality being discovered, he was never "outed"; rather, his exit from the series is a shocking end for a character, who appeared to be heading towards a more significant role within Mad Men as season 3 progressed. Even actor Bryan Batt expected his character to return at some point in the series — even in just a cameo role [via Esquire]. That scene never occurred, and audiences were left without closure regarding the fate of Salvatore Romano.
In an article for Esquire, Batt described how showrunner Matthew Weiner had originally intended to continue Sal's role on Mad Men. Batt relates that numerous times, Weiner told him "this was the course for the character, but that [Batt] shouldn't worry: Sal would come back." Batt isn't able to provide evidence, but suggests that he believed Weiner was being earnest, and that Sal was, at one point, expected to return to the series. One popular theory at the time was that Sal would return as a "big shot" film director. This storyline never occurred, however, leaving Sal's life after Sterling Cooper a mystery following Mad Men's ending.
Part of the reason why Sal's abrupt mid-season exit was so surprising was that earlier episodes hinted at a different, perhaps even more dramatic, direction for the character. After Don Draper (Jon Hamm) witnessed a subtle sexual moment between Sal and a male bellhop in the season 3 premiere "Out of Town," he doesn't expose him — instead, he delivers nuanced yet clear message to Sal when he pitches a new slogan for a client: "limit your exposure." Although Sal seems to take Don's message to heart, the episode sets up Sal's narrative arc for the season, which — in some way or another — is heading towards a resolution. Unfortunately for Sal, this occurs when Lucky Strike executive Lee Garner Jr. (son of owner, Lee Garner Sr.), makes a pass at him; Sal refuses his advances, and in retribution (or perhaps to maintain his reputation), Garner Jr. demands that Sterling Cooper fire Sal — or lose his business. Adding to the shock value is the fact that Garner Jr. had been characterized as a womanizer; viewers were genuinely as taken aback by the turn of events as Sal was.
Mad Men ended with season 7 in 2015. Unlike some of the other big AMC shows, Mad Men ended conclusively — although there were talks of a spin-off series, possibly set in contemporary times. There are no current plans to revisit the world of Mad Men, but if a spin-off series does get developed, Sal's life as a Hollywood director in the late '60s would certainly be a premise worth watching.