Don Draper's Sally Teacher Affair: What Really Happened?

Don Draper, the protagonist of AMC's Mad Men, is known for his womanising ways. Draper has three wives and 19 mistresses throughout the show's seven seasons. One of his many affairs is with Sally Draper's teacher, Suzanne Farrell. Farrell is initially hesitant about an affair with Don, but he pursues her romantically after they meet at a parent-teacher conference addressing Sally's misbehaviour. Don helps with a class lesson and gives her a lift home after her morning jog. Don and Farrell kiss after he confesses that he cannot stop thinking about her. Their relationship ends when Don's wife, Betty, confronts him about his true identity.

Don Draper's pursuit of Sally's teacher

Don Draper's pursuit of Sally Draper's teacher, Suzanne Farrell, begins when he meets her at a parent-teacher conference addressing Sally's misbehaviour. A few months later, Don sees Suzanne jogging and offers her a lift home. Intrigued by her idealism, he pursues her romantically.

Don tells Suzanne: "I can't stop thinking about you", and challenges her to admit the same. She confesses that she has been thinking about him too, but also states that she can foresee how a relationship with Don will end. "So what?" he replies, and the two kiss.

Suzanne tells him she doesn't care about his other commitments, "as long as I know you're with me". However, she is saddened by the fact that she and Don cannot dine in public together for fear of being seen. She also tells him that he seems deeply unhappy, and she is worried about that.

Don and Suzanne plan a secret vacation, but it does not take place. Don's wife, Betty Hofstadt, confronts him about his true identity, and he ends the affair with Suzanne. When he calls to break it off, Suzanne asks: "Are you okay?" to which Don replies: "Only you would ask about me right now."

Don and Suzanne's kiss

Don Draper, the creative director at Sterling Cooper, has a reputation for his infidelity and romantic conquests. One of his many affairs is with Sally Draper's teacher, Suzanne Farrell.

Don first meets Suzanne at a parent-teacher conference addressing Sally's misbehaviour. A few months later, he sees her jogging and offers her a lift home. Intrigued by her idealism, he pursues her romantically. Don tells Suzanne: "I can't stop thinking about you", and challenges her to admit the same. She confesses that she has been thinking about him too but knows how a relationship with a married man will end. Don, however, is unbothered by this and replies, "So what?", before kissing her.

Suzanne tells Don that she doesn't care about his other commitments as long as he is with her. However, she is saddened by the fact that they cannot dine in public for fear of being seen. She also expresses concern about his unhappiness. Despite this, the two plan a secret vacation. However, their plans are dashed when Don's wife, Betty, and their children return home early, and Betty discovers Don's hidden records revealing his true identity as Dick Whitman.

When Don calls to break off the affair, Suzanne asks, "Are you okay?", to which Don replies, "Only you would ask about me right now."

Don's someone like you comment

Don Draper's comment "Doesn't that mean anything to someone like you?" to Sally's teacher, Suzanne Farrell, is layered and revealing. Firstly, it reflects Don's fascination with Suzanne, who embodies a clash of personalities—a free-spirited, rebellious, and wholesome hippie, yet a nurturing schoolteacher. This combination intrigues Don, who is drawn to her innocence and unique outlook.

Secondly, the comment hints at Don's self-awareness of his moral bankruptcy. By asking "Why can't someone like you see what a piece of sh*t I am?", Don is calling attention to his flaws, almost as if challenging Suzanne to see past his façade. He is intrigued that someone like Suzanne, who is gorgeous, young, smart, strong, and morally upright, would fall for him despite his flaws.

Thirdly, the phrase "someone like you" suggests a sense of elitism and condescension. Don, considering himself upper-echelon, implies that Suzanne, as a schoolteacher, should care more about his interest in her. This sense of entitlement is not lost on Suzanne, who later expresses sadness at being unable to dine in public with Don for fear of being seen.

Finally, the comment also reflects Don's inability to fully understand Suzanne. The phrase "someone like you" illustrates his confusion about her complex character, which is part of her allure for him.

In conclusion, Don's comment is a revealing insight into his psyche, displaying his awareness of his own flaws, his sense of entitlement, and his fascination with Suzanne's multifaceted personality.

Suzanne's character

Suzanne Farrell, Sally Draper's teacher, is a graduate of Bowdoin College. She is described as idealistic, free-spirited, and a hippie. She meets Don Draper during a parent-teacher conference addressing Sally's misbehaviour. A few months later, Don sees her jogging and offers her a lift home, and the two begin a romantic relationship.

Suzanne is initially hesitant about the affair, but Don pursues her, helping with a class lesson and giving her lifts home. He tells her, "I can't stop thinking about you", and she admits the same. However, she also acknowledges that she can see how a relationship with Don will end, to which he replies, "So what?". They kiss and their relationship progresses.

Suzanne tells Don that she doesn't care about his other commitments as long as she knows he is with her. However, she is saddened by the fact that they cannot dine in public together for fear of being seen. She also expresses concern about Don's unhappiness.

The two plan a secret vacation, but it does not come to fruition as Don's wife, Betty, confronts him about his true identity, and he ends the affair. When he calls to break it off, Suzanne asks if he is okay, and he replies, "Only you would ask about me right now".

Suzanne is drawn to Don's idealism, innocence, and free spirit. She represents someone who is dragged into Don's world of lies and deceit, constantly nervous about being caught in public with him. Despite her hesitation, she falls for Don, seeing through him in ways other women haven't, telling him that she sees a lot of sadness in him.

The end of Don and Suzanne's affair

Don Draper, the creative director at a New York ad agency, has a reputation for his many affairs. One of these is with Sally Draper's teacher, Suzanne Farrell.

Don first meets Suzanne at a parent-teacher conference addressing Sally's misbehaviour. A few months later, he sees her jogging and offers her a lift home. Intrigued by her idealism, he pursues her romantically. Don tells her, "I can't stop thinking about you", and they kiss.

Suzanne is initially hesitant about the affair, knowing how it will end. She also knows about Don's other commitments and is saddened by the fact that they cannot dine in public for fear of being seen. She sees through Don in ways other women haven't, telling him that he seems deeply unhappy.

Despite this, the pair plan a secret vacation while his family is away. However, their plans are dashed when his wife, Betty, and the kids return home early. Betty discovers Don's hidden records and learns that he is really Dick Whitman. She confronts him, and he immediately ends the affair with Suzanne. When he calls her, she asks if he is okay, to which he replies, "Only you would ask about me right now".

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