I don't know about the rest of you but compared to Salvatore kissing the bellboy I found the rest of the episode rather bland. i could care less about the British invasion at sterling cooper.

my only fear is this experience with Don might send him deeper into the closet.

My observation is that the other two first episodes were not "slam-bang" openers either.  I found Don's opening birthday recollections touching and hoped that Mother Whitman's loss of a girl was not foreshadowing the outcome of Betty's pregnancy.  One of the beauties of the show is the way that each episode carefully builds the storyline piece by piece until the climactic rush of events in the concluding episode.

Sal seemed rather relieved when Don did not confront him on the plane but instead pitched the "London Fog" idea.  While Don seemed surprised at what he saw through Sal's window while on the fire escape, his on life has taught him the value of keeping the skeletons in one's closet, so he's very good at keeping the secrets of others (i.e. Peggy and her baby). (Interesting concept, Don on the outside looking in on Sal's secret...)

My guess is that Don will keep it all under his hat.

"My guess is that Don will keep it all under his hat."

That is what I took from the episode, also. When he is talking to Sal on the plane about London Fog, he looks directly at him and says meaningfully, "Limit your exposure." I think there was a double meaning there, and I think Sal got the message loud and clear. Don isn't going to talk, but it was a warning, nontheless.
Too bad for Sal that a fire interupted his little affair. Did anyone else think that bellboy really, really overstepped his bounds? Had he miscalculated, he could have been beaten, or worse.

I don't know if I think the bellboy overstepped his bounds, (anymore than the stewardesses did). I think the bellboy read Sal right. When Sal was preparing to tip him, the bellboy stood really close. Any man who wasn't interested would have stepped back -- way back! -- and given him a dollar bill and a puzzled look. Or a sock to the jaw.
__________________

Quite right - I imagine he could have been discharged.
I agree that the bellboy read Sal correctly - but we know that only in hindsight. I believe the point of the scene was to emphasize the risk that both men were taking until each knew the other was "game."

yeah that part shocked me
I'm wondering what the bellboy saw in Sal?
I think Don will not say anything either

The bellboy did "read" Sal right (Note the glance back in the elevator - very quick but very there) -- I belive the workd for it is "Gaydar"

OK Gaydar explains it

I also found both episodes flat
Not sure why
Could be because the Novelty wore off
Seemed to lack as much "substance" as the previous ones

I think I'll go have a Patio

Big change is definitely afoot. The innocence
is washing away. With the arrival of the Brits
and the developments this week at S-C, with the
cancellation of the work on the Penn Station
account, I actually saw a LOT of my own
former workplace. Don and Sterling and Cooper are
now merely middle management, second guessed
and told what to do by new directors who don't know squat about the local industry or market.  I think we all hate change. And we don't want our protagonists (they're not really heros) to lose their leadership and power.
But that's what's happened.

I think the two big things that happened to Sal:

1. First real encounter with another man
2. Don knowing but not judging him for it, especially not in the workplace

Might actually make him more comfortable with his feelings... not that he will be coming out any time soon.

It was more of a coming out to himself.  I'm thinking we might see some more Sal action this season.

i feel sorry for any gay/in the closet man/woman in that time period!

I definitely agree and hope to see more of Sal - he is one of the more interesting characters on a show packed with them.

I think eventually Sal will recognize that Don is the one of his closest soulmates - both are desperately passing in a dog eat dog industry.