MAD MEN
SEASON FIVE

Episode 7: “At The Codfish Ball”

BY CHRISTOPHER HASKELL
APRIL 9, 2013

Don’s in-laws are in town. Henry’s mother trips over a phone cord, which is hilarious, bringing Sally and Bobby in on the festivities. Sally is turning into a young woman, wearing makeup and a party dress for Don’s award acceptance at the American Cancer Society ball, where he finds that no one wants to work with him after his letter in the paper (“bite the hand”). For reasons I’ll never understand, Peggy gets her hopes up, as she thinks lame-o Abe is going to propose (really, he wants to move in). Often I forget the period of this series, and Peggy’s mom’s freak out caused a double-take, but of course, she would react like that. Megan steps up with a brilliant idea for the Heinz campaign and pitches the ad in an impromptu meeting during a dinner date with no time to spare. Her success turns on Don. Speaking of turned on, Roger gets fresh with Megan’s mother, an image that Sally will not soon forget.