The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: Is It Worth The Hype?

Tits up!

I’ve been wanting to write about this show for a couple of seasons now. The 4th season finale was released on Prime Video last Friday, so it was finally time. The 5th season has already been announced and should be the final one, concluding this unique show.

I didn’t jump on the Maisel train right away. I wanted to — the trailer released back in 2017 was pretty exciting — but I didn’t have access to Prime Video. The show stayed in the corner of my mind, even more enticing after the many awards they received.

I watched the first 3 seasons twice. The first time, I fell in love. The second time, I paid attention to details. One thing I know for sure: it is a good show.

Premise

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel was created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, the same writer that created Gilmore Girls. I was a big fan of Gilmore Girls growing up, but rewatching it, I can tell it didn’t stand the test of time.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is different. It is set at the end of the 50s and the beginning of the 60s — the stand of time is not as much an issue as it is in the past.

The show follows Miriam — Midge — Maisel at a turning point in her life. As her family life falls apart, she finds comfort in an unexpected place: a club stage where she performs comedy for strangers.

Characters

The plot is somewhat simple: a woman trying to free herself from society’s expectations and pursue what she is truly meant for. But a good plot is not enough to make a good show. It also needs compelling characters, inspiring, lovable, and humans.

We’re tired of seeing characters so good they don’t make mistakes or characters that make mistakes without learning. Here, the different arcs are well done. We root for them because we know them and we understand them. They are well defined, they have clear objectives, motivations, and they make sense!

Midge Maisel is a fighter and a free mind. All she wants is to be able to do comedy and be respected for who she is, not for who is her husband, or her father, and so on. She is stubborn, makes mistakes, and has to face the consequences. She is not a perfect woman, or a perfect mom, which she uses in her act.

Susie Myerson, her manager, is one of a kind. Like Midge, she is working in a men’s world and is just trying to make it. She believes in Midge and her clients, and beyond her abrasive comments, she has a good heart. She comes from nothing and doesn’t let Midge forget her privileges. It is deeply satisfying to watch her grow as a manager and a person.

Most characters have something in common: they are lost. They don’t quite fit anymore in their roles. They have to reinvent themselves to find happiness and purpose.

I also wanted to mention Moishe and Shirley. They are not lost. While other characters are going through a journey, they stand pretty still. They help the rest of them navigate to find what they already have. They are quirky, on the verge of crazy, but we learn to appreciate them. Plus, season 4 do them justice.

Beyond writing

The plot is intriguing, the characters are well written, but it doesn’t stop here. The power of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is everything that goes around and beyond good writing.

The actors are good. Sincerely good. I didn’t know Rachel Brosnahan before but I won’t forget her after. She was born to play this role. I don’t know where Rachel stops and Midge start, but she makes it work. She makes us laugh, she makes us sad, and often she makes us mad.

Alex Borstein shines so brightly it’s hard to look away when she is on screen. She embodies well the fun and humanity of Susie.

Marin Hinkle and Tony Shalhoub as Midge's parents are perfect. I loved them so much. Perfect really is the word. They’re strict, lenient, happy, grumpy, ridiculous, proud, funny, heartbreaking, obnoxious, full of themselves and so pure. They capture the absurdity that life can be.

Michael Zegen does a great job as Joel, giving a character at first easy to hate some dimension. He is more than a cheater, more than just a suit. He is a dreamer too and has responsibilities too. He goes on a similar journey as Midge. Parallel, but not bound to coexist perfectly. Joel becomes a responsible successful man before our eyes, which is made possible by Zegen's performance.

Every single actor does a fantastic job, from Zelda to Imogene to Mrs. Moskowitz. It is truly an ensemble show, each of them being an essential piece of the puzzle.

Costumes are beautiful. Looking at Midge's dresses, I know I was born in the wrong era. The reconstitution is pretty well done, the music fits and the atmosphere is compelling.

But is it funny?

Yes, it is, but not always the way you expect it to be.

The stand-up scenes are not my favorite. Sure, Midge is good, and Rachel Brosnahan can compete with Lauren Graham when it comes to talking. She made me smile more than she made me giggle. I appreciate that her act goes beyond dick jokes and often speaks about something bigger than herself.

I did giggle, though. Midge and Susie’s banter is funny, so are many ensemble scenes. The show leans on situational comedy as well as ridiculous more than on punchline. We laugh at the absurd conversations, the ironic comments, and the dry observations.

Is it for you?

Well, this one is up to you. I believe it is truly a good show in a sea of mediocre television and cheap writing. It is not perfect — nothing is — but I looked forward to the next episode each time.

Now, I have to point out that there’s a lot of feminism. That’s kind of the point. She is a woman in a men’s world, trying to make it. She does speak up about woman’s place in society and highlight a few behaviors that are unfortunately too often still a reality.

If you hate feminism, or just don’t want to hear about it, it is not for you.

I’m also deeply happy and grateful to let you know they didn’t follow the unfortunate trend of musical episodes. Yes, some people will sing, but it is because they are singers in the show. No random singing and dancing here.

It was also a pleasure to see familiar faces from Gilmore Girls, as well as Jason Ralph from The Magicians (another good show). It’s been fun to see friendly faces pop up for an episode or two.

If you watch the show, take time to appreciate the camera work. A few scenes are shot with only one camera, following and moving around the characters. It is a pretty unique technic and helps differentiate the show. It gives it dynamism and mirrors the vitality of the actors.

A few of Midge’s acts were truly memorable but the one that stayed with me is the last one she performs at the end of season 4. She talks about men being the leaders, hospitals full of busy doctors, and attentive nurses. As she goes on, she talks about women being the real leaders and concludes with this sentence.

“ What if we discover one day that we were always the ones in charge… just, no one told us.”

I don’t know about you, but I can relate. If the world was to fall apart, I’ll turn toward women to pick it up and fix it — not because we would want to, but because we would have to.

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