It wasn't until Amazon's delightful comedy, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" swept the Emmy Awards this fall that we got around to streaming, okay, watching (is it cool or pretentious when one says that they "stream" a TV show or movie?) this terrific show, but better late than never as the saying goes. When the show began, Miriam "Midge" Maisel was a happily married woman in New York City in 1958. The personification of the "Jewish American Princess" stereotype, she had it all, a loving husband, two kids, a fabulous New York City apartment and an even more fabulous wardrobe. Then, her husband, who aspires to be a stand-up comic (he does Bob Newhart routines at a Greenwich Village club at night) announces he is leaving her (he's having an affair with his secretary), and Midge's life changes dramatically. She moves in with her parents (who have an even more fabulous apartment) and discovers that she has knack for stand up comedy. She hooks up with Susie Myerson, the assistant manager of that same Greenwich Village club where Joel has tried to perform, who becomes her manager, and starts her career as a stand up comic.
We absolutely love the character of Midge, played wonderfully by Rachel Brosnahan. Even when life kicks her in the teeth, she remains constantly positive and upbeat. She still loves
Rachel Brosnahan as Midge
her husband, Joel, and it is in her dealings with him after the split where she only shows moments of fear and self doubt, but she continues to troop on, and she is positively delightful. It must also be noted that the characters that surround Midge are also terrific. Alex Borstein plays Susie, the foul mouthed but secretly insecure manager. Tony Shaloub and Marin Hinkle are Abe and Rose Weissman, Midge's parents.
Brosnahan and Borstein
Midge and Susie
Zegan and Brosnahan
Joel and Midge
Brosnahan, Hinkle, and Shaloub
Midge, Rose, and Abe
Michael Zegan is Joel Maisel, Midge's husband, and, Kevin Pollack plays Moishe Maisel, Joel's father. They are just terrifically drawn characters.
Season One ended with Joel discovering that Midge is the gifted comic that he wanted to be, and she appears to make a breakthrough in her fledgling career.
Season Two became available on Amazon just last week, and in what is both the blessing and the curse of streaming TV series, we watched all ten episodes over the course of seven days. (What, we have to wait ANOTHER YEAR for Season Three!?!?! Damn.) If anything, Season Two has proven to be even better that the first season. I promised No Spoilers, and I will live up to that, but here are some of the highlights of Season Two:
- Terrific on location scenes (and story lines) in Paris for Episodes 1 and 2.
- Episodes 4, 5, and 6 center around the 1959 summer vacations of the Weissman and Maisel families at a Catskill Mountains resort. These three episodes alone make watching this series worthwhile. A scene of Midge doing an "initials dance" at the resort is wonderfully staged and played by Brosnahan. Also, long shots focusing on the cottage when the Weissmans arrive and the unpacking of the car when the Maisels arrive are simply hilarious.
- Episode 8 and the Yom Kippur break fast dinner at the Weissmans...fabulous and hilarious.
- Midge's breakthrough appearance on a cheesy New York telethon.
- The reappearance of comedienne Sophie Lennon, Midge's nemesis, as played by Jane Lynch.
Season Two ends with hints of big changes for many of the characters. Makes you wish Season Three was available like RIGHT NOW.
If you have access to Amazon Prime video and have not watched "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel", stop what you are doing right now and start watching. Yeah, I know it is the Christmas season, and that you are busy with a hundred-and-one other things to do, but, really, put them aside, maybe take a day off from work, and start watching right now. Two seasons, twenty episodes, each about an hour, give or take a few minutes, in length. Twenty hours. You could have it all watched in less than one calendar day.
You won't be sorry.
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