WARNING: I have attempted to keep this review as spoiler free as possible – but there are a few minor spoilers ahead (particularly for episode one).
It’s 1958 New York, and Midge Maisel is the epitome of the perfect 1950s Jewish housewife – married well, two children, and living on the luxurious Upper West Side all while attempting to support her husband’s failing stand-up career. Whether making the perfect beef brisket, or bickering with her mother about her fitness regime, Mrs Maisel seems to be living her best life – until Joel Maisel, her husband, after a spat at the comedy club, reveals that he has been having an affair with his secretary, the unfortunately named Penny Pann. Heartbroken and facing divorce, Midge drunkenly stumbles down to the comedy club and in a fit of rage impulsively performs a stand-up routine – a routine so good it catches the eye of comedy club employee Suzie Meyerson, but also the NYPD, who arrest her for public indecency and obscenity. The rest of the five-season series follows Midge’s attempt to break through as a comedienne in a male-dominated world.
If it was not clear from the fact that I could pretty much recite the first episode from beginning to end, then I hope it is clear from the following review how much I love this series, and despite a few bumps in the road, this series should be considered a must-watch. It’s not easy for a historical drama to perfectly strike the balance between fast-paced witty comedy and also deeply poignant moments that encapsulate the frustration of a woman receiving push-back after push-back in a society that is not made for her, yet this is something Marvellous Mrs Maisel does again and again.
The series powerfully forefronts female friendship as its key theme and plot point across the five seasons. The friendship between Suzie and Midge is arguably the most important relationship within the show, even if the title of ‘friend’ is something Suzie continually rejects throughout, preferring the manager-client relationship. Whilst the show does present Midge with a lot of romantic relationships throughout the shows run, many of which are particularly compelling to follow, the series continues to bring the focus back to this platonic relationship. Suzie and Midge becoming friends, despite the vast differences between their personalities, identities and socio-economic backgrounds, not to mention their frequently troubled working relationship, truly adds a warmth and a heart to show. It is very unfortunate, that, even now, TV shows that have female protagonists are still overwhelmingly focused on romantic relationships, yet Marvellous Mrs Maisel does not sell itself out to this convention, instead perhaps even benefitting from it, making the series, created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, feel fresh and authentic when it premiered in 2016.
Suzie and Midge are two of the perhaps most fully realised characters in the show, perhaps another reason why their friendship is so enjoyable to work. Imperatively, whilst they are characters that are undeniably empathetic, Sherman-Palladino really delves into their flaws as well as their accomplishments. Midge is incredibly funny, charming and driven, but she is in no way perfect; sometimes she is selfish and downright frustrating. This is perhaps best exemplified in her interactions with Shy Baldwin, a black singer who also is a closeted homosexual. Midge ultimately struggles to recognise her own privilege in relation to Shy, and perhaps leads to one of her greatest mistakes within the series. The show also makes a point, although humorously, that Midge is not a particularly attentive mother. The more Midge steps away from her perfect housewife existence, the more she recognises that her ambition and skills do not lend themselves to be a stay-at-home mother – in fact if she were not born in the time period that she was, she would probably not even have her children. It’s a small point for the show to include but powerful, nonetheless. It would be unreasonable in any time period, let alone the 1950s to depict a woman such as Midge to be able to ‘have it all.’ Whilst many other characters, such as her and Joel’s parents, often lean far more to the comedic side of the show, aspects of the characters that show them to be ultimately human help further keep the show rooted in reality – it is, after all, a historical drama, based on a real-life comedienne, Joan Rivers.
Although Midge and Suzie are the main relationship focussed on in the show, Midge does have a selection of romantic love-interests throughout the show. Perhaps the most interesting (and for me, best – but that’s up for debate) relationship she does have is with Lenny Bruce. Lenny Bruce was, in fact, a real comedian, famous for satirical comedy, and was frequently arrested for his most subversive comedy. The show uses Lenny as a model of the ups-and-downs of being a comedian, but also as a great inspiration for Midge. Sherman-Palladino perfectly blends the comedic-politics of Lenny Bruce, with the easy charm of the character Lenny, and it is a relationship that carries throughout the whole of the series. Midge’s on-and-off relationship with Joel Maisel, her husband, is another relationship that shifts and evolves throughout the series and provides a compelling counter to Bruce. Similarly entertaining, is her relationship with her eccentric family, who provide a hilarious backdrop to Midge’s homelife, particularly since they are often hopelessly clueless to what Midge actually does as a stand-up. ‘Are you a singer?’ seems to be the typical refrain of the parental questioning for the first two seasons.
Overall, The Marvellous Mrs Maisel, is undoubtedly, in my humble opinion, worth a watch. It was one of the first original streaming successes on Amazon, and it is very easy to see why. Costumes (particularly Midge’s extensive clothing collection), characters and relationship are all incredibly joyful as well, and it meshes heartwarming joy, comedy and historical drama masterfully to create an amazing watch.
