Authored by Caroline Berteletti
With four Emmy Awards, two Golden Globes, a few Critics Choice Awards, and a couple more flashy trophies to show only after the show’s first season, it’s no wonder everyone is absolutely raving over Amazon Prime’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. You truly haven’t experienced “funny” until you’ve seen this show. Created by the very same genius behind the iconic series Gilmore Girls, Amy Sherman-Palladino wows audiences everywhere with another captivating storyline.
Set in New York during the late 1950s, mother and housewife Miriam “Midge” Maisel’s life begins to take a dramatic, yet hilarious shift. As an optimistic, eccentric, and motivated young woman, Midge seemed to have the seemingly idyllic life; financially comfortable, perfect husband, two lovely children, and a charming personality, there’s no question that Midge was content with her circumstances. However, things take a turn when Midge discovers her husband has been cheating on her with his secretary. The situation brings Midge to discover a hidden talent that brings light into her currently falling apart life. Out of sheer rage, a bit of embarrassment, and a lot of alcohol, Midge finds herself on the stage of her crummy local bar, “The Gaslight,” performing an impromptu stand up comedy bit. Her performances have the crowd clutching their stomachs they’re laughing so hard, but the police right outside the bar hear the commotion and have a different opinion on her jokes. With the profanity and explicit content used in her bit, the police find it too inappropriate for their 1950’s standards, especially when it’s coming out of the mouth of a woman. Midge is ultimately arrested, but this moment is the very start of her captivating journey that leads her away from her lavish life on the Upper West Side of New York, to the dimly lit yet promising world of nightclubs and bars where she strives to make it as a star in comedy.
Though the show is called “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” Mrs. Maisel isn’t the only character with fascinating and humorous qualities. The show also consists of the loud mouthed, troubled past, yet uproarious Suzy Myerson. Suzy discovers Midge during her first performance at the Gaslight, where she works, and Midge agrees to having Suzy become her manager. Together the two work with each other to make Midge a household name, their opposite personalities often clashing to become hilarious yet genuine business partners and friends.
Midge’s husband Joel at first comes off as an arrogant and overly demainding man, but as the season goes on he is revealed as a much more reasonable and loving person. He discovers Midge’s secretive comedy career when he pushes through a crowd at a nightclub to see his estranged wife upon the stage. He angrily walks out because prior to his and Midge’s split, Joel’s biggest dream was to become a comedian, and jealousy overcomes him as he sees Midge successfully becoming what he never could. Joel, however, eventually becomes acceptive and supportive towards Midge and her career, and the two remain on good terms in regards to their children, but do occasionally fall into old habits when romantic memories come up from their past.
Midge continues to keep her hidden talent a secret from her family. Her parents, Abe and Rose Wisemen, are unaware of their daughters explicit and grungy nightlife. The two are only concerned that their daughter meets their upper class Jewish standards, which Midge is already failing at by being apart from her husband. Though the two are both very reserved compared to the rest of the characters, Midge’s Parents play a fundamental role in what makes this show so funny. With sarcastic comments and perfectly timed one-liners, Abe and Rose Wisemen never fail to crack a laugh out of anyone watching. Other recurring characters come in and out of episodes, such as Midge’s brother Noah, the seemingly perfect son to their parents, Noah’s Jewish obsessed wife Astrid, and many more characters with utterly captivating qualities.
The actors behind the characters are the glue that holds your eyes on the screen. Rachel Brosnahan, a 27 year old actress, won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, a TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Comedy, a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, as well as a Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series, all for her role in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She is what makes Midge Maisel so appealing. Brosnahan’s acting makes you feel like you’re apart of the story, right there with all the excitement and laughter. There’s a connection you feel to the character; you smile when things are going well in her life, cringe with her when she faces failure, and cry when things become overwhelming for her. You’ll become invested in her, in her journey, her obstacles and triumphs, but overall, you’ll become invested in the overall show and the laughter it offers.