Warning: There are spoilers ahead.
The 1950s were an era that had very strict gender roles. Men worked to provide for their family and made all the decisions, while women were expected to look pretty for their husbands and do all the small things to make life appear perfect.
Perfect.
That’s exactly what Miriam “Midge” Maisel thought of her life before the unexpected happens. After bombing his set at a comedy club, Midge’s husband, Joel, decides to leave her.
The Amazon Prime original series “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” which premiered in October 2017, follows Midge as she picks up the pieces of her life and assumes a role she never thought of before, a comedian.
The series was met with high expectations due to the reputation of its creator and writer, Amy Sherman-Palladino.
Sherman-Palladino is known for her successful quirky family series “Gilmore Girls.” Fans of that series have described Sherman-Palladino’s writing as smart, witty and one-of-a kind.
Despite the early end to her show “Bunheads,” which premiered in 2012 and ended after its first season, Sherman-Palladino always delivers a series with a specific type of comedic timing and humor. This series is no exception.
The series follows the disarray that is Midge’s life after her husband leaves her — in the first episode, no less.
Although each episode is around an hour long, Joel leaving Midge is completely unexpected. Sadly, viewers don’t get a separate view of an affair or secret life to understand the reasoning behind the separation.
Viewers must wait until the final episode of the season to learn Joel’s side of the story.
All of that confusion creates the basic plotline for the series as Midge, distraught and puzzled at the situation, wanders in a drunken-stupor through the late-night streets of New York. Then, she arrives at the scene where everything comes to a head, Gaslight Cafe.
Once Midge arrives at the comedy club, wine bottle in tow, she stumbles on stage and starts sharing the traumatic events that just became her life. Her honesty and complete lack of filter win over both the crowd and the club talent booker. They are left amazed and shocked by this average housewife making them uncontrollably laugh in the wee hours of the morning.
Then, because of the exhilarating feeling Midge gets from being on stage, she becomes a bit unhinged and starts cursing before dramatically exposing her breasts when comparing them to the woman her husband left her for.
Midge is arrested by local police for public indecency and performing without a comic’s license.
Surprisingly, Midge is released because her bail was posted by the talent booker from the club, Susie Myerson. Myerson tells her that she has a lot of talent and could be a great comedian with practice.
Midge realizes her obsession with detail for her husband’s nighttime comedy career, which contrasts his morning business day job, stems from her own admiration of the art.
After some consideration, Midge decides she is going to rebuild her life, become an independent woman and become a successful comedian.
The rest of the series follows the ups and downs of Midge’s life as she becomes more knowledgeable of life outside of her typical housewife bubble.
Learning isn’t something Midge takes lightly. In fact, in one episode, she makes it a point to mention that while in college she was the best at studying and that she plans on learning everything possible about comedy.
Overall, while the series has a bit of a rushed set-up, in that short time you build a bond with the characters. From Midge and her parents; to her friends, the Cleary’s, and Joel’s parents, Sherman-Palladino does a great job of creating complex, well-developed characters in double time.
Due to the positive reception from fans, season two of the series is already in production. Filming began in March, and viewers can expect to delve further into Midge’s effort to find balance in her newfound independent life.
Rachel Brosnahan, who plays Midge, did an interview with IndieWire and said the new season will further explore her character’s different worlds, including being a mother and a comedian.
"By the time we leave her at the end of season one, she’s a working woman with a job, and she’s also trying her hand at stand-up comedy. And those three worlds, they don’t work together very well. So I look forward to watching her struggle to maintain those three different identities simultaneously,” Brosnahan said.
While the release date for the second season has yet to be set, fans of the show can rejoice in knowing that there won’t be another long wait between seasons, as it has been reported that the show has already been picked up for a third season.
