Two months ago, I hated web advertisements. Specifically, I was irked that Amazon Prime makes you sit through ads before watching their streaming content. Then I saw the promo video for “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” My life (and opinion of trailers) has never been the same. I could not ignore Rachel Brosnahan’s performance from the trailer alone. I had to see the rest. So, bless up, commercials.
For those who haven’t seen it, the show stars Brosnahan as Miriam “Midge” Maisel, a 50s housewife turned NYC club-comic. When Midge’s husband leaves her for his secretary, she turns to stand-up comedy as a form of expression, independence, and emotional relief. She teams up with the quick-witted coffee club employee, Susie Myerson (Alex Borstein), to hone her act.
As I watched the pilot, I realized that this “Mrs. Maisel” show was everything I was looking for in great “TV” (or, in this case, streaming). It was wry, intelligent and silly. Though stylized and hyperbolic, realism is weaved through every episode. Here are five reasons to watch the whole first season of this Amazon original series. Be prepared for some plot spoilers along the way.
1. It's shamelessly, unrelentingly comedic
This should be no surprise — our protagonist is an up-and-coming comedian. The writing is built on humor. However, the show manages to turn dramatic, dismal situations into involving humor. One example is when Midge announces to her parents that Joel (her husband) has just left her. Their reaction is a compelling mixture of realistic despair and major parody.
Midge’s mother breaks down on the family’s couch, crying. She then runs room to room, screaming “holy sh*t!”
Her father, on the other hand, throws himself into his study and begins a frantic piano performance.
Their reactions are cartoonish and comedic — yet there is a certain sadness to them. They cannot understand that their daughter’s life can go on (and even be great) without a husband. “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” captures the social attitudes of its setting and imbues it with humor.
2. In my opinion, it's wonderfully feminist.
Before Joel leaves Midge, we learn that he himself is an amateur comedian — and he’s not funny. Like, at all. He steals his jokes from Bob Newhard, and he seems to ignore Midge’s sound advice. When he leaves her, Midge shows up at the comedy club that he’d flopped at earlier in the night. And she (albeit, drunkenly) wins her audience over with an array of jokes — all on the spot. No writing, no planning, no stealing. Unlike her husband, Midge is talented, original, and charismatic.
Several of the show’s characters view stand-up as a domain for men — but Mrs. Maisel continues to work on her act. She cannot be contained by the sexist paradigm in the industry. Susie encourages her to be remembered for something other than “a housewife or a mother.”
3. It privileges genuine self-expression and identity.
At the beginning of the show, Midge is seen as a devoted wife. In the evening, after she and Joel have gone to bed, she is seen rising to the bathroom. There, she puts a bevy of creams on her face and returns to bed. In the morning, she awakes before Joel just to remove these creams and makeup — just so that she can look “perfect” for him in the morning.
I take this sequence as a metaphor for self-censorship and gender performance. While she is married, Midge cannot let her husband see her “imperfections.” Yet once their marriage collapses, Maisel has no problem performing comedy drunk, in her pajamas, and soaked by the rain. The show shows that we don’t need to edit ourselves to the degree with often do — especially not for a man.
4. Its protagonist is allowed to grow and fail.
In the fifth episode, Midge bases her show on her new job at a department store — and it flops. Susie insists this is normal, that comedians have to fail to grow and learn what works.
This is an essential message for anyone going into creative fields: we will fail. And get back up. Sometimes it is comforting to see our heroes (Midge has already become one my heroes) not succeed at first. It’s relatable and realistic, and I love it.
5. Midge doesn't need Joel.
OK, MAJOR spoiler coming up. One night, Midge returns home after a set to see Joel waiting outside her apartment building. He says that he wants to fix their marriage, to get back together. “No,” she firmly states. When Joel asks why, Midge gives an iconic, powerful response: “Because you left.” Need I say more?
BONUS REASON: The whole pilot is up on YouTube for free!
To watch the show, you’ll need to pay for streaming on Amazon. Just reading about it might not be enough for you to actually spend money, so see how great it is for yourself, on Youtube, for free:
