Introducing a Very Funny Lady, Mrs. Maisel
Image Courtesy of Amazon Prime Video
By Isa Pardino
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is a delightfully raunchy, hilarious, and inspiring Amazon Original series that follows the life of Miriam (Midge) Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan), a young, Jewish woman-comedian living in New York City during the 1950s and ‘60s. The show starts off with a bang. Midge’s life begins to fall apart and the watcher is instantly hooked, wondering what could possibly happen next? This series is hysterical with its irreverent jokes, ranging from being a single mother to living with her parents. It will surely have the viewer laughing within the first fifteen minutes. The show is easily bingeable, allowing the viewer to become fully immersed in the storyline.
The show also discusses many topics which women in the ‘50s faced, like a lack of respect and rights that women possessed, and the viewer can see throughout the series as Midge is exposed to more and more of the world how her opinions begin to change and develop into feminist ideals.
Her resilience is unmatched; each time Midge is knocked down, she gets right back up and throws the next swing. When Midge is told that she cannot be a comic because she is a woman, and that “women aren’t funny,” she proves the haters wrong by being booked as the opening comic for a very popular performer in the show’s second season.
The character development throughout the show is apparent in many ways. This quote from the leading lady, Rachel Brosnahan (Midge), herself in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter sums it up all too well. She said of the series’ pilot episode: “We met her [Midge] when she’d hit rock bottom, drunk and half-naked in the comedy club in the middle of the night.” This is just the beginning of the beautiful, well-thought-out legacy of the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
The Emmy Award-winning series is currently on its fourth season and will continue for just one more season to give fans closure with Midge. There are a myriad of different characters who come into play throughout the series, some based on real people, while others are complete works of fiction. Nonetheless, the viewer will fall in love with each and every character that comes across the screen. Each character has something about them to which viewers can relate. Joel Maisel, Midge’s ex-husband, lives life on his whims and does not really think before he does things. While the viewer really wants to hate him for what happens between him and Midge, the viewer also gets to see his tender and protective side. He will never let anything bad happen to Midge. Susie Myerson is Midge’s manager, she is the first person to believe in Midge. Susie has no idea what she is doing as a manager, but that’s why you love her, the watcher wants Susie to figure it out and have the best outcome for Midge. Every character is clever, witty, flawed, and emotional, all characteristics to watchers are able to understand. When you watch this show, you feel like you are a part of Midge’s life, you feel like you are right there with her through the laughs, jobs, shows, and heartbreaks. This series is most definitely worth the watch. It is an exciting web of romance, family drama, and laughs; anyone who watches this show is sure to have good things to say and will recommend it to anyone who will listen.
