I enjoyed the first season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, released on Amazon Prime back in 2017. The episodic tale of a late 1950s Jewish housewife turned comedian was fresh and funny, for the most part. It had promise, almost like a modern version of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. It would have worked as just a single season. But, success spawns sequels, or, in this case, additional seasons, as the show is around episodes long per season.
Sometimes sequels work. Sometimes they subvert and destroy the original material. In this case, the second season actually brought a freshness beyond the first. It introduced new characters new locales, and remained funny. However, the writers seemed unable to let go of the main character’s relationship with her cheating husband. This did not bode well for a third season, for it would seem that the creators didn’t give Mrs. Maisel enough credit to stand on her own.
True to expectations, this relationship issue was part of the downfall of season three. The show also telegraphed miserable decisions by multiple characters, as well as political viewpoints from the 21st century imposed on the 1950s, and I stopped watching the show after the third episode; I caught up on the plot by reading reviews and recaps, which confirmed what I anticipated. The ending was grim, a drastic fall from grace that deflated the very promise of seasons one and two.
I didn’t plan on watching season four, released in February 2022. Reluctantly, I read a brief recap, and it didn’t see too bad. Only two episodes had been released at that time, and I went ahead and watched them both. The misery of the last season has certainly left its traces, but there’s a bit of hope left in the show. I’m not sure what the writers have planned for the season of the season, or the final fifth season. I suspect Mrs. Maisel will return to her husband permanently at some point, thus defeating the very premise of the show.
What makes the show somewhat funny comes down to the characters. Mrs. Maisel, aka Midge, aka Miriam, has her moments. Her mother is annoying, her father unintentionally funny, her husband (or ex-husband), a strange jerk, her in-laws are definite jerks, her best friend is funny in an axe-sharpened way, her manager strange, and there’s an entire array of other characters who are brilliantly written and brilliantly cast.
What makes it unfunny really is her comedic act, and the seeming lack of purpose in her life. She changes gears from perfect housewife to so-called comedian (although she just riffs on views about men/women and religion) at will. She wants to be famous, yet torpedoes her own career. She has a terrible manager, and neither of them have any idea of how to manage money. She floats through life, a privileged life. Her New York is a fantasy. Her whole world is a fantasy.
The show has been renewed for a fifth and final season. This, in a way, is a good thing. Having it continue past it’s use-by date would be a disservice. One can only hope that there remaining episodes of season four shows her the path to success, either professionally or personally, and that it doesn’t end with her wedding her ex-ex-husband for the third time.
