The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

What's the title?

Marvelous Mrs. Maisel - Pilot

Who directed it?

Amy Sherman-Palladino

When was it released?

2017

Would I recommend it?

YES. Great characters, beautiful sets and costumes, and plenty of laughs from the mind behind Gilmore Girls. What’s not to love? (Although, fair warning, this is not a network show like GG, so the family-friendly quotient is diminished somewhat.)

What's it about? (non-spoilers)

During the 1950s in New York’s Upper West Side, perfectly put together house wife Miriam “Midge” Maisel is introduced to the city’s comedy scene by her husband’s professional aspirations, but finds that she’s the one with the knack for funny business.

What did you think? (spoilers)

Like every white millennial woman worth her pink Himalayan salt, I loved Gilmore Girls. The mile a minute dialogue, the flawed female protagonists, the complex family dynamics, the wry sense of humor – it was all so wonderful. Mrs. Maisel is not Gilmore Girls. It has the 1950s instead of early 2000s and traded in its Conneticut WASPs for New York Jews (Seriously, I cannot underscore how Jewish this show is – it’s wonderful). But those core features that made Gilmore Girls such a beloved show are on full display here as well.

Midge is a delightful heroine, which isn’t to say she isn’t flawed. She’s hyper competent, but also obsessed with appearances. She’s generous, but also uses her generosity to manipulate others to her own ends. She’s the kind of woman who can meet tragedy with her chin raised even as tears well her eyes. She’s also the kind of woman who measures her infant daughter’s head to make sure it’s not growing too big. In other words, she’s a nuanced and flawed individual, and I couldn’t help but root for her. I look forward to seeing more of her adventures as well as her family and friends (old and new).

Something I really appreciated about the pilot was how it handled Mr. Maisel. Midge clearly loves Joel and is devoted to her husband. His reveal to be a complete buttwipe is slow, which means that as the show begins we as the audience understand why Midge was with him in the first place. This is no strong, intelligent woman inexplicably doting on a hellhound – a trope whose persistence baffles me. Consequently the gut-punch of his leaving really hits. Sure I had my suspicions about this guy who clearly wasn’t good enough for Midge (but to be fair, no man alive would be good enough for Midge), but Midge trusted him, and I trusted Midge. Having those niggling doubts confirmed didn’t feel inevitable, and Midge’s consequent downward spiral felt well earned.

Oh, and what a downward spiral it is. She doesn’t fall to pieces. Not in front of Joel. Not in front of her parents. But she does go out to burn the city down. Seeing the perfectly composed Midge lose it, to let loose her true self in the process, is a sight to see. I couldn’t wait to see her next set, one that she’d actually planned and written, as opposed to an off the cuff rant to release of her pain. This was Midge in her element, and man could I watch a show about that.

This is one of the few times that I’ve finished an episode of TV and immediately wanted to watch it again. I’m over the moon that Amazon has decided to order two seasons of the series. Mrs. Maisel really is marvelous, and I want to spend as much time with her as possible.

#readsreels