re: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Final Season - Premieres April 14th (Amazon) - Spoilers

One thing I liked about this show (and Mad Men) was the Fashion, and expectations for clothing and looking great in public, in the 50/60s was out standing.

I'd take that part of the era back in a second if it meant no more house shoes and jammies at the airport.

I took it was just showing the monetary success she had achieved to that point.

And that she preferred to hang out in a small room with a TV tray and a TV with her friend on the phone.

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She really was a terrible parent, but I think that was the point. Deep down she never wanted kids or a traditional family - the whole point of the "Don't" note she left herself. If she'd been born in the 80s or 90s she would have taken birth control and focused on becoming a star from the beginning, and no one would've thought twice about her choices.

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And to take the next step, you just couldn’t in any way make it in that world as a woman without completely fricking over your personal life. There are so many examples of that in show business and even more from back then. Also, she was a horrible parent by any standards, but not by tons for back then. Children were mostly ignored then. Keeping them fed, clothes, not hurting them physically, we’re mostly the expectations.

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second whoever said that the one thing we needed more of this final season was more Abe & Moishe scenes together.

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once Joel got rid of the horrible Asian his whole arc and story line was improved

Moishe and Shirley had some hilarious moments in the last few episodes, I was dying at the scene of them laying in the shower (like a wet Yak )

The scene of everyone calling Rose as soon as she put the phone back on the line was great as well.

I still think she and Joel would've gotten back together if not for prison.

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My wife watched the entire show and I sat with her so I got to see the whole thing even though I probably wouldn’t have watched it on my own. Some general thought that many will probably disagree with: At some point the show shifted to be more about Susie than Midge or anyone else. Susie seemed to be the central focus for the last couple seasons. Midge seemed like a secondary character a lot of the past few seasons. Midge was never really funny. The show would have been much better and more enjoyable if Midge was actually funny. The laughs seemed forced and unrealistic since we are supposed to believe that she stood out and broke barriers because of her talent. It undermined the whole premise. Lastly, the show clearly idolized Lenny Bruce and the show business life above everything else. There were the obligatory cautionary scenes about drug use and missing out on family relationships. But these seemed like lip service. People who choose their career over their kids are just bad … it doesn’t make it any more acceptable because she’s in show business. To me Midge was a terrible person but I think the show really believed that she was marvelous. The sets and overall production was first class

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Don’t think I’ve ever disagreed more with a post on TD. Though I do agree that it seemed like Susie became just as important to the story as Midge. But honestly, it needed it since Season 3 and 4 would have been even worse had they not made Susie a bigger part. She ultimately became a better, and more interesting character than Midge

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Midge was never really funny. The show would have been much better and more enjoyable if Midge was actually funny. The laughs seemed forced and unrealistic since we are supposed to believe that she stood out and broke barriers because of her talent. It undermined the whole premise.

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The humor was good for the time setting. The only unrealistic part was that she was drop-dead gorgeous at a time when successful comediennes were either comically unattractive or less than stunning (Phyllis Diller did a G-Rated photo shoot for Playboy, but when her handlers saw that she had a decent figure when they put her in stylish evening gowns, they backed out to stay true to her stage image). A performer like Midge would've killed as a TV sitcom star, but would've had an uphill battle as a stand-up. The character took a lot from Joan Rivers' life, though Rivers was never a head turner in the looks department.

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Definitely a heavy handed way of showing that she really doesn’t have anyone left except Susie.

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Not sure if it was mentioned yet, but Midge and Susie watching Jeopardy together is almost definitely a nod to Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner, who spent their last years getting together each evening to have supper and to watch Jeopardy. Seinfeld joined them for one of his Cars/Coffee episodes.

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Midge was never really funny. The show would have been much better and more enjoyable if Midge was actually funny. The laughs seemed forced and unrealistic since we are supposed to believe that she stood out and broke barriers because of her talent. It undermined the whole premise.

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This is ultimately something you have to just suspend disbelief on if you want to be able to fully appreciate the show.


Her sets were usually pleasant to clever, but never really believable as this REVOLUTIONARY act that was going to propel her to international superstardom that spanned decades (aside from the very first set she did where she killed it AND bared all. That sort of shocking act was actually believable as the kind of thing that would have made her legendary. But the subsequent sets throughout the series rarely had that kind of impact).


That made an otherwise outstanding finale (and final season really) just not quite fully deliver. Her set at the end was built up so much, FOUR MINUTES to glory, and ultimately it wasn’t even one of the better ones she’s done. Other than the bit about forgetting then remembering her kids’ names it wasn’t memorable at all really.

But the crowd, and Ford which comes off particularly cheesy, is side splitting laughing because this HAS to be what makes her the star that is still world famous 40 years later.

I held out hope the writers had been planning this for years and had a killer set ready, but it just wasn’t that. Would have been tough to pull off for sure, but they really whiffed on that last set imo.


Still, it worked if you put that aside and just accept that that’s how a crowd in the early 60s would have reacted.


I actually really like the idea that someone mentioned above, that it would have been great if Midge ended up blowing up as a sitcom star, and standup was just what got her there. She totally could have been a Mary Tyler Moore type sensation, and that’s actually what they probably should have done. Make her such a success in the writers room that she gets her own show and blows up into America’s sweetheart in TV and movies for decades. She was absolutely believable as charming and lovable in a sitcom type setting imo.

Hell, the show could be based on her life, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel. A precursor to Seinfeld basically.

It actually would have made a lot of sense, showing this house wife working to make it as a standup. A show about The Show.

I actually kept thinking she was going to replace Ford somehow, and that’s how she became a star, First Lady of late night. Either of those options would have been more believable than her becoming this titan of the entertainment industry just through her standup imo.


Still, this season got back to what made the first season so good, and I’m glad for that.

The scene where Joel goes to mob to get Midge’s freedom was outstanding, and a really fitting end to what he was about and where he ended up.

The roast of Susie was top notch and the video at the end got a lil dusty. Very well done.

Abe’s realization after seeing Esther’s genius was pretty damn powerful, even if that philosophical discussion with his friends at the table felt a little forced for a 60s era round table. The idea was still really poignant and I loved it.


Rose being overwhelmed with calls to make it to the show after thinking Midge didn’t invite her was one of the best moments of the series imo.


All in all this is a show we will miss, and looking forward to seeing what Brosnahan does next

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Her bit on the show wasn't that good to me compared to others in previous seasons.

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I agree that was my take as well, I would say several bits they've shown over the years were better/funnier. But I enjoyed the finale overall.