By: Amanda Valentine | Staff Writer
If the impeccable costume design of every character in the show isn’t enough to get you hooked at first glance, you’ll find yourself enrapt by Miriam “Midge” Maisel’s contagious energy and her curious way of navigating her chaotic life.
At the show’s opening, Midge, played by award-winning actress Rachel Brosnahan, is not much more than a 1950s New York housewife-though a spunky and creative one at that. She quietly supports her husband Joel’s start-up comedy career from the audiences of his shows, happily fulfilling her role as the behind-the-scenes organizer of a career for which he will receive all the credit.
However, her life is completely uprooted when Joel leaves her suddenly, and she finds herself without even her family to fall back on. Shocked, she ends up at the café where Joel would perform, and drunkenly forces the stage. She copes with the complete joke that her life has become by, well, joking about it. Through that one night, she unknowingly launches her own comedy career.
Born from the brilliant mind of Amy Sherman-Palladino, who also created Gilmore Girls, it is no wonder that the show is so perfectly executed. Every aspect is well developed, from a soundtrack of beloved Jazz Age crooners to brilliant frames full of color. As dazzling as the visuals are, the show’s script is the true star. It is filled with quick, witty dialogue as well the fast-talking delivery that is signature of that in this era. The characters who deliver those lines are captivatingly unique and complex, such as Midge’s quirky son Ethan and her brilliant, no-nonsense career manager Susie (not Susan).
Despite its marketing as a comedy show, the best part of the Amazon Prime series may be its foundation upon heart and vulnerability. It explores and details not only the complex range of emotions that come with falling out of love, but also the pain and joy of navigating how to heal a love that has been broken.
Though they may have an *unofficial* divorce, and trust has been broken, Midge and Joel still have two kids for whom to care, as well as years of memories together. At times they struggle to even be civil, and at other times they secretly wish to recover what they had. Even when they are out of sync and wanting different things, it is impossible not to root for both of them, as their separate perspectives are detailed, drawn out, and heart-achingly human.
Midge’s struggle doesn’t end in her personal life, though. Not only is the field of comedy frowned upon and labeled indecent and risky by her family, but it is also dominated by men. Such is that dominance that many female comedians often have to use in self-ridicule in attempt to garner fame. Despite the constant flow of sexist comments toward Midge, she refuses change for anyone. She persists with comedy routines that are honest, confident, and real. Very few women of her age at her time would have the confidence to so openly voice their grievances about their husbands, their coworkers, or their children’s oddly-shaped foreheads. Her sheer truthfulness and ease are so odd that audiences are captivated by her.
Midge is an incredible female role model both on and off stage she speaks her mind and works tirelessly for her goals, all while maintaining an air of grace and kindness. She does not dwell on her losses, even keeping her chin up through a messy divorce and an entertainment industry pitted against her. Her sense of empowerment is both courageous in that decade and inspiring in today’s.
I personally managed to watch all 18 episodes filled with themes of love and comedic repartee in two weeks (probably less; that’s a pretty generous binge-watching estimate). Season three may not be released until this fall, so take your time with this one, or else you’ll be stuck thinking about the season two finale cliffhanger for months on end.
One Comment