“Give me a whiskey,” a frantic Susie (Alex Borstein) barks in the very first episode of The wonderful Mrs. Maisel. “With a whiskey in it. Why the hell are you standing there? The intensity (and the humor) are cranked up to maximum in the final episodes of the Emmy-winning Prime Video show, which thankfully redeems itself from its mid-series slump.
Everything is there: the humor we’ve come to love, the pacing, the lightning-fast dialogue that only creator/writer Amy Sherman-Palladino manages to pound with purposeful intent. In a time when the world needs to laugh more and hit less – twist that however you like – The wonderful Mrs. Maisel gets the fantastic farewell it deserves. Here’s the overview of what to expect.
Ever heard of the one about the time jumps?
Since The wonderful Mrs. Maisel debuted in 2017, we knew the show, is set in the late 1950s, was a rare treat. With the confused but determined Midge Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan) as the robust centerpiece, viewers were taken into the polished – and then tarnished – enclaves of New York City as our witty mother of two pieced together her life after her husband left her. Comedy becomes her thing, of course, and with the help of talent manager Susie Myerson (Borstein in fine form), the show became an enjoyable Will She/Won’t She Make it Big romp.
Over the course of its run, the show garnered 66 Emmy nominations and 20 awards, including one for Outstanding Comedy Series, another for Brosnahan, two for Borstein for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and many others. What a wild ride it was when our sweet Midge, a woman who takes on the male-led comics of the day, tries to get her big break. Support players Tony Shalhoub and Marin Hinkle as Midge’s parents, and Michael Zegen as shady but loveable hubby Joel all shined. As are some of the show’s guest stars – from Jane Lynch to a great Luke Kirby who plays comic strip Lenny Bruce, Midge’s mentor and persistent love interest.
That being said, The wonderful Mrs. Maisel has never been a static show. Things move. The dialogue drives almost everything. Sure, seasons three and four may have divided audiences, but in round five, we’re getting a kind of renewal of the series. We find ourselves drifting in and out of Midge’s and gang life over many decades. To that end, this fitting sendoff, which clearly feels the pressure to wrap things up and tie everything in a colorful bow, feels like a vibrant kaleidoscope, occasionally shifting focus to a different spot in the Maisel universe. It is therefore off the table whether Midge will ever become great.
Viewers figure that out soon enough, but that doesn’t detract from the experience here, even if we’re taken decades ahead and learn all sorts of things — how Midge’s kids came to be, what happened to Joel and Susie. Writer Amy Sherman-Palladino even reveals a major twist about both Midge and Susie’s careers and how that plays out in their personal lives.
Ms. Maisel’s major turning points
In season five, a desperate Susie somehow gets Midge a new gig. But it’s not near the stage. It’s writing for The Gordon Ford Show. Enter Veep alum Reid Scott. You can almost feel that Emmy voters are already watching Scott’s picture-perfect performance here. Entering the all-male writers’ room, Midge remembers the career trajectory of the late, great Joan Rivers, a rare comic beast if there ever was one.
Midge tries to find material for the popular late-night talk show host, but has other things in mind. Gordon plays a more libidinous Johnny Carson here. There’s a spark between him and Midge. Susie wants her on the show. Will she continue? Tensions fly. How that plays out is great fun to watch, and it’s sure to land Borstein another Emmy nomination. And, quite refreshingly, here we learn more about Susie’s often-hidden private life than ever before. Bravo for how it all unfolds. Though some may squawk, “a little too late.”
Meanwhile, the housewife mafia that Rose, Midge’s mother, previously dealt with comes back into play. There’s also a fun storyline for housekeeper Zelda (Matilda Szydagis). Hank Azaria, Sutton Foster and Darren Criss also pop up for the final episodes. Just like Luke Kirby who continues to perfectly embody Lenny Bruce.
What is most striking about season five is how well Amy Sherman-Palladino has everything planned out. That may seem like a given, but the creator, as she had Gilmore Girls- and even its revival – does everything it can to speed things up without shocking the viewer with all the surprises.
Time jumps can be tricky, if not divisive. But you feel the ending coming all season long and like some of the shows we’ve come to love over the years — from Veep And You better call Saul Unpleasant Barry And native country – each episode effectively pulls us like a thread from the show’s creative tapestry. We are fully invested in the endgame. There are very few shows that can do that. The wonderful Mrs. Maisel do. And, to use the show’s vernacular, it really goes “tits up!”
Catch the latest season of The wonderful Mrs. Maisel on Prime Video, starting April 14.