The world needs more women like Miriam “Midge” Maisel and you should be watching the Amazon Prime show right now. Set up in a Jewish household of late 1950s this show is a satire. Since its release in 2017, there was no award show where Mrs. Maisel didn’t win any; from the Golden Globes to the Emmys it has it all. What sets this show apart is that its the mockery on the situation that people put themselves in; instead of one liners that do not fit in the context often accompanied by a laugh track. One of the finest comedy series ever made highlighting a lot of flaws in the society.
The perfectly imperfect woman Mrs. Maisel
Mrs. Maisel is introduced to us as this rich flamboyant lady who seems to be untouched by the realities of life. An utopian household comprising of a husband who looks straight out of those romantic comedies and children who are nourished and raised with every comfort. She has the perfect life inside a bubble which just pops towards the end of the *PILOT*. Then there are the harsh realities of life thrown at her one after another and how she processes those emotions. She gets overwhelmed, throws a fit and then does every unconventional thing for a woman to do during those times (now as well?). She started as someone who dolls up for the man in her life then proceeds to not giving a damn about anyone, letting herself go and being the best she could become.
The dystopian reality of the world crumbling down.
What would happen to the girl whose husband asks for a divorce and the only highlight of her life was her wedding day? Often seen as flashbacks during the runtime of the show it is easy to figure out that her love for Joel Maisel and the conventional Jewish wedding was the only thing worth remembering in all these years of existence. She discovers of her husband’s affair and he leaves her dream abode. As a result she does everything that is loathed when a woman does that in a society. Gets drunk, shows up to a bar in minimal clothing, talks in foul language with the audience and ultimately strips. This moment is her epiphany, when she realizes that she was never meant to be the doll in the house and instead was destined for speaking her heart out and making people laugh.
The comedy of a broken heart
Mrs. Maisel begins her dream as a stand up comic backed by another strong character – Susie Myerson. The contrast in the detailing of Mrs. Maisel and Susie is something to look forward in this series. Susie is everything that any man doesn’t want in his woman of dreams. She doesn’t fit in the ideal beauty standard, she is tomboyish and places bets for a living. She does everything deemed manly in this utterly judgmental world and wins the heart of the audience. Just like Mrs. Maisel she isn’t shown to be perfect. She grows as a person and tries to stay away from every bad trait. The comedy of a broken heart is well proved. Mrs. Maisel jokes about her situation and often finds a place in the audience’s hearts.
The Bony and Clyde of comedy
Whenever I see this duo together on screen I often get Bony and Clyde vibes. Yes there exists some platonic love between the two. The two set on a conquest of earning their livelihood and living up to their dreams and defy word order. Women who joke and work in places isn’t entertained by any man in Mrs. Maisel’s life. We see beautiful characters like Abraham “Abe” Weissman ( Maisel’s father) who is the underdog. His character ages like fine wine and is a treat towards the end of Season 3. We see so many great characters whose description would fit as a SPOILER.
A writer’s dream – Mrs. Maisel
The show starts up with a lot of energy in order to prove itself. We have every scene as a definitive moment and there is more of the shenanigans of a new show to it. As the series progresses it slows down as we the audience are now aware of everything. Mrs. Maisel has made a place in our hearts, We root for her and Susie. We are okay with seeing Susie and Maisel sharing a drink and silently thinking about their situation. We are okay with seeing a character slow down and that’s when the writers take the front seat. They have got a lot of creative freedom throughout this show.
The characters are detailed so well that we resonate with everyone. We look into the minds of every person, we try to share their journeys. This shows is a treat to a creative mind looking for a visual escape coupled along with comedy.
