Outlet: Amazon Prime Video
Net: Great story; lots of laughs; wonderful characters; Almost everyone will like this!
Introduction: Miriam Maisel has the perfect life as the perfect Jewish wife in New York in the 1950's. And it's no wonder - she's been working at it for years, and she's very good at what she does. She has two children (a boy AND a girl), an apartment in the same building as her parents, and a husband with a good job. Her husband even has an unusual interest in addition to his good job, so Miriam supports him, working her Midge magic to get him better opportunities. Everything is perfect. Until it isn't. Her perfect life is thrown into ruins -- at least, "ruins" using the definition she, her friends, her family, and her upper-class Jewish culture all agreed on. Now what?
OK, folks, here is one of the "reviews" I'm going to write which will be in two sections. This first part contains no spoilers. I bet if you've heard even a little bit about this show, you know more than I'm going to tell you in the non-spoiler section. But there are some things I can say without spoilers.
This is a very funny show! The writing is crisp, the comedy very well built on reality, on pathos, on character. Speaking of characters, there may be no more lovable character in the shows on The List than Miriam Maisel. And her father is played by Tony Shaloub of "Monk" fame. Think about this: have you ever seen Tony Shaloub in something and not enjoyed it? He plays a college math professor, completely entrenched in the 1950s role prescribed by his job, culture and status as father and husband. Though he is not the primary character in this show, he has foils in his daughter, his wife, and his wife's father-in-law, and those interactions are worth the price of admission.
But it's Miriam's show. Sometimes called "Midge," Miriam has to figure out how to adapt to a very different life than she planned, while dealing with the outrageous (but historically and culturally accurate) expectations placed on her. As you'd expect, she faces trials and roadblocks, but she starts to find her way into a new normal -- a normal that is quite abnormal, in the eyes of everyone she knows.
I can recommend this show to everyone. Now, admittedly, there is a little brief nudity, so if you are completely put off by that (I think there are still a few people in the world) then have someone tell you when to close your eyes for 2.7 seconds. The nudity is actually important to the story. And, yes, there are some "bad words" but nothing out of the ordinary for mature fare these days. And a few sexual innuendo comedic moments. But seriously? You will laugh. And you will fall in love with Mrs. Maisel.
(This post is part of The List.)
OK, now I put in the SPOILER buffer so I can say a bit more to people who don't mind that sort of thing, or who have seen the show and want to see what I have to say about it.
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Most of what I'm about to write comes from the very first episode.
Miriam's husband, Joel, wants to be a stand-up comic. Or, at least, he wants to work at it enough that he and Miriam leave the two children with her parents and their housekeeper on some evenings and go to a club where he can try out his act. After one disappointing night at the club, Joel informs Miriam that he doesn't like the life he has, and leaves her. Just like that.
Now, Miriam is suddenly a woman whose husband has left, and is on a path to becoming a divorcee. This is not the path she planned for.
There is nothing about this situation which is Miriam's fault. Yet, in the 1950s social web in which she lives, the repercussions fall hard on her, as does the blame, and the responsibility to fix her situation.
Overwhelmed by her complete lack of control, Miriam gets very drunk, goes to the club where Joel had performed, gets on stage, and tells the audience her troubles. And she makes them laugh. Oh, does she make them laugh!
She also gets arrested.
For the rest of the 10 episode season, the consequences of that fateful sequence of events transform her life, as Miriam has to figure out what to do now that she is not the wife in a married couple, and now that she has seen a skill in herself she had never dreamed she had.
A couple of other character notes.
Alex Borstein plays Susie Myerson, who recognizes the raw talent Miriam displays, and wants to throw her lot in with the hero. But she is no ordinary sidekick. Not by a long shot.
Luke Kirby plays Lenny Bruce. Yes, THAT Lenny Bruce. I want to believe this show is based on history just so I can imagine this is what Lenny Bruce was really like.
And Jane Lynch! Jane Lynch has a role I am not going to spoil.
If this show only had one season, it would be a great show. But I am pleased to say it has another coming out soon. Thank goodness! I'll laugh and laugh and love Mrs. Maisel.
