The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: Season 4/ Episode 4 “Interesting People on Christopher Street” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

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As Miriam starts getting the Wolf together, she tries to get Susie’s life together and gets major pushback for trying to do so.

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Aired	2/25/2022
Network	Prime Video
Directed By	Amy Sherman-Palladino
Written By	Amy Sherman-Palladino, Daniel Palladino
Introduced This Episode
Boise	Santino Fontana
Alfie	Gideon Glick
Lazarus	John Waters

Recap

Can You Blame Me For Trying? – Boise, Susie, Miriam, Mei, Joel, Shirley

With Miriam getting The Wolf together so that the band knows when to play, one of her bosses, Boise, learns to respect the girls, and the sound is up to par, she focuses on Susie. Now, Miriam isn’t on her mother’s level for match-making, as shown by her own terrible luck dating, but the fact Susie hasn’t really tried worries her. So she assumes she might be lesbian and takes her to a lesbian bar.

Now, let’s be clear, Susie neither confirms nor denies her sexuality. All she does is get mad for Miriam overstepping. Which makes Susie’s gangster friends finding her a place that can work as both a home and an office quite the blessing.

But while Susie is off the hook, Joel is not for Shirley keeps trying, and Mei continues to put an end to Shirley’s hope of Joel meeting a nice Jewish girl. As for why? Well, because Mei can foresee the reaction and considering the life she has had dealing with being called all kinds of names? She isn’t for having that from her boyfriend’s mother and family. She’d rather be a mistress.

Old News I’m Still Not Over – Abe, Rose, Asher

Originally, Asher was mad about Abe snitching on him by accident. However, by the time the episode is over, Asher is mad at Abe for snitching on him on purpose, yet glad he provided him with the first good idea for a play he has had in years. So, why all the anger?

Well, we learn that Asher and Rose dated when Abe decided to go on a break to focus on his Ph.D. Abe seemingly forgot his best friend and now wife dated, so he gets petty and despite the FBI and Abe’s lawyer saying there is no case since the building in question is destroyed, and all who could testify dead, Abe tries to give them something.

But, with the FBI agent being talked down from taking Abe seriously, that leads to Abe getting petty in other ways. For example, he talks about how Asher’s first wife wanted him to which Asher reminds Abe, she wanted everyone. Thus triggering a thought for a play he doesn’t reveal the details of, but Abe swears he’ll trash it when it comes out.

Susie Myerson & Associates – Susie, Alfie, Sophie

Thanks to Susie’s favorite gangsters, they allow her to turn their safe house into a home office. One which gets her so hyped about the future that she drags Alfie from the bar to be her client and even decides to work with Sophie again. Granted, she is manipulated into this, but nonetheless, she plans to help Sophie get on a network TV game show.

Things To Note

Question(s) Left Unanswered

1. Whatever happened to the girl Joel was expecting to show up at the club?
2. Is this Mei’s first interracial relationship?
3. Will we see John Waters’ character again, or was this a one-time thing? Can you imagine Miriam performing in the gay clubs?

What Could Happen Next

1. We never learn what Susie is into
2. Mei and Shirley meeting due to Joel tricking the both of them
3. Miriam having sex with Lenny and feeling weird about it

Review

Highlights

Susie Being Private About Her Sexuality

With Miriam whipping the Wolf together, you could see that as her version of #TimesUp regarding giving the ladies privacy and respect in their workplace. However, to show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel really wants to be forward, it has Susie’s sexuality remain none of our damn business. Is she ace, gay, straight, just into Miriam? Who knows, and guess what? It’s not important. Her partner is her job, her child is Miriam’s career, and since it can’t survive without draining the life out of Susie yet, that is all she is focused on. That’s all you need to know about why Susie doesn’t date after 4 seasons.

Mei Making It Clear Why She Is Worried About Meeting Shirley

Sometimes The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel exists in the same sort of bubble a lot of New York shows focused on a white woman does. That is, sidestepping, if not ignoring, what people of color, non-binary, and queer people are going through and focusing just on this little world the lead lives in. This isn’t to downplay the B. Altman Girls storyline of season 1 or the sporadic times Miriam is forced to realize she is privileged beyond her living conditions.

However, what you have to appreciate about Mei is that her storyline is separate from Miriam, and while, yes, she is very much Joel’s girlfriend, and that is why she exists on this show, it is always nice when it is recognized how people live in a world beyond what our leads care to grasp. In fact, it presents the perfect kind of privilege to show. That there is more than one kind of suffering and depending on your financial and social status, what you deal with can be lessened based on some form of power, such as economic – at least on American soil.

Sophie Pushing Susie To Become Something Bigger

Opportunity, luck, and preparation are what push people forward in life. But when it comes to Susie, while she isn’t the best with preparation, and her luck often sucks, you can never deny between her creating opportunities or people like Sophie showing up, she is ever lacking in that area. In fact, I would say the benefit of Sophie still investing in Susie is she pushes her to prepare more for bigger and better things and shows that she can get lucky if she would just change her perspective a bit.

I mean, look at it this way, Susie is told repeatedly that her getting Sophie on Broadway got her noticed, so the ball is rolling. The problem is, between Jackie’s death and Susie’s blinders towards Miriam, she can’t see all that she can be doing. But, as shown in this episode, Miriam crossing the line was more than a proverbial smack in the face. It was another reminder, in a series of Miriam forcing Susie to think bigger.

So one can only hope, though she is an eccentric pain, Susie will take Sophie seriously again, especially since, with the gangsters giving her a home and office, she now has the foundation to build comfortably.

On The Fence

The Abe and Asher Drama

I think our problem with Abe and Rose, and you can throw in Asher, is that none of this is about growth. When it comes to Abe and Rose, even Joel’s parents, they exist almost strictly for laughter. All we saw with Rose seeking independence is gone at this point. Abe rediscovering himself has lost its luster, if it had any, and now they are there for jokes pointed at how neurotic Abe is and how exasperated he can make Rose and Miriam.

This isn’t to say he is a bad character, more so just one that isn’t our taste.

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