The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: Season 1/ Episode 1 “Pilot” [Series Premiere] – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is probably one of the few shows Amazon has put on their slate, besides Mozart in the Jungle which makes you believe they are serious about producing compelling, funny, and original productions. The Introduction Miriam (Rachel Brosnahan) has pretty much planned her life out to an almost OCD level of detail….
Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is probably one of the few shows Amazon has put on their slate, besides Mozart in the Jungle which makes you believe they are serious about producing compelling, funny, and original productions.
The Introduction
Miriam (Rachel Brosnahan) has pretty much planned her life out to an almost OCD level of detail. She knew what she would major in school, what would be her signature hairstyle, what school she would go to, what her best friend would be like, and all that before being 13. Yet, sometime in her 20s, after 4 years of marriage, two kids, and still looking as she did on her wedding night, she gets dumped. Her husband, after bombing doing stand up, he leaves her, the kids, and all for some secretary of his who can’t use an electric pencil sharpener.
So, with her husband gone, and her parents blaming her for him leaving, mind you this show takes place in the first half of the 1900s, she decides F— it! She vents on stage, at this place called The Gaslight, and kills it. Kills it so much that this woman named Suzie (Alex Borstein) wants to take her under her wing, manage her, and really make her into something. Hell, Miriam may become the female version of her acquaintance Lenny Bruce (Luke Kirby).
Collected Quote(s)
Do you know what a dream is? A dream is what keeps you going in a job you hate.
I don’t mind being alone, I just do not want to be insignificant.
Highlights
The Music
Music is often a forgotten piece of any production. No matter how rousing the music in a thriller, silly in a comedy, often it doesn’t leave a lasting impression. However, whoever picks the songs for this show made an excellent soundtrack. The type where you want to check Spotify to see if the collection is there or rewatch the show and look for Amazon’s X-Ray feature to note the artist and song title.
Midge is an interesting Character You Want to Follow the Story Of
A pig-headed character who had it all and we saw her lose it in the same episode. A young woman with two kids, a very Jewish family, and who was perhaps very traditional until that no longer worked out for her. Now, this girl who takes initiative, never takes no for an answer, and can make quite a joke, is unleashed! On top of that, she is making acquaintances with Lenny Bruce. The guy who basically is the precursor to any comedian, especially dirty one, you ever knew. You can learn about him more in Can We Take A Joke?
So it is going to be very interesting to see what the writers come up for Brosnahan and how she executes it. For her first stand-up scene was hilarious and considering the character has been writing jokes for a while, and is about to experience major culture shock, oh this show is going to be delightful. Hell, I think it maybe one which could get Amazon some more major awards to put on the shelf.
On The Fence
Miriam is Privileged and That Slightly Takes Away From Things
Laughing at rich people problems is hard, hence why most comedians came from modest backgrounds, if not nothing. Yet, Miriam is the complete opposite. Her family lives on the upper west side, her friends are posh, and honestly, for someone with two kids, she doesn’t look how you’d expect her to. Especially with one likely being less than a year old. So as much as you want to feel bad for her since her husband left her, it isn’t like she doesn’t have an Egyptian cotton safety net to land onto. Something which could complicate things or else present the idea that rich people can be funny too. That their problems aren’t foreign but just more manageable because they have money.
But, even with that said, there comes the question of whether Miriam’s need to plan, if not perhaps control, may come into play and make her come off as the know it all rich Jewish princess. Only time will tell if that may become the case, though.
Overall: Positive (Watch This)
If any of you know anything about wrestling, WWE is the premier brand everyone wants to get on then there is TNA, Ring of Honor, and etc. To me, Amazon has long been the TNA where a lot of their people are either old favorites, those who seemingly long peaked or new talent out to prove themselves. Of which, there is nothing wrong with. The only issue is, Amazon often digs for niche markets and while some are decent, like Transparent [note]in other people’s opinions[/note], and some are good, like Mozart in the Jungle, I feel The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is that great title. It for Amazon I imagine could be the title which makes the general public take it serious. Not just the award show circuit folks, but the people Amazon wants to buy prime for more than free two-day shipping.
For with a character who doesn’t feel overdone, who is funny, can be complicated at times, and she interacts with the legendary Lenny Bruce? What more could you want? I ask because likely this show will give it to you.
