The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel


The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is an American period comedy-drama television series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino. It premiered on Amazon Prime Video on March 17, 2017. The series is set in the late 1950s and early 1960s, but the final season contains flashforwards to later decades. Rachel Brosnahan stars as Miriam "Midge" Maisel, a New York housewife who pursues a career in stand-up comedy after her marriage ends. The series co-stars Alex Borstein, Michael Zegen, Marin Hinkle, and Tony Shalhoub. It features Kevin Pollak, Caroline Aaron, Jane Lynch, and Luke Kirby in recurring roles. The pilot episode received critical acclaim and the series was picked up by Amazon Studios. The fifth and final season premiered on April 14, 2023, and concluded on May 26, 2023.
The series has received critical acclaim. It won the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy in 2017 and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2018, with Sherman-Palladino receiving the awards for Outstanding Directing and Outstanding Writing at the latter ceremony. Brosnahan won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2018 and two consecutive Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy in 2018 and 2019. Borstein won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series twice consecutively, in 2018 and 2019; and Shalhoub and Kirby won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series in 2019, respectively.

Premise

Season 1: In 1958 New York City, Miriam "Midge" Maisel, a young, affluent Jewish-American housewife, embarks on a stand-up comedy career after husband Joel, an untalented amateur comic, abruptly leaves her following his dismal set at The Gaslight Cafe. Drunk and dejected, Midge returns to the Gaslight in her nightgown, and in a bawdy impromptu set, vents her predicament before being arrested for indecency. Midge meets famed comic Lenny Bruce when he is arrested the same night for using profanity in his act. Gaslight manager Susie Myerson, recognizing Midge's raw talent, coaches her on stand-up comedy.
Season 2: As Midge secretly hones her comic skills at the Gaslight Café, she and Susie also hit the road. Touring is hard and female comics are generally disparaged and discriminated against. Midge rejects comedian Sophie Lennon's notion that female comics need a gimmicky persona to compete in a male-dominated field and instead performs as herself, adopting the stage name, "Mrs. Maisel". After Midge disparages Sophie's corny act, Sophie's vindictive manager gets Midge blacklisted from New York clubs. Midge perseveres and gets a huge break as the opening act for famous singer Shy Baldwin's upcoming tour.
Season 3: Midge balances career and family life while touring with Shy Baldwin; she retools her act for non-New York audiences. After divorcing, Midge and Joel remain in each other's lives while navigating new relationships. Joel branches out by opening a small nightclub in New York's Chinatown, soon discovering the landlords operate an illegal gambling den downstairs. Tensions arise when Midge initially objects to Susie managing other clients, including Sophie Lennon; is unaware that Susie relies on mob connections for professional assistance. After carelessly alluding to Shy's homosexuality during a set, Midge is fired.
Season 4: Following the Shy Baldwin debacle, Midge vows to only do headliner gigs, though with little success. Sophie Lennon gives Midge a professional break before jealously thwarting her career again. Meanwhile, Joel's busy nightclub draws unwanted attention to his landlords' illegal activities. Midge becomes the comic emcee at the Wolford burlesque club, contentedly languishing there until a police raid closes it. Lenny Bruce helps Midge regain her confidence and reboot her career.
Season 5: The story covers the 1960s – 2000s. In the early 60s, Midge, still struggling professionally, is hired as a writer for The Gordon Ford Show and competes against male co-workers. Glimpses into the future reveal: Midge fires Susie after learning her mob ties entangled Joel in illegal activities to protect Midge. As Midge's career climbs, Lenny Bruce descends into drug addiction. After seizing an opportunity, Midge becomes a major comedy star but has a messy personal life with multiple marriages, lost loved ones, strained relationships, including her two adult children, and eventual reconciliations. Throughout, Midge and Joel stay close.

Cast and characters

Main

  • Rachel Brosnahan as Miriam "Midge" Maisel, an upper-middle class Jewish American housewife and mother who discovers her flair for stand-up comedy after husband Joel abruptly leaves her. Fashion-obsessed and hyper-competent, Midge is hired as a make-up counter girl at B. Altman and starts performing stand-up comedy in clubs across New York, eventually becoming a world-famous comedian.
  • Alex Borstein as Susie Myerson, who runs the Gaslight Cafe and later becomes Midge's manager after recognizing Midge's natural talent.
  • Michael Zegen as Joel Maisel, Midge's estranged, later ex-husband, who leaves Midge for his secretary, Penny Pann. He is an aspiring, though untalented, stand-up comic who copies Bob Newhart's routines. Joel quits his uncle's plastics company, later works at his father's garment factory, then opens his own nightclub. Lenny Palmieri portrays a thirteen-year-old Joel in a guest appearance in the episode "Put That On Your Plate!".
  • Marin Hinkle as Rose Weissman, Midge's fashionable and society-conscious mother who later becomes a matchmaker
  • Tony Shalhoub as Abraham "Abe" Weissman, Midge's fastidious erudite father, who is a tenured mathematics professor at Columbia University and a researcher at Bell Labs. He leaves academia to return to his social activist roots and later becomes the theater critic for The Village Voice.
  • Kevin Pollak as Moishe Maisel, Joel's supportive father and the owner of Maisel & Roth Garment Company
  • Caroline Aaron as Shirley Maisel, Joel's somewhat overbearing but loving mother
  • Jane Lynch as Sophie Lennon, a successful stand-up comic who uses a fat suit and shtick gimmicks to portray a frumpy, uncouth housewife from Queens in her act. In reality, she is a rich, egotistical, snobbish Manhattan socialite with refined tastes. She professionally clashes with Midge.
  • Luke Kirby as Lenny Bruce, a well-known New York City comedian and Midge's close friend and ally
  • Reid Scott as Gordon Ford, a popular late-night TV talk show host who later hires Midge as a staff writer for The Gordon Ford Show
  • Alfie Fuller as Dinah Rutledge, Susie's secretary; she later is the main manager of Susie's talent agency
  • Jason Ralph as Mike Carr, a talent booker and later a producer on ''The Gordon Ford Show''

    Recurring

;Introduced in season 1
  • Joel Johnstone as Archie Cleary, Imogene's husband and Joel's close friend and coworker
  • Bailey De Young as Imogene Cleary, Midge's best friend
  • Matilda Szydagis as Zelda, the Weissmans' maid
  • Nunzio and Matteo Pascal, Colin Keane as Ethan Maisel, Midge and Joel's elder child.
  • * Ben Rosenfield as an older Ethan Maisel
  • Candace and Kiera Magyar, Kasey and Morgan Scheuermann, Avigayl and Emunah Rosenblatt, Ireland Jade and Sedona Rose Carvajal as Esther Maisel, Midge and Joel's younger child.
  • * Alexandra Socha as older Esther Maisel
  • Brian Tarantina as Jackie, the emcee at the Gaslight. After Tarantina's death, his character dies offscreen of a stroke in season 4.
  • Cynthia Darlow as Mrs. Moskowitz, Joel's secretary, former childhood nanny, and Penny Pann's replacement
  • Holly Curran as Penny Pann, Joel's former secretary and girlfriend
  • Will Brill as Noah Weissman, Midge's brother. He is secretly an analyst for the CIA.
  • Joanna Glushak as Mrs. O'Toole, the floor supervisor at B. Altman
  • Justine Lupe as Astrid Weissman, Midge's sister-in-law, who converted to Judaism to marry Noah Weissman. Insecure about not being born Jewish, she obsessively observes all religious practices and traditions.
  • David Paymer as Harry Drake, a powerful talent agent with clients including Sophie Lennon
  • David Aaron Baker as Charles Connelly, Abe's boss at Bell Labs
  • Max Casella as Michael Kessler, Midge's lawyer and a former activist acquaintance of Abe's
  • Steven Hauck as Dawes, Sophie Lennon's acerbic butler
  • Pearls Daily as Maxine
;Introduced in season 2
  • Zachary Levi as Dr. Benjamin Ettenberg, a doctor whom Midge meets in the Catskills and is briefly engaged to after divorcing Joel
  • Erik Palladino as Frank, a low-level mob enforcer partnered with Nicky who later develops a friendship with Susie
  • John Scurti as Nick, a low-level mob enforcer partnered with Frank who later develops a friendship with Susie
  • Leroy McClain as Shy Baldwin, a popular singer who gives Midge her big break as his opening act on tour
  • Emily Bergl as Tessie Myerson, Susie's sister
  • Colby Minifie as Ginger, Midge's B. Altman co-worker who works at the switchboard
  • Andrew Polk as Fred, an agent that Susie networks with for booking Midge's gigs
  • Connor Ratliff as Chester, who stalks Susie and later becomes her roommate
  • Teddy Coluca as Manny, a worker at Maisel & Roth
;Introduced in season 3
  • Sterling K. Brown as Reggie, Shy Baldwin's manager
  • Stephanie Hsu as Mei Lin, a mysterious Chinese-American woman Joel dates and who has connections to an illegal gambling ring underneath Joel's new club
  • Liza Weil as Carole Keen, a bass player in Baldwin's orchestra who becomes a friendly mentor to Midge; she is very loosely modeled on bassist Carol Kaye, though Kaye found the character an insulting representation
  • Cary Elwes as Gavin Hawk, a renowned actor and Sophie Lennon's co-star in Miss Julie
  • Jason Alexander as Asher Friedman, Abe's old friend who is a playwright
  • Wanda Sykes as comedian Moms Mabley
;Introduced in season 4
;Introduced in season 5