Sometimes the thing that finally kills a series is its own success. And its desire to keep things going.
Most of us loved the first seasons of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Debuting almost 5 years ago, it was both charmingly retro, and delightfully potty-mouthed in a contemporary way. It had its late 50s innocence and its early 60s socio-political rabble-rousing – complete with a dead-on Lenny Bruce, played by Luke Kirby
The story of a Manhattan divorcee, who finds her voice and an audience as a budding stand-up comedienne, won a slew of Emmys and probably kept Amazon Prime subscriptions coming in for several years on the back of its phenom status.
But it’s been over two years since we last saw Rachel Brosnahan (remember how no one could pronounce her name as they read the list of nominees at every Awards show?) being left on the tarmac as she watched the plane heading to a European USO tour depart without her. She’d been sacked.
Are we still interested? I am. I was.
But as season 4 kicks off where we left off, everything’s a bummer. Midge needs a job, she needs her money, which her manager may or may not still have. She needs lines of credit from the dry cleaners, the baker, and the milkman.
Meanwhile, her ex-husband, who turned out to be an okay guy, is also having serious business troubles at his too successful club, and that aforementioned manager may or may not be in trouble for insurance fraud.
It’s true that all of the lines are delivered as Borscht Belt toss-offs, but the narrative is still bleak.
Oy vey!
Can we get back to comedy? Well, at least we can get to romance; Milo Ventimiglia will reportedly become Mrs. Maisel’s new love interest. Like a housewife finally discovering that the traits she once thought charming in her newlywed husband are now too…familiar, I’m now seeing things that I was too charmed to notice before about this sitcom. For example-the entire first episode is named after an Abbott and Costello-type routine that brings back memories of Who’s on First, without the laughs. The family are all in separate carriages on Coney Island’s Wonder Wheel having a “comedic” conversation as the scene cuts from car to car. The editing for effect is as annoying and the self-conscious dialog, clearly written for scribes in writers’ rooms, not for viewers.
I know, I sound like a noodge and I hate that. For a straight man, I have had an inordinate amount of fascination in the wardrobe and hair and make-up of this series- not to mention the fabulous mid-century modern furnishings and set decorating. Has a Yellow cab ever looked so deliciously yellow?
But for the first two episodes (which is all that Amazon made available for review) it’s just one long kvetch. I realize that the essence of drama is conflict, but I don’t want drama-I want comedy that doesn’t feel like it’s just inside baseball for TV writers.
Of course, it’s possible that the season will find some late momentum and a better rhythm before showing itself the door. Nothing would make me happier. Maybe they’ll send along those episodes for preview down the road.
Starting February 18th, season 4 will be released in 2 episode increments each week. No bingeing the whole season at once. The show runners say they prefer it this way. Or maybe it keeps new subscribers from watching the series in a weekend and canceling their free trial? I don’t know, but I do wonder.
And while I’m at it – Midge’s stand-up club appearances have never felt like a real comedy act. Maybe the writers like to save the laughs for the Ferris wheel?
I hate this review.
