The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel - How marvelous are we talking here?

I’ve been very fortunate with my pick of TV shows as of late. Everything I seem to watch is more than worth my time.

The launch trailer for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel had nothing particularly special about it & I did have my reservations. What was briefly shown was a woman in the 1950’s standing on various (small-time) stages in New York, making people laugh, on her journey to become a comedian. It initially didn’t leap out at me as being a series I would typically watch or was a must-see, but when Gisele (my girlfriend) saw it was the same writer as the Gilmore Girls (Amy Sherman-Palladino), she gently said ‘‘I’m happy to give it a go’’ & that was all the persuasion I needed.

As the first episode began, we quickly realized that it was a very witty, fast moving comedy, filled with endearing characters, whether you like them or not, that you couldn’t possibly turn your back on. Mrs. Maisel, who is played by Rachel Brosnahan, is nothing short of brilliant from start to finish. Her acting is commendable, but to get up on stage & convince me she was an up & coming comic, is applaudable (excuse the pun), especially when it sounds/feels like you’re in the audience.. thank you, Sonos Beam Soundbar. I only have praise for Rachel for being so believable & hilarious at times. When I saw her present an award on the TV at the 2019 Bafta’s, it was as if I was watching Mrs. Maisel in real life, then it dawned on me, Rachel Brosnahan is The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel! What better actress to cast than somebody who is already the character you’re looking to portray? That’s what you call a dream casting.

Arguably, one of the best ‘fathers’ of any series has to go to Abe Weissman (Tony Shalhoub), which is Miriam Maisel’s (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) father. Abe is astonishingly prudish, uptight & annoying, but it’s/he’s funny & you learn to tolerate him quite quickly.. sort of.

One character, among a few others you tend to see a lot of, is Mrs. Maisel’s manager/agent, Susie Myerson, played by Alex Borstein. She comes from the complete opposite background to Miriam. Susie lives in, what appears to be, a studio apartment, with as much room as a large janitors closet & Mrs. Maisel comes from a wealthy, respected, Jewish family, living in a sought after area in a luxurious apartment. Nonetheless, opposites attract, so the pair get on well & have some of the funniest conversations that could only put a smile on your face.

Due to Miriam coming from such a privileged background/lifestyle & from a decade where female comics were almost completely frowned upon, attempting to climb up the ‘comedian ladder’ proves to be an extremely difficult task. If anything, all odds are against Mrs. Maisel. What it takes, in both the series & in the real world, is great lengths of perseverance, courage & a willingness to succeed. This is a great message to send out to all of the show’s viewers.

We flew through the two seasons that are currently available to stream on Amazon Video, quicker than you can say ‘I. Love. TV’. Every single episode had been observed & I was immediately Googling ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 3’. Like all good TV shows, this series has an addictive quality & you’re always in favor for watching more, because it’s just so entertaining. Whether it be for the comedy, hard work, progression, setbacks, complex family life, romance etc. Whatever it is you seek, you’re always ready for whatever comes your way. This is a respectably well written series at a unique point in the 20th century. The way people behaved, talked, acted & dressed, is nothing short of fascinating. This was a time where, although, some things really weren’t great, many other things were & in this instance, the pros outweigh the cons.

What did you think of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel? Comment down below!