The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, which premiered on Amazon Prime a day early on December 5. is on the road for season three! The show kicked off with a bittersweet night with Midge and Joel, which left an eye roll for most viewers, including myself. (We’ll talk about that later on.) Midge also kicked off her preparation and arrangements for the tour with the one and only Shy Baldwin — who definitely stole part of the show. Maisel’s tour diaries lasted eight episodes this season.
The road to stardom has never been this marvelous. ✨ Season 3 of #MrsMaisel arrives December 6 on @PrimeVideo. pic.twitter.com/TV4JAsVJhS
— The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (@MaiselTV) October 14, 2019
The trailer unintentionally visually spoils the entire season without much dialogue. However, there are many parts from the trailer that are out of context and must be explained later in the season. There’s a lot going on in season three that’s packed up in just eight episodes — and I don’t know if eight is enough or not. Let’s break it down: did Maisel lead the road to success or to roadkill?
Midge Maisel left the housewife turned city girl in New York City and became the witty, driven comic on her first international tour as an opener for Shy Baldwin. Her smart mouth led her to become a likable comic with Baldwin’s clique. There’s no doubt that Midge can easily befriend people. Although, at times, her development as a character is going nowhere. Midge is still fascinated by her public image and relations to the Upper West Side. She seems to forget that not everyone lives in her world. Her resolution to that was to become a working comic and to start looking at the world in a bigger picture. Sadly, this change was only seen slightly in the middle of the season and began to strengthen at the end with no time to flourish.
Susie and Midge. Image via Instagram.
Midge’s relationships with her family and friends has taken various loops and stops on the road. First things first, Midge’s relationship with Susie has been one hell of a ride. Susie finally became her business name, Susie Myerson and Associates, when she decided to become the manager of Sophie Lennon, a stage comedian who tried to sabotage Midge’s career last season. A rift came in between Midge and Susie. Their friendship was stronger than their professional relations, which is seen when in scenes where the characters are just having fun. At times, Susie left tour to assist Lennon’s dramatic needs. The storyline of Susie and Sophie Lennon left me wondering if it was truly worth it. (Spoiler Alert: it was not).
Midge and Joel Maisel. Image via Twitter.
As mentioned before, Midge and Joel’s left me with indefinite eye rolls and constant sighs of disappointment. You might think that divorcing your husband after he cheated on you and left you would be a done deal, but Midge Maisel will prove you wrong. Whether it was love or lust, disappointment came twice. Nevertheless, Joel Maisel has not experience one ounce of character development for three seasons. Despite, having a new storyline: he builds a bar. Yet, there is no hope for that man.
As for family, Abe and Rose Wiessman (Midge’s parents) are truly going through it. After Abe left Colombia University, the Wiessman residence left with them. The Weissmans are homeless and have a tough time to adjust to smaller place. It’d be tough if they bought a smaller place, but they didn’t. Instead, they moved in with Joel’s parents, Moishe and Shirley Maisel in Queens.
Rose and Abe Weissman. Image via Twitter.
Oddly enough, Abe got a new storyline that changed his character: communist propaganda in the 1950s. The thoughts in his head drove him to the “woke” youth of the 1950s. The road led him to a new path of occupational. As for Rose, her stubbornness did not change her views about Midge as a comic yet again. Better yet, her stubbornness took her to places to become an independent woman from her family.
Maisel took their audience on a tour, specifically to Las Vegas, Miami and New York. The scenery of every location was breathtaking. A glimpse of the 1950s was shown through every detail. Creator, writer and director Amy Sherman-Palladino has outdone herself with her directorial imagery, from a bird’s view to intimate moments with the characters and not to mention the choreographic intermission shown in the season is to die for.
Maisel’s aesthetic scenery was not the only thing that stole the show. Maisel’s recurring cast and new incomers such as Lenny Bruce (Luke Kirby), Shy Baldwin (Leroy McClain), Reggie (Sterling K. Brown) and Mei Lin (Stephanie Hsu) stole the show this season. Their appearances left a mark on the show and on viewers’ hearts.
Luke Kirby as Lenny Bruce truly strengthened this season. Lenny Bruce’s anti-political correctness stand-ups return for a brave change that influences Abe. In addition, Lenny’s chemistry with Midge has evolved gracefully. Their relationship is like no other and has proven to be the best one this season.
Shy Baldwin’s angelic voice left the audience wanting for more. Baldwin’s charismatic personality is down-to-earth and true to himself, but he undergoes a challenge that he keeps internally. Midge helps to ease the pain though it’s something that’s sadly shameful in the 1950s. However, Shy is protected by the help of Reggie, his best friend and manager. Reggie is the man of the hour. He can easily get things done his own way. With plenty of experience, Reggie is powerful and hard to knock down. After all, Reggie is played by the one and only Sterling K. Brown.
Mei Lin proved to be the person everyone wants to be in the 1950s. Mei’s witty personality can hold herself up against anyone. Her character is different from others which makes Mei so powerful. Mei has book smarts and street smarts, both of which are used resourcefully for Joel’s nightclub.
Midge Maisel. Image via Instagram.
At the end, Maisel did end up answering the die-hard question that was left on people’s minds: “What happened to Ben?” The explanation is raw and real compared to how Ben was portrayed in season two. The scene delivers a wake-up call for Midge on how not all men are not the same (aka not all men are Joel).
Overall, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season three is a solid 3.7/5 rating. The season introduced intriguing characters with so much potential that it was bypassed with unnecessary storylines. On the bright side, there’s room for improvement as Maisel takes on a new decade. There’s no word for a season four, but no doubt it will be coming next year.
Stream The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s season 1-3 on Amazon Prime.
Featured Image via IMDb.
