The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is described on Wikipedia as an American period comedy-drama web television series. It is getting all sorts of awards and I began watching it last week with my wife.
The series is about a young married jewish woman ("Mariam/Midge Maisel"), her family and her estranged husband's family in Manhattan in 1959. The husband ("Joel") is a fairly successful office type, who has tried and failed at being a nightclub comedian. As it turns out, shortly after their marriage (2 young kids) implodes, she embarks on the same dream, with occasional bits of success. The story line apparently charts the fits and starts of her career as a comedienne, and how it fits (or doesn't fit) with the rest of her life and its challenges. A main character is a lesbian (of course) would-be talent manager who has Midge as her only client.
Each episode is built around one or more incidents or challenges in the lives of Mrs. & Mr. Maisel, and their respective families. Midge's father is a university math professor and Mr. Maisel's father runs a company that manufactures clothing. Some actual historical characters are featured (e.g., Lenny Bruce), as part of the story lines.
The success of the series comes from the ebullient talent (and beauty) of the title character, fast-paced, witty, and sometimes insightful dialog that is similar to a Henny Youngman monologue, and fabulous period-dress costuming. The entire story is immersed in the middle-class jewish, New York culture of the period.
But I am puzzled and put off by some of the far-fetched story lines that force the viewer to accept preposterous financial propositions and literally unbelievable stupidity on the part of the characters. I'm wondering if this is a new genre of fiction that requires the viewer to forget everything s/he knows about reality - kinda like believing that Superman can fly, see through solid walls, and cook eggs with his magical vision.
For example, Mrs. Maisel's mother is bored with life and decides, on her own, to move to Paris permanently, set up a squalid apartment in an "artsy" district, and live her life as a free and independent woman. How is that again? How is this financed on a professor's salary (there is no hint of family money)? Where does the money come from - all the episodes shown in Paris are of the three of them living the "Life of Riley" in Paris without a care in the world about money.
Many other story lines show the characters pissing away mountains of money (both families) without a care in the world about how it's all financed. Midge's father in law owns TWO mid-town Manhattan opulent three-bedroom apartments, one that they provide free of charge to Midge and her husband, Joel. Later, Joel QUITS HIS JOB, then calls Midge to show her ANOTHER big three-bedroom Manhattan apartment that he intends to rent for her and the kids. Seriously? He just quit his job!
Incredible stupidity. In the second season, Midge volunteers to make the arrangements for the wedding of a coworker - as it turns out - in a meeting room at her Catholic Church, then when given the opportunity at the wedding reception, she takes off on a lewd, gross nightclub routine, including hints that she might have schtupped the pastor to get the use of the room. At a Church wedding? Are you shitting me? NOBODY is that stupid.
I just don't know what to make of this. Is the audience supposed to think this shit is even plausible? Is this a new genre of television - fantasy/comedy/drama?
The series is about a young married jewish woman ("Mariam/Midge Maisel"), her family and her estranged husband's family in Manhattan in 1959. The husband ("Joel") is a fairly successful office type, who has tried and failed at being a nightclub comedian. As it turns out, shortly after their marriage (2 young kids) implodes, she embarks on the same dream, with occasional bits of success. The story line apparently charts the fits and starts of her career as a comedienne, and how it fits (or doesn't fit) with the rest of her life and its challenges. A main character is a lesbian (of course) would-be talent manager who has Midge as her only client.
Each episode is built around one or more incidents or challenges in the lives of Mrs. & Mr. Maisel, and their respective families. Midge's father is a university math professor and Mr. Maisel's father runs a company that manufactures clothing. Some actual historical characters are featured (e.g., Lenny Bruce), as part of the story lines.
The success of the series comes from the ebullient talent (and beauty) of the title character, fast-paced, witty, and sometimes insightful dialog that is similar to a Henny Youngman monologue, and fabulous period-dress costuming. The entire story is immersed in the middle-class jewish, New York culture of the period.
But I am puzzled and put off by some of the far-fetched story lines that force the viewer to accept preposterous financial propositions and literally unbelievable stupidity on the part of the characters. I'm wondering if this is a new genre of fiction that requires the viewer to forget everything s/he knows about reality - kinda like believing that Superman can fly, see through solid walls, and cook eggs with his magical vision.
For example, Mrs. Maisel's mother is bored with life and decides, on her own, to move to Paris permanently, set up a squalid apartment in an "artsy" district, and live her life as a free and independent woman. How is that again? How is this financed on a professor's salary (there is no hint of family money)? Where does the money come from - all the episodes shown in Paris are of the three of them living the "Life of Riley" in Paris without a care in the world about money.
Many other story lines show the characters pissing away mountains of money (both families) without a care in the world about how it's all financed. Midge's father in law owns TWO mid-town Manhattan opulent three-bedroom apartments, one that they provide free of charge to Midge and her husband, Joel. Later, Joel QUITS HIS JOB, then calls Midge to show her ANOTHER big three-bedroom Manhattan apartment that he intends to rent for her and the kids. Seriously? He just quit his job!
Incredible stupidity. In the second season, Midge volunteers to make the arrangements for the wedding of a coworker - as it turns out - in a meeting room at her Catholic Church, then when given the opportunity at the wedding reception, she takes off on a lewd, gross nightclub routine, including hints that she might have schtupped the pastor to get the use of the room. At a Church wedding? Are you shitting me? NOBODY is that stupid.
I just don't know what to make of this. Is the audience supposed to think this shit is even plausible? Is this a new genre of television - fantasy/comedy/drama?
