"No More
Schlongs For My Wife Please!"
Season 2 of "...Mrs. Maisel..." Keeps Up The Brilliance
of Season 1…
Everything about
this 10-part Season 2 of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" rocks - the
money spent on the stunning sets and clothes (runs "The Crown" a
close second for sheer sumptuousness), the witty and knowing rapid fire
dialogue by a whole troupe of actors clearly having a blast and realizing
they're into something special (something the public really likes too) and all
of it so damn likeable in a 2018 television arena splattered with
dystopian-world gore, murdered women and abducted children and other stuff that
grips and impresses but ultimately leaves you feeling slightly soiled or in
need of a shower.
While Rachel
Brosnahan and Alex Borstein are mainlining every moment as the principal leads
Miriam 'Midge' Maisel the Jewish housewife stand-up comedienne and her butch
lesbian Manager Susie Myerson who is sleeping on the benches of the Gaslight
Club in Greenwich Village because she can't afford NYC apartment rent (a
street-fighter for her client's God-given genius and a foul-mouthed
humour-machine that lifts up the screen every single time she appears) - the
writers have smartly also upped the ante and screen-time for the parents on
both sides of their nutty families. The truly fantastic Tony Shalhoub and Marin
Hinkle as the adapting-to-a-new-world Jewish parents Abe and Rose Weissman
(Midge's well-to-do Mum and Dad) bring on the chuckles in their cartloads –
their huge dialogue passages like a great Woody Allen film firing on all sixes
(there's a scene where Rose his wife has to paint a nude male model in a
college art class and Abe’s pleading to the befuddled Dean of the school about
art and nudity is hilarious – Abe’s fussing over a vacation to the Catskills
where he uses miniature models to plan the packing down to the last cubic foot
before they leave New York).
Over on Midges
husband's side - Kevin Pollack and Caroline Aaron expertly play the deadpan
Moishe and hyperactive-talkative Shirley Maisel (Joel's parents). Pass-remarking
about Catholics and the second world war and constantly fretting over their
children and the suitability of other people's families - they stash wads of
dollar bills in secret locations (they like America but don't trust their
banks) and then hand-write the whereabouts of these rubber-banded moneyballs on
treasure maps that only they can read. A permanently hysterical mum, Rose
Maisel suspects her son living at home may be gay because he has male friends
over to his room that aren't married. Throw in Luke Kirby utterly electric as
the legendary outlaw comic Lenny Bruce (getting arrested once again) and Bailey
De Young as the fitness-husband-obsessed Imogene Cleary (Midge's best friend)
and you've an inkling of the huge ensemble cast that quickly has you reaching
for superlatives.
But coming
through all of this is Michael Zegen as the much-maligned husband Joel who
cheated on Midge in the first place thereby precipitating family carnage at every
level in uptight late 50s New York - an ex husband now seriously regretting his
mistake. As an actor usually playing a hood or an NYC spiv - Zegen has been
around for years in huge TV shows like Girls, Mad Men, Boardwalk Empire, The
Walking Dead and has featured in many movies - but this is surely his
breakthrough role. A character that at first you didn't like and wanted gone
has morphed over the seasons into a stand-up guy who realises his extraordinary
wife is a star and needs her space to shine and Zegen has to realistically get
across his character's acceptance of that. As Joel Maisel slowly takes over the
economic and physical mayhem that is his father's clothing business - the wit
is upped - but more importantly so is the emotion and pathos (a scene where
Midge phones Joel from a Paris payphone to try to salvage their marriage is
both heartbreaking and rings true to the cruelty of life sometimes). Midge and
Joel Maisel love each other and his stupid ego has cost them and their children
badly and he will spend most of Season 2 realizing he has to win that back -
even if handsome competition in the Catskills is already moving in on his
gorgeous gal.
Part of the Amy
Sherman-Palladino's school of comedy (she was behind "Gilmore Girls")
- the zippy Jewish fun of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" and its first
Season won over 15,000 Five-Star positives on Amazon.com alone and then went on
after a slow burn realization to nab two Emmys at the beginning of 2018 - one
for best comedy drama and one for its smart, funny and hugely-likeable lead -
Rachel Brosnahan. And it is easy to see why – the writing in this US show is
fantastic and enough to make any budding writer grin whilst at the same time
feel just a tad envious. Thankfully episode after episode in Season 2 of
"Mrs. Maisel" proves there is good telly out there that doesn't have
to bludgeon you over the noggin or make you wretch.
For sure it won't
be for everyone but like most I'm in love with this fabulous US TV show and I
wish Amazon would put both seasons out soon on either DVD or BLU RAY so I could
own them permanently because they're unavailable anywhere in the world at the
moment as a hard copy on either format (apart for promo DVDs for the 1st season
which have now become expensive auction site items).
In our loopy
household and in the lead up to the 25th of December, we're valiantly resisting
our inner binge impulses and trying (but mostly failing) to stagger episodes of
Season 2 to 'one a night'. But one things for sure and like last year -
"The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" is going to be our top Xmas viewing once
again.
Schlemiels rock
and schlongs rule! Check out this smart and touching TV joy and as a wiser
Irishman than I once said – "...Goodnight, and may your God go with
you…"
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