The penultimate episode, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 5 Episode 8, is setting the stage for the grand finale—and by that I mean Midge’s inevitable rise to fame (likely with the help of Gordon Ford who now has no choice but to put her on the show following Hedy’s request) and her possible reunion with Joel Maisel. It’s hard to believe that they’ll be able to wrap it all up in one remaining episode, but I’m remaining optimistic.
The series started off with the demise of Midge and Joel’s romance, but we’re slowly inching back into the territory that favors Joel as a partner for Midge. The feelings are there as he begins to realize that the biggest mistake in his life was letting her go when he promised she’d be his “forever.”
And yet, Joel’s cheating was the best thing that ever happened to Midge as it allowed her to flourish into the woman she was always meant to be—the confident, fearless, and badass version of herself that’s about to take the world by storm.
I haven’t seen the final episode of the series yet, but I have no doubt that many years down the line—when Joel is released from prison—we’ll see the two of them give it one more shot.
And maybe it will finally be the right time. Soulmates exist, but as they say, timing is everything.
One of the strongest moments in the episode surprisingly came from Midge’s father, Abe. He was also the reason for one of the most hilarious moments when Midge and Joel were called into the principal’s office thinking it had to do with their child only to realize the school could no longer deal with Abe’s “dramatics” and “rude and disrespectful” behavior.
After realizing that the family’s protege might be Esther rather than Ethan, Abe suffered a bit of an existential crisis, echoing some modern-day thinking as he questioned whether he’s done the wrong thing for both of his children while also wondering if he’s (and society) understood the roles of men and women wrong this whole time.
While everyone has largely brushed off Midge’s ambitions in the comedy sphere up until now, Abe is realizing that instead of collapsing when her husband cheated on her, Midge emerged stronger than ever like a phoenix out of the ashes. No one ever gave her the credit she deserved, but she’s pretty remarkable in every sense of the word.
It was so beautiful to see Abe come to this acknowledgment all on his own because—finally. They are finally starting to see Midge the way we see her.
And they haven’t seen anything yet.
Midge has big, big, big dreams, but most importantly, she has the talent to back them up. Unfortunately, there are many others who think just like Abe in this world, and she needs to get through them all to finally break through.
Or, as Midge and Susie put it, they need to “hop over the dicks.” This truly was such a great moment between the two of them. Hopping over dicks with tits up is the new life motto.
Midge met up with some of her university friends and realized that her values and goals differed wildly from theirs—while they prioritized husbands and families, Midge didn’t see this part of her life as just a “fun chapter” to reflect on… this was her entire life.
And thus, when she found out that Susie knew Hedy, Gordon Ford’s wife, from college, she requested that Susie go out on a limb and help her get on the show as a comic. Hedy was their way in even if Susie didn’t like it.
Obviously, Midge didn’t understand the depth of Susie and Hedy’s tense and fractured relationship, but she also didn’t care because her career was at stake. And there would be no “future” if she didn’t land Gordon Ford and show her talents to the entire world.
She’s a great writer, but all of her jokes are being told on that stage by other people, including Princess Margaret. She gets the laughs, but not the flowers, and it’s simply not enough anymore. One day, I’d like the point out that these are the moments she’d be looking on fondly—the grind, the hustle, the struggle—and I hope future Midge doesn’t forget all of them.
Susie didn’t like the idea of calling in a favor from Hedy, but she acknowledged that there was no other way to propel Midge, so she bit the bullet. It wasn’t easy, but Hedy was receptive, likely because she still holds a torch for her ex-roomie.
And while we may never fully understand the power dynamics at play between Hedy and Gordon, we know that she yields a lot of it and calls many of the shots. When she suggested that he book Midge on his show, she explained that he “owed” her. And though Gordon may not have liked it, he didn’t fight it either.
Gordon Ford may just be Midge Maisel’s big break.
He watched her slink away after getting what seemed to be a distressing call, so I’m wondering what that’s all about. Is someone hurt? Did she get booked on Parr and will now have to make a huge decision? Does it have to do with Lenny (I truly hope we’ll see him one more time before the curtain falls)?
Other Moments to Note
- Midge’s college note to herself simply read “don’t.” Midge couldn’t remember what it was about, nor did we get any further clarification during the episode, but Hedy used “don’t” while instructing Midge not to sell herself short in life. And maybe that’s what Midge meant. Or don’t settle? Don’t give up? Either way, it’s good advice.
- Midge is a huge reason for Susie’s success, especially when she finally breaks down the wall, but Dinah is also key in Susie’s business. What would she do without her?
- Abe watching Esther to “ascertain the breadth of her abilities” was hilarious, but it was 10 times better when Rose simply suggested that the toddler would pick up the book if he put a lollipop in it.
- I do feel like now that Midge is working for Ford, she no longer relies on Susie as much, and, in turn, Susie can focus on other clients, but I miss how much time the two spent together. It was nice to see them share this scene, even if things did get a little tense.
What did you think of the episode? How do you think it will all pan out in the highly-anticipated finale? Will Midge end up being someone that we like in the future? Will she be the same lovable woman we met in the finale or will fame and fortune change her? And what does the future look like for her when it’s all said and done?
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