S05.E01: Go Forward

[Pallas]

Midge worries about her future while Susie has a light-bulb moment.

[EtheltoTillie]

3 episodes dropped earlier this evening.

The first five minutes of episode one was the greatest thing I have ever seen.

[shapeshifter]

And then about the 39 minute mark:

• [LENNY BRUCE TO MIDGE, ENDING CHANCE ENCOUNTER IN AIRPORT] You take care.
• [MIDGE CALLS AFTER HIS RETREATING BACK] Lenny! I'm not gonna blow it.
• [LENNY. TURNS AROUND AND COMES BACK. GETS CLOSE TO MIDGE'S FACE AND POINTS A FINGER] I'm gonna hold you to that.
  [LENNY TURNS AND WALKS AWAY. forever?]
• [WE TEAR UP.]
• [MIDGE TURNS TO THE CAMERA, TEARING UP]

[bourbon]

If that is all we see of Lenny this season, I will be very disappointed. 

That seemed like a very abrupt departure for Mei. I don't know if that was in the cards all along or if Stephanie Hsu decided to move on to bigger and better things. 

I figured this season would be in flashbacks told from the perspective of a successful Midge in the future. Didn't think it would show quite such a rocky path for her. And I was really hoping that this show took place in an alternate universe where Lenny cleaned himself and survived...

All in all, this was kind of a weird combo of bummers and ASP's too, too precious dialogue. 

 

Edited April 14, 2023 by bourbon

[Sailorgirl26]

14 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

3 episodes dropped earlier this evening.

The first five minutes of episode one was the greatest thing I have ever seen.

The actress playing Esther did an amazing job mirroring Midge's tempo, physical movements, even the accent is there. She also resembles Midge. That was some stellar casting.

[BusyOctober]

Can someone remind me of what year we’re in Maisel Land for season 5?  I caught the 1981 flash forward, but can’t remember where we left off after the blizzard.  

[EtheltoTillie]

48 minutes ago, Sailorgirl26 said:

The actress playing Esther did an amazing job mirroring Midge's tempo, physical movements, even the accent is there. She also resembles Midge. That was some stellar casting.

Exactly right.  I didn't want to post a spoiler last night when I realized they posted the episodes early.  It took me about 10 seconds to realize what I was watching.  Then I was amazed. 

[PurpleTentacle]

1 hour ago, BusyOctober said:

Can someone remind me of what year we’re in Maisel Land for season 5?  I caught the 1981 flash forward, but can’t remember where we left off after the blizzard.  

After the flash foreward is over and we are in our main timeline again, it says "New York, NY 1961" on the screen. So they made a 20 year time jump for the flash foreward.

Edited April 14, 2023 by PurpleTentacle

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, BusyOctober said:

Can someone remind me of what year we’re in Maisel Land for season 5?  I caught the 1981 flash forward, but can’t remember where we left off after the blizzard.  

According to the Did You Know note on this page of IMDb, it’s 1961.

 

2 hours ago, Sailorgirl26 said:

The actress playing Esther did an amazing job mirroring Midge's tempo, physical movements, even the accent is there. She also resembles Midge. That was some stellar casting.

Hair and makeup too!  
Rachel Brosnahan has always reminded me of a high school best friend, and now Alexandra Socha in that scene even more so!  
More about her: wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandra_Socha

[Sailorgirl26]

I so love that they filmed at the restored TWA terminal at JFK!!  

https://www.twahotel.com/hotel

I worked for an aviation organization and we were trying to plan an event there. It never worked out unfortunately. 

Edited April 14, 2023 by Sailorgirl26

[Sarah 103]

5 hours ago, Sailorgirl26 said:

The actress playing Esther did an amazing job mirroring Midge's tempo, physical movements, even the accent is there. She also resembles Midge. That was some stellar casting.

The first 10 minutes were amazing. The actress not only did her homework but all of the extra-credit. She sounded almost exactly like Midge and had quite a few of her mannerisms. 

 

 

Edited April 14, 2023 by Sarah 103

[debraran]

The beginning was odd, lot of talk of toes...lol.  I miss Miriam's sharper outfits and wit but thought as others said, her daughter hit it out of the park in the intro. Reading about the depressing future scenes, I wish it had more humor. It was a nice mix before.

Lenny....the best part, they have such great chemistry, he's so handsome and I wanted him to give her a kiss even if inappropriate. We never really saw flashbacks of that yet and I thought they might have picked up a little earlier than her home.

[EtheltoTillie]

What was the deal with the parents’ flight being canceled?  I just didn’t get it. 

[Seelouis]

17 minutes ago, EtheltoTillie said:

What was the deal with the parents’ flight being canceled?  I just didn’t get it. 

The other matchmakers are messing with her. They sent the dead flowers, ruined Abe’s shirts, cancelled the flight. 

[Eureka]

8 hours ago, Sailorgirl26 said:

The actress playing Esther did an amazing job mirroring Midge's tempo, physical movements, even the accent is there. She also resembles Midge. That was some stellar casting.

For a good couple of minutes I thought it was Rachel Brosnahan.

[Jessica Yes]

I'll be the odd one out and say it, I didn't like the grown up Esther in therapy scene. The actress was basically doing an impression of Rachel Brosnahan as Midge;  I was actually confused for a moment why teenage Midge was living in the 1980s.  And we're supposed to believe Esther is some sort of prodigy or genius? Abe and Midge's brother are extremely smart but her coming up with some formula on the fly to use DNA mutations to basically cure cancer was a little over the top. The show is turning into a parody of itself, IMO. I'll continue to see it through to the end but a lot of the magic is gone for me.

[shapeshifter]

2 minutes ago, Jessica Yes said:

I'll continue to see it through to the end but a lot of the magic is gone for me.

boarding that plane to LA with Lenny Bruce/Luke Kirby?

[CarpeFelis]

11 hours ago, Sailorgirl26 said:

The actress playing Esther did an amazing job mirroring Midge's tempo, physical movements, even the accent is there. She also resembles Midge. That was some stellar casting.

I briefly even wondered if Rachel Brosnahan was also playing Esther as an adult.

[EtheltoTillie]

8 hours ago, Seelouis said:

The other matchmakers are messing with her. They sent the dead flowers, ruined Abe’s shirts, cancelled the flight. 

Thanks!  After a Couple of years I forgot about the matchmakers. 

[EtheltoTillie]

7 hours ago, Jessica Yes said:

on the fly to use DNA mutations to basically cure cancer was a little over the top. The show is turning into a parody of itself, IMO. I'll continue to see it through to the end but a lot of the magic is gone for me.

I feel the entire show has been a parody of itself. It’s Palladino land.  I still love the show. 

[debraran]

1 hour ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Thanks!  After a Couple of years I forgot about the matchmakers. 

I thought they might have done a brief flashback swirl ending with the snow and Lenny etc. Some other shows do that when they have been off a long time. I didn't get those scenes either, I remembered Lenny and Midge and Mei. I'm not one to rewatch episodes although Midge and Lenny...that was the most chemistry she's had with anyone.

They are saying Mei's exit was planned and I can see that. Joel settling down with doctor wife in the making, a baby etc didn't seem probable. It did seem rushed though, 5 minute exit like she wanted to do as little as possible.

Part of interview

In the same interview, Sherman-Palladino mentions that Mei's exit was put into place long before Hsu became Everything Everywhere All At Once's breakout star, earning an Oscar nomination and heaps of praise for her performance as Joy and Jobu Tupaki. As the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel creator explains, Mei was only ever intended to be temporary in Joel's life and not a permanent presence. 

 Sherman-Palladino said that Mei was introduced as a way to disorient Joel, representing the next generation of women that would come after Marvelous Mrs. Maisel's Midge. Contrasting the two, Sherman-Palladino adds that Midge fell into her ambition. Mei, meanwhile, demonstrated a different path. It was an overall striking scene, with Mei revealing that she'd decided to have an abortion to pursue the life that she wanted.

2 minutes ago, debraran said:

 

 

Edited April 15, 2023 by debraran

[EtheltoTillie]

1 hour ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Thanks!  After a Couple of years I forgot about the matchmakers. 

Quoting myself!  I see it's only been one year since the last season.  Oh, well. 

[chitowngirl]

I would have liked a “Previously” recap to get back into the Maisel world

[SeanC]

The opening had me momentarily wondering if I had clicked on the wrong show icon, but that opens up some really exciting possibilities for what we might see this season.

[Juneau Gal]

3 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Quoting myself!  I see it's only been one year since the last season.  Oh, well. 

It seems like it has been much, much longer between seasons. When I looked on Wiki and it said the last season ran just a year ago, I thought it was a typo! 

[MerBearHou]

5 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Quoting myself!  I see it's only been one year since the last season.  Oh, well. 

I feel like it’s been 3 years since the last season — I’m having to really work to re-attach myself to this show and these characters I enjoyed so much in prior seasons.  Right now, Midge’s “too-much-ness” is annoying me but I’ll get used to her again.  And Esther, OMG, what a LOT she is.  

[EtheltoTillie]

27 minutes ago, MerBearHou said:

I feel like it’s been 3 years since the last season — I’m having to really work to re-attach myself to this show and these characters I enjoyed so much in prior seasons.  Right now, Midge’s “too-much-ness” is annoying me but I’ll get used to her again.  And Esther, OMG, what a LOT she is.  

For me it's Tony Shalhoub.  I like him as an actor, but I can't stand his character on this show.

[Francie]

I thought the opening was clever and the actress playing Edith a good match for Midge's daughter. But I didn't like the opening scene because Edith was too rude to tolerate. Don't be in therapy if you're just going to be an ass to your therapist. It started the episode on the wrong note for me. 

[buttersister]

1 hour ago, Francie said:

Edith was too rude to tolerate.

Chip off the old block, I'm afraid.

[Quilt Fairy]

4 hours ago, Francie said:

Edith was too rude to tolerate

Esther.

If you go to the Media thread, I have a link to a "Previously, on Mrs Maisel" recap on YouTube.

Edited April 15, 2023 by Quilt Fairy

[EtheltoTillie]

2 hours ago, buttersister said:

Chip off the old block, I'm afraid.

 

4 hours ago, Francie said:

I thought the opening was clever and the actress playing Edith a good match for Midge's daughter. But I didn't like the opening scene because Edith was too rude to tolerate. Don't be in therapy if you're just going to be an ass to your therapist. It started the episode on the wrong note for me. 

Yes, I thought that was the point of the scene.

[janie jones]

I thought the scene with Mei also seemed a bit abrupt, but I wasn't surprised. Haven't they the Palladinos always said that Joel and Midge are going to get back together in the end? Plus Mei would just want to get it over with.

I am glad they had her get the abortion, though.

[debraran]

16 hours ago, Francie said:

I thought the opening was clever and the actress playing Edith a good match for Midge's daughter. But I didn't like the opening scene because Edith was too rude to tolerate. Don't be in therapy if you're just going to be an ass to your therapist. It started the episode on the wrong note for me. 

Especially it's all the mom's fault. She had quirky but loving grandparents and father and her brother seems fine. She was well educated and probably didn't see her mom often at times which sucks but for some parents, it's sometimes better to be with others who love you. Midge wasn't mom of the year for sure, she wanted her career but she wasn't cold or unfeeling overall. If the charity was a publicity thing, she might feel even more angry but I am hoping they don't do that to Midge the last year it's on.

Edited April 16, 2023 by debraran

[kwnyc]

It makes sense that Esther is gifted (to the point of genius, maybe). Her grandfather was a professor of physics at Columbia, her uncle a scientist/analyst for the CIA. Ironically, as a woman in science, Esther would/will find that there is a huge amount of sexism and blockers in her career (still are to this day). So in that respect, she's following a similar path as her mother.

[Daff]

20 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

 

Yes, I thought that was the point of the scene.

After some thought, you can see how she ended up that way (we discussed child rearing, or rather, lack of, during previous seasons). Esther obviously got the brains (and inability to communicate effectively) from her maternal grandfather, rude and obnoxious from her parents, vociferous and over the top from her paternal grandmother, and was alternately indulged/ignored by the lot of them. Very funny scene.

[SnarkShark]

On 4/15/2023 at 8:16 AM, chitowngirl said:

I would have liked a “Previously” recap to get back into the Maisel world

I think they explained it in the actual script fairly well.

[FaginZorro]

Some random thots about S5, Epi 1. Long read. I welcome others' observations.

So, what happened with Joel’s revelation of his impending engagement and new baby? Shirley will have no memory that her Mahjongg partner was a Chinese girl.

How was Midge’s toe saved from frostbite?

Please remind me, in this time frame, had Midge just had sex with LB when she sees the Gordon Ford billboard?

What drove Midge to wander in the snow to the point of frostbite? A career epiphany is one thing but stupidity is another.

Who was the repairman wandering around the Weissman’s apartment when Susie came?

I love the continuity with Midge’s bedroom décor and sheets that she obtained in season 4.

I comment that the F bomb was not so liberally used in polite, conventional, middle-class society in 1961. Using this word even in jest relative to the kids was cruel but perhaps a foreshadowing of what was to come with Ethan and Ester.

Why was the Stage Door Deli featuring potluck Thanksgiving leftovers? Why was Susie’s secretary Dinah coordinating group prayer?

Have Abe and Rose expressed any acknowledgment or thanks that their lifestyle is being underwritten by Midge?

The back-and-forth side stage gesturing with Susie and Mike Carr went on too long.

How did Susie get to Long Island or Westchester or where ever the Christmas tree scene took place? How did she know to go there? We see her walking on foot, so how did she travel there?

The scene with Susie following Mike and his kids to the Christmas Tree farm went on too long and was not effective. The fake snow brought in was not well deployed and was a waste of the Palladino’s production funds.

I note that Zelda takes better care of the Weissman grandkids than their parents do.

I note that throughout the past four seasons, Ethan and Esther have always been afterthoughts by the characters and by the Palladinos. Can anyone recall these tykes playing any kind of role in driving the plot or any key dialogue? Just sayin’…

I do not think Moishe and Shirley will divorce. No. But the reasoning is understandable. Shirley feels that given the close call Moishe should retire. Moishe feels a renewed sense of purpose. Both points of view are valid. But no, they will not divorce. Just sayin’…

Cute touch with the adults continually bumping their knees at the Kiddie table.

Joel does seem to be a loving, involved and hands-on parent.

Mei's abortion is understandable and the scene was well done. She was a doctor and she had connections.

The women’s fashions were accurate and well done. Midge and Rose especially looked great at the airport.

The airport scenes were delicious. The vitality, the sense of optimism. What a great mid-Century modern backdrop.

Why did a persnickety loser like Aflie doubt Susie’s ability to guide his career? Midge very nicely checked him. BTW his long locks would have been severely out of place and marked him for derision in 1961. This was four years pre Beatles and the Beatles' hair was not nearly as long as Alfie’s.

The look on Midge’s face after encountering LB was great work by Rachel.

Why would show biz royalty like Gordon Ford be hangin' out at Midge’s titty bar place of employment?

Good for Susie for seizing an opportunity and using a writing position as an entry point for Midge. Midge went to Bryn Mawr; she knows how to write.

Interesting that during her act, Midge was bombing, but managed to get a grip, turn a corner and then killed it.

Random note: the heavy-footed way Midge walks onstage in many scenes, is not in keeping with the other feminine ways she conducts herself. Just sayin’…

[gorgy]

I almost turned this off in the first five minutes. Have you ever eaten so much of something that it makes you never want to see it, taste it, smell it ever again? Well, I've had my fill for a lifetime of Amy Sherman Palladino's patented genius scion child. Also, to the actress playing Esther, that's not how a New Yorker pronounces Florida.

Everyone seems so much older this season, it almost makes Ethan look age-appropriate.

I just watched this right after Succession, and the guy who plays Frank on that show plays Gordon Ford's announcer on this show which was a fun juxtaposition. Speaking of Succession, I think Mrs Maisel probably could have ended after four season, too. I just feel like filming during Covid sent this show on an entirely different trajectory than where it was initially headed, and it's been off since the beginning of last season. I'm not going to quit watching at this point, but it just a whole different vibe than what I liked about earlier seasons - not bad, just different.

[Daff]

10 hours ago, FaginZorro said:

Who was the repairman wandering around the Weissman’s apartment when Susie came?

You weren’t supposed to know, evidenced by the fact that even the Weissmans didn’t know (and took a hella long time to even notice). Just more grist for the “living in self-generated chaos” mill. (Surprising that ASP doesn’t spontaneously fly off the surface of the planet.)

5 hours ago, gorgy said:

Have you ever eaten so much of something that it makes you never want to see it, taste it, smell it ever again?

It is getting old and repetitive.

[chaifan]

12 hours ago, gorgy said:

I just watched this right after Succession, and the guy who plays Frank on that show plays Gordon Ford's announcer on this show which was a fun juxtaposition.

I also watched the two back to back.  I'll admit, I didn't notice Frank, but I did notice Willa/Astrid.  Talk about two very very very different roles! 

So glad someone explained the cancelled tickets/bad luck.  The matchmakers!  Of course!  I had totally forgotten about it.

16 hours ago, FaginZorro said:

The women’s fashions were accurate and well done. Midge and Rose especially looked great at the airport.

Oh, I'll have to disagree.  I really didn't like Rose's airport outfit.  I mean, it was perfect and perfectly Rose, but I just thought it looked waaaay too much and almost clownish. 

When I saw Midge carrying what looked like a woman's carry-on case, I thought that she was going to take the magician guy's tickets at the last minute and hijack his spot on stage, and that's where the season would begin - her in Vegas all on her own.  Sorta glad I was wrong there. 

I'm not sure how I feel about the Esther flash forwards.  On one hand, it's interesting.  On the other, it's just going to suck time away from an already big cast.  I don't want them to sacrifice the season by trying to tie things in to 1981.

 

[Sarah 103]

17 hours ago, FaginZorro said:

Please remind me, in this time frame, had Midge just had sex with LB when she sees the Gordon Ford billboard?

She has sex with Lenny Bruce the night before Carnegie Hall. She sees him backstage, he gives her the lecture to end all lectures, then she goes out in the snow and sees the billboard. 

17 hours ago, FaginZorro said:

Why would show biz royalty like Gordon Ford be hangin' out at Midge’s titty bar place of employment?

Because men like burleque/strip clubs. The place seems rather nice and isn't a total dive. 

[smartymarty]

On 4/17/2023 at 12:58 PM, chaifan said:

So glad someone explained the cancelled tickets/bad luck.  The matchmakers!  Of course!  I had totally forgotten about it.

I don't think the tickets were cancelled. Miriam's mother said the bank called to say she'd won the trip. My understanding was that the matchmakers made that call. Thus, there were no cancelled tickets because there were no tickets to begin with. My recollection is that Miriam's mother even says "they didn't have our reservation." So they went to the airport for nothing.

[tennisgurl]

I was very confused at the opening scene for a minute but it all made sense when Easter started talking. She really is a tiny Midge, they look and sound so much alike its uncanny. 

Oh Lenny, if only things had been different.

I definitely needed that recap, I forgot half of the stuff that went down last season!

[basil]

On 4/14/2023 at 2:10 PM, Sailorgirl26 said:

I so love that they filmed at the restored TWA terminal at JFK!!  

 

I stayed there a couple-three years ago when JFK was shut down in January during a snowstorm. The tiny rooftop pool was heated and glorious. It's a bit rundown, but if you can give it a go, you should. You can watch planes take off and arrive from your room.

 

 

On 4/15/2023 at 5:09 PM, janie jones said:

I am glad they had her get the abortion, though.

From the moment Mei's pregnancy was announced, I knew an abortion was a forgone conclusion.

 

On 4/16/2023 at 5:27 PM, FaginZorro said:

How was Midge’s toe saved from frostbite?

 

Do we know that it was?

[debraran]

52 minutes ago, basil said:

I stayed there a couple-three years ago when JFK was shut down in January during a snowstorm. The tiny rooftop pool was heated and glorious. It's a bit rundown, but if you can give it a go, you should. You can watch planes take off and arrive from your room. Fans asked on FB, they either got a smile or "she recovered" from website monitoring Mrs M page.

 

 

From the moment Mei's pregnancy was announced, I knew an abortion was a forgone conclusion.

 

Do we know that it was?

That was the dumbest plot to me, why do that if just for a laugh from Susie? It seemed so odd to me that whole piece and then it cut to further down the road. Maybe they will do something with it later, but I don't want dreams or that line of writing. It was a big "why bother" Midge would never lose a toe and the not mentioning it at all, seemed weird. I don't recall Susie even joking about it. On FB the Mrs Maisel staff just smiles when someone mentions it or says "it recovered".

Edited April 19, 2023 by debraran

[Carolina Girl]

On 4/14/2023 at 6:49 PM, Eureka said:

For a good couple of minutes I thought it was Rachel Brosnahan.

You're not the only one!

[Iseut]

While I still watch it, and while Gilmore Girls is still one of my fave shows of all time that I rewatch way too much, this show is Palladinos on steroids and I find it very much of a slog. It has enough positive elements, though, to keep me watching through the end.

The visuals are always a joy...there have been a few times when I thought I should just mute it through most of the scenes to avoid the obnoxious repetitive dialogue while enjoying the sets, costumes, and photography. The scenes in the airport were visually stunning, especially the scene with Lenny in the tunnel. It was very dreamlike and symbolic, and hot damn if those two don't still have smmmokin' chemistry. (I would never turn down the dialogue on their scenes. :)) Knowing his intended role in her life on the show (career-guiding guardian angel type) and also what really happened to Bruce, it's amazing that their scenes together still have me hoping for those two crazy kids to work it out and live happily ever after.

Sad that Mei had to leave the show because I really love Stephanie Hsu, but glad that they didn't shy away from the abortion and the path forward to following her dream, even if it doesn't include Joel (who has some redeeming qualities, but is still by and large a putz).

 

Edited April 20, 2023 by Iseut

[LadyintheLoop]

What are the odds that Ethan was done with that teddy bear?

[Suzn]

I'm late to comment, but though Esther certainly is very Midge-like, she is also certainly unlikeable.  I really don't care if she is the genius of the century, she is obnoxious.  Midge was not a good mother, but I don't see that she is totally to blame for having such a brat.

[Red Fields]

On 4/17/2023 at 12:58 PM, chaifan said:

Oh, I'll have to disagree.  I really didn't like Rose's airport outfit.  I mean, it was perfect and perfectly Rose, but I just thought it looked waaaay too much and almost clownish. 

 

I think I posted last season at some point, that Rose’s hats seemed to be growing larger with every appearance. The outfit was great but that hat was approaching Cat In The Hat proportions and wrecked it for me.

The airport mise en scene was fabulous; it was Kubrick-worthy! I felt like we dropped into 2001: A Space Oddessey.