Rachel Brosnahan as Mrs. Maisel in Amazon Studio’s hit show
Amazon Prime's “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” finds Miriam “Midge” Maisel and her family trying to turn their seemingly perfect lives in 1950s New York into the lives they actually want. The drama-comedy created by Amy Sherman-Palladino garnered critical acclaim, swept the 2018 Emmy Awards, and moved the show’s star Rachel Brosnahan—and her picture-perfect wardrobe—into the center of the pop-culture spotlight. What makes wife and mother turned stand-up comic Midge so marvelous and the show must-stream TV?
Stef Woods, a faculty member in American University’s American Studies program, explores the show’s complex character relationships and how it portrays real-world issues like feminism, religion, marriage, and career as reflected through Midge’s transformation from jilted spouse to aspiring show-biz pro.
Woods also looks at the show's depiction of the period’s stand-up comedy circuit (Lenny Bruce becomes an early, if unlikely, pal of sheltered Upper-West-sider Midge) and how Amazon has marketed “Mrs. Maisel” in an entertainment landscape overflowing with content choices.
No prior viewing required, as Woods offers an overview of the key plot points and a flash-forward to the eagerly anticipated Season Three.
