Marvelous Mrs Maisel is hilarious, timely, beautifully shot and created by the wonderful, Amy Sherman-Palladino. Each episode is a whirlwind of chaos and laughter.
Starring amazing actors like Rachel Brosnahan and Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel is arguably one of the best tv shows on Amazon Prime right now. With that in mind, it’s easy to see why it has been such a success at the award shows. Each episode seems to top itself in some way, exploring the chaotic lives of the Weissman’s and the life of a struggling female comedian in the late 50s. We headed to IMDb to see the real best episodes of this fantastic show.
10 Panty Pose: 8.7
Abe and Rose are forced to move out of their luxurious apartment into the Maisel’s which is both humiliating for them and rather funny for us. Midge had her first performance opening for Shy Baldwin, in which she bombed. It’s a struggle to watch in the best of times but when everything is riding on this one show it only makes it worse. Mei and Joel get to know each other more, something which seems to have mixed reviews. Ultimately, this episode wasn’t easy to watch but was certainly made better when she was shown being accepted into Shy’s groups and upping her game on her second set.
9 Pilot: 8.8
It’s hard to see why this episode isn’t higher up on this list as it certainly deserves it. Filled with killer jokes, beautiful visuals, and a fantastic twist, this episode sets the precedence for the rest of the show. Absolute chaos.
What makes this episode so great is Midge’s set, she is soaked, angry, confused, and a little drunk. Her jokes leave you practically crying with laughter by the end of it. Marking the beginning of something special and filled with fantastic introductions to every unique character shows that this is not a show to be missed.
8 Put That On Your Plate!: 8.8
A look into Joel’s psyche and a hilarious takedown of one of New Yorks’s finest comedians.
Rose and Midge are thrown into chaos once they find out that Abe has invited a divorce lawyer to discuss Midge and Joel’s case. To add to the confusion and disarray, Midge meets Sophie Lennon. A comedian who is famed for the act, ‘Sophie from Queens’. When visiting it’s revealed that she’s a prim and proper upper-class woman who laughs at Midge for eating a macaroon. This episode has enough twists and turns to rightfully gain its 8.8-star rating.
7 Look She Made A Hat! 8.8
Midge is shown the downside to being an artist whilst on a date with Benjamin and is forced to reveal her secrets to her entire family on Yom Kippur.
It’s heartwarming to see Midge being loved like she should, especially when you see them thriving together. However, when Midge stands up in front of 10 starving people to declare her profession you can’t help but smirk. To see each of these characters impressively bouncing off each other so smoothly. It feels wonderful when Midge reveals her secret and Astrid reveals her pregnancy.
6 It’s Comedy Or Cabbage: 8.9
An episode about female desire and what it means to be a woman in a culture where they are objects of male desire rather than pursuing their dreams and wants.
This deserves its 8.9 ratings because of the splendid visuals and its funny and organic script. However, it’s the subject matter that drives the story through, the bond between Shy and Midge is well orchestrated. It interestingly explores Midge’s budding friendship with single mother, Carole who offers her a brilliant insight into life on the road and how isolating it can be. She also explains to Midge that she is worth more than she thinks and that she must be careful when it comes to love on the road.
5 All Alone: 9
Filled with scenes that will never fail to make you smile, then make your heart sink due to the reality of the situation, this episode is filled with laughs and most certainly nerves.
The scene sets on a young Joel and Midge on a date. When it is eventually realized that Joel is proposing, the scene becomes that of wonders. With car horns honking, music playing, the streetlight reflecting on the puddles in the road and that beautiful pink overlay, it’s impossible to resist feeling their joy. However, Midge is quickly snapped back to reality with Benjamin being hilariously grilled within an inch of his life as he asks her dad for permission to marry her. What makes this episode deserving of 9 stars is the fantastic switch between now and then and how easily people can resonate with each character.
4 A Jewish Girl Walks Into The Apollo: 9
Very different from the previously mentioned episode, this one is full of heartbreak and disappointments.
Perhaps the reason this has been rated so highly is due to the portrayal of how distraught each character is when told their worst dreams are true. Midge loses the gig with Shy after taking some advice and naively outs Shy as gay to the entire audience. She finishes her set ecstatic at how well it went only to be told later on that she can no longer perform. To rub salt into the wound she then finds out that she has lost the house she proudly brought back from the Maisels to Suzie’s ever-worsening gambling problem. It is hard to watch but a real reminder that her life is anything but going well.
3 Thank You And Good Night: 9.1
With 1,767 votes, this episode is a fan favorite. Seeing a glimpse of Joel and Midge getting back together appalled some audiences but it can’t be helped to feel an ounce of joy for the two as they rush around telling their family that they might get back together.
Ultimately, this is not something that will last as Joel finds out she is a comedian after she opens for Lenny Bruce. Joel goes into a bit of a spiral and ends up leaving Penny, quitting his job and getting into a fight with a heckler who shouted at Midge, yelling to the whole of New York that “she’s good”. Midge, on the other hand, has problems of her own, Penny comes marching into B Altman shouting about how she stole ‘her’ man. It has a detrimental effect on Midge as she is demoted from her beloved Revlon counter to the phones in the basement.
2 Vote For Kennedy, Vote For Kennedy: 9.2
In this episode, Midge gets a slot on TV, Suzie stands up to Sophie Lennon, and Abe realizes that his job is at risk.
What makes this episode 9.2 stars are the realistic aspects mixed with chaotic comedy. Midge gets a spot on a TV show about arthritis, a wonderful opportunity that is made into a shambles by none other than Sophie Lennon. Midge’s spot is pushed back and back only made funnier by Suzie and Midge’s entrances into the gallery, something that makes any filmmaker cringe at the sight of them strolling into such an important room. Once Midge is given the last slot of the show Suzie waltzes into Sophie’s dressing room and shouts at her, filling our hearts with glee as someone finally stands up to her.
1 Midnight At The Concord: 9.3
By far the best episode of the entire show. This one made every fan watching audibly gasp and feel for Midge as her father unexpectedly finds out her ‘worst kept secret’.
Midge lands herself one of the best gigs of her career, the Concord. As soon as she steps out on stage and says a few jokes she spots her father sitting in the front row looking deadpan. Her worst nightmare has come true. She panics and unintentionally changes her set to be all about her father. In an awkward few scenes, her father tells her to keep it a secret from the rest of the family.
