Maybe it’s because of the long break, or maybe it’s partly because your act seems to have gotten a little stale, but the new season of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel?” Not your best stuff, at least based on the first few episodes. In fact, it feels like you’re hitting the same liner again.
That doesn’t mean the cast (starting with Rachel Brosnahan, well, you) isn’t great, or that there aren’t some funny lines. It’s also worth noting that ex-Joel (Michael Segen) has already blossomed into a somewhat charismatic character, something that certainly wasn’t evident when the series premiered in 2017.
Understandably, a setback in your career creates a lot of trouble for your manager, Susie (Alex Borstein), who is under pressure to put you back on stage.
“You know what’s great about me? When I’m me,” I tell her, pointing to this thing when she gets rid of the game manual and randomly begins to elicit standing routines for stream of consciousness, which of course have been meticulously written and rehearsed.
There are also amusing moments related to the extended family, although even that is beginning to pay off. For example, there’s this scene where everyone yells at each other at the Wheel of Wonder in Coney Island, which starts well and then seems to go on and on.
As a whole, it would be nice to see how and where “Mrs. Maisel” comes to the end of its journey, which has raised a mirror about the misogyny that feminist comedies faced at the time and then the unresolved issues that exist to this day. Fortunately, Amazon announced on the eve of this premiere that the upcoming season will be the fifth and final, presenting the possibility of closure in the not-too-distant future.
The show helped put Amazon Prime on the programming map, so I commend that to writer and producer Amy Sherman-Palladino.
However, did you know that a little red light in the back of the house tells comedians when their group is almost over? It’s really nice to see that even the producers realized it had happened, which is an indication that it’s time to start wrapping things up.
The Marvelous Mrs.Maisel Season 4 premieres February 18th on Amazon.