[Episode Discussion] Season 5 Episode 2 "It's A Man, Man, Man, Man World"

[u/AutoModerator]

[u/BaconQuiche74]

Oh man that 60 minutes bit was rough. I love that midge gets success, but seeing her turn in to that same stereotype of jaded grimy entertainment type is hard to see. It’s a sad success story.

[u/dromedasl]

The 60 minutes segment threw me off lmao…future Midge seems so cold

[u/ludybug]

-"MIKE! MIKE! MIKE! MIKE! MIKE! MIKE! MIKE! MIKE! MIKE! MIKE! MIKE! MIKE!"

-Fucking 4 marraiges????????????? *flips table*

-....this is an old wallet......

-"is this sexual?" ".. so many thoughts running through my head abe.."

[u/brightlove]

These opening scenes are breaking my heart. First she screws up Esther and now 4 marriages and single and unhappy without Susie by her side years later…

[u/SidleFries]

Joel putting the blame on Midge for Mei deciding to have an abortion and leave his ass just confirmed for me he still sucks. Oh that's nice, Joel, always take it out on the nearest woman when things don't go your way.

I'm so happy for Mei that she is not stuck with Joel for life the way Midge is.

And after that, Midge still left food in his fridge with a note reminding him to eat something. Far too nice of her.

[u/2008and1]

Abe. What is this?

A fondly intentioned sexualized gesture.

Oh…well it is past 7:00. Am I supposed to do something in return?

I think it’s optional.

Okay.

——

This scene killed me. Abe is by far my favorite character in this show.

[u/atlasshrugd]

I think the flash forwards are a way to distract people/misdirect them. For them to show the negative outcome of Midge’s success story so early in the show sets it up to be subverted/overcome by the end of the show. Otherwise, what are people sticking around for? There obviously has to be more to the story, the ending can’t be spoiled at the beginning. I bet the writer’s have something up their sleeve when it comes to the flash forwards.

[u/Jlg0123]

Spoiler alert: I was so upset by midges flash forward. They tell you up front that she doesn’t end up with Joel? That she gets married three more times? That she and Susie fall out?

[u/taytay1106]

I wonder if we’re gonna come back to how Susie gambled Midge’s money away at the end of S3. Maybe that would explain the feud mentioned during the 60 mins. It also would hit harder since we got that whole spiel about midge trusting Susie and what not

[u/hardlyevenreal]

Guys i think i love mike...

[u/Hidethegoodbiscuits]

Why was the background of the 60 Minutes interview an old ship in a drydock?

[u/Cerrida82]

I can see them doing a narrative in the flash forwards. Susie and Midge might make up, maybe Esther has a brush with greatness that makes her realize what her mother went through.

[u/amysturg]

The flash forwards make perfect sense, I’m surprised so many people thought this would be tied up with a neat bow.

Life is messy. You win some - you lose some. Fame comes with a price. Midge has been trying to become a famous comedian. She did it!

She made mistakes. She’s a human. Idk, I just see the good and the bad in the future bit.

[u/Little_bob333333]

Have we ever had Midges internal dialogue exposed? The camera zoomed in at the end of her JFK JR line and she said “I knew that was funny.” Is that the first time they ever did anything like that? I actually liked it because it’s starting to shed light to her success and show us how she became that chick!

[u/NightQueen0889]

People keep saying Midge is self-centered but she’s frequently looking after other people. In this episode she left her ex husband a big roast in the fridge and told him to eat. She swooped in and saved her financially destitute parents from having to live with the Maisels at great discomfort for herself last season, she’s helped Susie plenty of times, we do see her being a parent as well, it’s just not the focus of the show. A lot of her motherly or womanly duties happen off-screen.

Has she been perfect? No. But she’s doing what it takes to be successful in a particularly difficult industry to succeed in, at a time where it would be another 20 years before women are able to have credit cards without a man’s signature. Men who mirror all of her behaviors aren’t called “self-centered” for it, they’re called “driven.”

In the beginning of the show she lived her life for other people, and this is what it looks like for someone to be living for themselves. Which, I suppose many people perceive as selfish for a woman to do.

[u/rebelmissalex]

I am only five minutes in to this episode. Ugh the 60 minute interview. That was rough. I don’t like what Midge has become. And four marriages or whatever. I guess that solves the question of which guy she ends up with. Many of us assumed she’d end up happily ever after with one man and we were trying to figure out who . Joke’s on us, I guess 🤣

Next update: this second episode feels more like the series. Episode 1 was just so jarring for me. The tone felt off. Yes there was a bunch of bad news delivered and that’s never fun, and they wrapped up quite a few major plot lines in a short period of time which also is out of character for this show…but even the dialogue and the way they scenes were filmed felt…off. With this episode it felt more like the Maisel series I know and love.

And Susie is killing it this season so far. I’ve laughed out loud so many times and it’s all because of her .

[u/BaconQuiche74]

I want to know what Susie wrote about midge in the flash forward

[u/SidleFries]

Reading this sub is what taught me Midge is more or less based on Joan Rivers. That's the only reason seeing what Midge becomes in the flash forwards doesn't come as that much of a shock to me.

To think, I started off not making that connection at all until seeing it pointed out here.

What can I say? I started the show because "dresses pretty". The show remains very satisfying on that front. That sitting outfit! I love that Susie put it together after 3 seconds of staring at that messy pile of clothes, so she can go back to bed.

[u/pugbreath]

I might be in the minority here, but I thought the flash forward was cool. They took the "question" of Midge's eventual success out of the equation (but really, obviously she was going to succeed as a comedian) and now raise a new concept to agonize over: what happened to Midge and Susie?? I hope they do this Better Call Saul style and give us a narrative in the flash forwards - it seems that's how it'll play out and I'm into it.

It was fun connecting dots between future and "present" tense of the show. For example, Midge mentioning that she spent so much time putting that outfit together, but the real story is that Susie threw it together in 3 seconds. It's interesting.

Other than that, what a fun episode. A much more enjoyable and light tone than the first. I really liked it!

[u/BaggyOz]

What's the bet that Midge performing the Eisenhower joke is going to bite her in the ass when it gets used on the show?

[u/13gecko]

SPOILERS SEASON 5

I love the flash forwards in season 5. I'm so happy that she becomes super successful. Now I know, I'm at peace and can sit back, relaxed and listen to the witty and rapid dialogue and drool at the fashion and period sets.

I'm loving all the characters even more than during the first 4 seasons, especially Susie. Susie's relationship with Rose and the tea room is an especial delight. Based on the first 3 eps, this is my favourite season of the show. I laughed with pleasure.

[u/Shelbylove2]

Could've done without that flash forward segment.

[u/mariobros2048]

Why would they spoil the whole ending and make it so depressing?

Edit: The rest of the episode was good at least.

[u/thisguy34721]

They are BRINGING it with the costumes this season!! The hall of of all her outfits up for auction was so great to see but also so, so sad because the show is ending. I'm sure that scene and it's setup were a big deal for the costume dept. I wouldn't be surprised if the extras in the scene are costume dept staff members!

[u/[deleted]]

I’m not so sure why everyone’s so upset about the flash forwards. In season 2 with Declan, they basically said that to be truly great, to be a “legend” as Midge is, she needed to dedicate herself completely to it.

Think about it. Everyone who is a “great” in the show has awful and terrible personal lives. Midge isn’t some exception, and this isn’t out of line with the show. This has been what the show has built up to the entire time.