The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season 5 episodes 1–3 review: Rachel Brosnahan is a heart-stealer, Midge Maisel's life is fraught with conflict

3.5/5

Story: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season 5 is the series finale, and it chronicles Midge Maisel's life as she takes her first step towards stardom. The period comedy-drama, created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, stars Rachel Brosnahan as Miriam "Midge" Maisel, Alex Borstein as Susie Myerson, Michael Zegen as Joel Maisel, Marin Hinkle as Rose Weissman, Tony Shalhoub as Abe Weissman, Kevin Pollak as Moishe Maisel, and Caroline Aaron as Shirley Maisel. Meanwhile, Reid Scott joins the cast as Gordon Ford.

Review: It's the fifth and final season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and we are curious to know how Midge Maisel's life will turn out. Will she make it as a global star? Well! The first three episodes are enough to let us know that yes, the aspiring female comedian of the late 50s and early 60s will make it big, or rather, bigger, but at some personal cost.

Rachel Brosnahan shines as an outstanding performer as always and steals your heart, while the display of how Midge's life is set to turn out makes you ambivalent about her at the same time.

The first episode of the fifth season picks up where the fourth instalment left off. After gazing at Gordon Ford's gigantic poster in the New York blizzard, Midge gets back to her apartment and falls terribly sick. Susie arrives at her doorstep, and after some chat and soup, she gets back to her senses.

The first three episodes chronicle Midge's journey inside The Gordon Ford Show office as a writer. Her jokes finally land in Gordon's monologue after a month in the company of five male writers.

Nothing seems to have changed in Midge's life in 1961. You like how chirpy she still is as she walks on the road to shop, to work, or to have a party with the same enthusiasm as a few years ago after going through so much in her career and her personal life. However, as soon as the show displays a few sequences from the future, you start feeling terribly sad for her. She, indeed, makes it big as a star comedian; however, she gets quite distant from her children and seems to have many men come and go in her life but never finds her luck in love.

The makers of the show seem to have given it a lot of juice this time, as it appears in the first three episodes. As an audience, a film or show leaves us unsettled, and we wonder what will happen next in the protagonist's life after 'the end.' Well! The finale of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel won't leave you hanging. Thanks to creator Amy Sherman-Palladino.

Apart from Midge, a lot happens in Joel's life with Mei, but it certainly doesn't surprise you as it was already hinted at in the last instalment. Rose and Abe Weissman, with Moishe and Shirley Maisel, have their moments in the show, and their little interruptions in Midge's story break the monotony and amuse you too.

The first three episodes definitely pump up your eagerness to witness how Midge Maisel rises and shines as the global star comedian.

Verdict: The first three episodes are interesting and intriguing. At the same time, they seem to warm up the audience for a storm that will come with The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel series finale. Stay tuned to Amazon Prime Video!