#ethan maisel

[wonderlandleighleigh]

Like just a friendly reminder that Ethan didn't "become a lettuce farmer," as one review stated.

He was living on a kibbutz in Israel and going to rabbinical school there.

Becoming a rabbi is no joke, and requires scholarly work, and is probably not like...easy.

[jojoblessed365]

Midge Maisel Flashforwards

Okay, so I want to be clear here, and I hope this post doesn't incite backlash but I really wanted to get my thoughts out on the flashforwards provided in the first three episodes of Mrs Maisel

Spoilers Ahead!!!

So it did come as a shock to have these flashforwards, but I like it mainly for three reasons: 1) it gives light to Midge's future which is something very realistic as well as shed light on the fact that Midge's decisions have downsides as well; 2) it has This is Us vibes but something that was a little Forrest Gump meets How I Met Your Mother vibe and is set in the beginning of the episode instead of the end or a misleading event to hide a bombshell 3) ASP doesn't plan on returning it so don't expect a AYITL part to Mrs Maisel.

So with that, let's dive into the flashforwards:

First Flashforward- Esther Maisel

So for those who thought Esther was annoying and the fact that Midge Maisel is a terrible mother is unwarranted, you're wrong!!! Esther is definitely unique, given that she's very much a version of Abe and Midge in the earlier season with her mother in terms of how she views her relationship with her mom, but you can't help but be empathetic to her because yes, being a child of an uber-famous parent is not easy. Take for example, Gypsy the musical, or children of famous actors- its something that happens. Given that Esther was a baby when Midge started out her career unlike Ethan, her mommy issues are bigger and more intense. I hope the show extends this further.

Second Flashforward- Midge's 60 Second show

So, I think this is by far the biggest of them all, because it gives some great and not so great updates on Midge's life- her career has skyrocketed, she's got multiple awards, she did an infamous show at Carnegie Hall a decade after Lenny's own show, she toured worldwide (as she would've done at Shy's own tour), with Bob Hope (something Moishe thought she was doing) and made friendships with renowned faces. On the downside- 4 failed marriages and multiple romantic relationships. This... is not exactly normal, but if you look at the romantic lives of these actors/celebrities- Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, Ginger Rogers, Irene Castle, Rita Hayworth, Sonny and Cher, Marlene Dietrich, even comedian Fanny Brice, you'll find that busted romantic lives is a common thread. If you also want fictional examples- A Star is Born, Blue Valentine, Revolutionary Road, Once, The Way We Were and many other similar movies.

With regards to Midge and Suzy's certain rift, it can be considered the opposite of Elvis Presley and Colonel Tom Parker. It's sad (but you kind of see it coming). It's like when bands break up- they'll find success but everyone wants their own identity. The worst enemy is yourself.

Third Flashforward

Ethan Maisel at 24 being a little aimless and having an unconventional professional journey (honoring his Jewish identity by working in Israel at a kibbutz and becoming a rabbi) and actually marrying a woman who is controlled and strong (an Army version of Midge- I like that they named her Chava, it's a callback to Fiddler on the Roof's third youngest daughter) shows his mommy issues which are different from Esther's but still there- it's all pretty in character. The fact that he keeps his engagement from his mother but still respects her nevertheless shows how much of mothering that we've seen from Midge from throughout the show has affected him.

Did you like this analysis???

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Voting ended onApr 22, 2023

[its-a-state-of-angst]

Never mind Ethan is me

[a-wolf-at-the-door]

"Apple, Meet Tree" [AO3]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Fandom: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Relationships: Lenny Bruce/Miriam “Midge” Maisel, Ethan Maisel & Miriam "Midge" Maisel

Words: 7,762

Chapters: 2/2

Summary: What Ethan noticed, and what he did about it.

What Kitty planned, and how it worked. (Ethan's and Kitty’s POV throughout the series and a post-finale AU).

Notes: Ethan Maisel is an observant kid, and after the staring and the sleeping in the hall and stuff do we really think he's in the happy group??? Nevertheless this is largely fluffy and sweet, and it involves Ethan following in the family footsteps in more ways than one, and Kitty doing the same. But this story does touch on a few more grown-up themes through their young and innocent eyes, so heads up. Potential CW (very brief mentions by a narrator who doesn't understand them) for the following topics: postpartum depression, body dysmorphia/eating disorder, infidelity, alcoholism and drug abuse

[postguiltypleasures]

My Peak TV journey *The Marvelous Mrs Maisel*

Prior to the final I made some predictions about where the show would end up. One was that Esther would grow up to resent her mother like Lorelei resented Emily Gilmore. I was right about that. I also speculated that maybe this was the story of how Midge could make anybody laugh, but could not make it as a comic. I was wrong about Midge’s career.

I liked the flash forwards but some of the choices of people she would be involved with seemed more funny peculiar than funny haha. It was implies she was involved with Mike Nichols. In the first season there was an episode where she did not know about his act with Elaine May and almost ended up in a Nichols and May knock off act. The flash forwards made a big deal about her working with Bob Hope which tracks with aspirational dialogue from earlier in the series. Hope had a long and successful career, (meaning I understand why he was chosen as the symbol of what success in the field looked like), he also fell incredibly out of fashion starting in the late sixties. As a choice, it says Midge never quite seemed “young” in her career. Which, I guess makes sense. After all, the Gilmore I compared her to above was Emily.

That said I really liked the final season.

In earlier posts about the show I acknowledge criticism that the Weisman actors were goyish andwritten much more likable than the Maisels, played by actually Jewish actors. This season seemed to recognize it and subtly correct. The elder Maisels were suddenly hilarious, if still crass and unkind. The Wiseman’s reliance on their housekeeper Zelda, who got married and retired over the season revealed some very unappealing aspects of their characters.

The show sometimes felt like it took place in 1960 for multiple years. As a series The Marvelous Mrs Maisel didn’t exact love the time period in which it took place, so much as it loves the pop culture from its time. It never made me want to be there, just to keep watching people in their colorful, well tailored clothes. But it was not particularly critical, nor interested in a “this is what led to things being the way they are now” type of rational for its existence. It’s doesn’t clarify it’s choice of time setting, but doesn’t let you wallow for the good old days either. Sometimes it felt like every year on screen was 1960. This disinterested ambivalence occasionally led to me wanting to fact check it, but rarely actually doing it. The one time I did was regarding Clark Gable’s death, which I thought took place a year after the season was set. I was wrong. 

In the final episode there was an establishing shot of the Ansonia indicating that is where Midge live in 2005. Later she makes a comment about Yoko Ono being one of her neighbors. Ono famously lives in the Dakota, several avenues from the Ansonia. I was going list this as another thing that makes me doubt the interest in veracity o the series. Then I found this discussed in this post finale interview with Amy Sherman-Palladino. It’s a fictional building in a fictional timeline. Don’t make a big deal about it. Some how this made me fine with it.

I want to end this by praising the actors who joined the series late players. 

Some how I forgot that Julie Klausner joined the series late in the fourth season, but she regularly had me giggling over her appearances in the final season.  (Interestingly, Klausner is not a Lenny Bruce fan.)

Alfie Fuller is new to me and she was so great as Dinah. I hope Dinah has as great a management career and I look forward to seeing Fuller in something soon.

Reid Scott is such a charming bully as Gordon Ford, you almost don’t resent his character’s success. (Though I think the no writer on the show rule was a good one) 

I’ve liked Chris Eigeman since those Whit Stillman films and I really liked seeing him run the Village Voice here.

Jason Ralph, (Rachel Brosnahan’s real life husband) had some very funny bits as Mike, especially in relation to Suzie. Seeing him here mostly made me think how I want to see him as a lead again. 

Nina Arianda has intrigued me since I saw her play Stan Laurel’s wife in Stan and Ollie. She still does as Gordon’s wife/Susie’s ex, Hedy. 

[toongrrl-blog]

The way Ethan Maisel looked at Chava after she uttered something so blunt that it brought him back to Zelda, who fed and looked after him as her own babe, and Susie, who watched TV with him and hung out with him when she stayed at Grandpa and Grandmas', both who spent more time with him than his parents

[ladygoddess87]

New York City, 1987

Ethan shows up at the house unexpectedly one day in early May with his six year old daughter, Gillian. It’s not unwelcome, of course. She loves her son and her first grandchild more than almost anything.

Despite that, she’s worried. Ethan never just shows up like this.

So, once Gilly is set up with a coloring book and crayons, she and Ethan go and sit out of earshot but still within sight of Gilly. Midge may be older now, but she remembers what kids are like.

“So. What’s wrong, Ethan?”

He sits there and sips the coffee she’s served, fidgets with his hands and finally he sighs.

“You know how Aggie left?” She nods, encouraging him to continue. “Well…Gilly has been handling it pretty well…” He frowns. “Or, I thought she was. Something odd has been happening the last week or so. I was hoping that you’d know what was going on. You’ve done this whole single parent thing, after all.”

She doesn’t point out that it was a little different. Joel was still around to help out. Aggie had just up and left not just the state but the country.

“What has she been doing?”

He rubs his forehead. “Staring at me in my sleep.”

She can’t help the laugh that bursts out of her. She’s glad that she hadn’t been drinking just then. Coffee out of the nose is painful.

“Gee, Ma. Thanks. You're such a big help.” He looks so much like Joel but sounds so much like Lenny.

“Oh, I’m sorry darling. Like father, like daughter…” she composes herself a little. “You did the same thing when Joel left. I would wake up in the night and you’d be standing by my bed staring at me.”

“I did?”

She nods and takes a drink of her coffee. “Scared the shit out of me the first few times you did it too. It took me a while to figure out what it was. You had gone to bed one night and daddy was there and then when you woke up, he was gone. You were reassuring yourself that I was still there. That I wasn’t going to do the same thing.”

“Fuck.” The swear was soft but emphatic. “I’m sorry?”

“It’s okay, Ethan. It’s a perfectly normal reaction to losing a parent.”

“Ma. What do I do about it?”

She thinks about it. “Comfort her. However you can. Hugs, letting her sleep with you a few nights until she feels safe again.”

“Is that what you did?”

She gives a grimace. “Honestly? At first, I bought that stupid fucking Dr. Spock book and…” she pauses for a moment. “I went out with Lenny, got high on pot for the first time, did a set about it and then…threw the book out and decided to see if you did it again.”

He snorts. “Sounds about right. Did I do it again?”

“Yep.”

“And then?”

“I put you in my bed, went and got Esther out of her crib and we had a little slumber party right there until you fell asleep. We did that every night for a week and then you stopped.”

[fridayisbestday]

“no glitter! anything but glitter.”

(Since it's still the summer let's set this in the Catskills)

“Hey! What’s wrong with glitter?”

Lenny was sat crossed legged on the ground, while sporting a small pink glittery heart on his cheek right underneath his eye.

"Hold still." Esther scolds him with a paint brush in hand.

"Sorry."

“Everything.” Joel answers him.

“C’mon ‘s part of the dress code!” Lenny argues before being scolded by the 7 year old again.

Midge stepped closer to him with a glue tipped paint brush in one hand and a bottle of silver glitter in the other, “No! No! Midge!” Joel backs away, holding his arms up.

“C’mon stop being such a killjoy.” Midge voiced her annoyance.

“Esther! Stop your mother!” He tried to call for backup but Esther just shrugged and continued working on painting a cat face shape on Lenny's cheek.

“Ethan!” Joel called for his son.

“Yeah?” Ethan peaked his head around the door.

This is what Ethan saw: his father trying, mainly failing to escape his mother's paint brush(?) and his mother's friend whispering something into his little sister's ear as he continued to act as her canvas.

“Help!” His father pleaded.

So after that said peak, Ethan pretended he didn't see anything and went back to his room.

“Traitor!" Joel called as Midge finally cornered him.

"Midge- You don’t have to do this."

Esther sneaked up behind her mother and nudged her a 'little' causing her to spill the silver glitter all over him.

He's absolutely mortified and pissed, his face quickly growing red.

There was a silence.

“Whoops.”

Esther looked away cutely, which made Lenny snort and Midge laugh at his reaction and the look on Joel's face.

“You look like a disco ball.” Lenny chimed as he got up.

“ESTHER!” Joel yelled.

“Anddd that’s our cue.” Lenny picked up the little girl, slung her over his shoulder and made a run for it.

“You really do.” Midge laughed when she saw her little girl wave from behind Lenny's shoulder.

"We'll see you at the party!" Lenny yelled over his shoulder before hearing the door slam shut.

“Hey! Come back here with my daughter!” Joel yelled through the open window, but it's Joel so he didn't really care.

"He's a bad influence." The disco ball complained, “Your boyfriend just kidnapped our daughter! And you’re not doing anything about it!”

“They’ll come back when they need feeding.”