The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s fifth and last season continues to develop as the story comes to an end. Midge Maisel’s (Rachel Brosnahan) rise to stardom seems right around the corner in the comedic drama’s final episodes,ending her story arc. With each new episode, the season adds some flashforwards to confirm Midge’s big hit while returning to her career as a joke writer and standup comedian.
With five seasons,The Marvelous Mrs. Maiseldisplayed a whole set of lovable characters with development and evolution since their debut. Plus, the show’s success is evident in its popularity and views, making Amazon think of potential spinoffs to the series. In that sense, the fifth season hints at possible arcs that could easily become a separate series, with Rachel Brosnahan turning into a guest or recurring star rather than the protagonist.
The Maisel Kids Spinoff
As a running gag, Midge Maisel has not been exactly the best mom for her two kids, Ethan and Esther. With her practically absent from many aspects of their lives, the joke also serves as a social commentary on the excessive demand for caregiving for women in that era (an issue still present today).
In fact, every grownup in Esther and Ethan’s lives, from their father to their grandparents, is usually portrayed as careless or not genuinely mindful of their feelings.
As season five began, a couple of episodes started by telling the story of Midge’s kids as adults. Esther (Alexandra Socha) has become a renowned scientist with profound mommy issues, spending part of a pseudo-therapeutic session rambling about her scientific breakthroughs and her relationship with her mom.
On the other hand, Ethan (Ben Rosenfield) has moved to a kibbutz in Israel and has devoted his life to God, studying to become a rabbi. Ethan doesn’t show direct signs of resenting his mother but has clearly decided to live far from her, hiding crucial information such as his engagement and upcoming wedding.
Esther and Ethan living in the shadow of a brilliant comedian/neglectful mother could be the perfect setup for a spinoff. The series could pick up on the flashforwards, focusing on the Maisel children, with Midge appearing only in mentions and for very special episodes, portraying the problematic relationship of successful individuals whose achievements are shadowed by their Jewish comedian mother. There is much to come in this relationship beforeseason 5 ends,but there is a lot of potential in a series centered on it.
Related:The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: Her Best Stand-Up Sets and Why They Matter
Susie Myerson and Associate Spinoff
Susie Myerson (Alex Borstein), Midge Maisel’s manager, has been pivotal to the series since the first episode. She was the one to discover her and see her potential in comedy. As a result, Midge and Susie are not only professional partners but friends from two different worlds that come together to succeed in the entertainment business.
Throughout the series, Susie has also become the manager of other stars. Alfie Zielenski (Gideon Glick) is a lunatic magician whose talent has only been recognized by the manager, starting to make him thrive in the business during the fifth season.
Sophie Lennon (Jane Lynch), an eccentric comedian and performer, also has an on-and-off relationship with Susie, as Sophie keeps coming back to her for job opportunities. The manager has also been presented with some opportunities that haven’t yet been developed.
It’s clear that Susie has her fanbase and the personality for her own spinoff. She has also been hinted to be attracted to other women, a story that might not develop enough through the last two seasons (though the last one still has room for it).
Finally, the flashforwards from the first episodes in his season suggestMidge and Susie had a falling out, another good excuse for Rachel Brosnahan to make occasional appearances in the spinoff.
The Lenny Bruce Perspective Spinoff
Last but not least, Lenny Bruce (Luke Kirby) has been one of Midge’s close friends and mentors in her career. They also have a platonic relationship that might or might not find a happy ending. The character always makes an appearance in Mrs. Maisel’s pivotal moments in her career and has become one of her best allies throughout the series.
Lenny’s personal life is still a mystery to Midge. She tries to learn more about it while he avoids sharing more details, only revealing part of them inadvertently. The audiences know he has a wife and a daughter, yet he lives to perform and has a problematic relationship with his job and alcohol. The character is actually based on a comedian whodied tragically at 40, so more is yet to come about his complicated personal life.
In contrast to the other two spinoffs, and given Bruce’s tragic ending, this one could happen in the same timeline of the series. It could be focused on the same years that took Midge’s career to take off from Bruce’s perspective.
Viewers could also learn about his troubled past and personal life and properly understand his erratic behavior inThe Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Plus, the points of connection between him and Midge would be the same, reenacting scenes from his point of view.
Related:The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: Why Luke Kirby’s Lenny Bruce Is an Important Character
The Marvelous Mrs. Maiselis set to premiere its final episode on May 26. With a total of 9 chapters, the end of Midge’s story is near, but there are still many more to tell, with an excellent cast of actors performing well-written characters. The future of the Maisels has a lot of potential and might promote Prime Video to think of potential spinoffs sooner rather than later.
