History Fridge / TheMarvelousMrsMaisel

'''Joel:''' If I had to unhook the whole thing all my myself what'd you think was gonna happen, you think I was gonna get bored?\\

'''Midge:''' "Maybe. I just wanted to make things easy for you.

-->'''Joel:''' “What did you think was gonna happen?”
-->'''Midge:''' “What?”
-->'''Joel:''' “If I had to unhook the whole thing all my myself what’d you think was gonna happen, you think I was gonna get bored?”
-->'''Midge:''' “I don’t know.”
-->'''Joel:''' “You think halfway through I’d lose interest and go make a sandwich?”
-->'''Midge:''' “Maybe. I just wanted to make things easy for you.”

** Within "Marvelous Radio" itself, we see Midge and Sophie torpedo a gig, and jeopardize both the client's and manager's reputations. In the case of the Phyllis Schafely live ad, Midge refuses to speak out of her principles (having been guided properly by Abe), whereas Sophie torpedoes her Broadway show out of fear of failure after knocking over the table.

* If one understands the premise of ''Theatre/MissJulie'', Sophie's reasons for wanting to be the title character are clearer. It's a heavy serious play about aristocracy, one of the earliest versions of what's known as "naturalistic" drama (focused on realistic characters in true-to-life situations). The titular Miss Julie is the daughter of a Count, born to wealth and thinks she's above everyone else. She falls in love with her father's social-climbing valet, Jean, who she then sleeps with. They consider running away together, but Christine (the household cook) orders the stablemen not to give them horses, and when the Count returns home, their plans collapse. It ends with Julie committing suicide in despair. It explores morals and man/woman dynamic and socioeconomic factors. It's also very wordy and it's a three-person play, heavy on dialogue. Sophie is very much like Miss Julie. She is bossy and thinks she is above everyone else------and doesn't cooperate or share the limelight in a three-man show (remember the director telling her to "play tennis" in rehearsals--as in "react back to the other actor convincingly etc."), to the point of forgetting the existence of Moira, the actress playing Christine.

* The treasure maps in "The Punishment Room" that Joel's parents use to hide their money stashes take on a different meaning if you're a history buff. Because they're a nod to valuables that were buried away from Nazis when Jews were deported to ghettos and concentration camps in Europe. People who hid under a fake identity used those “treasures” to survive or pay stooges.

** Not to mention, Sophie is one of those "demented famous people", which is to say, people who have been famous and rich for so long they've lost complete touch with reality. There are many real life cases (Music/MariahCarey is an example of a star who is outwardly and visibly like this) of seemingly sane celebs who are actually deeply coddled and spoiled like Sophie behind closed doors. Sophie has the two dogs flanking her throne-like chair, and an entourage of a butler and assistants who get her ridiculous things like Jell-O, and answer her phone and door for her. Sophie is just so afraid of not being famous anymore, that her whole life is defined by her success and the illusion of her greatness. And ultimately, she's a coward, too scared to lose it all...sending the message that "If you get too comfortable in your success, you will get suffocated by it."

* If you know the premise of ''Theatre/MissJulie'', Sophie's reasons for wanting to be the title character are clearer. It's a heavy serious play about aristocracy, one of the earliest versions of what's known as "naturalistic" drama (focused on realistic characters in true-to-life situations). The titular Miss Julie is the daughter of a Count, born to wealth and thinks she's above everyone else. She falls in love with her father's social-climbing valet, Jean, who she then sleeps with. They consider running away together, but Christine (the household cook) orders the stablemen not to give them horses, and when the Count returns home, their plans collapse. It ends with Julie committing suicide in despair. It explores morals and man/woman dynamic and socioeconomic factors. It's also very wordy and it's a three-person play, heavy on dialogue. Sophie is very much like Miss Julie. She is bossy and thinks she is above everyone else------and doesn't cooperate or share the limelight in a three-man show (remember the director telling her to "play tennis" in rehearsals--as in "react back to the other actor convincingly etc."), to the point of forgetting the existence of Moira, the actress playing Christine.

* Going into "Marvelous Radio," some viewers have expressed that it seemed rather abrupt that Midge would do radio work, as there was no real setup for it. But if the radio ad work seemed abrupt and chaotic, it's because it was. Obviously, it in part was because Shy postponed the tour due to recovery from his "exhaustion". But it's also because Susie's gambling problem is getting out of hand. She's losing money (to the point her own bookie notices and has to tell her "if you need a bucket brigade to cobble up scraps, it might be time to slow down the gambling a little") and not telling Midge, so the scramble may have been to get quick income to offset the losses without Midge being the wiser.

** Not to mention, Sophie is one of those "demented famous people", which is to say, people who have been famous and rich for so long they've lost complete touch with reality. There are many real life cases (Mariah Carey is an example of a star who is outwardly and visibly like this) of seemingly sane celebs who are actually deeply coddled and spoiled like Sophie behind closed doors. Sophie has the two dogs flanking her throne-like chair, and an entourage of a butler and assistants who get her ridiculous things like Jell-O, and answer her phone and door for her. Sophie is just so afraid of not being famous anymore, that her whole life is defined by her success and the illusion of her greatness. And ultimately, she's a coward, too scared to lose it all...sending the message that "If you get too comfortable in your success, you will get suffocated by it."

* If you know the premise of ''Theatre/MissJulie'', Sophie's reasons for wanting to be the title character are clearer. It's a heavy serious play about aristocracy, one of the earliest versions of what's known as "naturalistic" drama (focused on realistic characters in true-to-life situations). The titular Miss Julie is the daughter of a Count, born to wealth and thinks she's above everyone else. She falls in love with her father's social-climbing valet, Jean, who she then sleeps with. They consider running away together, but Christine (the household cook) orders the stablemen not to give them horses, and when the Count returns home, their plans collapse. It ends with Julie committing suicide in despair. It explores morals and man/woman dynamic and socioeconomic factors. It's also very wordy and it's a three-person play, heavy on dialogue. Sophie is very much like Miss Julie. She is bossy and thinks she is above everyone else------and doesn't cooperate or share the limelight in a three-man show. Sophie Lennon does not break out of her comfort zone and is unable to share the spotlight in a play (remember the director telling her to "play tennis" in rehearsals--as in "react back to other actor convincingly etc."), to the point of forgetting the existence of her female costar Moira.

* Going into "Marvelous Radio," some viewers have expressed that it seemed rather abrupt that Midge would do radio work, as there was no real setup for it. But if the radio ad work seemed abrupt and chaotic, it's because it was. Obviously, it in part was because Shy postponed the tour due to recovery from his "exhaustion". But it's also because Susie's gambling problem is getting out of hand. She's losing money (to the point her own bookie has to tell her "if you need a bucket brigade to cobble up scraps, it might be time to slow down the gambling a little") and not telling Midge, so the scramble may have been to get quick income to offset the losses without Midge being the wiser.

* While many fans expressed disappointment in Midge abruptly forgetting all about Benjamin in the season 2 finale and going back to Joel for one last kiss before her tour with Shy Baldwin, they also tend to forget that Benjamin is also a collector. His interest in Midge is genuine, but the episode where we learn about his art collection and see him seeking out Declan Howell, this obscure artist who makes great paintings that never get sold, illustrates that Benjamin has a penchant for collecting things that are strange but beautiful. Declan sees this in Benjamin, and takes a dislike to him because he can tell that the value to Benjamin lies in possessing something. While in Midge, he sees someone who loves a piece for its inherent creativity and beauty, hence showing her the masterpiece he's only ever displayed to Jackson Pollack.
** Also seen in the season 2 finale is a significant contrast between Joel's and Benjamin's proposals, with Joel being romantic and Benjamin being practical. Joel was impulsive and romantic, he didn’t ask her father, and his approach literally stopped traffic. Whereas Benjamin came to her father with paperwork and talked about money and numbers and reading lists and character references. It’s one version of Midge versus the other. This is really highlighted in that scene when Benjamin says to Midge, "is this how you look every morning?" I’m never going to be on time for work again", and it’s the "primped and prepped" version of Midge. It’s the face she put on when married to Joel. The most ‘real’ she’s been was in bed with Joel in the season 1 finale, when they thought they were gonna get back together and she admits to powdering the marks from her bra when he sees them for the first time. And then she wakes up and kicks him out the window, and it’s the real, fun, impulsive her. And you can see how beautiful and real he finds her. That's why she goes to Joel at the end instead of Benjamin. He still wasn’t someone she wanted to share with. It’s kind of, still, always Joel. And he is someone she doesn't have to "break up" with or explain things to. Someone who is comfortable and familiar and part of her past life. A life she never got to say goodbye to properly.

!!FridgeBrilliance

!! FridgeHorror

* Going into "Marvelous Radio," some viewers have expressed that it seemed rather abrupt that Midge would do radio work, as there was no real setup for it. But if the radio ad work seemed abrupt and chaotic, it's because it was. Obviously, it in part was because Shy postponed the tour due to recovery from his "exhaustion". But it's also because Susie's gambling problem is getting out of hand. She's losing money (to the point her own bookie has to tell her "if you need a bucket brigade to cobble up scraps, it might be time to slow down the gambling a little") and not telling Midge, so the scramble may have been to get quick income to offset the losses without Midge being the wiser.

* If you know the premise of ''Theatre/MissJulie'', Sophie's reasons for wanting to be the title character are clearer. It's a heavy serious play about aristocracy, one of the earliest versions of what's known as "naturalistic" drama (focused on realistic characters in true-to-life situations). The titular Miss Julie is the daughter of a Count, born to wealth and thinks she's above everyone else. She falls in love with her father's social-climbing valet, Jean, who she then sleeps with. They consider running away together, but Christine (the household cook) orders the stablemen not to give them horses, and when the Count returns home, their plans collapse. It ends with Julie committing suicide in despair. It explores morals and man/woman dynamic and socioeconomic factors. It's also very wordy and it's a three-person play, heavy on dialogue. Sophie is very much like Miss Julie. She is bossy and thinks she is above everyone else------and doesn't cooperate or share the limelight in a three-man show. In the end, Sophie Lennon does not break out of her comfort zone and is unable to share the spotlight in a play (remember the director telling her to "play tennis" in rehearsals--as in "react back to other actor convincingly etc.").

** Sophie, like Midge in season 1, was trying to go down a new career path. Both of them failed, but for entirely different reasons. Midge stood up for what she believed in and was willing to fail to do what was right, which is the reason she's still standing despite Sophie's efforts to put her down. Sophie had one misstep and was so terrified of failing that she turned back to her old ways and tried to save face, inevitably failing herself anyways. Say what you will about Midge "having things too easy" or somehow just always blending in with the right crowds or getting along with everyone she meets -- from the outside, it may look like that, but the fact is, when she is met with adversity, she plods on through regardless.

* The treasure maps in "The Punishment Room" that Joel's parents use to hide their money stashes take on a different meaning if you're a history buff. Because they're a nod to valuables that were buried away from Nazis when Jews were deported to ghettos and concentration camps in Europe. People who hid under a fake identity used those “treasures” to survive or pay stooges.

** Also important: Yale in the 1930s was NOT the place to study if you wanted to be a great actor. The real professional actors of that era did not go to Ivy League schools, and when the method acting revolution came to America, they still didn’t go there. Sophie is just a woman who wanted to be an actor 30 years ago and hasn’t actually done it in all that time. That’s not much evidence of talent, but her performance sure does indicate a great lack of it.

** Also important: Yale in the 1930s was NOT the place to study if you wanted to be a great actor. The real professional actors of that era did not go to Ivy League schools, and when the method acting revolution came to America, they still didn’t go there. Sophie is just a woman who wanted to be an actor 30 years ago and hasn’t actually done it in all that time. That’s not much evidence of talent, but her performance sure does indicate a great lack of it.

* In "Let's Face the Music and Dance," Astrid is fasting at breakfast for Tisha B'Av. One episode later, at Yom Kippur dinner in "Look She Made a Hat", she blurts out that she's finally pregnant. On the Jewish calendar, Tisha B’Av is a little less than two months before Yom Kippur. Which means the weird smelling Chinese cream/remedy that Astrid got to help conceive did the trick!

It’s almost like Joel is seeing her for the first time and they’re falling in love again. Watching this episode and the first episode of season 2 back to back, one can see Joel’s biggest insecurity, exposing his vulnerability and people seeing him and his flaws. He doesn’t want people to see him, which is why he is so upset when he sees Midge’s stand up and so conflicted because he can't deny that she is so damn good. This insecurity pops up throughout Season 2, especially when he learns about Benjamin. He thinks Benjamin is lacking the flaws he has, so Joel flips. Joel is incredibly impulsive, in case we haven't noticed. And so is Midge (who didn't even hesitate when it came to Shy Baldwin's tour offer).

** Also seen in the season 2 finale is a significant contrast between Joel's and Benjamin's proposals, with Joel being romantic and Benjamin being practical. Joel was impulsive and romantic, he didn’t ask her father, and his approach literally stopped traffic. Whereas Benjamin came to her father with paperwork and talked about money and numbers and reading lists and character references. It’s one version of Midge versus the other. This is really highlighted in that scene when Benjamin says to Midge, "is this how you look every morning?" I’m never going to be on time for work again", and it’s the "primped and prepped" version of Midge. It’s the face she put on when married to Joel. The most ‘real’ she’s been was in bed with Joel in the season 1 finale, when they thought they were gonna get back together and she admits to powdering the marks from her bra when he sees them for the first time. And then she wakes up and kicks him out the window, and it’s the real, fun, impulsive her. And you can see how beautiful and real he finds her. That's why she goes to Joel at the end instead of Benjamin. He still wasn’t someone she wanted to share with. It’s kind of, still, always Joel. And he is someone she doesn't have to "break up" with or explain things to. Someone who is comfortable and familiar and part of her past life. A life she never got to say goodbye to properly.

* While many fans expressed disappointment in Midge abruptly forgetting all about Benjamin in the season 2 finale and going back to Joel for one last kiss before her tour with Shy Baldwin, they also tend to forget that Benjamin is also a collector. His interest in Midge is genuine, but the episode where we learn about his art collection and see him seeking out Declan Howell, this obscure artist who makes great paintings that never get sold, illustrates that Benjamin has a penchant for collecting things that are strange but beautiful. Declan sees this in Benjamin, and takes a dislike to him because he can tell that the value to Benjamin lies in possessing something. While in Midge, he sees someone who loves a piece for its inherent creativity and beauty, hence showing her the masterpiece he's only ever displayed to Jackson Pollack.

* While many fans expressed disappointment in Midge abruptly forgetting all about Benjamin in the season 2 finale and going back to Joel for one last kiss before her tour with Shy Baldwin, they also tend to forget that Benjamin is also a collector. His interest in Midge is genuine, but the episode where we learn about his art collection and see him seeking out Declan Howell illustrates that Benjamin has a penchant for collecting things that are strange but beautiful. Declan sees this in Benjamin, and takes a dislike to him because he can tell that the value to Benjamin lies in possessing something. While in Midge, he sees someone who loves a piece for its inherent creativity and beauty, hence showing her the masterpiece he's only ever displayed to Jackson Pollack.

* Midge finds the Cossack performance in the employee talent show at Steiner Resorts to be hilarious, whereas everyone else is either stone-faced or offended. Then you remember, she's the one with a degree in Russian literature...

* When Joel quits, almost everyone in the board room frowns and looks upset. However, one of Joel's underlings smiles as he watches him leave. Look who's expecting a promotion!