The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: 10 Best Episodes According To IMDb
Season 3 of Amazon’s Emmy award winning series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel has just launched, giving fans a much needed resolution to the cliffhanger from season 2. As a comedy series set in 1960s America, the show actually juggles a lot of political and philosophical themes as well, giving it a little something for everyone to love and appreciate.
Though Midge’s struggles are often humorous, there are still plenty of more serious moments in the show that make it easy to see why it has won the awards it has. However, for as many highs as there have been in the series, not every episode is as good as the last. Looking at some of the stronger highlights from the series, here is our list of the 10 best episodes of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel according to IMDb.
Warning: Spoilers for the most recent season follow.
10 Kind of Bleu S3E6 (8.9)
As part of the most recent season, “Kind of Bleu” shows some really strong progression for Midge and Shy Baldwin’s relationship. As Shy’s mental status seems to deteriorate because of the tour, Midge actually gets him to reveal his sexuality to her. While it may not be a big deal to Midge, audiences know that being a homosexual Black man in 1960’s America has likely posed some very great problems for Shy.
Thankfully, Midge is able to help Shy before he needs to go onstage, saving the day although the tour was suspended after that. Though the episode could have done a bit more to really hone in on Shy’s character, context clues still emphasize the gravity of the situation. Furthermore, with Shy revealing his real name to Midge, the friendly relationship between them makes it easy to see why the episode scored so high.
9 Hands! S3E4 (8.9)
Considering how Midge and Joel had finally finalized their divorce, it was rather hilarious to see the two of them get married all over again. After perfecting her Vegas act, Suzie heads home to help Sophie find a new gig. Without her there though, Midge comes to make her own stupid decisions, which is how she ended up remarried to Joel.
“Hands!” does feel a little bit like a filler episode overall, but does deliver some of the better laughs from the season. While it was nice to see Joel and Midge laughing together, seeing them get remarried is definitely a more interesting turn for the series, leaving all sorts of possibilities for the next season.
8 Look, She Made A Hat S2E7 (8.9)
Quite a few things happen in “Look, She Made A Hat” that make it easy to see why it is one of the best episodes of the series. As Midge and Benjamin explore their relationship further, she comes to learn that he is a big fan of art. This leads the two to the home of one of Benjamin’s favorite artists, who unfortunately turns out to be a bit of a disappointment.
However, Midge and the artist have a rather interesting conversation, drawing many parallels between her and himself. This entire scene, however serious, is wonderfully written and a great moment for Midge as a character. Furthermore, with the other characters following their own storylines off to the side, “Look, She Made A Hat” still delivers a lot of good laughs while also juggling some more serious moments.
7 All Alone S2E10 (9.0)
As the finale to the series’ second season, “All Alone” really hit all the marks that it needed to. Though it was unfortunate to see Midge and Benjamin break up, seeing her career hit a major high point was incredibly pleasant. Likewise, with a major change in Abe’s life, as well as the cliffhanger with Joel and Midge, fans definitely had a lot to look forward to in season 3.
While things were very obviously going to continue, there was still enough resolution that made the wait for season 3 bearable. With plenty of laughs throughout the episode as well, there was no way that “All Alone” wasn’t going to have a place on this list.
6 Panty Pose S3E3 (9.1)
“Panty Pose” can really be considered the official start of season 3. In the episode, Midge and Suzie officially start their tour with Shy Baldwin, leaving New York behind for the time being. While the series still focuses plenty on the characters remaining in New York, Midge and Suzie spend the next several episodes in Vegas.
Likewise, Abe and Rose’s relationship begins to get tested, especially with the couple being forced to move in with Joel’s parents. While the actual first episode of season 3 is still charming and full of laughs, “Panty Pose” is really where the meat of the story starts to develop.
5 Thank You and Goodnight S1E8 (9.1)
The conclusion to the first season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel was exceptionally well-crafted, funny, and dramatic, making it a perfect end for a series that was brand new at the time. Things actually begin to look bright for Midge and Joel, only to be torn down when he sees her perform.
Likewise, seeing how far Midge has come since the first episode is very satisfying to see, especially with so many others rooting for her at this point as well. Though her relationship with Joel would continue to be rocky in the following seasons, seeing her career take off is far more satisfying to see than her restored relationship.
4 A Jewish Girl Walks into the Apollo S3E8 (9.2)
As the final episode of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel for the time being, “A Jewish Girl Walks into the Apollo” actually saw one of the biggest cliffhangers so far for the series. Even before Shy fired Midge for the things she said about him, several key things unfolded in the episode. For starters, Zachary Levi delivered a surprisingly powerful performance towards the start of the episode, and it seems as though the two may actually be able to patch things up later on.
Joel also managed to open his club and get back together with Mai, actually ending the season on a high note for him. Even Abe and Rose found success in their own ways leaving Midge at one of her lowest points by the end. Even so, Shy’s manager, Reggie, implies that Midge is too good to be stopped. While season 3 ended on a bit of a downer for our beloved main character, there is enough hope that makes it easy to believe that she will bounce back better than ever.
3 Vote For Kennedy, Vote For Kennedy S2E9 (9.2)
As season 2 came to a close, “Vote For Kennedy, Vote For Kennedy” saw a lot of tensions with Sophie Lennon. After Midge had exposed her during one of her sets, Sophie made sure she was blacklisted throughout the area, making it very difficult for Midge to get good spots and show off her material.
Furthermore, things begin to take an interesting turn for Abe, who is now under investigation for possibly being a communist. While the entire show is incredibly well-made, it is still interesting to see a lot of the real world history occur in the background as well. Considering how so much happens within this episode alone, it is understandable that “Vote For Kennedy, Vote For Kennedy” would land comfortably in the top 3 episodes.
2 It’s Comedy or Cabbage S3E5 (9.3)
For everything that happens during this episode, one of the highlights of “It’s Comedy or Cabbage” is in the approach to Midge’s relationship with fellow comic, Lenny Bruce. The two really do complement each other very well and audiences begin to feel as though the two might make a good romantic pair. However, in a very tasteful manner, Lenny makes his last appearance for the season, and Midge doesn’t even sleep with him.
Considering the role Lenny has played since the very beginning, the two’s relationship is certainly going to be explored later on. However, with everything else that happened in this episode (including a hysterical bit of Suzie learning to swim), “It’s Comedy or Cabbage” is definitely one of the strongest episodes from season 3.
1 Midnight at the Concord S2E5 (9.3)
“Midnight at the Concord” manages to cram a lot within its hour-long runtime. Firstly, Midge and Benjamin’s relationship begins to develop, showcasing what a fine addition to the cast Zachary Levi will be. Furthermore, her interactions with Lenny Bruce, as mentioned previously, are always fantastic to experience.
Marking the midway point for the second season, Midge comes to realize that she has a lot of options. Pursuing things with Benjamin could complicate her career, especially as it's right about to take off. Likewise, Lenny’s blunt wisdom also gives her a lot to consider. Though this episode wins out over “It’s Comedy or Cabbage” based on number of votes alone, it is totally understandable that it would be considered the best episode of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel yet.