5 plot predictions for ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ Season 4

Here are all the potential sources of drama in the new season of this Prime Video series

Image: Screengrab from YouTube video by Prime Video

The first show I watched upon my subscription to Amazon Prime Video was Amy Sherman-Palladino’s comedy-drama The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

What I liked about it was how inspiring and relatable it was.

My own journey was very similar to that of the protagonist Miriam, a.k.a. Midge Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan), a Jewish American woman who finds her purpose in stand-up comedy after her husband, Joel (Michael Zegen), leaves her for his secretary.

While I didn’t have a husband leaving me, I did have someone close go away. And then life made me write PiKu & ViRu, my first book. (Buy/download, read, and review it here; it’s FREE on Kindle Unlimited.) I’m sure there are scores of people who can identify with Midge, and that’s why this series is such a worldwide hit.

Set in the 1950s and 60s, the show has completed three seasons so far, and now the fourth one is slated to premiere on Friday, 18 February 2022.

Here’s what I think would happen in the series this season. I’ll then compare the list with what actually takes place. No guarantee that it’s going to remain spoiler-free.

Which reminds me that if you haven’t watched the first three seasons, you better do it here, because all predictions come with plenty of spoilers ahead. Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you :)

Inserting one of the 4 new teaser videos here to add more space before the spoiler-loaded copy ahead.

Let’s begin now.

Midge lives anywhere but in the Upper West Side

In season 3, Midge wants to repurchase her tony old Upper West Side home from her former FIL Moishe Maisel (Kevin Pollak). She then gives him her comedy-tour contract papers as a guarantee.

But in what can be called a “tough love” end, she’s thrown out of the tour, due to some jokes that almost outed the sexuality of her celebrity tour partner Shy Baldwin (Leroy McClain).

Her contract is, thus, null and void, so she cannot use it to buy her apartment. (She never inked her signature anyway.)

Also, unbeknownst to Midge, her manager Susie Myerson (Alex Borstein) has gambled away her savings. So, Midge has neither the money nor the contract as her guarantee. Only a miracle or stroke of generosity on Moishe’s part can get her the house now. (Generosity is a quality that’s too much to expect from Moishe, so it’s as much a miracle.)

Going by another of season 4’s teasers, Midge seems to have bought back her house and also has her parents, Rose and Abe Weissman (Marin Hinkle, Tony Shalhoub), come to live with her.

But the selfish Midge who truly lives in her own bubble needs a toning down of her excessive lifestyle, which sometimes stretches way beyond her means.

This season should, hence, see her introspect her privilege and do some serious soul-searching. It would only make sense for her to be compelled to move to someplace humbler and agree to send her kids to school there.

Midge begins working for Joel

Joel may have been a failure in matrimony and stand-up comedy (though he still has some of the show’s best lines).

But he’s the exact opposite in the world of business and entrepreneurship.

We’ve seen his enterprising nature from the way he runs his family sweatshop and cleans up its mess.

And now, he’s started his own entertainment club.

Joel was also the strongest, most grounded character in season 3, in stark contrast to his self-centred, chauvinistic persona in the first one. He’s truly come a long way.

It’s a given that, despite the initial hiccups, especially in the form of the illegal gambling centre beneath its floor, Joel’s club is going to be a hit. And if he needs a regular stand-up performer, no prizes for guessing who he’s going to hire.

Joel has also begun managing Midge’s finances after Susie handed him the responsibility following her gambling losses.

Midge’s frequent visits may not sit well with Joel’s new love interest Mei (Stephanie Hsu), going by their tense first meeting, so the makers are likely to mine tons of drama from their clash.

Susie and Midge fall out (but only for a while)

It’s possible that Midge will eventually discover what Susie has done with her savings and boil up with rage. She may even sever their friendship as a result.

However, what’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel without Midge and Susie as BFFs?

The two should patch up in no time, though there must be some act of redemption on Susie’s part.

I have to admit, though, that I did empathise with Susie the entire time. Midge isn’t the one living in a single-room hole with a bed that blocks the door.

Susie is planning to claim insurance after burning down her dead mother’s home to recoup Midge’s losses without Midge being any wiser about the screw-up. But I’m not so sure whether the amount is likely to come in on time.

While hope always prevails that the money would come through, we want to see Midge start from ground zero with a renewed mindset this time.

Midge and Lenny fall in love, but Lenny dies before anything develops further

We’ve been wanting this relationship to happen right from day one!

Looks like this is the season when the two comics would find romance with each other after Lenny’s (Luke Kirby) divorce.

But with his financial condition in as dire straits as Midge’s is headed towards, the two are up for a rocky path ahead.

Also, I still cannot get over Lenny’s line in S3E5, “Maybe someday, before I’m dead,” and his pensive, almost sorrowful expression afterwards.

Coupled with the fact that the real Lenny Bruce died in 1966 and this season is also set in the 60s, my heart sinks even more.

Rose and Abe face an uncertain future as a couple

Rose has recently discovered her knack for matchmaking and is sure to have all the people in her circle enlisting her services.

Doesn’t matter that it didn’t agree with Midge and her mercilessly dumped ex-beau Benjamin (Zachary Levi), whom Rose tried to set up with another woman. The matchmaker has got plenty of other lovebirds to bring together.

Meanwhile, it looks like Abe, who’s no longer teaching at Columbia University, is all set to languish at home, twiddling his thumbs. I’m not sure his theatre-critiquing gig is going to translate into something substantial. Even Sophie Lennon (Jane Lynch), a.k.a. Midge’s biggest comedy rival, has been kicked out of theatre forever after her Miss Julie debut-turned-debacle, so he wouldn’t get to review anything involving her in his signature style of writing.

With Abe still finding himself while Rose is helping people find their soulmates, there can be some interesting married-couple drama emanating from this front. And if we get some of Abe’s legendary one-liners as part of the package, who could possibly complain?