DISCLAIMER: This recap of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel episode “Rumble on the Wonder Wheel” has spoilers. Proceed at your peril.
Tits up! The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel finally returns, and, folks, “Rumble on the Wonder Wheel” brilliantly lays the foundation for what’s sure to be a hilariously heartfelt yet poignant fourth season. Rachel Brosnahan serves up a tour de force performance, putting the pedal to the metal for an outing that shines a light on Midge’s vulnerabilities.
“Rumble on the Wonder Wheel” fills the Maisel-shaped hole in our hearts, reminding us that sometimes all we need is razor-sharp humor, lightning-fast dialogue and stunning costumes.
Ready to dig into “Rumble on the Wonder Wheel”? Let’s get to it.
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We open with Midge (Brosnahan) delivering a killer standup set at The Gaslight, venting about her desire for bloody revenge. It’s abundantly clear she’s still reeling from the Shy Baldwin incident. Sure enough, we get a flashback to that fateful night.
After Shy’s team leaves Midge and Susie (Alex Borstein) on the tarmac, they take a cab back to the city. Midge, infuriated, begins removing clothing. The cab driver pulls over, and Midge exits the vehicle, spewing expletives and throwing things in a rage, clad only in her undergarments. She even takes a tree branch to the cabbie’s car.
Susie attempts to lure Midge back into the vehicle, morphing into a brief skirmish between the two. Brosnahan delivers some of her best work here, churning out a visceral, raw, piss-and-vinegar performance.
Later, Midge and Susie stay overnight in The Gaslight. Midge strolls through the city the following morning and picks up a copy of the latest newspaper. She learns that comedian Jack Ballard replaced her on the Shy Baldwin tour and film the Christmas Special. Midge tells Susie the Baldwin team planned their humiliation, bringing them out publically for shaming.
So, Midge asks for the money she made from the tour. She needs to pay Moishe back for the loan for her old apartment. However, Susie doesn’t have said money, so she’ll need to put on her thinking cap to scrounge it up.
Susie calls her sister, Tessie (Emily Bergl), and reveals they need to pick up that check from the insurance company. Tessie vows to accompany Susie on that mission but first: breakfast cigarette.
Meanwhile, Joel (Michael Zegen) encounters an intimidating mobster-type man at his club. Mobster bro leads him to the basement, wherein Mei (Stephanie Hsu) heatedly talks to an older couple about Joel’s club. Joel whips out his English-to-Chinese dictionary and attempts to speak with them, but Mei translates instead.
The older couple believes Joel’s club is doing too well, thereby potentially drawing attention to their questionable doings in the parlor. The club was supposed to be a cover, not a legitimate establishment. The couple wanted Mei to help destroy it, but now she’s dating Joel, so there’s that.
Next, we see there’s a birthday shindig transpiring at the Maisel residence. Moishe (Kevin Pollak), Shirley (Caroline Aaron), Abe (Tony Shalhoub) and Rose (Marin Hinkle) throw a party for Ethan, Midge’s son. Abe’s interactions with his grandchildren are hysterical. Award-winning.
Midge calls her family and pretends to be in Prague, still on tour with Shy. Abe discloses to his daughter that they moved Ethan’s birthday because his actual birth month, November, isn’t going to pan out. Everyone will be too busy! Only on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel will you find characters rescheduling birthdays.
Then, Susie and Tessie meet with Mr. B (Domenick Lombardozzi) at the insurance agency in a creepy room at the end of what looks like a haunted corridor. It’s ripped straight from a horror movie, folks. Mr. B proceeds to probe into the arson case surrounding Susie and Tessie’s mother’s death. Susie and Tessie answer his questions — not honestly, but they answer the queries nonetheless.
Unfortunately, Mr. B can’t give them the check, so Susie asks Tessie to utilize her womanly assets for the cause. Show them the money!
Susie visits Joel and asks him for money, a.k.a. Midge’s cash that Susie initially asked Joel to keep from her. Well, now she needs it. Susie suggests he loan it to her, preferably in the form of a check. Joel demands to know what happened to the money he was supposed to give her. Susie departs Joel’s office empty-handed.
Later, Susie hits up a bar and drinks away her financial sorrows. A young magician, Alfie (Gideon Glick), messes around with Susie to lift her spirits (while she imbibes spirits). Even after Alfie seemingly transports her to an idyllic forest inside a calendar, Susie still loathes magicians.
Meanwhile, the Maisel/Weissman clan spend the afternoon at Coney Island, mainly to ride the Wonder Wheel. Moishe and Joel discuss work-related things. Joel fills his father in on the club situation. Moishe suggests Joel throw money at the couple trying to oust him.
On an unrelated note, Abe at a theme park is what I need in my life. His annoyance and paranoia fuel my soul.
Joel calls Mei and urges her to tell the couple (who might be her parents) that he’ll give them 10 percent of “the take.” Money solves problems, y’all!
Midge arrives at Coney Island and surprises her family while they’re waiting in line to board the Wonder Wheel. Surprise! She’s not in Prague, after all! Midge suggests they discuss the Shy Baldwin matter privately, but the family’s too distracted by the prospect of a massive Ferris wheel.
So, Midge boards with them and proceeds to shout at her family while they’re all in separate cars. This scene is one of my favorites in Maisel history. Moishe is bewildered and shocked by the news of Midge’s firing. How will she repay the loan for the apartment? Joel learns two things at this moment — Midge took a loan from his father, and she used it to purchase their old apartment.
Everyone shouting simultaneously on the Wonder Wheel proves why The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel‘s brand of zany, kooky comedy works. The cast hits every comedic beat and fires off comebacks as if they’re embroiled in an intense tennis match.
Joel meets with Susie again later that evening. He agrees to write her a check so that Midge can pay back Moishe. But Susie must divulge everything that happened, why she lost Midge’s money in the first place.
Then, Midge and Susie meet at the Stage Deli for a bite to eat and strategize a game plan. Midge asserts she’ll never hesitate to speak her mind again. She plans to “riff” at every set; go off the cuff. Our marvelous Mrs. Maisel will remove the filter. Oh, and she’ll never work as an opening act again.
Susie’s struggling to book Midge for gigs as it is, so, of course, playing hardball will prove difficult for our fave comedian. But Midge believes they can change the business from the inside out.
We see Midge back in the present, performing standup at The Gaslight. She ends her set to raucous, thunderous applause and departs the bar into the bright lights of Manhattan.
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“Rumble on the Wonder Wheel” blesses us with fantastic Midge/Susie scenes. Borstein and Brosnahan work so well together, feeding off each other’s energy. There’s easy synchrony to their scenes, almost as if they’re seasoned acting partners performing together for decades.
I’m ready for more familial chaos and raunchy jokes! Bring on the rest of Season 4, please and thank you.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel will stream two episodes weekly on Prime Video.
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What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium.
Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
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