DISCLAIMER: This recap of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 5 Episode 3, “Typos and Torsos,” contains spoilers. Proceed at your peril.
Tits up! We’ve moved into episode three territory on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and it’s all “Typos and Torsos.” Watching Abe fixate on a simple misspelling is simultaneously hilarious and painfully relatable. I’d wear that misspelling like Hester Prynne and her ignominy. Midge’s job is in jeopardy when she loudly groans after Gordon flubs her first joke on air. Rose’s matchmaker enemies get their comeuppance in a move that presumably resolves that storyline.
“Typos and Torsos” also opens with another flash-forward sequence — this time, it’s tied to Ethan. Perhaps I’m in the minority, but the flash-forwards are growing on me. I love how they cleverly segue into something (or someone) directly related to the 1961 timeline, so they don’t feel entirely random. Give ’em a couple of watches, and they might grow on you, too.
Ready to delve into “Typos and Torsos”? Let’s get to it.
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We open with Gordon Ford (Reid Scott) closing out his show with the writers anxiously hovering in his periphery. He meets with them in his office, including Midge (Rachel Brosnahan), Mike (Jason Ralph) and George (Peter Friedman). Gordon complains about everything under the sun, while George eagerly agrees with him. Mike rolls his eyes. Midge is frustrated because she’s been in the writers’ room for a month, and not a single joke of hers has made it into the show.
That night, Ethan frightens Midge when she finds him snuggled in her bed. This scene seamlessly leads into a flash forward: Israel, 1984. Ethan (Ben Rosenfield), now 29 years old, greets his mother as he exits a helicopter. Yes, Midge Maisel landed in Israel in a helicopter. She’s that rich. Midge and Ethan sit for a spell and drink water. We learn Ethan is studying to become a rabbi. He’s also attending an event at the UJA-Federation of New York that’ll honor Midge.
But that’s not all — Ethan’s engaged. He introduces Midge to Chava (Yael Chanukov), his fiancée. After Midge departs, Chava reveals she doesn’t like Midge. However, Ethan knows Midge all too well: she’s his mother, after all. In 1961, we see Midge and Joel (Michael Zegen) laying down tape for an Ethan experiment. To get Ethan to sleep in his bed again, his therapist suggests they measure tape sections on the floor leading to his room. He’ll sleep in a different area each night that brings him closer to his bedroom.
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Joel isn’t a fan of this experiment and believes going to therapy makes you weak. Okay, toxic masculinity. Speak louder, please. Next, Abe (Tony Shalhoub), another cranky man in Midge’s life, complains about a mistake he made in his written work for The Village Voice. He misspelled Carol Channing’s name. It’s the end of the world, as Abe knows it. And, no, he doesn’t care what’s happening with his family. Meanwhile, Rose (Marin Hinkle) may or may not be hearing sounds that are or aren’t real.
Next, Midge offers a joke about Mel Blanc and Elmer Fudd that makes the cut. She finally has a joke in the show. Midge calls Susie (Alex Borstein) to share her excitement. At Susie Myerson and Associates, we see Dinah (Alfie Fuller) is hard at work while Nicky (John Scurti) is sewing a pillow, and Frank (Erik Palladino) is shouting at someone over the phone in Susie’s office.
Rose waltzes into Susie’s establishment, much to the latter’s bewilderment. Rose compliments Susie by calling her the “angriest person” she knows. According to Rose, Susie exudes a “frightening, terrible energy.” Admittedly, this is, as the kids say, goals. Rose wants to purchase a gun to protect herself from the matchmakers. Nicky and Frank want to insert themselves into the conversation, but Susie urges them to steer clear. Susie learns about the tearoom burning down, which sends her spinning. The whipped cream! Susie sends Rose to Maggie (Julie Klausner) to set up a temporary office space.
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Then, we see Midge and the writers watch Gordon perform his opening monologue. Midge excitedly waits for him to recite her joke. Unfortunately, he flubs the line, culminating in a knee-jerk groan from Midge. An audible, loud sound. Gordon shoots her a quick look before turning his line flub into a joke, garnering a laugh from the audience. After the show, George urges Midge to flash “Gordie” a smile while Mike orders her to grovel.
Meanwhile, Archie (Joel Johnstone) tells Joel that Shirley (Caroline Aaron) is mingling among the patrons of The Button Club. She’s talking their ears off while handing out expired crackers to the drunk customers — which is all of them. Her arrival and refusal to leave spur Joel to call reinforcements: Moishe (Kevin Pollak). At Toot’s, Midge buys a drink for Gordon and approaches him to apologize. He’s cold to her, even after her apology. Midge leaves the glass and walks away while Gordon mutters something about her joke falling flat, regardless of whether he flubbed it.
Midge, never one not to defend herself, returns to the conversation. She knows that joke would’ve been better as she wrote it. The pair argue over whether good laughs exist. The argument reaches a fever pitch, with Midge downing the bourbon she bought him and storming out. Gordon, your manbaby ego is showing. The following morning, Abe chats with Gabe (Chris Eigeman) over the phone, encouraging Abe to let the misspelling go. No, he doesn’t need to write a 1,500-word apology to be published in the paper. No, he doesn’t need to call each Village Voice subscriber individually.
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Next, Susie calls Midge, inquiring about the very public incident with Gordon. Susie believes Midge should bring a small box when she heads to work on Monday. Maybe she can stuff her job into it. Later, Susie is summoned to the women’s prison by none other than Benedetta (Kelly Bishop). According to Benedetta, she received a call about the tearoom fire. A swarm of cops arrested her. One of her colleagues died from a heart attack after getting that same phone call. Another one is on a plane to Argentina. The last one went AWOL. Benedetta is the only matchmaker behind bars.
She makes a deal with Susie regarding Rose’s matchmaking enterprise. Rose can keep the Upper West Side — she can’t go above 125th or below 60th. In addition, Rose can have Hell’s Kitchen. Susie, as Rose’s resident muscle, agrees to Benedetta’s terms. The Great Manhattan Matchmaker War of 1961 has ground to a halt. Borstein is hilarious in this scene, especially when Susie believes Benedetta deserves the electric chair for burning down the tearoom.
Later, Joel and Archie watch while Shirley and Moishe wreak havoc in The Button Club. It’s all melons and prunes up in here. Midge arrives and asks Joel if she can get some standup practice on his stage. Unfortunately, Moishe and Shirley prove to be the worst audience members. Midge doesn’t even get a joke in, as the Maisels seem to think it’s more of a conversation at full volume, not a standup set. Eventually, Shirley becomes the star of the show when she shines two flashlights in Midge’s direction. Hilarious.
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Then, in the bathroom, Shirley asks Midge about Mei. Where is she? Pregnancy-wise, is she hanging low or high? Midge claims Mei is in China and can’t escape because of the revolution. Midge confesses her response to Joel, who initially places the blame on Midge for her far-fetched answer. That’s all on you, buddy. Tell your parents! At home, Midge confronts Abe for moving Ethan from his Saturday sleeping spot on the floor. In true Maisel fashion, Midge drags Ethan by the blankets across the floor while engrossed in an argument with her father. Abe is a man of science. This is a science experiment to see if it’ll help Ethan (eventually) sleep in his bed.
The following morning, Joel finds an “extraction team” at his parents’ house. Moishe reveals they’re working hard to get Mei out of China, while Shirley keeps the extraction team fed with a steady supply of Danishes. Inevitably, Joel pulls his parents aside and confesses that Mei isn’t in China. She moved to Chicago. The wedding is off, and the baby is gone. They assume Mei miscarried, and Joel allows them to hold fast to that assumption. They’re surprisingly understanding about the ordeal.
Meanwhile, Midge returns to work after the groaning incident and subsequent argument with Gordon. She carries a shoe box for her minimal belongings. Everyone looks at Midge like she’s Hester Prynne (which Abe points out earlier is spelled with two “n’s” like Carol Channing). Gordon throws ocular daggers in her direction when delivering a speech to the staff.
Later, Abe has a heart-to-heart about the terrors of life with his grandson Ethan. In true Abe fashion, he lumps in misspellings with dying by a plane crash as boasting the same level of fear. Shalhoub is so damn good in this role. He’s the perfect neurotic. At the show, Midge learns from Gordon himself that The Gordon Ford Show is the number one talk show in the country. He invites his staff on air to celebrate, but Midge stands off camera, assuming her firing is a certainty.
Gordon takes the gang to the Rockefeller Center ice rink to celebrate. Everyone glides (and falls) across the ice while imbibing, which sounds perfectly safe. Susie joins Midge at the rink, wherein the latter reveals the show is number one. Gordon passes Midge on the ice and encourages her to join him. Apparently, she’s not fired (yet). When Gordon slips and falls on the ice, Midge starts circling him, and the two flirt. Gordon claims he needs assistance standing up, so she grabs his hand. As she pulls him up, he pulls her into a kiss.
Naturally, this shocks Midge. She thought Gordon despised her. He didn’t fire because he loves their banter — their back-and-forth. They’ve got a Spencer Tracy/Katherine Hepburn thing going on. Myrna Loy/William Powell. Jake LaMotta/Sugar Ray Robinson. So many pop culture comparisons. Gordon reveals that he’s married, but it’s “not that kind of marriage.” Hmm. After giving Midge permission to touch his butt, Midge skates off into the sunset. Icky. He’s her boss.
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Later, Susie reunites with Mike, congratulating him on the show’s success. As usual, he complains about picking up George’s slack. Mike reveals they’re planning on bringing Sophie Lennon back as a guest. Midge will love that. Mike and Susie stare at the guest board, which includes names like Doris Day, John Wayne, Natalie Wood, Truman Capote and Jane Goodall. In a surprising move, Mike asks Susie to join him for lunch.
After he departs, Susie discards Sophie’s name card and moves Doris Day to the Tuesday column. Then, she waltzes into Gordon’s office to do some snooping. That’s where she finds the framed photo of Gordon and his wife, Hedy. Susie knows Hedy, but we don’t know the context yet.
At home, Midge finds Ethan in her bed again, discovering that Abe undid all her hard work by telling him terrifyingly macabre stories. She lets him sleep there and decides to take his bed. Midge scoops up Esther from her crib and places her daughter in bed beside her. However, once Midge falls fast asleep, Esther sneaks out and returns to her crib. Meanwhile, Shirley stands in the doorway of Moishe’s room with two booties she sewed for Joel and Mei’s kid — a blue one and a pink one. She dissolves into tears, and Moishe pulls back the covers so she can snuggle beside him. Aw.
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I’m not down with a Midge/Gordon relationship. There’s a significant power imbalance, and I can’t shake the boss/employee dynamic. Plus, Gordon’s sexist tendencies and toxic masculinity have reared their heads more than once. Sure, it’s the 1960s, but is that a viable excuse? That said, Reid Scott is a very beautiful man and a talented actor. He manages to make Gordon occasionally charming, which can be challenging to see past if his charms ensnare you.
On a separate note, I love the burgeoning friendship between Susie and Mike. Their “flipping the bird” running gag is fun, as is their dynamic. I’m 100 percent positive that Nicky and Frank snuffed out the matchmakers in defense of Rose despite Susie’s insistence on refraining from action. I hope Moishe and Shirley mend fences. It’s the final season, after all.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel streams new episodes every Friday 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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