DISCLAIMER: This recap of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 5 Episode 4, “Susan,” contains spoilers. Proceed at your peril.
Tits up! “Susan” is the first episode in the season not to feature a flash-forward sequence. In that regard, it feels like a return to the old episodic formula. However, much of this episode drags a bit on the pacing front. While the extensive musical sequences are fun and stunningly choreographed, you could’ve cut them down considerably with zero impact on the narrative. I think Gordon refusing to let Midge perform is a nod at Midge inevitably performing on the show. She’ll get there eventually. Additionally, the mob stuff with Frank and Nicky will come back to bite Susie/Midge in the ass.
We get some of Susie’s backstory and learn more about her connection to Hedy. Admittedly, this is the most important aspect of the episode. Susie has been an enigma for much of the show, so peeling back her layers is nice. It’s heartbreaking, especially knowing that Susie couldn’t stay with Hedy.
Ready to delve into “Susan”? Let’s get to it.
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We open with a delightful musical number at the Building New York Expo. Susie (Alex Borstein) meets with Frank (Erik Palladino) and Nicky (John Scurti). They ask her for a big favor. The lead of their musical just bounced. So, they’d like Midge to replace him. Susie tries to persuade the guys that Midge isn’t an actor. She doesn’t memorize scripts. Unfortunately, the mobsters pull the mob card on Susie. They helped Susie snag space for her business. Ergo, it’s her turn to scratch their back. Especially since their boss is keen on Midge being the replacement. Susie reluctantly agrees to help them.
Meanwhile, The Gordon Ford Show staff are all hungover as hell. Marge (Annie Golden) hands out the hair of the dog to everyone who enters the office. Midge (Rachel Brosnahan) tends to her fellow male writers who can’t hold their liquor. Gordon (Reid Scott) calls for Midge, who joins him on the sound stage. He wants to ensure they’re both okay with that kiss from the night before. After Midge confirms it’s all gravy, Gordon states they should start over. How about he takes her out for dinner?
Midge lists a few reasons why they shouldn’t date. Here are two significant reasons: he’s her boss and married. Gordon claims his marriage is unconventional in that he and his wife essentially live separate lives. However, Midge doesn’t want to mix business with pleasure. She’s focused on building her career. Good. Reid Scott’s charming as hell and good-looking to boot, but dating your boss is gross. The whole “power dynamics” thing and whatnot. Midge departs after learning she has a phone call.
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Next, Midge chats with Susie on the phone, who tells her about her new gig: performing as a narrator in a musical. Midge asks Susie about Gordon’s wife, Hedy, a public figure. She wants to know what their deal is, marriage-wise. Susie’s mood changes instantly. We know she knows Hedy, but she won’t provide any context to Midge. She lies, claiming ignorance in that regard. Then, Midge has dinner with Rose (Marin Hinkle) and Abe (Tony Shalhoub). They tell Midge they’re heading to the theater that night while she tries on Rose’s jewelry (which Rose inherited from her grandmother).
Zelda (Matilda Szydagis) and Janusz (Alexander Gemignani) serve them food and tend to Ethan and Esther. Janusz gives them a rum cake that’s heavy on the rum. After some time passes, Midge wakes after eating said cake; her cheek is stuck to her plate. She notices her parents are also unconscious. Janusz carries the snoozing Ethan and Esther to their beds. Rum cake makes you sleepy.
Then, Midge visits the Building New York Expo, where she watches a song-and-dance number that’s a blaring advertisement for kitchenware. It’s pretty intricate. Midge meets with Frank and Nicky to discuss her role as narrator in a three-act musical that promotes private demolition and waste management. Trash! Midge doesn’t look thrilled. When Susie arrives, she finds Midge handing out flyers for the musical while dressed as a garbageman. She looks like a child trying on their dad’s work clothes.
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Susie watches the show as it starts with a small child praying to God to protect his family and NYC. I won’t recap a show within a show recap, but there’s lots of tap dancing and singing about trash. Midge isn’t off-book, so she recites her lines from the script. At another point, Tessie (Emily Bergl), Susie’s sister, appears in a scene and belts her face off. Meanwhile, Rose and Abe are at dinner with friends (Another dinner?) after attending the theater. They discuss the show. Abe views it all through the lens of metaphors and deep themes, while Rose takes the production at face value.
After Abe not-so-subtly insults Rose’s intelligence, Rose asks the playwright what his show is about. Abe is bewildered when the playwright’s description of his play matches Rose’s interpretation of it. What transpires next is a silent montage as Rose and Abe head home after dinner. They sit in silence in the taxi. They enter their apartment in silence. We see rose petals strewn about as Zelda and Janusz have a candlelit dinner. Zelda eagerly tells the Weissmans that Janusz proposed to her.
After expressing their excitement for the newly engaged couple, Abe and Rose resume their silent walk to their room. At one point during the night, Abe scatters rose petals around Rose’s bed. He rests his head on her lap. He knows he f*cked up. The following morning, Gordon freaks out upon discovering the comedian booked for that night’s show skipped town. He orders Mike (Jason Ralph) to call every name in his Rolodex until they land someone for the show. Gordon storms into the writers’ room and encourages them to reach out to anyone and everyone.
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Midge calls Susie and asks her if it’s the end of the world if she misses a performance of the trash musical. Why? Because she might get on The Gordon Ford Show as a performer. Midge approaches Gordon while he’s in the makeup chair and presents herself as an option. However, Gordon reveals he has a hard and fast rule about staff performing on the show: it’ll never happen. Midge accuses him of formulating an arbitrary convention that shouldn’t be a rule.
Irritated, Midge heads to the Building New York Expo to clock in as the narrator of the trash musical. She vents to Susie about her conversation with Gordon. She’ll never have an opportunity to perform stand-up on Gordon’s show. Suddenly, Joel (Michael Zegen) appears with Ethan and Esther in tow. Midge forgot she invited them to attend the performance. Joel suspects something’s amiss with Midge, but she merely reveals that some days are worse than others.
Then, we see Frank and Nicky also watching the trash musical. They’re annoyed that Midge isn’t off-book yet. This time, Midge’s lack of enthusiasm detracts from the show. She’s given up. She stops reciting her lines and improvises while missing her cues and marks. Nicky and Frank pull Susie aside and accuse Midge of messing up on purpose, of sabotaging the production. Susie asserts she’s having a rough day. Frank and Nicky order Susie to ensure Midge gets her act together. Oh, and this isn’t the last time Susie will have to do a favor for the mob. This isn’t a one-and-done situation. Susie will be in bed with the mob until her dying day. Uh-oh.
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Joel overhears Frank and Nicky threaten Susie and, by extension, Midge. After the duo departs, Joel confronts Susie. What has she gotten Midge into? Susie brushes Joel off, refusing to answer his incessant questions. Joel claims he’s going to get to the bottom of this. If Midge is in trouble, he’ll be there to keep her safe. Meanwhile, Gordon sits at his desk during a commercial break while a zookeeper is perched next to him with a sloth. Gordon looks bored out of his skull.
Then, while on the air, Sophie Lennon (Jane Lynch) makes an unexpected appearance. Gordon is over the moon. His show is saved. Sophie and Gordon engage in some playful banter for a bit. Susie pulls Mike aside and asks him why Midge can’t perform on the show. She accuses him of withholding that info from her and Midge. While in the hallway, Susie spots Hedy (Nina Arianda), who proceeds to chase down Susie. She calls Susie “Susan.” Hedy chases Susie outside. Hedy tries to chat with Susie, who’s having none of it. We learn they were college roommates that had a falling out.
Well, it sounds like they were college roommates who fell in love. It’s abundantly clear Hedy is a lesbian, which is what Gordon meant he told Midge he didn’t have “that kind of marriage.” From the sound of their emotionally-charged conversation, we can assume Hedy broke things off when she got engaged to Gordon. According to Susie, she broke promises. Hedy wants to buy Susie a drink so they can catch up; however, Susie would rather walk into traffic. Instead, she storms off across the street.
“Susan” is one of the show’s weakest outings. Sure, there are Maisel‘s trademark humorous moments and running gags, but even the Rose/Abe stuff feels unnecessary. This could’ve been a much shorter episode, even with the more important plot points (there aren’t many). Overall, it falls flat for me.
That said, I’m glad Midge draws a firm boundary between her and Gordon re: romance. Don’t fall for his charms, girl. You’ve got a career to mold. Plus, we all know her heart truly belongs to Joel. It always has and always will.
Alex Borstein steals the episode for me with her nuanced, vulnerable performance. We seldom see Susie in that tender and dark place, and Borstein depicts this so beautifully. I wish we had dug deeper into Susie in this manner a few seasons ago.
Despite the narrative stumbling and meandering pacing here, “Susan” sets up a few plot points that’ll hopefully pay off in the later episodes. It feels more like a character study than anything. And it’s aesthetically pleasing. Well, when is The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel not aesthetically pleasing?
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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