DISCLAIMER: This recap of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season finale episode “How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?” has spoilers. Proceed at your peril.
Tits up! The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel blesses us with a memorable season finale — perhaps its best yet. We finally got a steamy Midge and Lenny hookup scene! Midge and Lenny’s inherent, electrifying chemistry is partly due to the brilliant performers, but The Powers That Be also does an incredible job of building up to this moment. We’ve witnessed the beginnings of this methodically-laid path since the pilot episode, and the slow burn was worth the wait.
Luke Kirby is exceptional in “How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?” and if he’s not showered with accolades come next awards season, I will riot. He’s the reincarnation of Lenny Bruce, as far as I’m concerned. That final scene with Midge when Lenny tearfully urges her not to break his heart broke mine. You could feel it.
Ready to dig deep into “How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?” Let’s get to it.
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We open with Midge (Rachel Brosnahan), Abe (Tony Shalhoub) and Rose (Marin Hinkle), arriving at the hospital to find Joel (Michael Zegen) and Shirley (Caroline Aaron) standing over an unconscious Moishe (Kevin Pollak). So far, Moishe’s status is up in the air, as doctors zoom in and out with no concrete updates. They confirm he had a heart attack.
Midge and Joel chat outside Moishe’s room, and the pair wonder whether they contributed to Moishe’s cardiac event. Midge did she say she would be late for rent while Joel revealed he impregnated his Asian girlfriend. We’re still in the 1960s, after all.
Archie (Joel Johnstone) and Imogene (Bailey De Young) arrive hot on the Weissmans’ heels. Archie believes he also played a role in Moishe’s heart attack. Mei (Stephanie Hsu) enters the fray and embraces Joel.
Abe and Rose invite Shirley to stay with them amid Moishe’s hospital stay. Shirley sits with Abe in the living room, and she asks him if he has his funeral planned. Does he believe Rose will die first? Who will write his obituary? Additionally, Shirley reveals Moishe wants the writer who penned Albert Einstein’s obituary to write his.
Caroline Aaron delivers the goods in this scene, churning out an emotional, visceral performance as Shirley.
Meanwhile, Dinah (Alfie Fuller) enlists the aid of a woman in the neighboring building to help answer incoming calls to Susie’s (Alex Borstein) management company. Alfie (Gideon Glick) tries to befriend Susie’s new client, James (Jay Will), but the latter’s not having it.
Midge calls Susie and asks if she can get someone to sub for her at the strip club. Susie attempts to pawn the gig off on James, but he declines.
Next, Abe calls The New York Times scribe who wrote Einstein’s obituary and begs him to pen Moishe’s. Imogene types furiously as Abe’s assistant in the background. However, this writer rejects Abe’s request, so Abe gets his boss to call the man back. Again, rejection isn’t far behind.
Later, Midge and Joel reunite outside of Moishe’s hospital room while Mei partakes in an intense game of Mahjong with Shirley. Shirley has no idea that Mei is Joel’s girlfriend.
Midge discusses parental specifics with Mei, i.e., what will her kids call Mei, will Ethan and Esther have bath time at Mei’s home, etc. This conversation is one of those scenarios wherein both parties aren’t on the same wavelength. Midge doesn’t realize that Joel and Mei haven’t broached the topic of marriage or Mei becoming a stepmother. Uh oh. I love Midge, but she tends to word vomit without thinking of the repercussions.
Boise (Santino Fontana) calls Midge at the hospital and implores her to return to the strip club for one set. Midge enlisted the aid of two of the strippers to deliver her material, but they don’t have a knack for comedic timing.
Then, Midge does as she’s bid and performs standup at the club to raucous cheers. She gives a poignant, heartstring-tugging monologue about Moishe’s health scare, and this speech should be Brosnahan’s Emmy submission. That or the season premiere’s meltdown scene regarding Shy Baldwin.
After Midge’s set, Lenny Bruce (Kirby) makes his usual grand entrance. He informs Midge about a great Tony Bennett gig at the Copacabana. However, it’s not a headlining spot. Still, it’s Tony forking Bennett!
Suddenly, Midge and Lenny hear a commotion in the strip club — the police barge in, raiding the space. The law found out about an illegal establishment trying to fly under the radar. Boise urges everyone to run.
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Midge and Lenny escape to the latter’s hotel room, where they share laughs and a few drinks. Their chemistry crackles with electricity. Midge mentions her fancy undergarments, leading Lenny to comment about his desire to see them. Midge finally relents, giving in to her impulses, but on one condition: Lenny must remember that she’s “very, very funny.”
After vowing to laugh the whole time, Lenny and Midge makeout. It’s immensely satisfying, folks. I’m on cloud nine because we won!
Our lovebirds share a night of passionate exploration. Midge wakes the following morning and heads to Lenny’s bathroom, where she finds a bag full of hard drugs — presumably heroin. Lenny finds Midge staring at his drug paraphernalia and reassures her he’s okay.
Abe’s coworker wakes him up and tells him he needs to head to the hospital. Abe spent all night with Imogene typing Moishe’s obituary, so he snags that before departing.
Abe finds Moishe awake and alert, acting as if the heart attack never occurred. We see the relief wash over everyone’s faces. Abe reveals he wrote an obituary for Moishe, and Moishe asks Abe to read it aloud. After Abe finishes, Moishe’s eyes brim with tears. Abe also teeters on the verge of crying. This moment certainly stirs a well of emotions within me. Shalhoub and Pollak are incredible.
Later, Midge visits Susie and relays the good news about Moishe. The woman from the neighboring building informs Susie about a rep of Tony Bennett calling for Midge. Lenny put in a good word for Midge, his lady love. However, Midge refuses to do it because it’s an opening act. She wants to be a headliner. So, Susie declines, much to her dismay.
Midge pulls Susie aside and urges her to watch Frank and Nicky. Sure, they helped her get the space for her business, but mobsters always want something in return. It’s a dangerous game Susie’s playing. They also kidnapped her at one point. However, Susie refuses to listen to Midge. This statement marks a straw-breaking moment for Susie.
Meanwhile, Shirley, Abe, Rose and Joel help Moishe into the living room, where his bed now resides. Moishe clears the air with his son, reassuring Joel that the news about Mei didn’t catalyze his heart attack. Abe plants a passionate smooch on his wife and presents her with gorgeous rose-themed stationery.
We see the New York matchmakers receive unique gifts from Rose — a snappy comeback stating, “I will not stop!” Fiddler on the Roof‘s “Matchmaker” plays, and it’s perfection.
Next, Lenny performs his standup at Carnegie Hall, and it’s sensational. Midge watches in the audience and finds him after the show. Lenny leads her to the stage to experience the magic herself.
Then, Lenny chastises Midge for rejecting the Tony Bennett gig after going out on a limb for her. He reminds her that making it in show business requires blood, sweat and tears. It means doing grunt work and small gigs to climb the ladder to the top.
However, Midge asserts she’s doing things her way — no more opening acts. She wants the freedom to state what’s on her mind. Midge mentions how Lenny can speak freely, but Lenny retorts that he’s always afraid of getting arrested now. He’s not “The Standup Messiah.” Lenny longs to perform at places like Carnegie Hall.
Lenny urges Midge to work and get her act together; otherwise, she’ll break his heart. God, this scene is like a punch to the gut. Kirby kills it.
After Lenny departs, Midge leaves Carnegie Hall to a Manhattan blizzard. She loses her umbrella and hat to the snowy winds while trudging past a car with passengers cheering emphatically for John F. Kennedy.
Midge finds a giant billboard looming before her for Gordon Ford’s show. Earlier, Susie mentioned she tried to get Midge on Gordon’s talkshow as she did for Sophie Lennon. A lightbulb switches on in Midge’s head.
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I hope this doesn’t spell the end for Lenny and Midge, but it might if the final season does a time jump. Introducing Midge to Lenny’s dangers might give her pause regarding their future. Still, I hope The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel diverts from Lenny’s real-life tragic ending and bestows him with the happy one he deserves on the show and when he was alive.
The divide between Midge and Susie will be interesting to explore next season, and something tells me those NYC matchmakers won’t go down without a fight. Joel and Mei’s future hangs precariously in the balance. While Moishe knows about Mei and her pregnancy, Shirley still doesn’t. Additionally, Mei doesn’t seem ready for marriage, mainly because she’s studying to become a doctor. I’m curious to see where their storyline takes us.
Season 4 derailed Midge a bit, and we saw her floundering while she tried to figure out her place in the comedy world. I love that final scene with Lenny when he reprimands her for putting him on a pedestal as a comedy god. He doesn’t see himself as a revolutionary but merely someone who entertains for a living. Midge is learning that she must work to earn her right to say what she wants.
Overall, Season 4 delivers on all fronts for me, both character-wise and plot-wise. From Susie starting her management business to Midge and Lenny making romantic strides, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel gives us everything we’ve come to love about this series: comedy gold, witty, rapid-fire dialogue, nuanced characters, stunning costumes, gorgeous, glossy cinematography, plenty of heart and plenty of hats.
It’s never just a hat, though, is it?
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Seasons 1-4 are now streaming 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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