‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ Cares More About Fashion Than Comedy

There’s a moment early in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 3 that kind of crystalizes one of the show’s greatest strengths, and one of its greatest weaknesses. Upon learning that she has to sing “White Christmas” at a USO show for the troops, the Jewish Midge Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan) freaks out and then fakes it when the moment strikes. Then, when she learns that she has to show up for an unannounced dance at the canteen, she makes it her mission to return to her Upper West Side apartment to retrieve another dress.

It’s played for laughs: Midge is so clothes-obsessed that there’s a room in her parents’ home devoted to her couture collection. But what it really shows is that the character of Midge Maisel puts more care into her fashion choices than she does preparing for her performances. Likewise, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is a great fashion show that sometimes deigns to talk about comedy.

When The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel debuted in 2017, it was a fascinating look at a 1950s housewife who discovers a passion for stand up comedy. The joy of the show was watching this Upper West Side socialite find herself in the counterculture of the West Village. She learned about double standards, the importance of civil rights, and most of all, herself. Through it all, she was well-dressed, but her costumes changed depending upon her environment. Uptown, her style came from the vintage pages of Vogue and downtown she adopted a chic, relaxed “Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face” look.

Initially, the fashion of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel was merely an adornment for what was going on in the plot. Midge’s fabulous costumes were used as a reflection of her background more than a major character trait. Now, in Season 3, each episode seems to include a joke about a costume change, or a “sailor outfit,” or the number of Midge’s suitcases. What’s not always in an episode? Midge working on the nuts and bolts of her comedy. Rather than watch her work on a bit, we see her excitedly strut down a “staircase to nowhere” — a staircase built with the sole intent of letting women show off their clothes.

Don’t get me wrong: the clothes are gorgeous. The costumes on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel somehow straddle the line between perfectly on pitch for the period and totally bold for today. Midge embraces bold prints, ornate accessories, and statement hats. There’s something fun in just watching Rachel Brosnahan wear all these wonderful clothes. However, when it seems that your lead character is more concerned with fashion than comedy, you have to wonder why she’s not working as a magazine editor instead of a comedian.

It’s not that Midge can’t be interested in fashion. There’s nothing wrong with a person flaunting their sense of style. In fact, fashion has long been used to communicate a person’s worldview and opinion of themselves. You can speak with the colors you wear, the styles you select, and the way you work a garment. In that way, Midge’s obsession with her personal style fits her character perfectly. She wants to live her life out loud: on the mic and on the street, and in everyday life.

The issue is The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as a show seems to care more about aesthetics than Midge’s comedy journey. As decadently joyous as all the costumes are, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is supposed to be a show about a woman pursuing comedy, and not changing her clothes three to four times a day.

Where to stream The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel