20 biggest TV moments of 2018 we’ll never forget
By Sundi Rose
Midge’s first time on television – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
What happened: Miriam “Midge” Maisel is a devoted Jewish housewife, whose sole purpose is to support her husband, take care of their home and be an appropriate mother to their children. She even goes out of her way to help him in his comedy pursuits, bribing comedy club promoters with pot roast and kugel.
She thinks everything is perfect and wonderful, until her milquetoast husband announces he’s leaving her for another woman one night, sending her into a bit of a spiral. In a flash of inspiration, she drunkenly wanders on stage and discovers she has a knack for comedy, making the audience fall in love with her. Going into season 2, she’s now building a comedy career — enough to get her on a telethon to raise money for arthritis. Even though she’s bumped to the very last slot available for talent, she gets up, delivers a killer set, and even makes an openly political joke instead of just riffing on her life as she usually does.
Why it’s important: More female voices on TV, period. Created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, the same brilliance that brought us Gilmore Girls, this show is written in a female voice that is both progressive and familiar. It advocates for empowerment without being gimmicky or cheesy.
Midge reads like a real person, and not like a caricature of a woman of her time. The show could have easily have tipped over into a “period piece,” and the costumes are certainly extravagant and beautiful enough. However, it treats all the characters, even Midge’s antagonists, like complicated humans, and there’s just not enough examination of our natures airing on TV these days. Beyond that, though, “Vote for Kennedy, Vote for Kennedy” takes her humor to a new level by letting her comment on current events.
How to watch it: Amazon just released the second season, so you can catch up on both seasons right now. “Vote for Kennedy, Vote for Kennedy” is the ninth episode of season 2.