#tmmm thoughts

[laufire]

that pastel-coloured scene accompanied by a quietly apprehensive old-fashioned score where midge sneaks out of her bed to remove her make-up and apply her face & hair care routine, then wakes up to remove that and reapply her makeup and fake eyelashes and perfect her curls all so she can pretend to be asleep before her husband is awakened by their alarm clock? has done more to make me scream in silent horror than most prestige tv.

#it's the never ending rotation #talking to the void #tmmm thoughts #the marvelous mrs. maisel #tmmm 1x01 #midge maisel #my thoughts

[dollsome-does-tumblr]

some midge/susie thoughts (and a few other things!) on the final episode:

that scene in the restaurant was just gorgeous, god damn. susie explaining her past with hedy, so poignant and beautifully acted (DAMN, we are losing one of the great tv performances with alex borstein as susie!) and even though it was just one monologue it painted such a rich picture that it told you all you needed to know.

and midge being like “i know exactly what she saw in you” and then saying she thinks susie will fall in love again and susie asking her “were you ever a blonde”??? like, the underlying vibe of susie being like “i’m in love with you and it’s dumb and i’m dumb and it will never go anywhere and i’m resigned to that, i’ve always been resigned to that, i can’t believe i fell for another impossible rich girl” but midge being like “uh actually maybe it’s not so dumb because i completely adore you and you’re my #1 life partner and the only one who truly understands this fire of ambition that drives me at my core* because you feel that way too” felt so tantalizingly just around the corner. it felt just like how i always imagined romantic feelings between them would bloom if they ever did, so it was surreal and dreamy to feel like i was watching a tiny bit of that unfold onscreen before my eyes.

(* i mean, lenny also understands it, but he was like her handsome man comic fairy godmother more than ever destined to be an everyday presence in her life.)

and midge saying in her standup that she doesn’t think she’s gonna have a permanent life partner-y relationship with a man anymore? and then she doesn’t? HELLOOOOOOO!

that shot of susie putting her hand to her heart and her and midge gazing at each other after midge’s standup ............ gorgeous!! gorgeous!!!!!

them as old ladies calling each other to watch jeopardy on vhs together and press play at the exact same time! midge being all fancy and susie being a bird hippie! midge sending susie a bird! susie naming the bird “whore”! making each other laugh so, so much, calling back to midge wanting to marry someone who makes her laugh!!!!! bro, i can’t believe i just watched midge and susie do grace and frankie romance.

45 YEARS TOGETHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

this just felt very “if i want to make this romantic then i can because it’s all there” and i’m so pleased and pleasantly surprised. i think they really (deliberately?) leaned into the subtext in these last episodes to very wonderful and rich effect.

also, this episode was just so, so charming and fun! i was surprised that we didn’t get more flashforwards with all the other characters, but actually i like the idea of just having those moments as sort of snapshots of future life rather than definitively told stories. and all the supporting characters really got moments to shine and it was delightful and warm. (and imogene was there! in her black beret! imogene!)

also, moishe and shirley in the shower, lololololololol!!! that was incredible. i wish that would happen to all my otps who need some epiphany time.

and abe and rose trying to summon the cab was a beautifully choreographed exercise in silliness that really just felt so ASP in the best way.

joel was very, very sweet in this episode. good on you, joel!

i am sad that we didn’t get to see midge & susie’s makeup scene from the 90s!!! but also: how fun to imagine in fanfic. in my fanfic they kiss and no one can stop me.

no other show will ever play this much barbra streisand in the soundtrack and that makes me sad. :’( every single time i heard her wonderful voice bless a montage on this show my heart soared.

i loved this season and I LOVE THIS SHOW! what a great show to have five seasons of to rewatch forever, knowing that midge and susie will be together for the rest of their lives (w/ one tragic five year blip) living complicatedly & soulmates-ily ever after! beautiful work, palladinos! thank you and goodnight!

#dollsome's deep thoughts #midge x susie #smidge #the marvelous mrs. maisel #tmmm spoilers

[midgclenny]

im Done

#MY HEART #the only couple ever #midgelenny #midge x lenny #lenny bruce #tmmm #midge maisel #the marvelous mrs. maisel #lenny x midge #luke kirby #rachel brosnahan #lennymidge #the marvelous mrs maisel #25/8 thoughts on midgelenny

[harrietmjones]

Okay, so I was having a shower and my mind begun to wonder. I ended up connecting Luke Kirby to himself, through various projects/actors.

This was only because I decided to watch The Princess Diaries as well, so very random!

Okay, so here we go:

Luke Kirby worked with Michelle Williams in Take This Waltz

Michelle Williams worked with Hugh Jackman in The Greatest Showman

Hugh Jackman worked with Anne Hathaway in Les Misérables

@twistandturnaway

Anne Hathaway worked with Mandy Moore in The Princess Diaries

Mandy Moore worked with Zachary Levi in Tangled

Zachary Levi worked with Luke Kirby in The Marvelous Mrs Maisel

(Also, Sandra Oh appeared in The Princess Diaries and she went to the same drama school as Luke, National Theatre School of Canada in Montreal.)

Nearly did a full round just through movies but TMMM changed that. 😅💖

I used to do this kind of thing when I was younger, get someone to say two actors and I’ll try and connect them through projects (we’d make it even harder by saying to do it through just tv shows or just movies). Maybe I’ll do this again?

#shower thoughts #why does my brain do this to me? #take this waltz #the greatest showman #les misérables #les mis #the princess diaries #tangled #the marvelous mrs. maisel #tmmm #luke kirby #michelle williams #hugh jackman #anne hathaway #mandy moore #zachary levi #this is probably thanks to my neurotypical brain #this has been in my queue for ages

[sergeantpixie]

2023 character wrapped: 9 characters you loved in 2023! Was tagged by @frankensteinsmona

From left to right this is Rory Gilmore (Gilmore Girls), Daisy Jones (Daisy Jones & The Six), Aria Montgomery (Pretty Little Liars), Midge Maisel (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Elena Gilbert (The Vampire Diaries), Riley Flynn (Midnight Mass), Erin Greene (Midnight Mass), Annabel Lee Usher (The Fall of the House of Usher), and Ilonka (The Midnight Club).

Daisy, Annabel Lee, and Ilonka are the only three I met this year but I did rewatch all of the others' shows this year so it still counts lmao.

Tagging: @woodswit, @purplesigebert, @randomestfandoms, @imperpetuallylost, and anyone who sees this and wants to participate!

#tag games #thanks for tagging me <3 #I'm purposefully ignoring that like half of this is mike flanagan #I think I was very well-behaved #will not do honorable mentions bc I'll just be listing the entire flanaverse since I am almost done with my november rewatch #and all of the liars + mona and ali #and my gilmore guys and gals #and like every tmmm character except joel (fuck that guy) #and a full list of tvd characters except Matt and the salvabros #and ofc #Dean Winchester who is always my immediate next thought anytime I think of Elena Gilbert #but I did not rewatch as much spn as I do in my average year #(addendum readers will know this is a bad thing) #and ofc every single lady in dj&ts plus warren #was really sad I couldn't find Ilonka's last name anywhere #that's my daughter!!!! #and yes i DID have to pick midge making hearts eyes at lenny #and aria about to make the biggest mistake of her life bc she saw ali’s missing poster #and riley’s death scene #and erin’s face when she’s talking about heaven #and daisy telling billy to go #and annabel realizing she has to leave roderick because he deceived her about what kind of person he is #and ilonka using her story to save anya #and elena’s exact perfect ‘the face that launched a thousand ships’ moment #and rory’s life imploding again bc she can’t deal with her feelings properly Again #bc i love all of them exactly as they are #and these are defining moments!!!

[theycallme-thejackal]

One MidgeLenny x TSwift Fic Per Day

164. Vigilante Shit

"Joel is cheating on me.”

Midge blinks at the other woman before opening the door a little wider, inviting Mei into the brownstone. The doctor steps inside a little hesitantly despite having been the one to show up here, and Midge closes the door quietly.

She takes a deep breath and turns to her ex-husband’s wife. “Bourbon?”

Mei sighs and nods.

Midge leads her into the living room, and Mei watches as she pours them each a finger of the liquor before thinking better and making it two fingers. She passes one to the younger woman. “Where is everyone?” Mei asks in the quiet of the usually lively brownstone.

“Kitty wanted to go with Ethan and Esther to Queens,” Midge explains. “And Lenny’s in Boston for a gig.”

“You didn’t want to go with him?”

“I have a gig of my own tomorrow,” Midge explains. “Noah and Astrid took Sarah for the weekend.”

Mei takes a drink. She’s still standing in the middle of the room, so Midge sits in the armchair, hoping it’ll prompt her unexpected guest to sit as well. “What happened, Mei?”

The younger woman sits on the couch across from her with a labored sigh. “I went to the Button tonight after work. I thought...I’ve been so busy at the hospital that Joel and I haven’t seen much of each other. So I thought I’d surprise him...”

Midge takes a drink and listens quietly as Mei continues, “I couldn’t find him, so I went to the office, but the door was locked.”

“That’s not too unusual,” Midge replies. “They keep some important paperwork and the majority of the money in there, right?”

“Joel was there, though. And when he opened the door...his tie was loose. He wasn’t wearing a jacket. And he didn’t let me in, just stepped out into the club with me, got me a drink.”

“It could have just been messy in there,” Midge tries.

“I saw one of the waitresses sneaking out a little while later,” Mei tells her quietly. “Messy hair, clothes not quite right...”

Midge takes a slow sip of her drink, wishing she could make this better. Yes, Joel cheated on her. Yes, Joel left her. But she didn’t have to see it. She never saw Penny with her hair wrecked or lipstick smeared.

She suddenly wonders if Penny’s shirt was on inside out because she was rushing to get dressed after fucking Joel.

She shakes the idea because she honestly doesn’t care anymore. She’s so ridiculously happy with Lenny that her marriage to Joel feels like another woman’s life. “Did you ask him about it?”

Mei shakes her head. “He would’ve just denied it,” she insists.

She’s probably right. Joel may be an idiot, but he knows how fucked he would be if Mei found out.

He’s going to get very fucked.

“What do you want to do?” Midge asks.

“I...” Mei groans loudly. Blinking back tears, she finally whispers, “I want to destroy him.”

Midge sighs. “Selfishly I hope you don’t,” she replies. “You’d be leaving my kids without a father - ”

“Lenny’s been more of a father to your kids than Joel has,” Mei interjects, stunning the comic. She looks at Mei with wide eyes, her lips parted in surprise. “He has. Even after Sarah was born, he refused to help more than he absolutely had to.”

Midge worries her lower lip between her teeth. “So...why are you here?”

“Because when I leave him...” Midge inhales sharply at the decisive when. “If my family doesn’t go after him, Joel will almost certainly start sniffing around you again, and I wanted you to have a heads up.”

Midge hates that she’s right. “Are you...are you going to tell your family to go after Joel?” She asks quietly.

Mei shakes her head slowly. “But they don’t listen to me. As much as I wish they would, they...just do what they want. Which means that even if they don’t cap his ass, the Button will probably close.”

Midge nods slowly and takes a deep breath. “Do you want to stay here tonight?” She asks. “The guest room is clean.”

“No, I should get home. I need to relieve the babysitter,” Mei explains evenly, as though she didn’t just confess that her family has no qualms about murder.

Midge watches Mei down the last of her drink before standing and smoothing her dress. “Thank you, Midge,” she says. “This...this helped.”

“Did it?” She asks, still sitting with her glass resting on her lap.

Mei nods, and there’s a coldness in her eyes that Midge doesn’t recall ever seeing. “Night, Midge.” She turns and heads for the door, and when it clicks shut, Midge exhales a shudder.

She picks up the phone, speaks to the operator, and she’s patched through a few moments later. “Hello?” She bursts into tears at the sound of her husband’s voice. Loud, wracking sobs, and she hears the panic in his voice when he asks, “Are you alright? What happened?”

She inhales deeply, trying to calm herself. “I...Mei found out Joel’s cheating on her,” she manages to get out.

She spills out the whole awful conversation with Mei, the words tumbling out too quickly. “Shit,” he mutters when she’s done. “Do you need me to come home?”

“N-no,” she blubbers. “You have a show tomorrow. I don’t - ”

“Midge,” he interrupts a little sternly. “Do you need me to come home?”

She feels herself nodding before realizing he can’t see her. “Yes,” she whimpers.

“I’ll be on the next train. Go take off whatever death contraption you’re wearing, run yourself a bath, and I’ll be home as soon as I can. Just...try to relax.”

Midge bites her lip and squeezes her eyes shut. “Lenny?” She whispers.

“Yes?”

“Should I call Joel? Warn him?”

Lenny sighs. “I don’t know, sweetheart. The truth is that the Lins are very scary, very powerful people. I don’t think Joel will be able to hide if they’re really after him.”

“I know you hate him, but...I don’t want him to die.”

“I know you don’t, sweetheart,” he promises. “But Joel knows his in-laws. He didn’t learn his lesson with you, and now he...he’s gotta deal with the consequences. And I would hate a very powerful mob family to come after you if they can’t find him,” he adds, sounding a little scared himself.

She nods again. “Okay,” she whispers. “Just...come home.”

“I’m packing my bag now. I’ll be home soon,” he promises.

“Lenny?”

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“I...I love you so much.”

His voice is soft and comforting when he replies, “I love you more.” And then, “I’m going to hang up and get on a train now.”

“Okay,” she breathes before hanging up the phone.

#midgelenny #midge x lenny #midgexlenny #tmmm fanfic #marvelous mrs. maisel fanfic #otp: more important than god #jackal fics #this is dark and less fun than i thought it was going to end up being #but here we are #mltswift

[theresawritesstuff]

The thought of Midge talking to Honey about wanting to adopt Kitty popped into my head earlier and now I'm in my feelings

#Tmmm fic thoughts

[wonderlandleighleigh]

"It's nice that your voice was the first thing l've heard today"

(@theycallme-thejackal ping me when you have a moment I have thoughts.)

Lenny grins and reaches over, stroking his wife's hair from her face tenderly. "Good," he says quietly. "How are you feeling?"

Midge takes a breath and settles back in her hospital bed. "Like I just had a baby. Which I did yesterday."

"Yes, you did," he nods, his thumb caressing her jaw gently. "You did great. She's beautiful."

"Of course she is, she's our baby," she tells him, as if he's nuts.

Lenny chuckles. "I'm surprised she hasn't mooned the nurses yet."

"Give her time," Midge giggles.

#fic #au #tmmm #Midge x Lenny #thinking thoughts about certain things

[katzell]

your thoughts on the marvelous mrs. maisel finale? especially, the conclusion of the lenny and midge’s storyline?

Thank you so much for the ask!

I've been thinking about it for weeks, so it's time to get into it. I'm going to mainly address the Lenny and Midge part of the question, mostly because addressing everything else would make this far longer than it already is. And boy is it long. Here we go!

After years of ranting and raving, I now know when there is a version of a show I am watching and a completely different show the writers are creating. When I realize the show I want isn't something the showrunners are interested in, I cut and run.

I nearly dropped Maisel many times over the years as it became clear Midge was never going to have her big break before the finale. It would rather spin its wheels and have more family dinners and musical numbers than grapple with the real dangers of being in show business in the 1950s and 1960s. Midge and Lenny was the only thing that kept me going, and paradoxically it was because Lenny was going to die rather than in spite of it.

I never carried an ounce of hope that Lenny was going to escape the real fate of Lenny Bruce. When the Palladinos introduced Lenny in the pilot, they never meant for him to be a regular character. It was supposed to be a fun nod to the comedians of the time and the kind of comedy the Palladinos were inspired to explore in the series. And then Luke Kirby gave a mesmerizing, unforgettable performance. From that point forward, ASP was always very careful to make most of the characters who populate Midge's world fictional versions of real people. The decision to call him Lenny Bruce and not David Blake (or something better) put limits on what that character could realistically be or do.

For ASP, saving Lenny would have meant undercutting the few ties to reality Maisel had established. And I I agree with her. Especially given how little the show really seemed interested in exploring the darkness of that world. Sexism, racism, antisemitism, homophobia were all present, but the tone was always more light and whimsical. Which is why we got so many interminable boring overindulgent musical sequences.

Knowing that Lenny's death was coming filed in some of the shadows the show itself danced (literally) around. It also allowed me to enjoy Midge and Lenny as a pair of star crossed lovers who could have saved each other, but ultimately don't because of both their own faults and the societal forces around them.

Accepting those limits, I found really beautiful tragedy in Lenny's final two appearances. The opening scene broke me. I was prepared for him to die, but I wasn't prepared to watch him fail. Immediately after the episode I was upset with that narrative choice, but rewatching his previous appearances I came to agree this moment carries more narrative weight than one terrible phone call ever could. Midge watching Lenny fail and not confronting him after was set up in season four. And it's a tragedy of miscommunication on both their parts that comes from a place of love and respect.

Lenny told Midge when he woke up on her couch that he never wanted her to save him again. He was so embarrassed at the idea of Midge seeing him at his worst that he fled her home without his shoes, without using the bathroom, almost in a state of undress. Lenny also made clear to Midge that his drug use wasn't something he would discuss with her in the hotel room. Lenny so desperately wanted Midge to be impressed by him. And yet that desire ultimately prevents any chance Midge has of actually getting close to him. At Carnegie Hall, he realizes for the first time how carefully Midge listens to him and appreciates him. The thought terrifies him. Suddenly his best self seems like it might ruin Midge. So he bolts.

Lenny and Midge could talk about the struggle of comedy and even nod to the ways the world was inhospitable to people who lived outside of the accepted cultural mores of the time, but Lenny could never bring himself to share with her the nature of his addiction. For Lenny, this subject was far more taboo and unspeakable than religion, race, and sex. Because unlike those topics, society saw (and still sees) addiction as a personal failing. For all that Lenny could call bullshit on some things, he internalized this myth. If Lenny had been more honest with Midge, if he had gotten out of the cab and gone back upstairs, if he had let Midge know more about his drug use, if he had asked Midge to bring an umbrella to support him for more than national television appearances, Midge would never have let him fall on his own.

Midge remembers everything Lenny ever said to her. His words are maxims, even prophesies. Midge believes Lenny even when she shouldn't. We see her quoting him often. She carries his fortune with her for the rest of her life. It's such a clear indication of her love for him, but it's also a tragedy. Midge probably let herself believe that the paraphernalia she found in the bathroom wasn't a big deal, because Lenny had promised her it wasn't. By the time she had heard enough to know differently, the damage was done. If Lenny hadn't told her not to save him she would have tried to pull him out of his spiral with everything she had. As it was, she sent him Susie, her best friend, her greatest asset, the lifeline she had relied on over and over. But it just wasn't enough. Midge couldn't meet him at the club and respect what he had told her. And Midge always, always tried to do what Lenny said.

That miscommunication, that tragedy, is heartbreakingly rendered by Rachel Brosnahan and Luke Kirby. Without explicitly saying anything, we know Lenny wants Midge to walk through that door and to try to rescue him. And we know that Midge wants to do just that, but cannot bear the idea of being rejected by him.

In the end, at least, we have that scene in Chinese restaurant which I think might be the most visually stunning scene of any of Midge and Lenny's encounters (I'm sorry Miami club, you are a close second!) It's a nice final reminder of what Lenny did for Midge: he acknowledged she deserved a place amongst the elites of the craft. I only wish there had been room for Midge to also validate Lenny. I would have loved her to give him some parting words that he might also treasure.

There are other ways of tragically ending Midge and Lenny's journey that I would have loved to see, but given the Palladinos disinterest in really exploring the nasty, dark, ugly parts of show business in the 1960s, I am not surprised we didn't get them. That can be a project for a fanfic writer who doesn't want to "fix it" so much as "make it worse." (Go for it fanfic writer! Sometimes we need sad things!)

I also have my own ideas of what would be a happy ending for these characters (see Midge and Lenny's Alternative Adventures). But I think the key to landing those stories (for me) is to confront this miscommunication so that Midge and Lenny can both accept and demand more from each other and to build up a new, less brittle kind of respect that comes from real intimacy. I want productive fights that tear through artifice and expose the mess underneath. Only then do I think they have a shot of saving each other from their own worst instincts.

Does that mean I liked it? Hahahahaha I don't even know. I respect it. It lingers. I felt something. And that's better than most series finales. And Midge and Lenny remain sensational.

#rachel brosnahan #luke kirby #midge x lenny #the marvelous mrs maisel spoilers #the marvelous mrs maisel #tmmm #midge maisel #lenny bruce #asks #series finale thoughts

[laufire]

someone reblogged one of my posts from the show and I am once again thinking about how the marvelous mrs. maisel just... gets artistic ambition. it just does. I have this folder in my laptop where I compiled screenshots from scenes that really hit but it got too much because there are so. many. from midge's own monologues to susie's hard-hitting lines to some of the things secondary characters like that painter said... the show just gets it.

maybe one day i'll rewatch and do a whole series where I delve deep into That Shit. for now I'll just leave you with the first one.

#talking to the void #my thoughts #tmmm thoughts #the marvelous mrs. maisel #midge maisel #lenny bruce

[dollsome-does-tumblr]

still adjusting to the fact that we saw midge and susie in 2005 and therefore, technically, they COULD be gilmore girls fans

#watching their gg vhs tapes together once a week #midge being like ‘oh my god that angry harpist is your secret long lost relation’ #dollsome's deep thoughts #the marvelous mrs. maisel #tmmm spoilers

[midgclenny]

lenny walking backwards to make sure that he gives his full attention to midge

lenny lending midge his coat/suit jacket whenever it’s cold outside

lenny making sure midge is safe during the raid

lenny always reminding midge what a funny comedian she is

lenny wanting to get professional validation from midge, the girl he hold in high regard

lenny coming out to support midge’s shows whenever he has the time

lenny supporting midge’s career, making sure that she’s successful

#thought i should visualise my midgelenny thoughts #they are THE otp #beloveds #midgelenny #midge x lenny #lenny x midge #lenny bruce #midge maisel #tmmm #the marvelous mrs. maisel #rachel brosnahan #luke kirby #midgclenny gif #lennymidge #25/8 thoughts on midgelenny

[sagesfandomspot]

okay so. I'm still sitting in that post-finale awe but. that was genuinely one of the best TV finales I've ever seen. It started with Midge and Susie, it ended with Midge and Susie. Just as it should be.

#i have many thoughts about the finale #will probably post them as i continue to process y'know #the marvelous mrs. maisel #tmmm #the marvelous mrs. maisel spoilers #tmmm spoilers

[s0undsinmyhead]

Amy Sherman-Palladino I asked you for one thing.

Leave Lenny alone.

That’s it. I love him and Midge and obviously they’re perfect together. But I knew. I knew it could never happen. Not really. And I LOVED what we got. I was grateful and I didn’t expect anymore.

I just wanted one last scene with Lenny being okay and being there for Midge. One last smile and joke.

You’re far enough away from the year of his death it never had to be brought up. None of that needed to be brought up.

But you couldn’t give me that could you? You had to show my Lenny at his lowest. Foreshadowing the fate we already all know about. You couldn’t let us have one nice thing.

#tmmm spoilers #I just want him to be happy #its already a fictionalized version of Lenny Bruce #why couldn’t you give us this? #did we not already pay our dues with the year in the life revival #you owe us #lenny bruce #I haven’t finished the episode maybe it’ll get better #can’t get worse #midge x lenny #midge maisel #the marvelous mrs. maisel #for a second I thought they’d pull a once upon a time in Hollywood and save Lenny #I would have supported that completely #luke kirby #all hail the upper west side

[im-on-your-side-always]

#midge x lenny #the marvelous mrs. maisel #tmmm #lenny bruce #midge maisel #luke kirby #rachel brosnahan #inspired by my post from yesterday #first thought when I first listened to the alcott #i‘m definitely crying #the national #taylor swift #the alcott

[a-wolf-at-the-door]

TMMM people, does anyone know any fics where Susie & Reggie meet again post-S3? I adored their dynamic, the way he sort of took her under his wing and believed in her even though he pretended not to, the way he offered to pay her gambling debt, the way he told her someday she’d be making the same kind of decision he was… it’s just I’ve seen a lot of fics where Midge & Shy reconcile but none with Reggie & Susie and man oh man I would love to see how they’d navigate that. (also I just think we all need more Sterling K. Brown in our lives)

#tmmm fanfic #tmmm #mrs maisel #reggie harris #susie myerson #susie myerson and associates #tmmm s3 spoilers #tmmm fic #I hope this exists #if it doesn’t I’ll be sad #except then maybe I’ll write it? #have too many things on my plate tbh but now I can’t let go of this thought