Musings on Mrs Maisel from the writing viewpoint

*no big spoilers

As someone who has come late to an acceptance that I was partly put on this earth to write, could we please talk about the perfection that was that airport segment in The Marvelous Mrs Maisel Season 5 Episode 1? I’m not talking about it containing one of those moments where the sheer beauty of what is said and unsaid by characters lifts the experience to another plane – although it must be noted that any scene with Lenny Bruce written into it hovers on such a level. No, I am talking about the technical wizardy that brought strands of story together.

Firstly, let’s acknowledge that that set was goddamn beautiful. A section of my brain spent the entire time wishing we still got to fly from such places of architectural elegance instead of the purely functional, maximum capacity cattle sheds that these days qualify as airports. Imagine my delight on discovering the setting was not recreated but real. Though no longer operating as a terminal at JFK, it is now a hotel and newly added to my list of places to visit if I ever get a chance. 

The use of such an iconic backdrop enhanced the already magical delight of this show based on the life of Joan Rivers. The excellent Rachel Brosnahan as Miriam Maisel is ably abetted in the first few minutes of this airport segment by the relatively new, and wholly quirky and intriguing Alfie. I watched with complete absorption and trust as Miriam efficiently dispatched the magician on his travels, then bumped into her parents, the ever-contained Rose and always a little emotionally leaky Abe, before finally coming across elusive, compelling Lenny in the process of dropping the troublesome contents of his suitcase. 

It is a sign of first-class writing that it wasn’t until this morning, my mind again on the beautiful TWA terminal designed by Eero Saarinen and used from 1962 until 2001, that I thought about these unlikely meetings being brought together in one place. Which is where my writer’s brain did a little backflip of joy. I have so many questions and pondering them reminds me of that exquisite feeling when story strands weave themselves together successfully. Usually, but not always, through much effort from one or many creators.

I can almost hear the writers’ room putting together this segment. What came first? Did someone say, “Hey, we must use the TWA hotel at some point in this show. Any ideas?” If not, which scene came first? Surely the final scene with Lenny? “Okay then how shall we get Mrs M to be at the airport?” “What about if Alfie’s a reluctant flyer and needs to be chaperoned onto a plane?” “Wouldn’t Susie (another excellent character and Alfie and Miriam’s agent) do that?” “Good point. Okay, what if Susie can’t take him and asks Miriam to do it?” “That could work but what is the reason Susie can’t do it?”

You see where I’m going with this. Whether it was a similar or an entirely different sequence of strategizing, that’s pure writing artistry, right there. Maybe then someone said, “I feel like we need more action at the airport before the big scene. What else could happen?” Did Rose and Abe’s sudden win of a free trip result from needing to get them to the airport too? Or did the trip (cancelled by an as yet mysterious other – cue allusion to and development of the absolutely inspired warring matchmakers sub-plot) come first? When you think on it, it’s all very contrived and yet, in the hands of experts, entirely convincing. 

How much of my delight in this is due to what I am still learning about writing? How far into the ten thousand hours required for some level of mastery am I now? Perhaps none of you reading this can understand why reflecting on the talent displayed here gives me such joy. But I’m willing to bet I’m not alone. Anyone who has spent any length of time working on a long-form piece of writing knows what it is to interweave strands, and if very fortunate, has experienced the elation of making multiple storylines fall together into something resembling coherence. Whether conversations like those I’ve invented above happen with a team or in your own head, aren’t they a critical aspect of writing successfully?

Hats off to you, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel writers. Thank you for your work. Here, in a small corner of the planet, you have schooled a student, while also continuing to bring joy to so many of us.