The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

I’m not surprised that this delightful eight-part series streaming on Amazon walked away with two Golden Globe awards this year. Its incandescent star, Rachel Brosnahan, lights up the screen as a young Jewish wife and mother, Miriam Maisel, living in Upper West Side comfort in the late-1950s whose life takes a turn when her husband, Joel (played by Michael Zegen), dumps her for his moronic secretary. Scorned and bereft, drunk on kosher wine, she shows up at a Greenwich Village nightclub, grabs the microphone during a lull, and proceeds to tear into her husband. It’s heartfelt stuff, but it’s also hilarious, and the beginning of a new life for Miriam. She’s whip-smart and funny as hell, and Brosnahan well deserves her award as best actress in a comedy series. The rest of the cast—winners collectively of the award for best comedy series—are just as good. The dialogue is witty and fast-paced, the set pieces hilarious, and the series’ timing, post-Weinstein, is exquisite.