5x04 Susan

[7.7/10] First things first. I loved the Private Waste and Demolition musical. Amy Sherman-Palladino has a bit of a mixed track record with musicals, despite clearly harboring a ton of affection for the genre. But this was the right mix of a genuinely impressive little production and a hilariously dose of mercenary infotainment to both wow and tickle the funny bone.

Private Waste Management and Demolition: The Musical combines two classic bits from The Simpsons: a hokey od educational film about the important of zinc, and the waste disposal-themed spoof of “The Candy Man Can” from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. And I’m not complaining in the least!

Everything from the gothamite flattery, to the can-lid-on-shoe tap number, to the veritable Chick tract on the importance of private waste management, to the surprise appearance from Susie’s sister (I guess that bit about her wanting to sing on stage wasn’t just a random comic interlude!), to the extremes of the guy denying his willingness to pay for the service only to watch his kid end up dead thanks to trash, to Midge’s bemused not-at-all-off-book narration of such mishegoss, had me in stitches. Sherman-Palladino and company really captured the corporate theater kid energy of this whole thing, and it’s a comic highlight of the series.

But I also like how this one ends, with the reveal that, despite sidling up and backing down from the confirmation last season, Susie not only likes girls but had a relationship that ended poorly with Gordon Ford’s wife. In narrative terms, that's likely to be a source of conflict, or at least complication, between Susie and Midge. But more importantly, I like seeing the lingering pain from a broken heart as a way to help humanize Susie a bit. Or more to the point, to show a vulnerable side of her that we don’t always get to see.

The writing and performances are so good there, to where this doesn’t feel like a cliche old flame spat, but rather something rooted in genuine feelings and blind spots and a deep rapport that went down in flames between both Susie and Hedy. The energy between them is palpable, as is the familiarity,, and it really sells that they were once very close, that Hedy looks back on it fondly, and that Susie is still wounded by how things fell apart. I have every expectation that they’ll keep following this one, and I can't wait to see it.

This is also another sympathetic Midge episode. She wants to succeed on the Gordon Ford show but she also has to fend off the advances of Gordon himself. I have a bad feeling about this whole thing, but it’s hard to deny that the pair have some chemistry and, as is there in the text, some Tracy/Hepburn chemistry. But that ignores the fact that Gordon is Midge’s boss, who makes unsavory comments, and the whole thing is inappropriate and reeks of something that is going to blow up sooner rather than later.

Frankly, I thought a different corner of this episode was going to blow up. When a stand-up slot opened up that would allow Midge to get in front of the camera but prevent her from doing the literal and figurative garbage job, I thought she was going to pursue her own career at the expense of Susie’s “favor”, with the conflict that would ensue. Instead, we see her run afoul of a rule nobody mentioned to her before -- that working on the show means you can't be on the show. The whole reason she took this job -- that becoming a writer would be a bridge to becoming a performer, instead sees that bridge blown up before she even got there.

So even though it’s unprofessional and trouble-making for Midge to not only give barely a half-effort for the next day’s garbage show performance, but to actively undermine the show with her commentary, you understand it. She’s had her dream denied, and in addition to finding her glide path closed to her, she finds herself stuck doing a crap job in a crap show. This is another case of Midge being a bit selfish, but it’s funny, and you get it.

I wish I could say the same for Joel. I don’t know what it is, but I just don’t like the guy. So even though he’s right, even though he recognizes that Susie’s in over her head with the mob, he comes off like such an asshole giving her the third degree over it. Despite that, I like that Susie getting mobbed up isn’t just a cutesy thing the show threw in for fun, but something that gets serious and causes Susie some fear when she realizes this isn’t a temporary thing she can repay, but rather a permanent thing she’ll have to deal with forever. I don’t know where they’re going with it exactly, but it’s nice to see the chickens come home to roost.

At the same time, I like the little vignette we get with the elder Weissmans. Abe and Rose disagreeing about the meaning of a play -- from Abe’s grandiose interpretation to Rose’s down to earth read -- is a good small scale source of marital disagreement. Abe is, frankly, an ass for condescending to his wife like that and saying she couldn't understand it. And as awkward as it is, Rose bringing over the actual playwright to explain that, yes, it was just about a boy and his dog, is a hell of a riposte. I’ll confess, as someone who writes criticism that isn’t necessarily so far removed from Abe’s grandiose symbol-hunting, there’s something very funny about a writer (and by extension this show’s writers) telling us humble critics that sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

What I like best, though, is the wordless aftermath to the whole thing. Abe and Rose are silent in the car ride, in the elevator, in the bedroom, and barely say a thing to Zelda even after her boyfriend proposes. And yet, pigheaded and arrogant as Abe can be, he does his best to beg forgiveness -- dousing his wife in secondhand rose petals and burying his head in her lap. It’s a simple, honest, wordless gesture from a man of many words, and one that earns him the absolution of a tolerant and accepting pat on the head. It’s a lovely scene, and whatever his faults and blindspots, Abe loves his wife. That's a beautiful thing.

All-in-all, this one delivers one of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s all time best set pieces, a great beat for Susie, some meaningful challenges for Midge, and even a nice little standalone sketch for Abe and Rose. Good stuff all around.