NOTE: this post contains spoilers for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season 5 episode 5,"The Pirate Queen."
The flash forwards are back this week in Mrs. Maisel. Things open in 1987 with an older Midge (Rachel Brosnahan) visiting a much older and worse for wear Joel (Michael Zegen) in prison. Midge shows Joel a photo of Ethan, Chava and their baby Rose and Joel mentions he will get to meet his grandchild in four to six months with good behavior. What Joel's in prison for isn’t mentioned. But considering his past it's safe to assume there's any number of reasons why he's there.
Cut back to 1961, Joel and Archie (Joel Johnstone) are in the process of buying St. Xavier's Catholic School to turn it into a supper club. Possibly Joe's prison stint in the future could be related to some of his business activities.
In the offices of Susie Myerson and Associates, things are hopping with hopefuls dropping off their sizzle reels and head shots, but Susie (Alex Borstein), Dinah (Alfie Fuller) and Maggie (Julie Klausner) across the alley are all working the phones trying to get someone named Helen on the phone to find out if she's casting James (Jay Will), one of Susie's other talents, in a movie. When Susie finally gets Helen on the phone, Helen tells Susie she's not the one making the decision, it's a producer named David Weston (Brice Altman). Susie hangs up on Helen and immediately the office starts the incessant calling again trying to get David Weston.
Midge pops in to check her comedy gigs for the next week. She's performing every night and writing every day, determined to stay sharp. Meanwhile, in the writer's room, Midge is holding her own with the boys and they've finally accepted her.
Gordon (Reid Scott) summons all the writers to talk about the night's monologue, but he's in a bad mood because of George (Peter Friedman). George has lined up a new sponsor for the show, Diddy Do Diaper Cream, and Gordon isn't happy about it. But Diddy Do wants to reach the show's demographic and has outbid other sponsors to do it.
Diddy Do has chartered a boat for a cruise on the Hudson River for some of the company execs and marketers along with the people from the show. Gordon flatly refuses to go. Midge tells George she can go to help smooth things over. She offers to do a comedy set to entertain them and mentions she is exactly who they are trying to reach. George eagerly accepts her offer.
Back at the apartment, Rose (Marin Hinkle) and Shirley (Caroline Aaron) are getting Zelda (Matilda Szydagis) ready for her wedding to Janusz (Alexander Gemignani). Both families assemble in the living room for the wedding ceremony. But during the vows Janusz drops a bombshell and says that Zelda will no longer have to work. It never occurred to the family they'd be losing Zelda after her marriage, so they're immediately upset.
One other quick note from the wedding, while Midge and Joel argue about Susie's mob connections, the exes end up kissing. But with Midge needing to go to the boat gig, they put a pin in it.
Susie, meanwhile, is stalking David Weston all over town. She corners him in a bathhouse and uses a little reverse psychology, but still Weston won't crack. The next day Susie is finally able to close the deal and James gets hired.
On the cruise, Midge is charming the Diddy Do execs with her comedy and her witty repartee. She does a fantastic job for most of the night and George is really pleased. But as usual, when Midge is involved, things go overboard quickly. One of the drunk Diddy Do contingent is getting handsy with a waitress, who is scared and uncomfortable. Midge steps in to help the girl and picks up the guy's jacket. She asks the man if he's uncomfortable with her touching something he doesn't want touched as he demands she gives the coat back. Then she accidentally loses her grip and the coat goes overboard into the river. Midge is taken off the boat by the Coast Guard, handcuffed.
Susie is summoned to the Gordon Ford office in the middle of the night to help deal with the Midge situation, along with George, some of the execs from the network, Mike (Jason Ralph) and Gordon.
Midge explains to Gordon what happened: being arrested for disorderly conduct and, because the boat was technically in international waters, piracy for throwing the man's coat and wallet overboard. Gordon actually isn't upset at Midge, but at George for doing the Diddy Do gig even though he said no. He actually finds the whole Midge pirate angle hilarious and has no plans to fire her. Midge is now the Pirate Queen. Cue several pirate puns.
The next night Gordon shows up at Midge's comedy set. He offers to take her to dinner. Gordon is still trying to charm Midge into dating him, but she refuses, telling him that when she gets on the show she needs to know it's because she earned it rather than people assuming it would be she’s Gordon's girl. And that silence you hear is the sound of every woman nodding because they know Midge is right.
New episodes of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season 5 release Fridays on Prime Video.
