The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 5 Episode 8 Review: The Princess and the Petition (2023)

Midge's post-divorce life hasn't always been a fairy tale, but here, she gets not only a princess, but a benevolent fairy godmother.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 5 Episode 8is a reminder that this is truly one of the best shows on television. How wonderful it is when a show can go out on its own terms and how happy we were to watch Midge's journey.

"The Princess and the Plea" covered a lot, from Joel and Midge's memories to Midge's Bryn Mawr reunion, the Princess Margaret story, Abe's enlightenment, and of course Susie's confrontation with Midge and subsequent plea to Hedy.

Joel and Midge's memories were a telling way to see how they viewed their relationship.

Midge's memory was of them fighting but making up when he admitted he was wrong. His memories were of him introducing her to her parents and realizing she was the one, then messing it up with Penny on a whim.

Midge sees their relationship as it was, and Joel sees the ideal and what he rejected.

Knowing what Joel did for Midge in theThe Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 5 Episode 6, we now see Joel no longer taking Midge for granted and not appreciating his time with her.

The fact that they are friends, co-parents and actively involved in their children's lives now that Zelda is gone means they are as healthy a family as they have ever been.

College roommates were great, and Midge was reunited with her friends from Bryn Mawr.

This helped Midge crystallize what she wanted and hoped to get out of life. She always wanted it for herself. She put those feelings aside because she felt she should, but it all came to a head that fateful night in the Gaslight.

When she found the message to her future self in the bottle, something in her woke up, but she couldn't remember what. What did her younger self know or understand about her future?

Hedy Ford: Don't.
Miriam "Midge" Maisel: What?
Hedy Ford: Don't.
Miriam "Midge" Maisel: Okay.
Hedy Ford: If the credit is yours, take it. If not, take it, that's what guys do.

• Permalink:If the credit is yours, take it. If not, take it, that's what guys do.

Another college roommate was prominent and fateful. After a significant absence, Hedy Ford, Susie's former something, returned, along with that powerful word from the bottle that shook Midge: "Don't."

It is poetic that in the end it is an influential woman who makes Midge successful. This is a story about women helping women. Hedy gives Midge a piece of advice she'll undoubtedly carry with her for the rest of her life - don't diminish your self-worth.

It's also such a blow because just because Hedy (probably) broke Susie's heart, she probably feels some guilt. Perhaps Hedy agreed to Susie's request out of a mixture of affection and her own temptation.

Hedy had broken Susie's heart and dreams, but without that, Susie wouldn't have had the emotional height she needed to ask for the favor she knew Hedy owed her.

As I mentioned in myThe Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 5 Episode 4 review, Susan still means something to Hedy, so she wants to serve her well.

Their scene in the empty studio was beautifully staged, with Hedy in a position of power, looking down on Susie.

Nina Arianda is electric, exudes sexy confidence and understands the importance of what she does.

The way she looked into Midge's eyes as she stood on the staircase, not saying what she was doing, was so powerful. There was a lot of gravitas in that little moment between them.

And then there's the fact that Gordon simply takes Hedy at her word. He quickly requests a favor from Princess Margaret. Gordon doesn't know about Susie. Hedy doesn't explain it. He's confused, but he'll do what she asks.

That's how their relationship works. "Behind every great man..."

Kate Abbruzzese is the incredibly skinny Princess Margaret.

Given the buildup, I expected her to do more, but she was a fun, bright spot. (In real life, Princess Margaret did not visit the US until 1965).

If you've been watching this series since the beginning, you've undoubtedly worried for a moment, like me, that Midge is somehow going to screw things up with Princess Margaret.

But no, this is the penultimate episode. Midge is done screwing around. Now he's on his A-game. She is finally getting ready to succeed.

The whole scene with Midge and Susie at the train station was heavy handed, exposing truth, longing and frustration. After all, it's true - Midge is a great comedian, and if it were a man, she'd easily make it by now.

There were so many layers to this scene. Midge couldn't understand why Susie wouldn't use her past "friendship" with Hedy to Midge's advantage.

Susie Myerson: What are you going to do with the Gordons and the Petes and all the fucking men who run the fucking world?
Miriam "Midge" Maisel: Get around them. Use everything you can and stop at nothing. Guess who taught me that?

• Permalink:Go around them. Use everything you can and stop at nothing. Guess who taught me that?

Susie couldn't say, for fear of appearing vulnerable.

He also made a good point about show business. It is a golden combination of persistence, talent and connections. You can still manage with two, but it's much more challenging. Sometimes relationships are what you need for that big break.

It is not desperate to want to use the gift of Hedy to your advantage. Susie just doesn't want to reveal why she feels uncomfortable, but in the end she knows Midge is right.

She does it out of love.

What kind of love? Now, that's a question that, if it hasn't crossed your mind over the last few years of watching this series, you'd be lying.

Susie's silence tells us nothing when Hedy asks if there's more to her passion for Midge, but we can always speculate.

It's better not to say. We can believe what we want about Susie's feelings for Midge. Borstein plays so close to her chest. There's a lot going on there, but keeping it ambiguous is the right call.

Alfie Fuller's Dinah never gets much screen time, but she does a good job establishing a respectful relationship between herself and Susie.

Susie knows Dinah will always be honest with her, calling her out when she's emotional.

They complement each other well, which is why Dinah remains her number 2 well into Susie's later years. It was important for her to mention that James didn't get anything either.

Susie only saw James as a man succeeding where a hard-working, talented woman kept falling short, forgetting that being black had its problems, and he deserved his success just as much as Midge.

I think I came out of my mother's womb giving advice on how to deal with umbilical cords.

Abe Weissman

• Permalink:I think I came out of my mother's womb giving advice on how to deal with umbilical cords.

The dinner scene with Abe, Gabe, Henry and Arthur at dinner was masterful and captivating.

The men -- Shalhoub, alongside Henry Patrick Breen, seasoned actor Kenneth Tigar as Arthur and Chris Eigeman as Gabe -- excelled in pacing and philosophical dialogue.

These are intellectuals of a certain age. Abe has finally come to terms with his myopic worldview and his complicity in the patriarchy, and is shaken to his core.

He may not be able to repay Midge, but he can make it up to Esther and will probably spend the rest of his life doing so. How many fathers underestimate their daughters?

I have to see if my granddaughter is the grandson I've been waiting for.

Abe Weissman

• Permalink:I have to see if my granddaughter is the grandson I've been waiting for.

If you are the father of a daughter, go and lift her up, see her as a person and help her become the best person she can be.

This is one of the best scenes in the entire series. It is full of important ideas that are clearly expressed.

It shows another side we may not have known we wanted to hear, covering what the people of the "old" world must have felt when they came to terms with mortality and changing morality (with a little artistic license and enough grace).

Change for our predecessors was sudden, exogenous events -- earthquakes, floods, eclipses, a saber-toothed tiger pouncing on you out of nowhere. These were things that needed to be dealt with at the moment. Then things naturally returned to normal. But now a change is coming upon you. Change itself is a flood. The change itself is a tooth in the tooth. Change itself is the norm.

Henry

• Permalink:Changes for our predecessors were sudden, exogenous events - earthquakes, floods,...

It's funny that Gordon Ford was talking about getting an Emmy here because it's likely that this episode could win Emmys for Brosnahan, Borstein, Shalhoub, as well as Dan Palladino, who wrote and directed.

This was definitely a tough episode, but it didn't feel tough. All the emotions, frustrations, depth of feeling, seemed deserved.

It prepares us emotionally (as much as we can be ready) for the end. It was all pretty deep, but in a way that didn't seem overly pretentious.

There is one final episode to go and it will probably be Midge's triumph. Let's go ahead and see how it works because we know it will. It's her time.

What do you think will be in the final? How are you feelingThe Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Season 5to this point?

Share your thoughts in the comments!

Mary LittlejohnMary Littlejohn is a writer and critic for TV Fanatic. Loves television, cinema and theater (especially musicals!), especially when it advocates inclusivity, diversity and social justice. Follow her furtherTwitter.