Emmys 2019: Why the record-shattering series 'The Marvelous Mrs Maisel' deserves to have a big win this year as well
Shattering all records, 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' has upped its game for the 71st Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards with 20 nominations — the highest this year and six up from 14 in 2018. Last year too, the comedy series made a clean sweep by winning five out of six major category nominations.
Rachel Brosnahan, who portrays the role of Miriam "Midge" Maisel, won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series last year too. With two consecutive Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy in 2018 and 2019 for the show, the actress is all set to rule the stage in 2019.
It goes without saying that her onscreen performance is nothing less than a marvel to behold and she totally deserves to clinch the trophy again. But, it's not just her — almost every other major actor has earned a nomination, including Alex Borstein (supporting comedy actress), Marin Hinkle (supporting comedy actress), Tony Shalhoub (supporting comedy actor), Jane Lynch (guest comedy actress) and Luke Kirby and Rufus Sewell (guest comedy actor).
One of the highlights of the comedy series is its clever dialogues, through which the actors make pathbreaking statements with a touch of humor. That explains why, married executive producers Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino are both nominated, separately, in the comedy directing category.
The period comedy-drama is a celebration of comedy that empowers women by bringing its female characters to the forefront, that too, in the realm of an industry predominantly fronted by men. Centered around a well-to-do Upper West Side housewife, who juggles between her stage comedy ventures and her personal life issues, the show portrays period dramas in a completely new light.
Without being preachy, 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' also pans out as a motivation to take a stand and live life on your own terms. In an interview with Refinery29, Brosnahan said, "Maisel's ability to keep things breezy while remaining a prestigious series is one of its greatest strengths. This show has an optimistic view of the world. I think hopefully it highlights … some of the battles [women are] still fighting today both inside and outside of comedy, it makes you think, and it also makes you feel hopeful about the future.”
Series co-creator Amy Sherman-Palladino told Refinery29, "The story I really wanted to do was the story of a woman in the ’50s who didn’t hate her life." However, the series turned out to be a major changemaker by giving a tight slap to the debate about whether women can be funny at all. The ultra-feminist and utterly optimistic Mrs. Maisel is what we all need.
"Part of being a modern feminist is about lifting up other women," Brosnahan added. "That’s particularly true in a world like comedy, where it’s historically been a boys’ club. We’re never enough. You’re either not beautiful enough to be successful, or too beautiful to be taken seriously … That’s a part of this war [against sexism], this ongoing war." It's no surprise then that a show that champions the cause of equality with a pinch of jocularity gets the biggest piece of cake at the Emmys!
The nominations for cinematography, production design, sound mixing, single-camera picture editing, period costumes, make-up, and hairstyling elucidate how it is a joint effort that pioneers the series. Not just the actors and show creators, technicians deserve the credit for putting the show together too.
Whether or not it wins all the categories, the show definitely has broken grounds with its second season as much as it did with the first. While last year, it won 8 out of the 14 categories, this year, 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' might sweep the room with at least 12 out the 20 nominations. And that's not the end. It's time to celebrate, as season three hits the screens on December 6.