1x05 Doink

[7.6/10] It sounds weird to say, but I like seeing Midge fail. It’s plain that she’s a very talented comedian, but as Susie explains, even the best ones bomb sometimes. Maybe I’m still gunshy from Gilmore Girls, but it’s nice to see our main character facing this sort of absurdity early and reacting to it on a scale that befits the issue rather than it being her dream for several seasons until she goes nuts and steals a yacht.

Characters are also interesting when she fails. The way she has to deal with hecklers, blames the spotlight, blames the mic not being loose, blames the crowd, and just generally blames the external things that made it hard for her to feel in the zone are a nice reflection of someone who’s eased their way into success in this field (ironically, as a result of facing genuine difficulties outside of it), and doesn’t know what to do when she runs into a bump in the road.

Her insecurity afterwards is very relatable. She wonders if she has to be drunk or high in order to do stand-up comedy. (Susie’s response of, “Have you met a comic?” is a great laugh.) The feeling of bombing is so bad that she never wants to experience it again, even after being assured by Susie that it’s just a part of the game.

So she tries to bring in a ringer. I love Wallace Shawn as a hacky joke-writer for hire whom Midge goes to as a crutch. He’s both so cheesy and also so chipper about the whole thing. His demeanor and schticky one-liners are, ironically, a hoot as a form of anti-comedy, and Midge and Susie’s bewildered reactions to his recycled bits and tips on delivery are superb.

I also like that Midge quits when things go bad a second time. It’s painful to bomb. It’s hard to put yourself out there with the vulnerability it takes to lay it out on the line and get only humiliation and silence back. Rather than accepting that sometimes, even when you’re being yourself up there, it’s going to go badly and that’s not a sign of defeat, Midge tries to borrow someone else’s voice and is ready to throw in the towel when it doesn’t go well. I doubt it’s permanent, but it’s an understandable reaction.

I also enjoy her turn as a department store employee. It’s another setting and ecosystem for the show to populate and explore. The friendly women who also work in the make-up department already have their quirks and fast friendships with Midge. You can see how Midge would succeed in that environment, with like minded folks supporting her in a people-facing job.

Plus, we find in her closing scene that this sort of friendship can refuel her, give the right sort of audience to hone her material in a safer space than in front of the spotlight. Much of this episode is Midge trying to find the things that fill the tank back up, the one she tapped into for her great comic moments so far, and as much as the new job seems to tire her out and sap some of her mental energy, the friendships she’s making through it seem to have the power to recharge.

On top of that, I love her parents’ reaction to the news that Midge is working. Rose is beside herself, trying every Jewish mother trick in the book. She pretends it isn’t happening. She acts as though her daughter is insulting her. She fires the babysitter (OK, maybe that one’s specific to her). It’s such a scandal and failing in her mind that her daughter should work for her own paycheck, and her overdramatic reactions tickled me pink, especially her lugubrious delivery of the line, “Your wife is working.”

Speaking of which, I still don’t care for Joel, and I don’t think he has a hell of a lot of depth as a character, but I actually really liked his storyline here. I’ve been puzzling a bit over why Joel really left Midge, and my provisional conclusion is that it comes down to something simple: Midge is better than him. Joel had everything handed to him and still failed and floundered. Midge is smarter, more studious, more prepared, and will, in effect, always outshine him, which he gradually just couldn’t stand. That’s the nice thing about an empty-headed girl like Penny -- she’s never going to have the stuff to upstage him.

And yet, the catch is that despite everything, he wants to continue with his old life, just plug and play with Penny and continue on as if nothing has changed. But his parents reject her. (Kevin Pollak continues to be a treasure on this show, and their simple “No” utterances are perfect.) Joel’s couple friends reject her too. He’s just left with the empty shell of that life rather than the same set with a new player. There’s something compelling and a little sad about that, as Joel more firmly starts to realize the muck he’s gotten himself into.

That just leaves Abe and Susie. Abe’s reaction to his daughter becoming a worker bee is delightful. He has a million boes to check on his checkbox, and he still thinks that it basically shouldn't be happening, but you can tell that deep down he’s proud of her for having the mettle and determination to do it. Likewise, you can tell that Susie is frustrated and even hurt, because she has been genuinely hoping for something like this, and Midge bailing on her dashes her hopes and tells her she’s been putting her neck out like this for nothing. Both reactions have power in them, and I’m curious to see where they go from here. (Abe’s “I just had to see it for myself” was a nice touch -- a lot of great one-liners in this one!)

Overall, this is another strong meat and potatoes (brisket and latkes?) episode of the show, which sees Midge carve out a space for herself in the working world while believably faltering in the comedy world, with interesting intersections and reactions between both.