There are a few stories that are not just for entertainment but also for some soul cleansing and thinking too. I have always believed that the funniest people or stories are the most emotional and come with great learning. I have been watching one such coming-of-age series called Mrs. Maisel. For anyone who does not know who it is, please spend 1000 bucks to get amazon prime and watch it. Trust me, you will not regret it.
The first thing you notice about Mrs. Maisel is her sense of humor, calm nature and obviously her looks, the 1st episode does a lot of justice to it :D But I am not going to talk about her today. I have always been a fan of transformation which shows progress and a way forward or someone quirky who stands out in the crowd. Let it be Tyrion Lannister who went from a drunk whore mongering piece of useless shit to one of the most trustworthy emotional strategic thinkers in GOT. Or it could be Phoebe, who was as quirky as it gets with her stories, songs, ways of thinking/running/living, philosophies, etc, she has inspired an entire generation to embrace themself and enjoy life.
So I am starting this series writeup with Abe, Mrs. Maisel's father, a very strange choice. When I started watching, he was the one I just did not like. He was too stuck in his ways of living from what he eats, to what he reads to the way he talks to people. Imagine a Math lecturer who has his own ways of working, is quirky, strict (biased toward a few students and treats others like shit), and easily irritable prick. A total MSP who wanted his daughter to wear good clothes/makeup to impress the son-in-law who has left her for his secretary. Instead of being angry and supporting his daughter, he tries to work with her father-in-law to fund a house for his useless SIL to return. He was so insensitive to his family, he refused to get an additional TV for the kids as he is not a 2 TV kinda guy (I don't even know what that means). He would fight with many and be a pain for those who work for him.
One of his worse traits was to take people around him for granted. Rose (his wife) has dedicated her life to taking care of the kids and her hubby. No one actually cared for her thoughts and was taken for granted. She is heartbroken when she gets to know that her daughter Midge did not agree to get back to her husband and did not discuss it with Rose. she decided to leave for Paris as she is no longer required. I think Abe had a selective hearing or ignored her completely. So much so, that when Rose says "no one cares for me and I am not needed so I'm booking a ticket to Paris, I have made lamb for dinner", all he heard was the lamb and said 'Lamb is fine!!!'.
When he found out that his wife had left him, he was furious and kind of blames her for it. And when he hears that his maid, Zelda knew about it, he questions her loyalty. "Zelda, we should have a talk about your loyalty, you should be loyal to who signs the cheques than whom you actually like, that is how American loyalty works". It shows how insensitive he could be of a situation.
Abe and Midge travel to Paris to get Rose back. As usual, Abe is a prick who is irritated with the dirty room or does not know French, etc. He would just not understand his wife wanting to live life the way she wants and live in the moment. One of the best lines Rose says is "Stay in the moment, you are in Paris, look around and take it in. Stay in the moment" which resonated with how frustrated she was and wanted to make up for the lost time.
One of the best scenes: Midge to mom - I have missed you, mama. Rose replies: I missed me too :D
Abe is adamant to stay in Paris until he convinces Rose to return. I was kinda surprised and thought he will make her life miserable. But to my surprise, he completely embraces living in Paris. It is one of the best transformations I have seen in recent TV/movies. He mingles with locals without knowing a word of what they talk about, visits art museums, shows interest in Rose's art classes, wears a hat and a scarf to look completely local, and spends time with Rose with great love. It was kinda strange to see him like that but it was all genuine, not once did I feel he was faking it.
So much so that they end up dancing on the river bank with 'Wonderful world' playing in the background, how crazy is that:)))) There is true love between them and Abe expresses it beautifully. And since then, he is super sensitive about her. The way he convinces her that Pris is not their home and gets her back to NY is awesome, it was not forced at all. He goes above his capability to enroll Rose in art classes at his university and when she screws up with a few students, he has her back without being annoyed. He also signs up for dance lessons as they were not good at dancing on the river bank :D. He was genuinely a changed man and the change was so beautiful.
And then when he returns, he is shocked to see his kids doing different things and were not open to him about it. He doesn't know how to react to his daughter going after the family in a standup gig, absolutely hilarious shit. He is bitter and hurt (almost childish about it) which shows he could be an emotional person also. The best was when he sees Midge on TV and has a smile on his face, It says he is turning it around for the kids also :)
This makes me think there is never too late to change and start living in the moment. If Abe was able to do it, anyone can. You just need to be sensitive to your surroundings, care for your loved ones, genuinely try to be there for them and prioritize yourself also. Of all the characters, I would not have picked up Abe for this but his transformation made him stand out. He still is irritable, quirky, and annoyed, but when the time came, he showed he cared and can be a loving person. What else do you need from a man!!!
PS: there are so many characters and relationships that are worth talking about in this series. I will definitely write as I explore them more.
And I spoke too early. I did not know he had a rebel past and his stint to get back to that by quitting his job :D I am going to add it here as it progresses.
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