#Tony Palladino

[disease]

ROBERT BLOCH | PSYCHO DESIGN: TONY PALLADINO [1959]

[boardchairman-blog]

**Shots of the Episode**

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017)

Season 5, Episode 9: “Four Minutes” (2023) Director: Amy Sherman-Palladino Cinematographer: M. David Mullen

[filmbook21]

[the-one-where-casey-watches-tv]

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel episode 5.09 "Four Minutes"

Rachel Brosnahan in "Four Minutes". Image courtesy of IMDb.

I guess Amy Sherman-Palladino still hasn’t figured out how to end a show. I’ll admit that I’ve watched every episode and felt entertained, but I never fully embraced Maisel. I’m hard on it because it had so much potential and was always right there on the edge of being a landmark in tv- it just didn’t have that last little oomph. But even among the avid fans that I’ve talked to, I haven’t heard from anyone who appreciated the way this story ends.

Before I get to the wild things that happened in season 5, I just have to say- I never liked Midge. That’s really my only problem with the show, but it’s a big one. Maisel did so much telling rather than showing in that regard: they didn’t make her likable, they told me that people liked her. I’m supposed to be charmed by her the way everyone else is, but more often than not, I’m pulled out of the moment wondering how she’s suddenly somehow won people over. Most of all, though, I don’t think she’s that funny.

Rachel Brosnahan in "Four Minutes". Image courtesy of IMDb.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is hilarious. Sherman-Palladino knows how to make a beautiful, colorful, bustling setting full of quaint and funny people who talk back and forth very quickly. With those strengths, I have to wonder what inspired a premise centered around a career of stationary monologues. The show made me laugh out loud countless times, just never at one of Midge’s jokes. So frequently Midge would force her way onstage, royally pissing people off in the process, but suddenly everyone loves her act so much- or worse, just thinks she’s so pretty- that all is forgiven. An act that I didn’t even laugh at.

The show has an obviously feminist premise, but its execution here too leaves me feeling like the only takeaway there is “women can do anything they want!! No matter how good they are at it or how they treat people along the way!! If they make a mess, a man will be possessively in love with her and toxically sacrifice himself to make it all okay. As long as she’s pretty.”

So this is already the headspace I went into season 5 with, and its ultimate conclusion really doubled down that sentiment for me. The setup for this season has Midge working as the only female writer on America’s number one talk show, the Gordon Ford show. Gordon is a new character, but I warmed up to him quickly. He’s chill, surprising, and funny- actually funny. Midge isn’t intimidated by him because has she ever been? She’s demeaned at having to be a writer and not “talent”, but she’s gonna grin and bear it. A job plenty of ladies (me included) would kill for, and that she’s breaking the glass ceiling by having. But she’s slumming it.

Midge’s privilege is another roadblock to her likability. Not necessarily the fact that she has it financially, which I am glad this season touched on, but it’s the attitude she has about it. All the Weissmans have lavish class privilege, and this season used Zelda’s quitting to gently poke fun at their helplessness, but Rose and Abe at least have an awareness and sense of gratitude for the help they receive. Abe’s journey of self-awareness throughout this season was incredibly moving and heartfelt, and the way he beat himself up over the most minute of mistakes at his newspaper job really highlights the lack of those qualities in Midge.

Let’s address the elephant in the room: the chronologically confusing time jumps revealing the demise of Midge and Susie’s friendship and business partnership. God, I feel so bad for Susie. There’s a Friends blooper where David Schwimmer just bursts out laughing and goes, “poor Ross”. I would be amazed if Alex Borstein hasn’t had a similar experience.

Alex Borstein and Rachel Brosnahan in "Four Minutes". Image courtesy of IMDb.

Here’s the quick version of what happened over these 9 episodes: Susie’s been in bed with the mob since before this season- I was honestly thrown for a loop when they became such an important part of this season, they’ve always been surprisingly sweet, funny, and helpful. Nonetheless, they asked Susie for the favor of having Midge star in a musical about the waste department. See? Sweet and funny. It was significant, though, because Susie thought this would make her square with Frank and Nicky. As in, no more getting a cut of her and Midge’s profits. But Midge looked down on the whole trash gig thing and phoned in her performance when the rest of her life wasn’t going the way she wanted. This sparked a conversation between Susie, Frank, and Nicky that Joel observed from afar. Susie tried to promise that Midge would step up her game so they could all part ways, causing Frank and Nicky to explain that there was no “getting even”. Susie always thought she owed them a favor that one day she would repay and wash her hands of the whole thing, but Midge’s poor attitude only revealed that even if they had done everything perfectly, there was no getting out from under them.

Joel didn’t hear the conversation, but somehow he put the whole thing together really quickly, getting in Susie’s face and saying that he won’t stand for Midge being caught up with guys like that, because he’s very familiar with them. I really don’t know when Joel became such a hard-ass or got all of this mob experience. Susie tells him that she’s got it all under control- maybe she does, maybe she doesn’t- we’ll never find out, because Joel takes it upon himself to meet with Frank and Nicky and fall on the sword to protect Midge. He lets the mob in on his club business, mixing their books as he begins to buy more clubs. Midge never has any idea until his eventual arrest, in Temple no less, where he’s put away for the entire mob operation. Midge doesn’t hesitate to cut Susie off and stay by Joel’s side, religiously visiting him in prison during decades worth of time jumps.

I hate all of this for a few reasons. It really just feels like Joel felt he had to find a way to keep himself relevant in this story and in Midge’s life, and it’s so disappointing to me that this works on Midge. Before all this, Midge and Joel had a really mature and endearing post-divorce friendship. It’s hard to say if Mei’s abrupt departure at the end of season 4 was a logistical hurdle for the show or a creative choice to free Joel up to do this, but regardless, this was an unwanted replacement for a fleshed-out relationship between Joel and Mei, whose story still feels unfinished. And his weirdly intense speech to Midge on the fire escape about not letting anyone hurt a hair on her head? I’ve never seen a not creepy use of that phrase, so I don’t know what to make of Midge eating it up. This all really undermines the respectful, minding-their-own-business nature of their progressive relationship. I think if someone had said at the end of season one that this show ends with Joel’s relentless love for Midge disseminating her friendship with Susie, we would have all thought that was very off-message.

Not to mention, as all of this unfolds, we’re also treated to a glimpse of everything Susie did for Midge over the years of their partnership. When Midge got cold feet the night before a destination wedding because he didn’t make her laugh, Susie tried to put her foot down and set some workplace boundaries- this has nothing to do with Midge’s career, Susie has no obligation to untangle the mess Midge has made of her own personal life. But Midge bursts into tears, and of course Susie makes it all okay.

But the biggest catalyst of emotions boiling under the surface comes from Gordon Ford’s wife. I don’t think Susie’s sexuality was a mystery to anyone, but we’d never talked about it before Hedy. Susie was clearly deeply wounded by her, and even though she’s not one to spill her life’s story, that much is clear. Nonetheless, when Midge finds out that Susie knows her personally, she aggressively pushes Susie to talk to her about getting Midge on the Gordon Ford show. Susie is extremely hesitant, leading Midge to say that whatever is holding her back, if Susie doesn’t do this for her, then Midge will know that her manager didn’t do everything she could for her.

With the context of everything Susie has ever done for Midge, this is such a slap in the face. Add in the heavy hinting that Susie is in love with Midge, and the whole thing just makes me sad for her. The lesbian sidekick being in love with the straight main character is so tired to me. But of course, Susie talks to Hedy, and of course she pulls it off. Once Susie’s done what she wanted her to do, Midge softens and convinces her to talk about what happened between her and Hedy. Then, Midge says if she had known she would never have pressured Susie to talk to her. As if there was no way of initiating this conversation sooner.

Alex Borstein in "Four Minutes". Image courtesy of IMDb.

So for Midge to not even hesitate to turn on Susie after Joel’s arrest, something he brought entirely on himself against Susie’s wants and pleas, is so blatantly cruel that I almost wonder if Midge isn’t even supposed to be the hero of this story.

This brings us to the title of this episode and Midge’s tendency to act like- and be treated like- her showing up is God’s gift to whatever room she’s in. Susie talked to Hedy, Hedy talked to Gordon, Gordon begrudgingly broke his longstanding rule to not have staff members on the show. But, if he’s gonna do it, his frail ego is going to do it his way (remember when he started a bar fight with Hank Azaria for wanting Midge to work for him? He was being ‘noble’ because clearly Azaria’s Danny Stevens is just attracted to her. Gordon won’t let her be on the show but also won’t let her work anywhere else, how protective and helpful!).

It’s moments before the show when Midge and Susie learn that Midge will appear on the show, but not as a comic- rather, she will be interviewed by Gordon as a writer on the show, a human-interest piece. Midge is to sit on a stool, rather than the respectable couch the ‘real’ guests get to sit on. Even in this Gordon is seething and throws the show to commercial only seconds into the segment. There’s still “Four Minutes” to fill when they come back, tensions are high, and Gordon is as unhappy as someone can be on national TV.

I’ll give Midge credit for getting Susie’s blessing before she does this. I don’t even blame her for doing it, to be honest. The Gordon Ford show returns from commercial and Midge steps over Gordon’s return to the segment, walking up to the mic and doing four minutes of standup while Mike and Susie do everything they can off camera to keep Gordon in his chair.

I’m the petty bitch that counted, but if you’re literally gonna call the series finale “Four Minutes” I’d like to think it would actually be four minutes. She talked for almost ten. I believe in the universe of the show it really was just four minutes (even Midge Maisel can’t eat into somebody else’s primetime air), but to me this confirms Sherman-Palladino’s disconnectedness to standup itself as an art form. They call it a ‘tight five’ because it’s hard to do, and I was actually really interested to see what Midge could pull off in that amount of time.

I’ll admit that it was one of her better sets, but certainly not something of the caliber that warranted a complete 180 in Gordon Ford. He laughs out loud as she talks, and when she’s done, he invites her onto the couch, reintroducing her as a comic, the marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Why is she even still using Joel’s last name? I digress.

Reid Scott in "Four Minutes". Image courtesy of IMDb.

With some comparable behavior, Midge and Susie do ultimately repair their friendship. Susie, later in life, is an ultra-successful talent manager, repping the biggest names in entertainment and becoming something of a celebrity herself. Her falling out with Midge, though, is the elephant in every room she’s in. There’s a roast for Susie in one of the bigger flash forwards, with everyone she cares about there to good-naturedly poke fun at her. Everyone except Midge, which all the guests speculate about throughout the event. Then, at the end, a screen descends from the ceiling, and a recorded video of Midge plays. It sounds like she’s ready to make amends with Susie and see her again, and Susie, of course, is tripping over herself to find her way to her. After everything Susie did for her, Midge is the bigger person? The hero? Just for showing up? Again, I digress.

The series closes on the two of them watching Jeopardy! together over the phone, chatting and laughing, hard, something that’s always been important to Midge in the people she keeps close. And this time, Midge really is funny. She’s at her best when she’s interacting with people. It’s a really sweet scene and I’m happy to see the show end this way. I just wasn’t able to enjoy it as much as I would’ve liked after everything that happened to get us there.

What did you think? Do you see a different side of Midge than I do? Was Susie more wrong and Joel more right than I think they are? Does Midge’s standup make you laugh? Let me know!

[nofatclips]

Jackie: ... in life, sometimes you got to eat a whole lot of shit. Piles of it. More shit than you can imagine.

Jackie: If you took a pack of wolves with stomach issues, and locked them in your apartment for a month, and then came home with a spoon, that's the amount of shit I'm talking about.

Susie: Thank you for the vivid imagery.

Jackie: Life is basically an all-you-can-eat shit show.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel S02E10: All Alone

[kermodefan94-blog]

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Season 5. Review (Mild Spoilers)

After being one of the initial breakout hits for Amazon The Marvellous Ms Maisel ( hit a decided peak at the end of season 3. This writer got to the show late and watched those initial three seasons over six months. The soft cliffhanger at the end of the third season left a distinct feeling of “Where do you go from here? ” After Midge (Rachel Brosnahan )got fired by Shy Baldwin (LeRoy McClain) it…

[floorman3]

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 5 Review- Maisel Goes Out On A High Note With Strong Character Development For Brosnahan and Borstein

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is a show that started out as just a pilot until it caught fire. Five seasons later all of these characters in the show have had their ups and downs. There have been a lot of story beats that have made this show and its star one of the best in the business. In a landscape where comedies have started to fall short of the classics I grew up on, this one remains fresh and…

[joanbpoet]

[longliverockback]

Pete Townshend White City: A Novel [Half Speed Mastering] 2024 UMC ————————————————— Tracks: 1. Give Blood 2. Briliant Blues 3. Face the Face 4. Hiding Out 5. Secondhand Love 6. Crashing by Design 7. I Am Secure 8. White City Fighting 9. Come to Mama —————————————————

Mark Brzezicki

John Bundrick “Rabbit”

Clem Burke

Tony Butler

Phil Chen

David Gilmour

Chucho Merchan

Pino Palladino

Simon Phillips

Pete Townshend

* Long Live Rock Archive

[velmas-guitar-shop]

Aguilar Octamizer Bass Octave Pedal

Just picked up one of these as well, because the ‘Sub-n-Up’ digital octave simulator in my Plethora X5 isn’t nearly as good.

After listening to a lot of octave pedals, it’s clear that some are much more aimed at guitarists, because their ability to track low notes really wavers. The Octamizer is simple, and sounds fantastic; like the classic Boss OC-2 but with a bit more oomph.

And now I want (need) a new fretless bass.

[jgroffdaily]

Jonathan Groff Joins Amazon’s Étoile as Guest Star, Teeing Up Spring Awakening Reunion (Exclusive)

BY MICHAEL AUSIELLO

A Spring Awakening reunion is taking shape on the Parisian set of Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino‘s upcoming Amazon series Étoile.

TVLine has learned exclusively that newly-minted Tony winner Jonathan Groff is set to guest-star in the first season of the Palladinos’ ballet-themed dramedy, which boasts a cast that includes Groff’s Spring Awakening co-star Gideon Glick. Details on Groff’s character are scarce, but we can confirm that he will share the screen with Glick.

News of Groff’s Étoile gig comes as the series is winding down production on its eight-episode first season, production of which has been split between Paris and New York. (The show has already been renewed for a second season.)

Étoile follows the dancers and artistic staff of two world-renowned ballet companies as they embark on an ambitious gambit to save their storied institutions by swapping their most talented stars. (FYI: Étoile, pronounced āˈtwäl, is defined as a principal dancer in a ballet company.)

The ensemble also includes Luke Kirby who, like Glick, previously worked with the Palladinos on their Emmy-winning Amazon smash The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

Groff, whose TV credits include Mindhunter and Glee, will next be seen playing Bobby Darin in the new Broadway musical Just in Time, which opens in Spring 2025.

[penny-hartzs]

Let's talk more fashion: who are your top ten fictional characters with the best style 🥰

Right off the bat I have to go with Carrie Bradshaw. She annoyed me to no end for most of the series (apart from that one episode where she went to a house party and someone stole her shoes and she insisted that the guests pay her back for them) but I'd be lying if I said that her outfits don't continue to be iconic and they are always going to be a huge chapter of costume design and fashion. Patricia Field really is THAT woman.

2. Rachel Green my forever girl has to be number 2. I love so many things about her style and how it evolves throughout the seasons. In the early days it was jeans, T-Shirts and overalls but in such a chic and 90's way and then as she starts working in fashion and growing more into a more grownup version of herself she has an amazing office wardrobe that I still take inspo from. I also love all her slip dresses.

3. Meave Maisel. I started watching The Marvelous Mrs Maisel mainly because of the clothes and the fact that it was written by Amy Sherman Palladino and I stayed for as long as I did for the clothes as well. I believe the plot got a bit tired and the creators got distracted by the fact that the budget kept getting bigger so therefore they thought the show should be getting flashier instead of more human and funny but you'll never catch me complaining about the costumes because, well look at them!

4. Lisa Fremont. LISTEN. The costumes in this movie (which is Rear Window, directed by Alfred Hitchcock) are my Roman Empire. Especially the black and white dress combined with Grace Kelly's incredible beauty makes it one of the most iconic fashion moments in cinema history and we should give Edith Head (the costume designer) her flowers.

5. Fran Fine. It took me a while to realize what an absolute fashion icon this woman is because I didn't watch The Nanny as a kid or teenager (I still haven't watched all of it and I plan on making it right eventually) but omg the absolute serve after serve after serve AFTER SERVE. Plus, that body is bodying. And a special mention to this particular outfit which is all of my dreams coming true:

6. Issa from Insecure

This show's entire costume department deserved all the Emmys, Oscars, Tonys, just everything but Issa's style was always my absolute favorite because it was so versatile and reflected on her character journey as well. Plus I loved the fact that even when she had a casual look on, there were still so many smart details about it. Argh I miss Insecure so much I need Issa Rae back on my screen immediately.

7. Daisy Jones. This character has had a tight grip on my heart ever since I read the book and I knew I'd love her when I watched the tv adaptation but I didn't expect to love her to the point I spent all of last spring trying to find pieces to recreate her entire cool girl hippy wardrobe. And also I just have to mention this "gold dust woman" moment because it was arguably the most iconic outfit of them all

8. Holly Golightly

I don't think I need to say too much about her to be honest do I? Audrey Hepburn is literally a work of art, in this movie and in general. My maybe somewhat unpopular opinion is that the pink outfit is my favorite one :')

Honourable mentions:

Monica Geller/ Blair Waldorf/ Cher Horowitz/ Zoe from Grownish (I hate the show though)/ Devi from Never Have I Ever/ Hilary Banks from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

[boardchairman-blog]

**Shots of the Episode**

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017)

Season 5, Episode 1: “Go Forward” (2023) Director: Amy Sherman-Palladino Cinematographers: M. David Mullen and Alex Nepomniaschy

[filmbook21]

[brynnterpretations]

"Hello!! I’d love to request a Homelander x oc from The Boys,Sorry if I'm bothering you, but if you have time, could you please make this request? 💛 His nationality is Italian/Brazilian with a bit of American,His name is Salvatore Palladino and he is currently 39 years old,He is a tall man (6'6ft tall) who is black and has fluffy black hair that is collarbone length + Eren yeager hairsytle + Silver eyes with compressed gray pupils + Cut scars (similar to sand dunes) on the sides of his face (above the eyes) he bi & ace and he has no romantic attraction as of yet. He is currently one of the members of the Avengers because Salvatore is not 100% Human, he is Half Klyntar (Half Symbiote) just like Dylan Brock,He was made in a lab but ran away when he was young,He can transform into a Symbiote without needing a host, but he can possess a body if he wishes & He has a sensitivity to sound and fire. He joined the Avengers in 2014 when he ended up helping them defeat Loki on their own using his symbionte abilities…(he managed to seriously wound Loki in the back with his claws when he became his Symbiote form.) and the Avengers also recruited him because he was a Hybrid. Recently, Salvatore ended up being forced to partner with the Seven, because The Seven and the S.H.I.E.L.D. organization..They made a deal to form a small partnership to face much bigger threats since the New York disaster, so Salvatore was chosen to temporarily join The Seven. Salvatore's appearance in Symbiote version/form: His back has a white line on the spine to the nape and has a gradient of darker grays on his back, his face is black and his limbs are metallic reddish and his chest is bluish,There are some white details on his fingers and face, his Symbiote pattern is a bit unusual and resembles an abstract painting with this palette. He has black gums and Unlike the other Symbiotes, it has a blue-gray tongue and fangs,He has 4 Milky white eyes and he has hair in Symbiote form (same hairsytle but his hair is Longer). Relationship with The Seven: [note: Salvatore doesn't like them very much for a few reasons..(After all, they are not the best kind of people) ] {this will be kind of enemies to lovers/dark ship.} Specifically with Homelander, he is one of the few people who is already afraid of the Supe,He has a grudge and annoyance against Homelander's narcissistic behavior and secretly finds it pathetic that someone wants so much attention and love when his actions don't make him deserve any of it in the end… And Firecracker: Although Salvatore doesn't hate her like he hates Homelander, Salvatore accidentally ended up seeing the scene of Firecracker breastfeeding Homelander (through a crack from the door in the ep "Dirty business") And he became immensely disgusted and uncomfortable around her (he doesn't know how to talk to her) And in the end.. Starlight: They actually get along because Salvatore has more empathy for her compared to the empathy he has for the other members,Salvatore and she have some similar tastes and he gives her cooking tips because he is Italian. He often feels apathetic compared to the other members, but he is not rude (he gets along well with A-train and Noir too). His personality: Acid humor, sarcastic, kind of sleepy, (cannibal {devours people in the form of his Symbiote} ) brute then pissed,Surprisingly fierce and protective of his friends and Family. Family: Bianca Palladino (his 12 year old daughter who he loves with all his heart) {her mother abandoned her.} Bianca is the same age as Ryan and they may possibly know each other, she has a similar appearance to her father. Friends: Natasha Romanov, A-train, Starlight,Peter Parker (Salvatore is a Father figure to the spiderboy.) Tony Stark,Thor and Clint Barton. (Abilities: tentacles (has 6 tentacles on his back in Symbiote form that have blades),Super strength, super speed,Spamming attacks,super jump,power bite, Claws,healing power,deafening roar. e is smaller than Carnage but taller than Venom {He is 8'7 in his Symbionte form} (Venom is 7'7 and Carnage is 8'9 ft tall.)"

I am not toofamiliar with Marvel as an admitted DC girlie, so I wasn't able to do too much regarding the Marvel aspect of things, but I hope you like it!

Salvatore and Homelander's relationship would be...

GIF Source: @homielander ★ (link)

Brutal.

As we all know, Homelander is not a good guy, and the fact that Salvatore picks up on that would already be grating to Homelander. While he's never been someone fixated on the moral aspects of his character, he really, really wants people to adore him, and the fact that Salvatore visibly does not think he's the hot shit that Homelander thinks himself to be bugs him to no end.

He couldn't care less about if someone thinks he's a good person. What he cares about is respect and admiration, and he does not get that with Salvatore.

In the university of The Boys, I'd imagine that the Avengers and other Supes would be connected to Vought, but still pretty separate entities. As powerful as the Avengers are in their canon setting, The Seven would remain the "core power" in the Supe world, and because of that, Homelander would both resent Salvatore for his power and look down upon him for his lack of "Seven" qualifications.

And, of course, he'd make it known the second he sensed any sort of noncompliance from Salvatore, be it backhanded comments (at first) and outright threats (once Homelander is fed up with Salvatore's shit).

But, Homie's gotta admit, Salvatore is powerful—not enough for him to be perturbed and immediately want him out of the picture, but enough for him to think of him more favorably than the rest of the Seven, even with Salvatore's disregard for Homelander. Similarly to his relationship with Stormfront in the beginning, Homelander would initially start out incredibly hateful, but would eventually warm up to him after Salvatore annihilated a Supe-terrorist (of Vought's own making) to protect an injured Annie.

While he genuinely could not care less about Annie's wellbeing, the viciousness of his powers definitely does something for him, in more ways than one.

He would begin to show more... respect... towards Salvatore (that written hesitation is because Homelander's version of 'respect' is very, very loose), and, as Salvatore continues to respond in dry humor, Homelander would become both more turned on and angry at him.

Our dude's freaky, and he would start imagining him "putting Salvatore in his place", both sexually and psychologically. Even despite Salvatore's hatred towards Homelander, Homelander would soon find him to be "not like the other Supes": AKA, not afraid to show resistance towards him despite his Godlike status, which all Supes (even Maeve) have shown at some point.

Homelander begins to extend rather misguided “olive branches” of respect, such as insisting Salvatore join him on a particularly brutal mission because it's "one only the two of [them] can handle", and by comparing their supposed superiority over the rest of the Seven.

While implying Homelander's a God, of course.

Yeah, he sucks.

Through increased psychological manipulation, especially considering Bianca, the two would become more close, with Homelander forcing Salvatore to spend more time with him. While he would oftentimes use the pretense of "work", on one rough night, Homelander ordered Salvatore to stay until nearly 3 A.M., where Homelander ranted to him about everything and everyone under the sun.

And, when Salvatore responded in typical fashion?

Similarly to Stormfront in the later of Season 2, Homelander would both be infuriated and secretly attracted.

It's not long after the "stay in my Vought apartment while I talk shit and, also, treat you like shit" that Homelander grapples with his feelings. He never feels them to be love, or even lust, but something different: Salvatore makes him feel things in a way he enjoys. Salvatore is dispensable, of course, but in this moment, makes him feel good.

Every time Salvatore does something that upsets Homelander, he goes straight to threatening Bianca's wellbeing, knowing that that is what will hit Salvatore hardest. While he puts up a front in front of her, he has absolutely zero allegiance or respect for her, only seeing her as a pawn in his game.

He does, quite honestly, see Salvatore as this, too.

Homelander and Salvatore's relationship would become a lot more erratic and unpredictable at this point, with Homelander oscillating between treating Salvatore as "different than the rest" while putting him down. Whether it's through public displays of dominance disguised as acts of "respect" or taunting him, Homelander does, secretly, crave Salvatore's hatred as much as his affection.

It's already been a battle between professional-and-personal, but by this time, becomes a lot worse. Any perceived slight is met with rage and perverse fascination. The intensity of his emotions makes it clear that this is more than a need for dominance — it’s Homelander’s, quite honestly, disgusting version of connection.

Homelander's late-night rants become a regular occurrence, the hour growing later and the conversations more disturbing each time. He speaks of betrayal, of the pathetic weakness of the other Supes, and of how the world owes him respect and unconditional admiration. On these nights, Salvatore’s responses are like oxygen to a flame. Homelander thrives on it, even as it infuriates him.

His attraction and his rage become inseparable.

And, on that note, trigger warning for implied rape and general evil behavior: Homelander is someone who always gets what he wants, and is also a very sexual guy. The fact that Salvatore is ace is, to him, irrelevant, and he would have zero issue forcing Salvatore and making fun of him, implying asexuality isn't real, etc.

Sorry. He's awful.

And, you know how I mentioned Homelander would see Salvatore as dispensable? Well, of course he would.

But his actions would, ultimately, say otherwise.

So, uh, all in all: this would not be a healthy relationship. But... it would be a relationship? So... congratulations to Homie and Salvatore? I guess?

[redwhale]

The curtains have closed on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and I’ve been basking in the warm glow of relief since it aired that they not only stuck the landing with the finale, but created one of my favorite final episodes of all time. And that final scene-! Episode 9 ticked every box I needed: the right amount of resolution and ambiguity, of catharsis and the bittersweet. From beginning to end, Midge knew exactly what she wanted, with all the positives and negatives that happened along the way. I loved that the finale gave me the satisfaction of not just Midge’s arc coming full circle, but for Susie, Joel, Abe, and Rose as well – not only their relationship to Midge, but their growth as people. I also thought Lenny’s character was handled with grace and respect, which was also extremely important. The show didn’t shy away from reality of what he went through, but didn’t indulge, either. I loved seeing the thank you card in the end credits to Kitty Bruce, too. I hadn’t realized that any of Lenny's stand-up material used on the show had to be approved by her, which was great to know.

I was so wary leading up to the finale, as I wondered how it affect the show retroactively. Would it be like American Gods, Westworld, or Killing Eve, where I can still enjoy and recommend the earlier seasons even though I didn’t love the direction that the shows ultimately took? Or would it be like Game of Thrones where the finale was so poor that it retroactively made the earlier seasons unwatchable because everything felt pointless? Thankfully, the end of TMMM didn’t quite end up being either, with S5 being an improvement over S4, and then brought the show to a close with a brilliant finale that made everything worth it.

What a void TMMM leaves behind, too: there’s nothing else quite like it. The rhythmic quality to the dialogue. Those insanely long takes with rapid fire back and forth banter. The lavish and outstanding set, costume design, and hair and make-up. The incredible cinematography. The pitch perfect licensed music.

I'll really miss the show's excellent cast. The show wouldn’t have worked if not for core of Rachel Brosnahan as Midge, who was superb from beginning to end. It was incredible discovering that Alex Borstein was not only a brilliant comedian and writer, but a heart shatteringly good dramatic actor was well. The endless joy of the titan that is Tony Shalhoub, always having incredibly chemistry with every scene partner. Kevin Pollak and Caroline Aaron playing characters that have you tearing your hair out in one moment in frustration and howling with laughter in the next. TMMM was my introduction to Marin Hinkle and Stephanie Hsu, who both always absolutely astonished and captivated. Listening to either of them in a scene was music to the ears with impeccable timing of delivering dialogue. There’s also Luke Kirby being so damn good he took a character that was potentially going to be a one-off for a scene and became a series staple. Kudos Michael Zegen as Joel, who brought sincerity and warmth to a complicated character from beginning to end. And that’s only the main cast, not counting the breadth of talented actors who were recurring or in one-off scenes.

And of course, no one has anything to work without a talented team of writers, led by Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino. I had my frustrations with S4 and aspects S5, but I'm still grateful for it all, and for ending the show on a high. (…though can someone just let ASP do a musical? For everyone’s sakes. Said with affection.) Finding out TMMM got one less season from Amazon than planned definitely made a few aspects of S5 make more sense. I’m curious what the original six season plan was, but I ultimately feel like five seasons is the perfect amount for a such a character driven show as TMMM.

On a personal note, it wasn’t until the last few episodes were airing that I realized how big a loss TMMM ending was going to be for me. I can’t remember the last show that has been so near and dear to me for so many years. I can't believe it started in 2017! It's rare I catch a show from when the first episode airs to the end. Watching S1 feels like a lifetime ago, and so much has changed in my life since. To compound this, TMMM was a special show I got to enjoy with family as well – a rare case of our tastes aligning, with the joy of sometimes getting to watch it together if life and timing worked out. I’ll always have extremely fond memories of savoring S2 and the hilarity of the Catskills with my mother. It was a brief moment of respite in an otherwise extremely stressful year.

With S5 coming to a close, I can comfortably say The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is one of my all-time favorite television series. It wasn’t a flawless run, but few shows are -- and the highs are incredible and rarely matched. I’m very spoiled that three of my favorite shows in recent years ended with stellar finales that beautifully encapsulated the show: Black Sails, Better Call Saul, and now The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Now that I've contentedly seen Midge give her curtain call, I’m off to watch the Succession finale and catch up on Barry.

It's still crazy to me that The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Ted Lasso, Succession, and Barry will end within a week of each other. Goddamn.