The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, the critical darling and fan-favorite Amazon show brought to streaming audiences over the past several years, is coming to an end. The good news? It’s not so much cancelled as it is being allowed to gracefully go out after Season 5. That comes with a lot of feelings, however, and series lead Rachel Brosnahan shared a touching post shortly after the news dropped.
Season 4 of Maisel is actually set to hit Prime Video this weekend, officially premiering on the streamer on February 18. However, Season 5 is already in production, and once the news the show would be ending broke, Rachel Brosnahan took to Instagram to share her bittersweet feelings about saying goodbye to Midge and more.
Of course, this post would not be complete without a “tits up” reference, the amusing phrase that Mrs. Maisel typically uses just before she takes the stage for a stand-up set, and Brosnahan doesn't disappoint. The show's official Instagram page also responded with a "tits up for our last act" comment.
Amazon’s Prime Video made the announcement first, though didn’t give a reason for the series ending after Season 5. In fact, it is a little bit surprising, as reports had indicated after Season 3 that viewership for the series had nearly doubled in viewership from Season 2. The second-closest prime series is allegedly none other than Jack Ryan. The Emmy-winning comedy was female-driven and it was also a critical darling, as well.
Even the cast has been shocked about the show's popularity, and it's unclear why Season 5 will be the last. In a press release Amazon Studios Head Honcho Jennifer Salke did have to say the series has been important for the streamer. Indeed, it came at just a time when streamers were trying to build subscriber bases among fans who were looking for new ways to view TV content.
This series has meant so much to Prime Video and the effects of its success will be felt long after its final season. I can’t wait for fans and our worldwide Prime Video audience to savor each moment as we embark on the culmination of this groundbreaking and unforgettable series.
Previously, Maisel had dealt with some challenges related to budget and filming during Covid-19 and at one point had also said the show shouldn't overstay its welcome. So, that could give us some hints about the show ending, as well. Amy Sherman-Palladino also previously said of the show's ultimate conclusion (via TV Line):
We [also] don’t want don’t want to overstay our welcome. Midge has a journey she has to take. It’s the struggle that is fun [not], ‘I’m sitting in a penthouse and I’m really rich and I’ve got a lot of chihuahuas.’ We know emotionally where we want to end her and at what point we want to cut it off, we just don’t know how many episodes it’s going to take to get there.
Marvelous Mrs. Maisel was not Amazon's first foray into original TV programming. Those with Amazon Prime subscriptions had been privy to plenty of content prior, ranging from Goliath to Transparent and Red Oaks to Mozart in the Jungle. But Marvelous Mrs. Maisel has been a special addition to the lineup, from creator Amy Sherman-Palladino's larger-than-life dialogue, to its period setting (and fashion!) and the cast, including Brosnahan herself to Alex Borstein, Tony Shalhoub, Kevin Pollak, Jane Lynch and Michael Zegen. Oh, and for all you Gilmore Girls fans out there, Milo Ventimiglia has joined the cast for Season 4.
The only bright spot to this news is that the show ain't over until Midge has gotten the last word in. And she'll still have several, several more episodes to do so. To see more of what's coming, take a look at our guide for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 4.
