Joel Maisel

> *"Did you ever think you were supposed to be something, and suddenly you realize you're not?"*
>
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-Joel, *Pilot*

**Joel Maisel** is one of the main characters in *The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel**.* He is the son of Moishe and Shirley Maisel. He is also the ex-husband of Midge Maisel and the father of Ethan and Esther.

## Personality

At the beginning of Season 1, **Joel** is shown to be an aspiring comedian. He is also the vice president of Tri-Brough Plastics.

It is revealed he is unhappy in his relationship with his wife, Miriam and has been having an affair with Penny Pann, his secretary. He is also unhappy with his workplace as well.

However, it seems he does still care about Midge when he punches a heckler at Midge's performance at The Gaslight in *Thank You and Good Night*.

He is also a very devoted father to his children Ethan and Esther.

At the beginning of Season 2, he reveals he cannot be with Miriam if she continues to pursue stand-up, as he knows she is talking about their marriage in the routines, and the audience will be mocking their personal lives.

However, he is supportive of her doing stand-up if they are not together, admitting Midge does have the talent and a genuine presence on stage, something he himself lacks, as his best "original" material was plagiarized from fellow comedian Bob Newhart. He also reassures Midge she is strong enough to stand on her own and will be okay.

The two seem to still get along well and continue to be friends despite their separation.

In Season 2, it is also shown Joel has a strong work ethic as he questions how his father's dressmaking business has gone downhill and implements ideas such as installing a new coffee machine for employees, hiring a more reliable repairman who can fix equipment, and firing those employees who, in his words, freeload off the company, and also taking out loans from the bank.

## Background

### **History**

**Joel** is the husband of Miriam "Midge" Maisel and the father of their two children, their daughter Esther and son Ethan. He is the son of Moishe and Shirley Maisel. He also has two unnamed siblings.

Joel and Midge met in college, and he introduced her to comedy. Shortly after college, he proposed to her and they started their life together as husband and wife.

In the *Pilot*, Joel and Midge got married, and their union was happy. Joel is seen looking lovingly at his new wife as she gives a toast to their future together.

Four years after the wedding, Midge was the perfect housewife and mother of their two children Ethan and Esther, she spent her time helping him reach his goals of becoming a comedian and is supportive of it, though it is later revealed she mostly thinks of it as a hobby. She replied she had no idea he was so serious about being a comedian as a profession although she was supportive of his hobbies.

She would take notes in a little pink notebook about the number of laughs Joel received, his performance, and audience reception. They would then discuss the notes on the cab ride home.

### Season 1

In the *Pilot*, Miriam is shown making brisket for Baaz, a man who works and helps run *The Gaslight,* a coffee shop where Joel does comedy routines on a regular basisso that Joel can get a better time slot than the one offered. On that particular day, Joel was not able to get a good time slot as he was not able to leave work on time. He arrived too late and therefore, got in his words, a "*crappy time slot.*" Joel phones Midge telling her it is crucial she brings the brisket for that man. Midge tells him he should learn that the man's name is Baaz.

Later that evening, Joel and Midge invite their best friends Imogene and her husband Archie to watch Joel perform. Even with the brisket as a bribe, Joel almost does not get his chance to be on stage. However, at the last second just as the four friends are about to go home for the night Joel is told it is his turn to go up on stage.

Joel does not perform as well as he hoped and feels dejected. He does not want to discuss it with Midge like they usually do on the way home. He blames his failures on Midge's lack of support. He then tells her he is leaving her for his young secretary, Penny Pann whom he has been having an extramarital affair. Midge tells him she mostly believed comedy to be a hobby. He tells her he was taking all the nights spent at *The Gaslight* as serious practice whereas Midge thought those nights were just for fun.

Joel confesses to Midge he is not happy with his home, family, job, and life in general. He believes Midge was not supportive of his comedy ventures as he wanted to turn it into a serious career. She tells him angrily that this confession could not have come at a worse time as the next day is *Yom Kapur* and they are having people over for dinner. She then angrily tells him to get out.

He then tells Miriam he plans on leaving her that night and he packs up her suitcase and leaves.

In the episode *Ya Shivu v Bolshom Dome Na Kholme*

In the episode *Because You Left* Joel asks Midge if they can "*give their relationship another go*." She tells him no and he asks her why and she tells him it's because he left in the first place ending the episode.

In the episode *Doink*

In the episode *Mrs. X at the Gaslight*

In the episode *Put That On Your Plate!*

In the episode *Thank You and Good Night*

### Season 3

He becomes the founder and owner of a club in Chinatown, Manhattan, New York. His secretary at *Tri-Borough Plastics*, Mrs. Moskowitz, is hired by Joel to work at the club also.

### Season 5

In 1987, Midge continues to visit him in jail when she can. Joel gets on to Midge for spending her time with him instead of performing, he mentions Susie, but Midge insists that she still performs.

In episode 6 at Susie’s roast in 1990 Joel is mentioned in present tense, still being in jail. By the final episode set in 2005 he has presumably past.

## Trivia

* Had his Bar Mitzvah in 1943.
* Whilst living in the Upper West Side with Midge and their children Ethan and Esther, they lived at apartment 9C, 385 Riverside Drive.
	+ His in-laws at the time, Abe Weissman and Rose Weissman lived several floors above them.
* Whilst living in the Upper West Side with Penny Pann, they lived at apartment 3C, 715 West 116th Street.
* In 1985, he was arrested for racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering.
* He had a girlfriend named Talia, when he begun charming Midge, back in 1953.

## Gallery

Joel performs at *The Gaslight.*Joel comes home to Thursday night dinner.