Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season 4!
The relationship between Joel (Michael Zegen) and Mei (Stephanie Hsu) is actually great for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. So far, in Mrs. Maisel season 4, the couple seems to be going strong. Joel hasn't always been the most well-liked character, but his relationship with Mei has made him more intriguing to watch on screen.
Joel and Mei first got involved with each other in Mrs. Maisel season 3. Joel came to Chinatown to establish his nightclub, and Mei's parents were his landlords, who used Mei as an English translator to communicate with Joel and pressure him to keep quiet about the illegal gambling ring happening downstairs. Mei and Joel soon became friendly, leading to a romance. The pair went through a bit of a rough patch but managed to reconcile in the Mrs. Maisel season 3 finale, whose timeline takes place in June 1960.
Joel and Mei's relationship is good for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel because it can enrich the show. Mrs. Maisel season 3 showed that the two characters have good chemistry together. However, in season 4, it's revealed that Joel is still hiding his relationship from his parents as his mom attempts to set him up with another woman. In Mrs. Maisel season 4, episode 4, Joel is tired of his mother's matchmaking and tells Mei it's time for her to meet his parents, but Mei is understandably hesitant because she's worried about how they will react to her race. Still, Mrs. Maisel would benefit from Joel being more open about his relationship with Mei because it can lead to more interesting interactions on the show, especially between Mei and Joel's parents, Moishe and Shirley, played by returning cast members Kevin Pollack and Caroline Aaron. It would also be good for Marvelous Mrs. Maisel to have more scenes with Joel and Mei since audiences on social media have been receptive to the couple and enjoy seeing them together. Mei is a sassy, confident character who bounces off of Joel really well.
Another reason why The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel can benefit from Joel and Mei's relationship is that it adds personal stakes to his nightclub storyline. In Mrs. Maisel's season 4 premiere, Mei's parents angrily tell her she's not allowed to get involved with Joel anymore because the success of his nightclub will threaten their underground gambling business. There's no doubt this will lead to more drama later on in the season, and Joel's relationship with Mei will probably be at stake again, which will be interesting to watch.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season 4 is off to an interesting start, especially with Midge's new strip club career. However, Joel and Mei's relationship, an underrated component of Mrs. Maisel's season 3, has the potential to make season 4 great as well. Hopefully, the rest of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season 4 will continue to explore Joel and Mei's relationship and develop this great couple.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season 4 airs new episodes Thursdays on Amazon Prime.