After 3 seasons of Amazon Prime's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, fans have been dealing with the somewhat will they/won't they relationship that Midge and Joel have, to the undeniable chemistry that Midge and Lenny have every time they're on screen together, but which man is better for her?
Midge's progressing career means that she absolutely won't have time to date anyone, especially after leaving to go on tour for 6 months right before she was supposed to marry Benjamin. Saying this, there's no shortage of romance on the show, and between Joel and Lenny, there is a lot of drama to go around. Here are 5 reasons why Lenny is better for Midge, and 5 why Joel is.
Lenny: They Share The Same Humor
Midge and Lenny seem to understand each other on pretty much every level. Their encounters are so easy to listen to because of the fact they just seem to bounce off of each other's lines whenever they're together.
Each of their encounters throughout the show is so funny and charming that it's hard not to want to wish that they will end up together eventually. Lenny is a risky comedian, and often makes inappropriate jokes that get him banned from clubs, and Midge also has a provocative sense of humor, which means they might as well be perfect for each other.
Joel: He Has History With Her Already
Even though Joel officially left Midge in the first episode of the show, their divorce process has been an extremely long one, and they are only officially separated right up until Midge leaves to go on tour with Shy Baldwin in season 3.
The lengthy process obviously means that they have had their ups and downs, and they both need each other at different points throughout the show. Their history with each other is probably why they keep getting back together when they should be separated, and it's really entertaining to watch.
Lenny: He's a Comedian Too
Lenny and Midge have a lot in common, including the fact that they are both standup comedians. This is probably an obvious reason as to why he's good for her. They both understand the industry in different ways. Lenny is somewhat of a veteran in the comedy industry, and Midge is only just beginning to make her way up the ladder.
They compliment each other really well in this sense because they both have lovely mutual respect for one another. Midge knows that he's a big deal in the industry, and Lenny knows that Midge is going to become a big deal.
Joel: He Supports Her Standup Career
One of the things we can give Joel credit for is how he supports Midge doing stand up comedy. While Abe, Rose and Joel's family find the news that she's a comedian to be hard to swallow, Joel starts to defend her, saying that she's actually a really great comedian and that they should give her a chance.
Even though Joel is really angry at first when he finds out that Midge has been doing stand up comedy when that was originally his dream, he begins to see that she's actually really talented and starts to support her.
Lenny: They Have Great Chemistry
From the moment that Lenny Bruce was introduced to the show, he and Midge have had a banter-filled friendship that is truly refreshing to watch. They've got great chemistry, which is probably why so many fans are eager to see them get together at some point in the show.
Lenny isn't really a regular on the show, and only makes quick appearances, but he's a great addition to Midge's life and her journey as a stand-up comedian. You can't help but think that they're in love with each other by how they act around each other, their chemistry is that good.
Joel: He Obviously Hasn't Moved On From Her
While season 3 introduced a possible new love interest for Joel, which is great, it's clear when visits Midge while she's on tour in Las Vegas that he's absolutely not over her yet.
Their on and off relationship is sweet because it shows that love is complicated and isn't exactly straight forward. In seasons one, two and three they nearly get back together again, whether they like it or not, and it's safe to assume that their back and forth love for each other will continue to pop up every now and then.
Lenny: He Respects Her As A Comedian
One of the best things about Lenny is that he respects Midge as a comedian. Midge constantly has to deal with men both inside and outside of the industry who look down on her for being a female comic, and Lenny is one of the few who actually appreciates her at the beginning of her career.
It might be because he understands what it feels like to get kicked out of clubs, or getting in trouble for saying the wrong things and having controversial sets, but they both go through a lot of the same things even though they're both very different.
Joel: They Know Each Other Really Well
Joel and Midge have had years of being a couple and being married off-screen before we are even introduced to them. They clearly understand and appreciate each other, which is probably why they continue to end up sleeping with each other every season, even though by season 3 they're newly divorced.
They do end up accidentally getting married again when they're Joel visits Midge on tour in Las Vegas, which wasn't one of their proudest moments, considering that they literally just got divorced, and Joel has a thing for Mei, a girl who has a Chinese gambling club behind the secret door of Joel's new club.
Lenny: He's Charming
There's no denying that Lenny is one of the most charming characters on the show. His television appearance in the finale of season 2 where he sings a song and attempts to clean up his reputation a bit more is one of his best moments.
Another great will they/won't the moment is when they meet in Florida and go on what looks and feels like a genuine date. The entire episode is gorgeous and really show's how great it would be if Lenny and Midge finally got together. Lenny is a charismatic character and a fan favorite.
Joel: He Supported Her When No One Else Would
Joel is a pretty flawed character, but that's what we love about him. A thing that's great about him is how he's increasingly supportive of her, probably even more so from when they were actually married.
Joel asks Midge about her career a lot, and even supports her in the moments where it's difficult, like in season two when a club owner refused to pay Midge for her gig, so Joel had to intervene. It was one of his best moments and it shows how far he's come as a character.