I longingly sauntered into viewing Season 4 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel hoping and wishing for one thing: that the writers would finally let Susie out of the closet. The season started off with the usual humdrum — not a hint of a love interest for Susie. Patiently, I hung around, waiting and watching for a glimmer of hope. A glimmer of gay? I’ll settle for a tidbit of a rainbow, please and thank you.
And then something happened. Susie rescues Midge from a disastrous date, and they head to movie night at the club currently employing Midge. Discussing Midge’s dating life over chinese food, Midge takes the opportunity to ask Susie, “When was the last relationship that you had?… You always talk about me and my relationships. What about you? I haven’t seen you with anyone since we’ve been together. I’m just curious about your life.”
Susie is quick to respond that her life is Midge. She isn’t declaring love to Midge in this scene, to be clear. But in a nuanced way — I believe she is. Susie is devoted to Midge. “My life is you, that’s it! Thinkin’ about you, talkin’ about you, waiting for you, rescuing you from bullshit dates. I don’t have time for anything else. As soon as I get you off my [expletive] hands, make you a star, I can shove you out on an iceberg and focus on something else.” Midge eyes Susie with a hard look but accepts that the conversation is over.
Midge is running around West Village on a damn mission — which takes her to the famed Christopher Street, site of the Stonewall. Asking passerby where she might find a bar, “where a lady could drink with another lady.” After being rebuffed and accused of being a cop, Midge takes a break on a park bench. And here we have a John Waters cameo. He’s overheard her pleas for information and decides he’ll be the one to divulge. He knows a place.
Walking through the city streets at night, Midge has Susie in tow. Midge is preoccupied looking for an address. Susie is so busy talking about her new office as they enter the bar, she doesn’t notice anything around her. They’re sitting at a booth for a few minutes before Susie loudly blurts out, “There, I said it! Eat me, I’m excited!” Which elicits a chuckle from Midge. This is when Susie realizes what’s happening within the bar. Looking around, sizing it all up, then back at Midge, she comments, “What is this? Did you bring me to lesbian bar?”
Susie is taken aback and shocked.. Quick to explain herself, Midge tells Susie that she doesn’t care what her sexuality is. “Thank you very much for your permission!” Susie retorts, full of snark. Okay, sis, we hear that! It certainly isn’t infrequent that straight people think giving us their permission to live our lives expressing our sexuality is something we need or want. We don’t, but thanks… I guess.
Really sliding into home in her monologue to Midge about why this charade was so unnecessary, and unasked for, Susie caps her counterresponse with, “This is the village, I live here. You think I don’t know how to find a lesbian bar?” Midge reiterates that she doesn’t want Susie to be alone, but Susie says that’s for her to worry about.
She’ll say it again: She’s focused on her career, period. And that’s that. Susie leaves Midge sitting alone in the dyke bar. One wonders if this was some awkward parallel to a lover’s spat. At least that’s what I’m wondering. Susie and Midge always have that not-a-couple-couple dynamic. Midge looks a little perplexed by the whole encounter as she takes a sip of her drink.
Susie hops into the club while Midge is working, but only to grab her pay and gives Midge the cold shoulder. In the next episode, they’re right back to their usual dynamic and they don’t bring up the lesbian bar again. And that was the nod.
We got something. We didn’t get a lot. Susie may have opened the door of the closet but she didn’t step out. From the perspective of a lesbian who wants to see representation, I’m disappointed. As a fan of the show who’s followed the storyline, I can see the validity in this choice. Susie is really focused on improving herself and her life situation. That’s a legitimate stance and I love to see Susie believing in herself and committing to that. That’s an empowered woman right there! Here’s to holding hope that’s Susie’s just a power lesbian in the making.
