Michael Zegen talks Mei shocker, Joel's future on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
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Warning: This article contains spoilers from episodes 1-3 of season 5 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
Poor Joel Maisel just can't catch a break.
Sure, he did break Midge's heart by cheating on her and leaving her in the pilot of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. But ever since, he's been trying to find his way to the type of life he'd actually like to live — being a good father, a supportive ex-husband, a successful businessman and more.
Coming into season 5, the final of the series, things seemed to be looking up for Joel (Michael Zegen). His nightclub, The Button Club, was proving to be a major success. He and Midge (Rachel Brosnahan) had found a steady peace in their relationship. Best of all, he was going to marry Mei (Stephanie Hsu) and become a proud papa three times over.
But that all disintegrates rather quickly in the first episode back, in which Mei admits to Joel that she had an abortion and then drops another major bomb — she is moving to Chicago for her residency, where she'll continue to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor, and leave Joel in her rearview mirror.
"He did want to make good on this new relationship and rectify what he did wrong in the past," says Zegen of Joel's hopes for a life with Mei. "He had feelings for Mei. I know that they were kind of thrown together through this pregnancy, and it was very early in their relationship, but he really did have feelings for her and he wanted to be a good husband. He's a little bit crushed, especially when she tells him that news and she's hinting that she got an abortion."
Philippe Antonello/Prime Joel (Michael Zegen) at his club on 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'
It might seem odd to see Mei exit so early in the season, particularly considering that the actress behind her, Stephanie Hsu, is fresh off an Oscar nomination for Everything Everywhere All At Once. But Mei was part and parcel of the story of female independence and rebellion the creators are eager to tell in Maisel.
For creator Amy Sherman-Palladino and executive producer Dan Palladino, Mei had run her course in Joel's life and needed to make a bid for independence. "Mei was the next generation in a sense," says Sherman-Palladino. "The young women coming up thinking, 'Wait a minute, I actually want something different than the wife and the mother and the family. I want a professional life. I want to be a doctor. I want to be something other than what my mother is.' We wanted a woman who was that next thinking generation of women who decided, 'Hold on, maybe I don't need that. Let me work on me first.' Just being that kind of of person and being so determined to stick to the decisions that she made in her life, it necessitated her going off and fulfilling her own ambitions first."
Of course, this is not without repercussions for Joel, beyond even the emotional turmoil. After a drunken breakdown (and failed stand-up attempt) at his own club, his attempts to demand answers from Mei's family, the owners of an illegal gambling ring that operates below his club, lead to him being pulverized in a fist fight.
"Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino think that I'm an equipped fighter or something," Zegen says with a laugh. "Because every season Joel gets into a situation where he either gets punched or he punches somebody. And I, Michael, the actor, always leave these shoots with multiple bruises.
"We had some great fight choreographers and it wasn't too brutal, but it was me up there," he continues. "I didn't have a stunt double doing anything for me. And then, at the end of the day, Amy wanted me to dive onto the floor. After one take I was like, 'Wait, can I get pads?' Because I was getting bruised up. Over and over and over again, I was just diving onto the floor. Luckily I did have pads, so it wasn't too bad. But again, I don't know why they think that I'm some sort of street fighter or something. I've never been in a fight in my life."
But what does this mean for Joel moving forward? He had a vision for his life of managing his club, supporting Mei's dreams of becoming a doctor, and raising a third child. Fans will have to wait for the complete answers, but Zegen hints a big part of Joel's journey will be coming through for Midge. "This season especially, he's really got her back and he's really rooting for her," he hints.
At any rate, he's got the Button Club to keep him busy — so long as he doesn't get beat up again. "I just want Joel to be happy," Zegen says of his hopes for the end of Joel's journey. "It's what I've always wanted for him. He's really found something that he's good at. He has found his purpose and his purpose is his club and his kids. I want Joel to be happy, and I think that's the same for Amy and Dan too."
The final season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is now streaming on Prime Video with new episodes dropping every Friday through May 26.
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