The zippy heroine of this tale. Midge starts off the series as a determined, college-educated Upper West Side housewife whose only goal is to get her husband Joel a prime slot during the open mic night of a celebrated West Village club, the Gaslight. By the end of the series, it's Midge who is stealing the show at the downtown spot.Midge's major evolution is spurred by the reveal that Joel had been cheating on her for quite some time and is leaving her. So, the mother of two puts the pieces of her life back together by molding her raw talent for comedy into a true burgeoning career. The only problem is, Midge is hiding all of that success, and the raunchy jokes that go with it, from her family and friends.At a very dramatic moment. Towards the end of Maisel season 1, Midge reveals fictional comedy legend Sophie Lennon (Glee’s Jane Lynch) is a fraud. Although Sophie utilizes a sloppy working class persona on stage, she is actually a diet-obsessed sexist and one of the wealthiest women Midge has ever met. And Midge is from the Upper West Side.This leads to Midge getting blackballed. But our plucky star is saved when powerhouse stand-up Lenny Bruce (Luke Kirby, more on his character soon) agrees to let Midge open for him. This opportunity allows Midge to star in one fantastic, highly publicized show and rebrand herself as the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.