The Best Part of ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ Season 2 is Tony Shalhoub’s Romper

There is something intrinsically delightful about a romper. Rompers are for toddlers just learning how to walk, and hipster grown-ups experimenting with the idea of a jumpsuit. But Season 2 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel finds a playful new way to honor the romper by putting Midge’s mathematician father, Abe Weissman (Tony Shalhoub) in one.

The set up is simple: for years, the Weissmans and the Maisels have been summering in the Catskills. While up north, in the great outdoors, Abe has a hyper-specific morning routine. Before the rest of the house rises, he sneaks out onto the dock wearing his exercise romper and engages in calisthenics.

It is a treasured ritual, bathed in secrecy and full of joy. You can just tell how much it enlivens Abe by the way he rubs his chest in preparation.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel plays Abe’s romper for laughs, but let’s be real, this romper is no joke. It’s made of a lovely lilac grey fabric that looks soft and easy to wear. This romper is meant for movement. It clings to all the right places and stretches with Abe. It’s a fine-tuned piece of athletic wear that only serves to show off how fit Shalhoub is at 65 years of age. 

It. Is. A. Very. Nice. Romper.

And why shouldn’t it be nice? Why shouldn’t we take Abe’s romper seriously? This is an article of clothing that demands respect. It is as part of Abe’s moment of morning zen as the sunlight creeping over the horizon and the gentle breeze upon the lake. The romper is the morning ritual and the morning ritual is the romper.

If anything, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel should be taken to task for acting as though Abe’s romper is a silly thing. It is an authentic part of his spirit. At no other time do we see Abe in quite a place of peace. The romper, fitted to cover all of Abe’s body at once — like a soft hug — is vital to that state of mind. That’s why he doesn’t want Joel to see the romper, because to do so would like breaking into Abe’s private moment.

Okay, okay, Abe is also embarrassed by the romper because it’s a silly thing for an otherwise austere character to wear. I get that. That’s the joke. But, honestly, I’m rooting for Abe’s romper. It is a joyous piece of costuming that represents one character’s small slice of personal happiness. I love the romper, and you should, too.

Watch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Prime Video