‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s Ambitious Season 5 Timeline Explained

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 5 takes fans on a ride even wilder than Milo Ventimiglia’s subway chase.

If you haven’t seen the farewell season of Amy Sherman-Palladino’s Prime Video series and want to avoid spoilers, consider returning to this article once you’ve had a chance to catch up. But if you’ve watched the series finale of Maisel‘s fifth and final season, you know the show embraced an ambitious storytelling technique in its final hours: time jumps.

Though the majority of the farewell season is set in the early 1960s, in a massive twist, the Season 5 premiere opens in 1981 Cambridge, Massachusetts. From there, we catch glimpses of Midge (Rachel Brosnhan) and Susie’s (Alex Borstein) past and future to gain a richer understanding of where these beloved characters have been and end up down the line.

“I know that they rarely put something on the screen that hasn’t been in Amy’s tinker, you know, for a decade,” Borstein told Decider when asked if Amy Sherman-Palladino and her husband/longtime creative partner Daniel Palladino always wanted to utilize the element of time travel in Maisel‘s final season. “I think they felt pretty strongly about wanting to show the future [of] so many of these women. Midge and Susie’s relationship is about the future — betting on the future, working towards the future. And so the future in itself was a character that I think they felt they had to write to.”

Season 5’s continually shifting timeline expands Maisel‘s story in ways fans never anticipated, but it’s bound to cause some confusion along the way. To help you keep all the time jumps straight, we tracked them in chronological order (to the best of our abilities) so you can look back on the final season and see what happened when. Behold: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel‘s ambitious timeline, explained.

• Midge Meets The Parents (1953)

  In Season 5, Episode 8, “The Princess and the Plea” Midge and Joel meet at Ethan’s school for a very important talk with his teacher, but while they’re waiting and catching up nostalgia hits hard and flashbacks take us to the early years of their relationship. First up, Joel zones out and remebers taking his (blonde!) girlfriend Midge to the factory to meet his parents for the first time in 1953. “This, my son, is a girl you do not let go of,” Moishe tells Joel. “This, pop, is forever,” he replies.

• Columbia University (1954)

  In Episode 7, Maisel flashes back to 1954 to show Abe and Joel meeting at Columbia University. Abe toasts to Joel and Midge’s wedding before discussing something very important with his son-in-law: the intellectual gifts passed onto the first-born Weissman boys. He tells Joel that the gift kicks in by age six, advises him not to talk to his son before then, and hands him The Male Weissman Book to stress the severity of the situation.

• Dancing In The Street (1955)

  In another Episode 8 flashback, Midge reminisces on a date night in 1955 that ended with her and Joel arguing in the back of a taxi…almost. After Midge tells the driver to pull over, she gets out and starts walking home. Joel follows, and the two make up and start dancing in the street — WITH the meter running. Now that’s love!

• Drinks With Penny Pann (1958)

  I’ll tell you what isn’t love…this next flashback! As Joel and Midge are laughing together mid-school meeting in Episode 8, he thinks back to a night in 1958 when he was leaving work late. Rather than going home, he asks his secretary Penny Pann to get a drink. We’d say don’t do it, Joel, but without Penny Pann in the picture we might never have gotten the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on stage.

• Six Months Before Midge’s Big Break (AKA The Season 4 Finale)

  After Midge performs on The Gordon Ford show in 1961, we travel back in time “six months earlier” and the camera pans down to a Chinese food restaurant in the snow. Inside, Lenny and Midge are in their Season 4 finale clothes making good on Lenny’s promise to take Midge for “some truly terrible Chinese food” after doing “some very blue things in that very blue room.” They’re in a booth engaging in effortless banter. Midge practices signing her autograph while Lenny asks for the check. She tells him it’s been a great night, and he concurs. Then she asks why he’s so sure she’s going to be famous. “It’s just a hunch,” he says. “I’ve seen your act. I watched you escape a police raid. You have many skills.”

  The fortune cookies arrive and Lenny steals Midge’s out of her hand. “Allow me,” he says as he reads from the tiny piece of paper. “The spotlight waits for you center stage,” he says, making Midge’s eyes light up. “All you have to do is step up and claim it,” he continues. “Once you do everyone will know who you are. They will know your wit, your intellect, smile, great expressive eyes. They will be helpless to your charms. They will fall at your feet and worship at the altar of you and your show corset.” After realizing he fully made the message up, Midge grabs the fortune from his hands and finds it is blank. The only message it bears is: YOUR LUCKY NUMBERS ARE 46, 24, 11, 6, & 5. “You mark my words. Very soon in the not too distant future you will be paying for the Chinese food,” Lenny says.

• New York, NY (1961)

  As noted above, most of Maisel Season 5 follows the same timeline we’ve been watching for the past four seasons, which means we pick up with Midge in 1961. Her first scene of Season 5 immediately follows the Season 4 finale, when she saw Lenny perform at Carnegie Hall during a blizzard. After recovering from the hypothermia the got from walking home in the show, Midge turns to a new chapter, becomes a writer on The Gordon Ford Show, and gets her big aforementioned break by performing her act live on air.

• Susie Leans Into The Mob (1961-1962)

  In Episode 6, “The Testi-Rostial,” Susie’s acquaintances reminisce on the defining moments in her career and personal life over the years at her testimony/roast in 1990. One of their stories explained that Susie “went all-in” on the mob and decided to make Frank and Nicky “her muscle” around 1962. Susie walked into her office to find Dinah’s man Ronald had given her a black eye from her husband so she had Frank and Nicky take care of him. Was this before or after she got George fired from The Gordon Ford Show? The world may never know!

• Joel Makes A Trade (Unknown)

  Another “Testi-Roastial” flashback revealed how Midge got out from under the mob, but not when. In the early 1960s, the mob owned Midge as long as they owned Susie. But not on Joel Maisel’s watch! After breaking into Susie’s office, finding her books, and learning that Susie got $15 and mob got $30 from every $100 that Midge made, Joel “walked straight into the lion’s den” and secretly offered himself and his bar up to Frank and Nicky in exchange for setting Midge free. They took the deal, and eventually Joel paid the price.

• Toots Shor (1963)

  When the guys are discussing Susie’s loyalty to Harry Drake at the “Testi-Roastial,” Masiel also flashes back to Susie defending her old pal to Taylor, who just so happens to be played by Darren Criss!

• Harry Drake’s Death (Unknown)

  Curious how Susie landed Harry Drake’s biggest clients? There are many different versions of the story floating around in “The Testi-Roastial,” but the consensus (and the nicest one) seems to be that the minute Harry was hospitalized, Susie was by his side when everyone else — including his daughter Ruth— abandoned him. He left Susie his clubs, advised her to do business at the golf course, and told his biggest clients to move to her before he passed because she’s the only one he trusted. There were no timestamps on these flashbacks, but if we had to guess we’d assume it was before 1965, because when Susie speaks with Bruce after his San Francisco show, she’s already managing big names like Dick Gregory, Phyllis Diller, and Eartha Kitt.

• San Francisco (1965)

  The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel series finale starts with a cough — Lenny Bruce’s cough. It’s 1965 and the brilliant comedian is bombing in San Francisco at what will become his penultimate performance. After flipping through court documents, jumbling his words, and forgetting his own bits, he starts doing a folk dance on stage while a concerned Susie looks on from the back of the room. “What I saw outside tonight was a fucking disgrace. You can do more than that,” Susie tells him after the show. “You are Lenny Bruce. There’s only ever gonna be one of you. Let’s get him back.” Lenny, a shell of his former self, declines the offer but asks Susie if Midge is with her. Susie says no, then walks outside to find Midge nervously having a smoke. “Well?” Midge asks. “No. He’s a mess, Miriam. You wanna go in?” Susie says. Heartbroken, Midge declines. And Susie says she’ll try to get through to him again when she’s in LA next month.

• Lenny Bruce’s Death (August 3, 1966)

  Though The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel doesn’t address Lenny Bruce’s death in detail, the legendary comedian died on August 3, 1966 at age 40 from a drug overdose.

• The Legendary Triple Crown (1970)

  Another “Testi-Rostial” flashback? The Legendary Triple Crown, a day during which she closed not one, not two, but three major deals that helped her skyrocket to the top of the industry. Because she had every caddie at the club on her payroll, she was able to book a movie starring Gene Hackman, land a half-hour comedy starring Liz Montgomery and Andy Griffith with CBS, and break Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

• The Infamous Carnegie Hall Show (1971)

  In Season 5, Episode 2, a 60 Minutes segment on Midge lets us know that finally made it as a Carnegie Hall headliner with an “infamous” show in 1971. “What could have been a career-ending night of infamy turned out to be, as so many things do in Midge Maisel’s life, the beginning of a brand new chapter with a brand new audience of young fans through her audacious college campus tours,” the 60 Minutes host explained. That means Midge was back up on the Carnegie Hall stage around a decade after Lenny’s sold-out show, but sadly he didn’t get to see hers.

• Midge Almost Marries Philip Roth (1973)

  Another “Testi-Roastial” flashback to 1973 reveals that Midge almost married Philip Roth. Not only did she back out at the last possible second, but made Susie let him down, which is why three of his most loathsome characters were allegedly based on the manager. Oh yeah, AND Midge realized she was still in love with Joel on her wedding day (Joel Maisel, not Joel Gray…who Midge was also engaged to at some point). Oy!

• Upper East Side (1973)

  At the top of Episode 7, we flash to the Upper East Side in 1973, where Rose is filming an elaborate commercial for her match-making business. After she makes yet another flub on Take 196, production cuts and Midge steps in to comfort her mom. Towards the end of the episode, we travel back to 1973, where a man tells Midge her mother’s business has become a huge financial drain on her. Midge tells him the business is important to her so it’ll stay open as long as she wants it open. “I don’t want her worrying or feeling sad or like a failure. We will continue to tell her business is great and we will make as many commercials as she wants because that’s all I can do for her in the brief time she’s got left,” Midge says.

• Cambridge, MA (1981)

  Ah, yes. Cambridge in 1981, where an older Esther is wearing a Ramones shirt in therapy, working on finishing her thoughts, talking about DNA mutation, and venting about her mother. This first flash forward of Season 5 will always have a special place in our hearts. But sadly, Esther admits the only person she could ever talk to was her grandpa, which leads us to believe Abe (Tony Shalhoub) has passed by now. UGH!

• Israel (1984)

  In Season 5, Episode 3, we check in with Esther’s brother and Midge and Joel’s firstborn, Ethan. When Midge emerges from a helicopter in 1984 Israel, we learn that Ethan works on a lettuce farm and is studying to become a rabbi. Oh, he’s also engaged to an intimidating gal called Chava. Anyway, Midge just drops by to say hi, make a scene, and remind Ethan that the UJA-Federation is honoring her so she’s sending a car to bring him to the ceremony.

• The FBI Raid/The Big Fight (1985)

  During “The Testi-Roastial,” Mike gives us the gist of Midge and Susie’s big falling out. It all started when an FBI raid at synagogue ended in Joel’s arrest. Before Joel is cuffed he hands Midge a letter explaining everything — Susie’s involvement with the mob, the money being stolen from her, and the trade he made to get her out. When Susie arrives post-raid, she and Midge have the fight of the series. Midge fires Susie and says her team will be ordering an audit of her books. Susie calls Midge the C-word. And Midge delivers one of the show’s most scathing burns: “This is how I’m gonna remember you, Susie. Small.”

• Midge’s Breakup Stand-up Routine (1985)

  “I just broke up with someone,” Midge says to a crowd later that year. In a “Testi-Roastial” flashback we see Midge doing a stand-up act about her and Susie’s falling out.”This was a woman, and this was a real partnership. Lasted longer than any of my marriages combined. In its way it was just like a marriage. It started with a contract, it ended with a lawsuit, and we never had sex,” she jokes. But it’s clear she’s genuinely devastated.

• Visiting Joel In Jail (1987)

  Season 5, Episode 5, “Pirate Queen,” kicks off with quite the surprise: JOEL IS IN JAIL. Yes, it’s true. The year is 1987 and Midge and Joel are sharing a meal in the slammer. “So what’s new? Who’s shanking who?” Midge asks. She hands Joel a stack of old headshots for his pals behind bars, then shows him a picture of “little Rose on the kibbutz,” which means ETHAN HAD A BABY AND NAMED IT AFTER HIS GRANDMA! “She’s wearing vertical and horizontal stripes. My mother is rolling over in her grave,” Midge says, which means ROSE IS DEAD! Ugh! Joel says that with good behavior he can meet little Rose in four to six months, then he asks Midge why she keeps visiting him.

  “You shouldn’t be able to come here. You should be out on the road performing,” Joel says before criticizing Midge’s latest gig. Apparently, she’s selling wigs now, or “high-quality dreams” as she calls them. Joel tells her Susie would hate what she’s doing, and Midge replies, “I don’t really care what Susie would think.” When Joel tells Midge he likes looking out for her, Midge quickly replies, “Look where that got you.”

• 60 Minutes (Unknown)

  Season 5, Episode 2 opens with a 60 Minutes special that takes a look back at Midge’s marvelous career. We learn she finally went from The Gaslight to worldwide fame and notoriety. She’s won Grammy and Emmy awards, she sold out 18 consecutive nights at the Copacabana when she was 30, she’s friends with celebrities, has done a show with Bob Hope, tours college campuses, has been married four (!!!!) times, and is planning to auction some of her most memorable outfits to benefit her charity: The Weissman-Maisel Children’s Foundation. As Midge reflects on her career, it seems she has it all. But when the interviewer brings up her falling out with Susie — who’s now managing everyone from Liza Minnelli to Barbara Streisand — she remembers she lost the most important person in her life. Though we’re not quite sure when the 60 Minutes segment was filmed or how it fits into the overall Season 5 timeline, Esther is interviewed and introduced as “Dr. Esther Maisel,” which leads us to believe the show occurred post-1981. Midge’s response to the question about Susie also leads us to believe the two haven’t made up yet.

• Susie’s Roast, New York City (1990)

  Ah, New York City: June 2, 1990. Maisel takes us to the New York Friars Club for Susie Meyerson’s Testi-Roastial. The Roastmaster is none other than Stewart Jones (Borstein’s Gilmore Girls co-star Sean Gunn), Aaron Lebowitz attends as “The Hostile Witness” (played by Gilmore alum Danny Strong), and all of Susie’s colleagues, acquaintances, and friends (?) — except one — show up to celebrate her career and reminisce. Before the Testi-Roastial’s end, Midge appears via pre-recorded video to say a few words and offer Susie an olive branch, which means in 1990 they were still at odds. But presumably not for long…

• Apart, But Together (2005)

  The final time jump of the season takes us to 2005 (a year when Gilmore Girls existed in the world). Midge’s team is running through her schedule, informing her she has a free Tuesday coming up, and trying (and failing) to teach her to text on a Motorola Razr. After her meeting, the comedian walks around her ornately decorated mansion, adjusting a photo of her and Joel from their wedding day, eating dinner in her kitchen alone, and retreating to a room full of Mrs. Maisel memorabilia and career nostalgia. She makes a call on her landline, grabs a VHS tape, and fires up her TV. Susie answers the phone in a mansion of her own with long grey hair, a giant bird cage in her living room, and palm trees outside. The two live “a continent away” from each other, but every night they simultaneously press play on a pre-recorded Jeopardy episode and watch it together over the phone.

  “I want you to come back to work,” Midge tells Susie as a “Tournament of Champions” episode plays in the background. “I’ve done my time,” Susie says. As the two start joking about reincarnation, the screen fades to black and their laughter rings out before the end credits roll. That, my friends, is Maisel‘s final bow.

All five seasons of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel are now streaming on Prime Video.