The following contains spoilers for Season 5 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, now streaming on Amazon Prime.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel has come to a conclusion after five successful seasons, and it couldn't bow out without acknowledging the protagonist's unlikely mentor. Lenny Bruce -- the real-life comedian who challenged censorship and convention with his routines -- has been a recurring character in the series. Lenny Bruce returns in Season 5, Episode 9, "Four Minutes," one last time as a way to say goodbye.
In real life, Lenny Bruce embodied many of the things that Mrs. Maisel quietly champions: outsider thinking, iconoclasm, and the perils of speaking one's mind in an oppressive era. He remains one of the greatest stand-up comedians of all time and holds a special connection with Midge on the show that only appears in bits and pieces. The series finale takes one last look at their bond while acknowledging the real-life Bruce's tragic loss to drug addiction.
Why Is Lenny Bruce Important to Midge Maisel?
Lenny Bruce serves as Midge Maisel's guardian angel during the series: championing her comedy and protecting her when he can. They meet in jail in Season 1, Episode 1, "Pilot," and Midge ends up bailing him out. He becomes a loyal ally as she rises in the comedy world, and is one of the few people in the business who doesn't seem bothered by the fact that she's a woman. Mrs. Maisel's Season 4 finale, "How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?" ends with him offering her an opening spot with Tony Bennett, and the two briefly becoming lovers.
Like Midge, Bruce is Jewish, and the two connect over their shared heritage. Unlike Midge, Bruce has seen a lot of the seedier side of life. As the formerly upper-middle-class Mrs. Maisel steps into the stand-up arena, he tries his best to warn her about what she might find. She's tougher than she looks, of course, and ends up helping him out just as much as he helps her. "How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?" refers to Lenny Bruce's real-world performance at the locale in 1961, which cemented his status as a stand-up legend. It's the same moment that Midge dedicates herself to reaching the heights she's capable of.
What Happens to Lenny Bruce in Mrs. Maisel's Series Finale?
Mrs. Maisel Season 5 periodically uses flash-forwards to reveal how Midge's career progresses and what happens to her after the events of the series conclusion. That includes a long career that produced Emmy and Grammy wins, as well as her share of controversy and a troubled relationship with her children. "Four Minutes," ends with her in her 70s: happy, successful, and sharing a laughter-filled phone call with her longtime manager Susie.
It also comes with a dark acknowledgment of her connection to Lenny Bruce. The real-life comedian was found dead in his Hollywood home in 1966 after a morphine overdose. "Four Minutes" opens with Bruce bombing onstage the previous year, unable to perform as his addiction slowly consumes him. His failure is contrasted with Midge's success. His last appearance towards the end of the episode shows the two of them sharing a meal during happier days when he predicts that she will be famous.
In many ways, Bruce and Midge resemble the protagonists of A Star Is Born, as a doomed A-lister passes the torch onto a younger protégé. Midge is her own woman, and Mrs. Maisel exists in part to subvert patriarchal stereotypes. In Lenny Bruce, the series finds a fairy godfather who doesn't so much give Midge everything she wants as much as he reminds her she can find success on her own. Lenny Bruce's bittersweet curtain call in the series finale drives that point home.
All five seasons of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel are currently streaming on Amazon Prime.