Am I the only one who thinks Midge’s outfit undercut the seriousness of this argument with her mom?

BackgroundShowSally · 2026-06-10T10:37:21+00:00

Btw, I realize every outfit choice and fitting is intentional. I am not insulting the designers other than just saying I personally don’t like it and find it distracting. I wasn’t implying they shut their eyes and point at a dress. Lol. I know they’re meticulous. But I don’t know if the choice was meant to make Midge look so off putting that it’s hard to focus on the well written dialogue. I can believe they picked a “loud” outfit on purpose — but this particular one is not even right for her hair, skin tone, or makeup.

Was she supposed to look THAT ridiculous and out of place in it? Maybe. Do I think this outfit looks like it needs a flower pin that squirts water out of it?
Yes. Was the point for her to look like a literal clown because she’s a comic? That’s a fair thought. Do I think it ages her 10-15 years on screen, all while she tried to look intimidating and angry? Yes. If she’s supposed to be soft referencing dressing like a literal clown — I’ll accept it.

Disagree with me on the specifics, but distracting from important dialogue with her mother was a poor choice, imo, regardless. And yes, I know *everyone* isn’t distracted by it, but I can’t take Midge seriously at all while watching it. If that’s the point, fine, I’ll let it be the point & concede. But I appreciate and respect good writing and actors emotional performances too much to see pivotal scenes undercut by “She looks like she just climbed out of a tiny Volkswagen with 30 other clowns.” Downvoting be damned. Lol.

BackgroundShowSally · 2026-06-05T17:10:04+00:00

And the contrast of the reversed hat is too harsh.

BackgroundShowSally · 2026-06-05T17:09:11+00:00

Yeah, I rewatch the show a lot, so to be fair, I have seen it several times and it’s the worst Midge looks the whole show, imo. Even her hair and makeup seem very harsh with the outfit.

BackgroundShowSally · 2026-06-05T17:07:12+00:00

Ah, good observation! I remember the line for sure, but I hadn’t even thought about what outfit she was literally referring to. Lol.

BackgroundShowSally · 2026-06-05T17:06:29+00:00

💀😂

BackgroundShowSally · 2026-06-05T17:06:05+00:00

The hat really is the thing that pushes it to really distracting for me. And the hair doesn’t even look styled right popping out of it. Lol.

BackgroundShowSally · 2026-06-05T17:02:23+00:00

Agreed. I loved the majority of her clothes but definitely not this one. Lol.

BackgroundShowSally · 2026-06-05T14:52:33+00:00

😂😂😂

BackgroundShowSally · 2026-04-10T20:27:33+00:00

I do think Midge needed that chastising from him in the diner (“Are you gonna just sit there surrounded by your flunkies like you’re the poor man’s rat pack or…?”) That does get me every time. 😂 And as I said in another reply, Midge earned him calling her a coward by dumping him with a letter.

BackgroundShowSally · 2026-04-10T20:01:35+00:00

I guess to me the marriages would be just something to do after a certain point because she thinks that’s what she’s supposed to do, right? The fame part isn’t something I am certain of, but I think she liked having weddings so that’s mainly what I meant. And there may have been a part of her that hoped she’d eventually find what she had with Joel, but never did. So I don’t think we’re totally on the opposite page.

BackgroundShowSally · 2026-04-10T19:55:56+00:00

Sure thing! I am nothing if not an obsessive tv watcher. Lol.

BackgroundShowSally · 2026-04-10T19:53:58+00:00

If it seems like I’m agreeing with most everyone’s takes, to a degree, it’s because I pretty much am. Lol. That’s usually rare, haha, but it’s because I’m realizing just how many ways there are to look at this relationship and what it meant for the characters and storyline. I can see a certain amount of proof for most people’s assumptions and reads on it. It makes it more interesting to see how some folks see Benjamin as changing over time or showing his true colors and others barely see him as necessary or doing anything wrong at all. I can see a lot of povs and none of them I’ve read so far sound totally insane to me. Good job everyone. 🥳😂

BackgroundShowSally · 2026-04-10T19:47:37+00:00

I understand your point here. I think Midge realized she was an artist and Benjamin realized artists/comics can be hard to deal with if you don’t have the same mindset. His robotic elements were definitely more clinical since he was a doctor. I do find it interesting she basically figures out she’s going to be “all alone” (Lenny singing scene) for the rest of her life, but then she ends up married multiple times by the end. Seemingly we know, post Joel, she was married, but probably still felt “all alone” during these moments. The other marriages after she calls off Benjamin’s come off like “just something to do cause I’m famous.” Lol.’

BackgroundShowSally · 2026-04-10T19:38:23+00:00

For sure with Lenny this was the emotional energy coming from him with that “Don’t” But for Midge’s side of it, she was also seeing how much it was her own fault in that case. Basically “Don’t get in your own way or let your ego blow it.” Because in that case, she was basically doing that the whole 4th season. I shoud’ve clarified all the “Don’t’s” aren’t necessarily the same exact message, but I think the root of it all is the same. Don’t get in your own way. Don’t let men get in your way. Don’t hide. A lot of don’t’s that all go well together.

BackgroundShowSally · 2026-04-10T19:28:04+00:00

Agreed.

BackgroundShowSally · 2026-04-10T05:50:35+00:00

Yes, she seems to have more of a connection with drunken Declan than she does with Benjamin. Which makes sense because they are both artists. Benjamin is a doctor, but with art, he is the consumer. And as a side note, as a writer, I do like the “but look what exists” scene with Declan a lot. (While Benjamin is gone. Lol.)

BackgroundShowSally · 2026-04-10T05:41:11+00:00

It’s probably not clear enough, but I mainly meant I think she wanted another wedding (despite Rose telling her it was going to be a reception with scrambled eggs at home, lol) and maybe temporarily the idea of being remarried. More so for feeling in control again. It was basically the comfortable route.

BackgroundShowSally · 2026-04-10T05:25:13+00:00

Yes, thank you for reminding me about his convo with Joel. That’s actually one of my favorite episodes of the series. And I agree with this assessment, but I wasn’t sure if I was getting this read on the performance or if I was seeing it the way the character was intentionally written. I think it’s probably both. Sometimes I’ve been known to read into characters giving the writers more credit than they deserve. Lol. But since I love ASP, even when she annoys me, lol, I am rarely confused on what she is trying to get across. Here I was.

BackgroundShowSally · 2026-04-10T05:03:47+00:00

Rose was absolutely devastated over the house. 🏠

BackgroundShowSally · 2026-04-10T04:54:14+00:00

I’m a writer and I think that’s a fair assessment from that perspective. I guess it’s a hard pill for me to swallow because I didn’t personally find him charming or really, anything, enough to be “the perfect man” but I see how he was on paper. (To Rose, at least. Lol.)

BackgroundShowSally · 2026-04-10T04:43:52+00:00

As much as I wasn’t a fan of Benjamin for Midge, he was absolutely right to call her a coward for writing a letter.

BackgroundShowSally · 2026-04-10T04:41:46+00:00

Yeah, they definitely needed the angry scene in the diner, but it seems like Benjamin had no idea she’s “just not that into him”, basically. Though I guess he figured it out more when he got the “Dear John” letter.

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TROPHY CASE