Yep, I can see where they’re going with trying to redeem his character in seasons 2 and 3 and show his reasoning more, but you’re just never going to create a favourite character to me out of someone who left his wife for his secretary because he felt overshadowed by how witty and brilliant she was. It would have redeemed him more for me maybe if they showed that he had changed his old patterns with Mei, but instead he was still caught up with exactly the same obsession with feeling intimidated and not wanting to be shown up by a more gifted partner

Joel’s treatment of Midge obviously left its mark on her too after we see her breaking off the engagement to Benjamin partly because she was convinced that no man would ever be happy with his wife having a career as a stand up comedian, just because Joel couldn’t cope with it. I was really glad that they brought Benjamin back to have his say actually, the actor did such a heartbreakingly good job there of telling Midge how she had broken his heart. I know that Midge gets a lot of crap for being a flawed and self absorbed character, but I do feel like the show is aware at least of her less than perfect moments, and she generally does get called out for them (sulking over Suzie having another client until her friend points out the reality of Suzie’s situation, her standup at her friends wedding effectively ending their friendship, Shy breaking off their contract after her routine went too far etc etc)