The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Is Bringing Back Reid Scott As Talk Show Host Gordon Ford
When a season of TV ends with a man on a billboard, it's safe to assume that said man will be pretty damn important going forward. But in defense of all the many "Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" fans who failed to read the tea leaves, we were way too busy sobbing over Lenny Bruce to hyper-fixate on the importance of Reid Scott ("The Afterparty," "Venom") as Gordon Ford. Alas, the time has come to tear our eyes away from our favorite pair of troubled comedians and instead look to the fictitious talk show host who will play a major role in the fifth and final season of the show: according to Deadline, Scott has just been promoted to a series regular.
Scott previously appeared in four episodes of the "Maisel" and if he looks unfamiliar, it's probably because he usually looks much smaller and surrounded by TV static. 1960s television sets aren't nearly as high def as we're used to and Ford was most often seen in the Maisel home, on the TV screen, chatting with the accomplished comedians whose careers Midge (Rachel Brosnahan) continues to aspire to. Namely, we saw him chatting with Lenny Bruce (Luke Kirby) about his upcoming Carnegie Hall performance. He also has a significant chat with Sophie Lennon (Jane Lynch) that helped get her career back on track. By the end of the fourth season, Midge wanted to fill the coveted late-night spot herself but getting Ford's attention proved more difficult than she assumed. But given he's set to return in such a major way, could Midge be on her way to late-night fame?
Late night TV is here to stay
Initially, the scheme to get Midge on late-night TV seemed impossible — mainly because of her own bad decision-making. Susie made an unsuccessful attempt to get her on "The Gordon Ford Show" which proved difficult thanks to Midge's ridiculous stipulation of not being an opening act. Turning down a gig with Tony Bennett at The Copa also meant Ford's bookers had nowhere to see her, forcing Susie to turn down Ford's booker, Mike Carr (played by Brosnahan's husband Jason Ralph). But if Scott is returning, then perhaps Midge's days of ignoring her manager's advice good have finally come to s close! Or is that too much to ask for?
At the very least, she may finally be on the right track. Where season 4 left off, the stage was set for Midge's endgame. After a harsh yet rousing speech from Lenny, she seemed ready to get herself back on track and walked out into the snowy streets of New York to stare up at a sign for the Gordon Ford Show. This could be her way forward: a stint on Ford's show or even a single interview may be exactly what Midge needs to launch into the superstardom we know she deserves. Extra bonus — she knows for a fact that her parents watch the show, so maybe Rose will finally stumble across her daughter's talents and see the light! At the very least, there won't be strippers or alcohol around to distract her. But most importantly, this signals something huge for Midge (assuming she gets out of her own way). If Scott is sticking around, then Gordon Ford might just take a shining the motor-mouth comic and perhaps one performance could evolve into something more.