The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel's fourth season opens with Midge standing triumphantly on the stage, delivering a stand-up routine laced with sarcasm and irony, a natural consequence of her tumultuous experience with Shy Baldwin in the previous season. As Susie watches from the audience, Midge vents her frustration about how another man has disrupted her life once again. After her abrupt exit from Baldwin's tour, Midge is left in shambles, reluctant to return to Queen's.
The morning dawns, and Midge emerges from the club where she stayed with Susie the night before. The newspapers offer no solace, as they announce that Jack Ballard has usurped her spot on the tour's remainder. Midge suspects a sinister plot, one that will undoubtedly spell trouble for her. Her recent purchase of her apartment, financed by a loan from Moishe, has left her financially strained, and with Susie unable to secure the necessary funds, Midge's situation is dire.
In stark contrast, Joel's club is booming with success. His popularity, however, doesn't bode well for Mei's parents, who fear that his club will detract from their underground gigs' revenue. Mei's role in this scheme was to ensure Joel's failure, but she warns him about the impending rent hike later in the day. Despite this, she continues to see him.
Meanwhile, Susie sets out to collect her paycheck, accompanied by Tessie. They find themselves in an unexpected conversation with Mr. Bartosiewicz from the insurance company, who seems suspicious of the arson incident. After a rigorous interrogation, Susie realizes that Tessie must "sacrifice for the greater good" to secure the check.
Desperate, Susie turns to Joel for a loan, but he refuses, leaving her with few options. The climax occurs at Coney Island, where Midge crashes Ethan's birthday bash (not his actual birthday, but a ruse orchestrated by her parents). In separate Ferris wheel pods, Midge confesses to Joel, Abe, Moishe, and the rest of the family that she's been fired and banished from the tour.
Joel is enraged by Midge's decision to repurchase their apartment, while Moishe demands his money back, a request Miriam swiftly reminds him he will receive. Later that night, Joel writes a check intended for Susie, but he attaches a stipulation: he wants to know the full details of Susie's failed arson plot from last season.
The following morning, Susie reunites with Miriam and declares her intention to take control of her career. She vows to become a headliner and reshape the industry, refusing to be constrained by tired jokes about bad room service. She demands that Susie, as her manager, make this vision a reality.
