The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel S5 Episode 7 Spells Doom For Rose

Contains spoilers for "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" Season 5, Episode 7 — "A House Full of Extremely Lame Horses"

"The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" wouldn't be the same without the wit and charm of the titular leading lady, but Miriam "Midge" Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan) wouldn't be who she is without her parents. Midge gets her pragmatism from her father, Abe Weissman ("Monk" star Tony Shalhoub), but she inherited her killer fashion sense from her mother, Rose (Marin Hinkle). While Midge keeps herself busy doing stand-up at the Wolford and working for Gordon Ford (Reid Scott), Rose has her own business endeavors to tend to. Inspired by her daughter's independence, Rose starts a matchmaking service in Season 4. Unfortunately, the Season 5 flash-forwards show that Rose's future is looking grim.

The Season 5 time jumps are certainly worth the wait, even if they reveal that Rose will be dead by 1987. The narrative foreshadowed Rose's death earlier this season in Episode 4, when she showed Midge a necklace that she would inherit after her mother's passing. Midge loves the jewelry, although Rose warns her not to become too attached, as the necklace will only be hers after Rose is gone. Episode 7, titled "A House Full of Extremely Lame Horses," gives the audience even more insight into Rose's future. When we see Rose in 1973, her matchmaking business is flourishing — or so it seems. In reality, Midge is funneling money into her mother's business so that Rose will feel successful. Midge alludes to the fact that Rose doesn't have much time left, but the viewer is left in the dark about what's ailing her.

While the flash-forwards show that Midge's career continues to flourish for decades, Rose doesn't have the same luck. It's implied that she's suffering from a terminal illness by 1973, although Rose seems to have just as much energy as ever. However, appearances can be deceiving. Even though Rose has retained her sense of style and her proclivity for drama, Midge is clearly worried about her mother. It's possible Rose is doing her best to appear healthy, even though she's not. A wig and some makeup could be hiding any physical manifestations of her illness, though it's odd that Midge is so concerned while Rose remains indifferent to her impending demise. Still, it's heart-warming to see Midge supporting her mother's career, even if Rose hasn't always returned the favor. 

We now know what the future holds for Rose, Midge, Joel, Susie, Ethan (Ben Rosenfield), and Esther (Alexandra Socha), although Abe's storyline remains a mystery. We know that he's had a huge impact on Esther's education, but it's unclear how he handles Rose's death, or even if he's still alive. Rose and Abe's relationship has been a huge part of the show, so it's gut-wrenching to think about Abe going through life without his better half. With only two more episodes to go, fans are bound to get some answers. As the series winds to a close, viewers will have to keep tissues handy in the event that we have to watch Abe mourn his beloved wife.