The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season 4, episode 3 perfectly addressed the real-life death of actor Brian Tarantina, who played Jackie, in a poignant way.
The Brian Tarantina death was perfectly handled by The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season 4 in how Tarantina's character, Jackie, was written off the show. Season 4 picked up right after the ending of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season 3 when Midge Maisel and Susie Myerson were fired by Shy Baldwin and kicked off his tour. Miriam and Susie returned to the Gaslight to lick their wounds but Jackie, who runs the nightclub in the Village where Midge was discovered, was nowhere to be found. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season 4, episode 3, "Everything Is Bellmore," touchingly addressed both Jackie's fate and the loss of Brian Tarantina.
As Jackie, Brian Tarantina was part of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel's ensemble since season 1. Jackie managed the Gaslight and was Susie's boss. He always told it like it is and was straight with Midge if she was great or when Mrs. Maisel bombed on stage and got arrested. Later, when Midge and Susie went on tour, Jackie moved into Susie's apartment. Jackie was a good friend to Susie, and he sought to improve her living conditions. If it weren't for the well-publicized Brian Tarantina death, many viewers may not have noticed that they didn't see Jackie in the first two episodes of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season 4.
What Happened To Brian Tarantina
In real life, the Brian Tarantina death occurred on November 2, 2019, and his cause of death was from "acute intoxication," i.e. a drug overdose. Because Tarantina died months before production on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season 4 began under COVID-19 protocols, Jackie had to be permanently written off the series. Brian Tarantina had worked with producer Amy Sherman-Palladino since Gilmore Girls and the respectful way The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel closed out Jackie's story was tremendously poignant and perfectly done.
At the start of Mrs. Maisel season 4, episode 3, Susie returned to her apartment to learn that Jackie had died of a stroke, but he left Myerson with elaborately banal instructions about what chores had to be done at the Gaslight that day. Susie then sifted through the remains of Jackie's life and was heartbroken to discover that she hardly knew him at all despite the fact that they saw each other almost every day and shared an apartment. Jackie's death informed Susie's character thereafter, and the Brian Tarantina death was expertly handled in the series, while the actor was honored in the episode.
What The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Did With Jackie's Character
When only four people - Midge, Susie, Chester, and Jackie's sister Nancy - came to Jackie's funeral in Mrs. Maisel season 4, Susie was so angry and distraught that she crashed an adjacent memorial service and delivered a powerful eulogy that ranks as one of the finest performances Alex Borstein has given in the show. Susie gave Jackie, a war hero who lived an extraordinary life that Myerson had no clue about, a heartwarming tribute in her typically foul-mouthed and angry way. Susie realized that Jackie was a true friend to her all along. Midge also learned that Jackie was incredibly proud of helping discover Mrs, Maisel, which surprised her.
However, Jackie really did admire Mrs. Maisel and Midge never saw the moments when Jackie cheered her on while she blew away the audience during the telethon at the end of Mrs. Maisel season 2. Both Jackie the character and Brian Tarantina will be dearly missed on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, but the show used the Brian Tarantina death and the tragic loss of Jackie to uplift and fuel Susie's story. Spurred on by wanting to make Jackie proud, Susie rededicated herself to becoming the best manager she can be. Jackie's memory prompted Susie Myerson and Associates to become successful in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
Was Jackie Ever Mentioned Again On The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel?
There's no question that the Brian Tarantina death changed The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel from season 4 onward, and Susie soon begins to be overcome with loneliness. While Jackie was hardly ever mentioned again in Mrs. Maisel, Susie experienced success in her career, but something of a downward arc in her personal life after Jackie died, causing viewers to wonder if it was his death that affected her behavior. Both her successes and her personal failures could be seen as inspired by Jackie's death in her narrative threads from season 4 onward, as Susie wouldn't have stepped up as a manager had Jackie's death not affected her so.
All in all, the Brian Tarantina death was handled well by The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and his scant mentions may be for the better as they preserved the memory of the character and the actor. Jackie's death in the show properly informed Midge and Susie, though Susie especially, and Midge is able to look back on her very first performance at the real-life Gaslight Café with fondness. Brian Tarantina's death was tragic news for the industry as a whole, and he will always be remembered for his stellar performance as the emcee of the Gaslight Café and so much more in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
