Joel Maisel

Living… on his friend’s couch. Joel lived with his wife Midge in a beautiful building in the Upper West Side. But in the wake of their separation, he’s been temporarily staying with his buddy Archie.

Profession… former Vice president of Tri-Borough Plastics. Joel had been unhappy with his work for a while. He worked a soulless corporate job that pays the bills, but it wasn’t fulfilling. The only good part of the job was his secretary, Penny, who he has been having a longtime affair with. But now that Midge has found out, his life has become a big mess. As Joel says to Midge, “How did I screw up everything so badly?

Interests… stand-up. Joel likes stand-up comedy so much that he decided to quit his job and pursue comedy full-time. What he hadn’t anticipated is that Midge is far more talented at standup than he is.

Relationship Status… in a marriage that is on the rocks. Joel and Midge have unresolved problems to address. With the shared responsibility of co-parenting their two children and with their parents’ relentless efforts at getting them back together, they’re trying their best to sort things out.

Challenge… finding a direction in life. Joel pursues stand-up and starts an affair with his secretary Penny to try to fill a void in his life, but neither seems suited to him in the long run. Joel is now left to sink or swim on his own.

Personality… idealistic, ambitious, and a bit naive. Joel has grand plans, but he has a hard time following through. As he admits, “I can’t tell if I’m a genius or an idiot.” Despite his flaws, Joel cares deeply for his family and wants to make things right. He’s not sure if he’ll be able to make it work with Midge, but he is sure of one thing: he loves his boys. No matter what happens, Joel wants to keep his family together.