The current season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel has introduced a handful of sneak peeks into the often unhappy futures of its characters, but one character in particular, Joel Maisel, has been on the road to his bad fate long before season 5. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is a period comedy and drama produced by Amazon Prime Studios, currently in its fifth and final season. The series follows housewife-turned-comedian Miriam "Midge" Maisel during the late 1950s as she balances her new controversial career with her eccentric family life.

In yet another The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season 5 time jump, it is revealed that in 1987 Joel is in prison.

It is unclear why Midge's ex-husband is in prison but a conversation between the two hints that Joel did something to protect Midge which ultimately got him arrested. While the possibilities are technically endless as to how Joel ended up in jail, there are two likely suspects behind this shocking turn of events. Surprisingly, both of these storylines began long before season 5, meaning Joel's fate could have been set much earlier than it seems.

The leading theory as to how Joel became imprisoned is that Frank and Nicky had something to do with it.

In The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season 5, episode 4, Joel becomes aware of the pair's mob activities and confronts Susie about the danger that puts Midge into. Joel confronts Midge as well in the following episode and declares he will never let anything happen to Midge. Therefore, the danger of Frank and Nicky combined with Joel's determination to protect Midge hints that the two are related and eventually lead to Joel's jail time.

Frank and Nicky have been a part of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel since season 2. The mobsters first appeared to kidnap and kill Susie, however, through her wit and charm she managed to befriend them instead.

Since then, they have been around to complete difficult tasks for Susie, but her debt to them constantly weighs over her head. Though Frank and Nicky have always been a part of Susie's world only, and have caused little trouble up until now, their appearance could have been the origins of Joel's unhappy future. The true intentions of their characters may begin to shine through as season 5 continues.

What Might Have Happened Between Joel and Frank and Nicky

One of the ways Frank and Nicky might have gotten Joel into jail is the second reason why Joel would end up getting arrested in the first place: the gambling at the club.

In The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season 3, Joel bought a club in Chinatown, and while it eventually became successful, Joel first had to deal with the illicit gambling secretly occurring in the basement. While Joel came to terms with the activity, it could still be exposed and get Joel into trouble. If Frank and Nicky revealed his secret, it certainly could have gotten him arrested.

While these theories seem likely, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season 5 has many episodes left to fill in the rest of the story. Joel's jail time could also be due to his own violent actions against Frank and Nicky or an independent crime yet to happen. All in all, the series could throw any number of curveballs. Yet, the trend continues that the beloved characters of The Marvelous Mrs. Maiselseason 5 do not have the brightest futures.