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- Apple TV+
- Mar 19, 2024
- Apple TV+
- Mar 19, 2024
Summary In 1969, Maxine Simmons (Kristen Wiig) seeks to enter Palm Beach high society in this comedy series loosely based on the book "Mr. and Mrs. American Pie" by Juliet McDaniel.
- Apple TV+
- Mar 19, 2024
- Apple TV+
- Mar 19, 2024
Summary In 1969, Maxine Simmons (Kristen Wiig) seeks to enter Palm Beach high society in this comedy series loosely based on the book "Mr. and Mrs. American Pie" by Juliet McDaniel.
Season Episodes
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Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 31 Critic Reviews
57
35% Positive
11 Reviews
11 Reviews
55% Mixed
17 Reviews
17 Reviews
10% Negative
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 31 Critic Reviews
57
35% Positive
11 Reviews
11 Reviews
55% Mixed
17 Reviews
17 Reviews
10% Negative
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
Funny and wicked with very mature humor, Palm Royale is a throwback to yesteryear classics but with more intricately pointed nuance. Whereas a lot of comedy today is about making the audience cringe and feel uncomfortable, Palm Royale plays like the best old-school, slapstick charm, with humor and depth that makes you feel good at the end.
The self-aware soap is an increasingly popular format, and Palm Royale adheres to familiar conventions. But showrunner Abe Sylvia (Dead to Me), loosely adapting Juliet McDaniel’s novel Mr. and Mrs. American Pie, makes it feel fresh by nailing both the comedy and the melodrama, in a punchy first season that gets weirder with each episode.
The first half stumbles as much as Maxine does, but as she gets closer to inserting herself into high society, the lengths to which she’s willing to go to achieve her dream give Palm Royale a much-needed shot in the arm. That makes this another Apple TV+ series to stick with as it heads toward a satisfying finale.
Ultimately, it all starts to feel redundant, even pointless, as Maxine keeps trying to wear the ladies down in episode after episode. At times, there doesn’t seem to be enough story line to fuel 10 hourlong episodes. A little more drama — or even some heavier satire — might have given the show more weight and purpose. Still, it’s an enjoyable, if forgettable, romp.
A social satire lacking bite or even a point of view, “Palm Royale” is as substance-free as the froth and foam left by waves on the beach.
But style isn’t substance, and “Palm Royale” is lacking in the latter if not the former. For one, not much even happens for the first two-thirds of the season.
The problem is that very little of it lands. With the exception of Dern (as a feminist trying to discourage Maxine from becoming one of the Stepford Wives) and Martin (as an employee of the titular club who is wise to Maxine’s game long before everyone else), everyone is playing a cartoon, and giving a performance to match.
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