How could you, Douglas?
Main Cast: Kristen Wiig, Allison Janney
Creator: Abe Sylvia
I don’t really understand the allure of country clubs or status seeking. It just seems like so much work. Then again, it is not 1969 and I do not live in Palm Springs. Maxine Dellacorte-Simmons, on the other hand, does. And she wants to wring every last drop of glamour out of that place.
Maxine (played by Kristen Wiig) is a small-town girl who fell in love with a handsome pilot (Josh Lucas) twenty years earlier. As we enter her story, she has moved to Palm Springs and is doing everything in her power to become a member of the Palm Royale, the country club frequented by high society’s elite. That pilot, you see, is the nephew of the comatose grand dame of Palm Springs society, Norma Dellacorte (Carol Burnett). Maxine wants nothing more than to take what she sees as her rightful place atop the social hierarchy in this snobbish and arrogant town.
The two seasons of Palm Royale take us on a merry chase. Maxine is not above trickery to achieve her goals, proving her a worthy opponent to those who oppose her as an interloper. Among them are Evelyn Rollins (Allison Janney) as presumed heir apparent to Norma’s throne and Dinah Donahue (Leslie Bibb) as Evelyn’s rival. Maxine takes full advantage of the abundant secrets and lies that define the lives of nearly everyone she encounters.
But, much to our surprise and often hers, Maxine has a good heart. She befriends Robert (Ricky Martin), the Korean War vet turned bartender and confidante, and Linda (Laura Dern), the hippie daughter of Evelyn’s husband. As time passes, we see that Maxine, as dogged as she may be in her goal to be a socialite, also has a far better moral compass than those stalwart citizens who surround her.
For me, the highlights of Palm Royale are in its staging and its attitude. The costumes and sets are bright and sun-drenched, with a Technicolor palette of pinks, yellows, and blues that is both stunning and perfect for the time period and setting. The series also does not take itself too seriously. Sometimes it veers wholeheartedly into farce, but doesn’t shy away from having its characters face the rigid, oppressive social norms of the era. And you never know when you might get a musical number, as opulent and overdone as every other aspect of the show.
Palm Royale’s biggest problem, especially in the second season, is that the plot starts to tangle in on itself. There are too many moving pieces and the always brisk pace makes it hard to keep track of everything. I think it was wise to end the series after two seasons, and the finale is delightfully in keeping with the tone of the entire series.
I really enjoyed Palm Royale for exactly what it is: an over-the-top darkly comic melodrama with an incredible cast that never holds back. Carol Burnett deserves all the accolades for her performance as Norma. Maxine is frustrating and funny and tender-hearted, and Kristen Wiig does not disappoint. I absolutely loved Rocky Martin as Robert, and his story arc is definitely the most satisfying. So come for the melodrama and stay for the visual spectacle that is Palm Royale. It is an Apple TV original, so that’s where it is streaming as of July 2026.
Sue reads a lot, writes a lot, edits a lot, and loves a good craft. She was deemed “too picky” to proofread her children’s school papers and wears this as a badge of honor. She is also proud of her aggressively average knitting skills. TV and indie movies are her jam.
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