Summary
- Set in 1969 with a star-studded cast,
Palm Royale
offers a luscious escape to Palm Beach high society. - The series mostly balances satire with (a little too much) over-the-top silliness, making it a visually delightful and entertaining experience.
- With secrets, social climbers, and a whimsical plot,
Palm Royale
explores the pursuit of status and belonging in a fun, if shallow, way.
Oh, Palm Royale. What a slathery soap fest you are. It’s hard not to like you. You intrigue with your shiny 1969 Palm Beach setting. You serve up Kristen Wiig (SNL) as an idealistic underdog hoping to slither her way into the upper echelon of society. You unleash Allison Janney (Mom, West Wing) and simply allow her to chew up the scenery at any given turn. Laura Dern as a feminist hippie chick? Right on. Singer Ricky Martin, buff and sometimes shirtless, and proving himself as a talented actor? (Thank you for the former, and bless you for the latter.) And Carol Burnett doing so much by hardly saying a word? Brilliant.
Welcome to Palm Royale. In addition to Wiig, Janey, Dern, Martin, and Burnett, Apple TV+’s playful new all-star ensemble comedy stars Josh Lucas (Yellowstone), Leslie Bibb (About My Father), Amber Chardae Robinson (Loot, 80 for Brady), Mindy Cohn (The Facts of Life), Julia Duffy (Newhart), Kaia Gerber (Bottoms), and special guest star, the legendary Bruce Dern. The tale tracks former beauty queen Maxine Simmons (Wiig) as she desperately strives to break into Palm Beach high society.
Set during the culturally-shifting year of 1969, the series hopes to be a testament to all outsiders fighting for their chance to truly belong. That message gets a bit muddled along the way, mainly because when you play things way over the top far too often, as this series does, somehow, it just waters down any attempt to feel “real” or believable. Audiences are likely to ignore that fact here and see showrunner/executive producer Abe Sylvia’s series for what it is: a delightful escape. We could all use that. And with this cast, the sojourn is all the more wickedly fun.
Palme Royale Is Big, Bloated, and Fun
3.5/5
Release Date March 20, 2024
Seasons 1
Studio Apple Studios, Boat Rocker Studios, Jaywalker Pictures
Creator Abe Sylvia
Streaming Service(s) Apple TV+
Pros
- It’s a pure joy watching this incredible cast have fun.
- The setting and direction are luscious and a great escape.
Cons
- The satirical message gets muddled by the series being too silly and over-the-top.
Loosely based on Juliet McDaniel’s novel, Mr. and Mrs. American Pie, Palm Royale begins in the summer of ’69. The world is abuzz about astronauts, civil rights, and feminism, but in the shiny bubble of Palm Beach, it’s all about coiffed hairdos, chic pastel clothes, and who you are, especially in the famous country club, the Palm Royale.
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The series does a fine job setting up the players from the onset. There’s Wiig’s Maxine, of course — the cheery blonde desperately wants to be an official member of the exclusive club, even though the $30,000 initiation fee is a punch in the gut. But hope comes in the form of her pilot husband, Douglas (Josh Lucas playing a dimly lit bulb well), and, particularly, Douglas’ aunt Norma Delacore (Carol Burnett), the queen of Palm Beach society.
Norma is comatose when we first meet her. She’s also very rich and carrying a bevy of secrets that could bring down high society order. Vying for the top spot in Norma’s absence is Evelyn Rollins, a sharp-tongued ball-buster who stands her ground. We’re led to believe that Norma is eager for her ailing husband, Skeet (Bruce Dern,) to breathe his last breath, and it appears Norma has a plan under way for her own reign. Which makes her loathe Maxine from the get-go.
Apple TV+
Meanwhile, hungry socialite Dinah Donahue (Leslie Bibb) and Mary Jones Davidsoul (Julia Duffy) round out the upper class mix. “Outsiders” are vital to the story as well. Linda Shaw (Laura Dern) owns a bookstore dubbed Our Bodies, Ourselves. The character, along with Ricky Martin’s shrewd waiter, Robert, serve as the series’ moral compass, bringing some much-needed empathy and humanity across 10 fully-packed, often dizzying episodes. And hello, Mindy Cohn (The Facts of Life, What’s New, Scooby-Doo). It’s a joy to see the actress here playing Ann, a nosy journalist who simply won’t go away. Secrets, folks, secrets.
Too Much Plot, Too Much Fantasy
Big secrets are revealed, in fact. Showrunner Abe Sylva, who produced Dead to Me and penned 2021’s Oscar-winning film, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, knows how to weave an effective tale. It’s just that this one is so bloated, you may need to catch your breath. Several characters are linked to each other by the past. Others have purposely withheld information out of contempt or to control the narrative of the illusion in which they’re living.
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And then… fantastical sequences float through. At one point, a whale breaches on shore and, well, somehow Janney’s typically curt Evelyn has an epiphany—ish. A prince arrives to attend a ball. A cherished astronaut becomes key to Maxine’s plot to rise higher. Deeper issues linger. Something has scarred Maxine’s marriage. Laura Dern’s Linda has an alliance with fellow feminist activist Virginia (Amber Chardae Robinson), but all that’s tested, and even Linda is carrying her own share of secrets. On it goes.
The Shining Cast of Palm Royale
Best not to nitpick the plot, because this series wants you to have fun, and not ponder anything too deep. The big question: Will Maxine get everything she wants — a chance to shine brightly among the upper class? Perhaps. But will it be worth it? And what’s the true lesson here: that, like TikTok and other social media some 55 years later, these vigilant pursuits of likability and status ultimately just make you feel empty?
Beyond that, the series boasts some exceptional performances, and you can’t beat this all-star cast, who clearly are having a ball. Kristen Wiig was born to play Maxine. Allison Janey is a hoot. Laura Dern shines. Carol Burnett, a lifetime soap opera fan — the woman loves All My Children — is in her comedic element, especially in the latter half of the series. Then there’s Ricky Martin, who turns in a consistently memorable performance as an unlikely ally to Maxine, caregiver to Norma, and friend to Linda. He may be the true soul of the series. That’s up for fans to decide.
The kick-in-the-pants ending may leave you breathless, but no doubt craving something a little more fulfilling. There’s more to tell with these characters and perhaps a second, more grounded, season might add some context and nuance all around. We’ll have to wait for word on that. In the meantime, dive in and soak up the fun. Palm Royale is still a hilarious treat. Palm Royale debuts on Apple TV+ with three episodes on March 20, followed by new episodes every Wednesday through May 8. You can watch it through the link below:
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