'Maxxx' Season 1 Ending Explained: Death says pop star will die in a year, meaning there's more story left
Spoilers for ‘Maxxx’
Few shows manage to be hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time. ‘Maxxx’ is a definite exception to that. The British comedy series centers around a formerly famous boy-band pop star called Maxxx (O.T. Fagbenle) who, over the years, has turned into a tabloid laughing stock. But there’s something uniquely astounding about our titular hero -- he may be down, but he is not out.
His efforts to make a comeback are largely motivated by his desire to win back his ex-girlfriend, the supermodel Jourdan (Jourdan Dunn). But to prove to everyone that he’s not the massive loser everyone thinks he is, he has to be better.
Unfortunately, Maxxx lacks every kind of self-awareness. He upstages his former bandmate’s grieving mother at his funeral and gives a terrible impromptu performance. He makes a terrible song about semen using ice cream as a metaphor. And he even hits on someone at a sex-addiction group therapy session.
But where Maxxx appears like the pop-wisdom-spouting middle-aged manchild, he is also intensely vulnerable. He goes on expelling word vomit at the drop of a hat, whenever he feels insecure. He takes unprescribed pills to calm his nerves. And he massively lacks confidence in his abilities as an artist, even though he does have talent that he seldom uses.
His life is changed when Tamzin (Pippa Bennett-Warner) arrives as his manager. She can’t bear him. But she eventually warms up to him and realizes that Maxxx is not the cocky juvenile loser he appears to be. She realizes there is talent and a good heart underneath the obnoxious exterior. But Tamzin messes up.
As she encourages him to perform the one good song he’s composed, she is told by her boss Don Wild (Christopher Meloni) that Maxxx should perform the bad song and get the limited amount of attention he can, and following the earnings, he would promote her. Tamzin, in a moment of weakness, makes the sound technician change the song and Maxxx’s fragile self (wrecked by tonnes of drugs) collapses.
And he dies. Stuck in purgatory, Death, played by Nina Wadia, tells Maxxx that he would surely go to hell. But Maxxx wants to live. And he proves to her that he is a good man by reminding her of the one good thing he did in his life -- adopting his son Amit (Alan Asaad). Maxxx comes back to life with a new resolve. But ultimately, he faces failure again. When he runs into Jourdan, he tells her how he feels.
He gets an egg in the face when Jourdan reminds him that they had dated for only three months several years ago and she barely remembers anything. We realize Maxxx had fabricated quite a bit about the relationship to himself and made himself believe it was bigger than it really was. Maxxx leaves somewhat broken --spurned by his ex, fired by Don Wild, and without anything to show for his time and growth -- but he is unwilling to give up.
And at the heart of it, that’s what makes Maxxx better than others. Maybe it’s some unearned confidence. But he cannot be contained, one way or the other. So, does Maxxx’s journey end here? One should hope not. While there is no news of any plans for a season 2, season 1’s ending makes it clear that there is still some story left to tell.
In the very last scene, Death and Maxxx’s now-dead bandmate Lucky (Javone Prince) are seen having a conversation. Death tells Lucky Maxxx would be dead in a year.
But it’s not just the eponymous hero whose story needs more. There’s Amit who is smitten by Roxx (Sonny Charlton). There’s Tamzin, who may have been fired by Maxxx but still cares for him. And there’s Maxxx’s cousin Rose (Helen Monks) who is utterly infatuated with him. All of their stories have more to them. And they deserve to be told.
Only time will tell how much success a show like ‘Maxxx’ will find in the mainstream. But for what it’s worth, it is one of the better shows that we have seen in 2020. Hopefully, that alone would drive the show to a second season.
‘Maxxx’ is available for viewing on Hulu.