'Palm Royale': Inside Maxine Simmons' desperate quest for elite status in Apple TV+'s series
Contains spoilers for 'Palm Royale'
PALM BEACH, FLORIDA: The newest series on Apple TV+, 'Palm Royale', is a period comedy that offers a glimpse into the high society of Palm Beach in 1969.
Starring Kristen Wiig as Maxine Simmons, a former beauty pageant queen, the show follows her journey as she moves to Palm City with a strong desire to join the world's most exclusive club.
Kristen Wiig's performance is complemented by an ensemble cast that includes Ricky Martin, Josh Lucas, Leslie Bibb, Allison Janney, and Carol Burnett.
Maxine Simmons goes to great lengths to join Palm Royale
In the opening scene of the pilot episode, we witness Maxine's strong desire to join the club and the lengths she's willing to go to achieve this goal.
This includes trespassing on the club's property by climbing over the wall and pretending to be a member, hoping not to get caught. However, when she realizes that these deceitful methods won't work, she devises a new plan.
Maxine cleverly befriends Dinah, an existing club member, with the intention of convincing her to sponsor her membership.
To maintain these friendships with affluent women, she needs to appear wealthy herself. This leads her to acquire expensive dresses and accessories, which she can't afford.
In order to finance these luxuries and cover the membership fees, she resorts to stealing from her husband's aunt Norma.
Maxine Simmons is eager to claim her status in 'Palm Royale'
Maxine tied the knot with the sole heir of the Dellcorte empire, Douglas Dellacorte, who is a pilot and is rumored to inherit a substantial fortune from the mouthwash and plastic industries.
Their relationship became official when Maxine, at the age of 23, became pregnant. However, tragedy struck when she lost the baby after their marriage. Blamed for trapping Douglas with the marriage, he was subsequently ousted from the empire, leading the couple to settle in Atlanta.
When Maxine learned of Norma's illness, she saw it as an opportunity for her husband to inherit Norma's fortune, prompting them to move from Atlanta to Palm Beach to reclaim their status in high society.
However, Maxine's hopes are dashed when Evelyn reveals that Norma intends to transfer her wealth to a trust instead of Douglas.
Now faced with financial uncertainty, Maxine must navigate how to maintain her elite lifestyle and cover the expenses of her new environment.
'Palm Royale' is available to stream on Apple TV+.