It seems I was enjoying Palm Royale episode 4 so much that my sister exclaimed, “I’ve never seen you laugh out loud so much for TV.” This is an exaggeration; of course, I laugh, but there’s something extra joyful about the feminist jokes and Kristen Wiig going hand in hand that just worked for me, I suppose. As we can imagine, a lot happens in each episode of Palm Royale, and it’s rather hard to keep up. Exciting clandestine details are revealed in this episode, and Maxine’s life is truly a rollercoaster ride. Though I still have mixed feelings about the show as a whole, I do quite enjoy it for what it is, so I’ll keep my opinions in check until a little further into the show. Maxine is meant to be working together with Evelyn for the Beach Ball. On the other hand, Robert is turning out to be quite a threat to Maxine. What is he hiding, and what does Linda have to do with any of this? Let’s find out in the recap of Palm Royale episode 4.
Spoiler Alert
Who stole from Robert?
In a flashback, we see a beautiful day in Norma’s estate, when she’s alive and well dressed in a blue outfit for what seems like an exciting event. However, the excitement dies when we hear the sound of a gunshot as Maxine’s voiceover explains how secrets in Palm Beach are like a loaded gun. Now, Maxine walks into the same backyard, handing her husband a special drink as he relaxes by the pool. Douglas tells Maxine he’s going to quit his job, because why would he continue being away from her for days on end when they’re going to inherit all of this beauty? Maxine imagines a dream scenario where she tells Douglas that they’re not getting anything, and he responds calmly that it’s their love that really matters to him (funny). On the other hand, Evelyn sees that Norma is more awake than ever before, making sounds at her. She asks Norma to blink once for yes and twice for no to find out about the key to the Rolodex. Of course, it doesn’t actually work because it’s probably Norma’s reflexes that make it seem like she’s answering Evelyn when she’s simply trying to stay alive.
In the meantime, in her guilt, Maxine goes to Linda’s library, calls her her new best friend, and then proceeds to tell her the truth about everything. She says she’s a squatter and a thief, and they’re not going to be getting the inheritance. Linda tries to calm her down, but more importantly, she tells her she must talk to Douglas about all of this. Apparently, you’re only a criminal in Palm Beach if you’re caught, so she basically gives Maxine her blessing to continue doing what she’s doing (I love this feminist duo). On the other hand, Robert takes Maxine to court for Norma’s conservatorship. He thinks Maxine’s stolen something important from him, but when she looks confused and lost and asks him herself where the key to the Rolodex is, he realizes she didn’t actually steal it. We all know Maxine is fantastic with words; she manipulates the judge by saying “she’s just a wife” to ask her basic questions regarding what’s happening (please, she’s hilarious). Without proof, neither party can claim the other is not deserving of the conservatorship.
Robert realizes it’s Linda who stole the key, and he confronts her about it. She tells him honestly that she has a secret in the Rolodex that she needs to bury, and Robert says it’s better with her than with Maxine. Linda then introduces Robert to her father, and they seem to get along pretty well. Robert makes a good impression on the man, and he even gives him a book recommendation.
Who gets the conservatorship?
Finally, it’s time for Raquel’s party, and Douglas informs Maxine that he’s quit his job. Now Maxine’s in a real soup, but she tries to stay calm for the party (you know, she can’t miss a chance to dress up and get wasted). At the party, Evelyn reminds Maxine that they need to work hard to make the Beach Ball a fantastic event, rather than a “bacchanl” like Raquel’s. She then proceeds to call Raquel’s husband Pinky, a gangster out on parole, and talks about how the future of Palm Beach looks like a home for the common criminal. Maxine doesn’t really have anything to say, considering she herself is a squatter and all. Finally, she’s taken aside by Dinah, who claims she needs to thank her because her affair with the tennis teacher Eddie is going super well thanks to Douglas’s return. Douglas and her husband were the best of friends, so now that they’re spending all their free time together, Dinah can be with Eddie more without any questioning.
In the meantime, Douglas and his pal are discussing real estate and losing a ton of money on the poker games at the party. Maxine tries to calm her husband down, but not knowing that he has literally no money to lose, he continues to be a party animal. Robert’s at the party too, and he notices that Raquel is wearing Norma’s necklace. This is the proof he has that Maxine is selling Norma’s assets for petty cash to get the conservatorship. Amidst a massive rumba party, Maxine and Robert both try to get the necklace from Raquel. Robert sends her blackmail, and Maxine simply tries to sweet talk her. Eventually, Robert gets the necklace because, as you know, nothing beats good old blackmail. At the same time, Mary tells Maxine that her check has bounced and she needs the money to go to the Fibs.
Now, Maxine uses the necklace in Robert’s possession and calls the detective who served her to get him caught. Now, Robert looks bad in the eyes of the court, and she manages to get the conservatorship, i.e., all of Norma’s assets, in her hands, on the condition that she keep Norma in the house and actually look after her. Back home, Maxine finally tells her husband that he’s not actually inheriting anything, and he’s shocked because he thought Norma loved her. So, the only way they can use her money is by being her conservator. In the process of flipping Norma over, Maxine locates the key to her safe, the one Evelyn has been desperate for. On the other hand, Robert moves to Linda’s library, and she guides him to the queer section of the library, which is supposed to make him feel at home.
Linda opens the Rolodex, and there’s a note there that says, “Linda attempted murder.” This was her secret. Now, I can’t tell if this means somebody tried to murder Linda or if Linda tried to murder somebody, but I suppose either way it looked so bad for her that she had to steal to hide it. On the other hand, Maxine and Evelyn open up the safes, find the crown, and Evelyn leaves in a happy daze, excited about the Beach Ball, though one of the safe boxes is completely empty.
At the end of Palm Royale episode 4, Maxine picks it up to put it back in its place and hears a clatter inside. She opens it and now sees a tiny gun in it, with a blue invitation underneath. When Maxine opens the invitation, she rushes home, screaming for her husband in anger. Apparently, the guy who left poor Linda at the altar was Douglas! Yikes, this is a messier equation than I could’ve imagined. Maxine doesn’t find Douglas, but she hears Norma making some strange sounds. Maxine can’t understand her at all, but it seems to me that Norma may be asking where she is. Either way, this means she’s getting better, which means Maxine may be losing her recent fortune much quicker than she had anticipated.
