Palm Royale – Season 1 Episode 4 “Maxine Rolls the Dice” Recap & Review

Maxine Rolls the Dice

The past timeline sets the stage for Palm Royale Episode 4. In 1949, Norma hosted a social gathering. We are told that while it may seem like everyone in Palm Beach has a lot of money, that’s not necessarily the case. Shortly after this, gunshots are heard.

After that, the focus shifts to the present day. We see Douglas enjoying himself by the pool. Maxine is debating whether to notify him of her mounting debts and the fact that they won’t get Norma’s inheritance in the event of her death. In the end, Maxine decides she’d rather not ruin Douglas’ mood by telling him this. He informs her, however, that he is planning to resign from his position as a pilot since, with the estate that they will inherit from Norma, he sees no use in continuing to work.

Robert approaches Maxine as she is having a conversation with Douglas and asks whether she has been to the pool room. Nevertheless, she tells him that she prefers to be in the main living space rather than the pool room. In light of this, Robert begins to assume that Linda has stolen the Rolodex. After he brings it up in a conversation with her, she comes clean. She proceeds to tell him that she wishes to get rid of all the secrets that are in there, including her own. After that, he acknowledges that it’s safer for her to have the Rolodex than for Maxine.

On the other hand, a sergeant spots Maxine in the car. Then he informs her that she has a court appearance coming up. In court, Robert accuses Maxine of stealing Norma’s jewels and calls her a thief. In the meantime, Maxine says Robert is just an unproductive pool boy. The judge then asks the parties to present evidence in support of their claims at the next hearing. The judge then orders a stay of proceedings until one of the parties can prove legal guardianship of Norma and control over the Dellacorte estate.

At Raquel’s Havana Nights benefit, Evelyn asks Maxine to accompany her. Then she proceeds to notify Evelyn that, despite how hard she looked, she couldn’t locate the keys. 

Following this, a dance is organized at the fundraiser. After that, Robert and Maxine notice that Raquel is wearing Norma’s stolen necklace. Later on, Robert tries to use this as evidence against Maxine in court and tells her of his plans. As a consequence, he manages to get the necklace from Raquel by dancing his way to it. In a stroke of genius, Maxine calls the police on Robert at this point. Following this, the police take Robert into custody and grant Maxine conservatorship, contingent on her full-time care for Norma. Maxine consents to do it since she sees no other way around this.

Douglas isn’t pleased about the unexpected development that forces him and Maxine to live with Norma in the episode’s final moments. However, Maxine informs him that a Feline Sanctuary will receive Norma’s inheritance when she passes away. Nevertheless, they can gain financially from Norma’s predicament and continue to pay themselves exorbitant salaries. With this, they can transfer her money into their pockets. 

Maxine discovers the safe key around Norma’s neck when she turns her over. After opening the safe, Maxine and Evelyn discover the Rolodex is missing. Though they do locate a lot of other items, including Norma’s crown, Following that, Evelyn calls Maxine useless and leaves. Later on, when Maxine continues to search, she comes across a wedding invitation for Penelope and Douglas. Once Maxine arrives home, she is so enraged by this revelation that she yells out for Douglas.

The Episode Review

In episode four, Maxine begins to find ways to get out of the sticky situation after learning about Norma’s inheritance. The pressure on Maxine grows when Douglas quits his job as a pilot. Robert learns that Linda stole the Rolodex. Robert loses the conservatorship battle to Maxine.

The show’s plot still has pacing issues and is choppy. Having said that, the plot is intriguing and holds your interest throughout. The actors do an incredible job in their respective roles. Nevertheless, the characters lack any connection to reality and fail to live up to the creme de la crème persona, leaving them stuck in the middle and failing to accomplish the show’s primary objective. Having said that, while the performances are excellent, the problem is with the material.

After a promising cliffhanger that leaves viewers hanging, it will be intriguing to watch where the show goes from here.