Palm Royale

After seeing so many mixed reviews I put off watching this show. But I've run out of things that are capturing my attention (and while waiting for the next Shogun and Tokyo Vice episodes to be aired) so I thought I'd give it a shot while I loaded the dishwasher. Ha! It totally caught my attention and the dishes never went anywhere.

Things I like about the show: I love seeing so many quality actors and even shouted out, "OMG! That's Carol Burnett!" when I recognized her.

Even though the ladies aren't people I'd naturally root for, I like the determined pluckiness of Kirstin Wigg's character.

I also enjoy seeing the cattiness behind the veil of haughty money.

Most of the people in the show aren't young adults, more middle adult and older, my age. This make it easier for me to relate .

It's fun seeing that era come alive with all the clothing, decor, and social norms.

I'm enjoying how the story is slowly being unraveled and it makes me eager to watch the next episode.

I read one of the less favorable reviews where the person said that if the first episode doesn't drag you in then there's no point wasting time trying to watch anymore. Even though I wish everyone would be as giddy for this show as I am, I agree with the statement. But... if you are at all curious about the show, give the first episode a chance. You may find yourself with the same happy surprise as I did.

Palm Royale is an AppleTV+ series that stars Kristen Wiig as an up and coming socialite in Palm Beach, Florida where rich ladies gather to gossip and complain about each other. The storyline is set in 1969 that follows a group of shallow ladies led by Carol Burnett as the head of the Dellacorte family and his nephew who is played by Josh Lucas. Josh marries Wiig and they move to Florida where Maxine (Kristen's character) does everything she can to fit in. The ladies are played by Allison Janney, Leslie Bibb, Julia Duffy, and Claudia Ferri. Each of these ladies have their secrets which are kept by Burnett in her Rolodex. Laura and Bruce Dern play father and daughter where she tries to not emulate her persona as a former socialite. Ricky Martin plays Carol's caretaker as well as the resort's bartender. Wiig and Martin end up being great friends and rely on each other. Kaia Gerber who is Cindy Crawford's daughter plays Mitzi the town manicurist who befriends Maxine but by the end deceives her. The series ended on a cliffhanger much like a soap opera and hopefully we will see a second season. Each episode of the show tells us what Maxine is up to and where the story will take her next. I would love to see Wiig win an Emmy for her role, you could feel her struggles and achievements, and along with Burnett the whole storyline is long but gets better as it goes.

The show starts off slow but hints at strong story and character development. The stunning outfits, beautiful landscapes, and talented cast drew me in initially. None of the characters are likable but I guess that's the point and I don't mind it.

However, by the fifth and sixth episodes, I found myself wishing for it to end. I would scroll through my phone and feel like I didn't miss anything important. The plot becomes repetitive and tedious. Although we get to understand Maxine's story to some extent, it's hard to feel emotionally invested. I really like how invested she is into this role and everything she and others wear in the series.

I've gone back and forth between liking and not liking this show. On one hand I really wanted to like it, as the cast, wardrobe, and sets are so good. And I do think the show can be hilarious at times. The show can be a bit over the top, which can be off putting. But I can usually can over silly little plot oddities, but the ending to this first season was just downright awful. It's like the writers of this show wanted to make an Uber Shonda Rhimes drama laden version of the white lotus, with over the top humor. It's bizarre, but I did enjoy most of it. They're just trying way too hard. And again, what an absolute dumpster fire the final episode is.

There are so many elements that if assembled artfully could have made this spectacular, - I mean INCREDIBLE cast, production, location, etc. I was rooting for this show so much. It becomes a struggle to care about the characters' stories over time -- and that's really a bizarre anti-achievement because there are so many beloved actors who you just automatically are charmed by and cheer for. You can't HELP but love Kristen Wiig and the whole cast from the start and then all that potential just seems to drain away. I wonder if it needed someone like David Lynch to elevate it to where it seems like it wants to go.

I felt like I was being promised something great... eventually... and it never shows up (or hasn't yet).