From creator and showrunner David J. Rosen, Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed stars Tatiana Maslany as newly-divorced mum Paula, who falls into a rabbit hole of blackmail, murder and youth soccer after being convinced she witnessed a crime during one of her facetimes with young ‘cam-man’ (Trevor), played by the synonymously erratic and endlessly charming Brandon Flynn. Detectives deeming the crime a scam, Paula begins her own investigation.
Episode One, entitled ‘Magnets’ immediately submerges audiences into the chaos of Paula’s world, introducing us to key relationships in her life: Trevor, her ex-husband (a level-headed, loose-lipped Jake Johnson) and her young daughter, Hazel. When Trevor is attacked during his cam sessions with Paula, she becomes a victim of incessant phone calls threatening her family, and we witness her spiral into neurosis — with the default Apple ringtone becoming an antagonist of its own, the upbeat and synthetic marimba suffocates both Paula and audiences with its unwelcome repetition.
‘Magnets’ is an exceptional pilot. The ensembles’ ability to command the screen with a synonymous emotionality and humour is a joy (and nightmare) to behold. Episode One closes on a bloody, No Caller ID crescendo sure to spike the blood pressure and have audiences running for the second episode.
Episode Two, entitled ‘YABA’, continues to construct and develop the slice-of-life that audiences were thrown into during Episode One. Maslany and Johnson are strong scene-partners, their dynamic as ex-partners is naturalistic to a degree of discomfort – their individual performances as undeniably dichotomous individuals strengthening the strain which undercurrents their family. Further examination of the treatment suffered by Paula’s colleagues at their news organisation contributes to the conversation surrounding the intrinsic misogyny which dictates the workplace, of which Kiarra Hamagami Goldberg is the standout, and an exciting new actress to keep an eye on.
The opening two episodes are a masterclass in the infamous slow-burn narrative technique often employed during a classic murder mystery. With a complex female protagonist who challenges the thriller genre as a whole, the real chaos and anxiety stem from the intimate observation of Paula’s position as a woman, editor and mother in modern society.
Expertly written, witty and dark, Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed offers a refreshing perspective on motherhood. The confident characterisation of Paula and the world around her presents audiences with a messy, comedic and unforgiving lens into womanhood, female desire and gendered societal expectations — which, in all its realism, is both life-affirming and infuriating. This is a wild ride. Maslany is intoxicating and overwhelmingly human as Paula — her performance is outstanding.
Streaming on Apple TV from May 20th / Tatiana Maslany, Jake Johnson, Jessy Hodges, Jon Michael Hall, Donnie de Leon / Created by David J. Rosen / Apple TV
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