Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed Season 1 Episode 8 Review: Dancing With Shadows at Rock Bottom
Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, Season 1, Episode 8, “Hallidays,” is a slow but steady march toward the narrative endgame. It doesn’t give us much in the grand scheme of things; rather, it acts as a bridge for the final two episodes of the season.
Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, “Hallidays”
That said, there are certainly some breadcrumbs worth paying attention to. Detective Gonzales seems perplexed when Paula mentions being visited by two lawyers at Rikers, so she’ll undoubtedly look into that. Ash’s escape from the police station is a loose end. Karl finally seems to be pulling away from Mallory.
There’s a prevailing theme of “Who do you trust?” in this show, and it’s like a blaring siren in “Hallidays.” Paula inadvertently tells the fake Halliday her whole story, thinking she can trust the latter. Karl questions Mallory’s motives after she claims that Karl breaking Paula out of Rikers will “play great” in the custody trial.
Rudy calls out Geri for her betrayal, and while he wasn’t Team Paula on last week’s episode, he seems to be circling back to her as Geri pulls away. It’s an intriguing role reversal, to be sure. Paula trusts Ash enough to accompany her to the police station to help exonerate her, but Ash flees.
Not Helpful
If anything, it’s everyone for themselves on Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed. Paula understandably lambastes Detective Gonzales for not helping her from the jump.
It’s a clever, in-your-face meditation on the trustworthiness of law enforcement. Can we trust them to defend the innocent? To help when help is needed? It’s a conversation we’ve been having for years, as many people rightfully call for the dismantling of a system that doesn’t serve the public. And it’s clear here that Gonzales and Detective Baxter are more interested in arresting someone than actually solving these crimes.
“Hallidays” finds Paula at rock bottom, but just when you think rock bottom is, well, the bottom, Paula finds a door, leading her deeper underground. She can’t help herself; however, at least now she has a reason to keep digging—her reputation and her child are on the line.
Messy and Fun
Tatiana Maslany makes Paula a character worth rooting for, even when she makes mistake after mistake. We women aren’t perfect, and having a messy protagonist like Paula injects an enjoyable “frustration” into the narrative. Sure, we’re yelling at our screens as Paula makes yet another poor decision, but it’s still fun to watch as all get-out.
Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed doesn’t offer its strongest outing this week. That said, there’s still plenty to love, namely the fascinating character dynamics, Maslany’s consistently solid performance, and a mystery with many layers worth peeling back. We’ve got two episodes left, and this is clearly significantly bigger than Dennis (although I don’t think he’s dead).
Stray Observations:
- I’m obsessed with the jean jacket Paula wears when she breaks into Dennis’s house. Gimme, gimme.
- I love that Paula gets out on bail for double homicide and immediately breaks the law. That’s my messy queen.
- Yeesh. A cactus to the face would definitely hurt. I’m not envying Ash here.
- I think the woman who posed as the fake lawyer is the Jennifer who Brian called last week to “finish the job.” Forming a prayer circle around Rudy, since she’s clearly tracking Dennis’s phone, which he now has.
- Why would Paula allow Ash to use the bathroom at the police station? She was clearly trying to escape from the get-go.
- I hope that Paula clears the air with Steve at some point. Poor dude got unintentionally stood up for a date.
- The show is currently No. 1 on Apple TV’s Top 10 list. I’m willing to bet (some) money that this series will get a second season.
What did you think of this episode of Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave your own rating!
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Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed airs new episodes every Wednesday on Apple TV.
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Melody McCune
Melody loves TV. Maybe too much. Besides being a Senior Writer for Tell-Tale TV, she's the Managing Editor for Geek Girl Authority, an Independent Contractor for Sideshow Collectibles, and a Senior Writer for Eulalie Magazine. Additionally, she has bylines in Culturess, Widget, and inkMend on Medium. To top it all off, she's a critic for Rotten Tomatoes and CherryPicks.