Palm Royale Season 2 Review: A splashy return with one twist too many
Look, if you fell for Palm Royale's fizzy charm last time around, Season 2 meets you at the door with a wink and a martini. It's louder, loopier, and kind of thrilling in that way where you're grinning while thinking, "Wait… how many schemes are we juggling now?" It's fun. It's also a lot.
The headline is simple: Kristen Wiig (movies and tv series) is the engine, and the show knows it. Around her, the ensemble swirls through Miami sun, smoky back rooms, and those perfectly staged flashbacks that feel like memories caught in a snow globe. And because this is Palm Royale, the fantasy flourishes and in-camera tricks aren't garnish-they're part of the punch.
Maxine Simmons still runs the room
We pick up with Maxine in full Doris Day (movies and tv series) mode-bright, brazen, and impossible to pin down. Across 10 episodes, she slips from comedy to heartbreak to backroom bargaining without breaking a sweat. That range is the season's anchor. You believe Maxine can charm a ballroom and then talk her way out of a police station… sometimes on the same night.
Maxine Simmons (movies and tv series) in a song and dance number in the Palm Royale in Palm Royale S2
There's a line that lands like a mission statement: "You seem to be in the middle of every major crime in Palm Beach." It's a joke, sure, but it's also the map. Wherever Maxine steps, the ground shifts. And honestly, that's why you watch.
Allison Janney finds the quiet power in Evelyn
Allison Janney (movies and tv series) doesn't steal scenes here; she salts them. Evelyn Rollins is sharp, status-obsessed, and quietly terrified of being left behind. Janney plays the panic in between the punchlines, which makes Evelyn's dry zingers hit harder.
"Don't worry, Dinah, I can be alone with other people's husbands." It's mean, funny, and a little sad. That's Evelyn in one breath. Her relationship moments feel transactional and tender at the same time-which, if you've ever watched people keep score at a charity gala, rings very true.
Norma Dellacorte still holds the crown
Carol Burnett (movies and tv series) remains the show's secret weapon. Norma controls the social chessboard with a smile and a ledger. When she says to Robert, "Shakespeare said, what's in a name?" it isn't literature-it's warning. The Dellacorte name is currency, and she spends it ruthlessly.
Burnett flips from ice-cold to oddly warm in a blink, which keeps the stakes human. You get why everyone orbits Norma; she's terrifying, but she's also the only one who seems completely sure of herself.
The twist problem (and why it might not matter)
The season's biggest gamble is the sheer volume of reveals. Secret alliances. Sudden reversals. Long-simmering scandals. There are stretches where the show barrels forward so fast you might feel like you missed a step. Some viewers will love the excess. Others will want a breather.
Maxine gets a great line about the game: "Palm Beach is a game, and Norma is playing it without me." That's the energy-cat-and-mouse, except there are four cats, five mice, and the board keeps changing shape. If you're here for clean arcs and tidy payoffs, parts of this might frustrate you. If you like being tossed around by a glittery hurricane, you're in business.
The look, the feel, the vibe
Visually, the show's having a blast. Flashbacks nod toward The Royal Tenenbaums; the fashion winks at swinging '60s chic with a Warhol sheen. The musical stings and dreamlike transitions aren't decoration-the style is doing story work.
And yes, Ricky Martin (movies and tv series) is a legit highlight. He holds the screen against heavy hitters and adds a grounded warmth whenever things start to spin.
Maxine Simmons and Douglas Delacorte Simmons in conversation in Palm Royale S2
Does Season 2 deliver?
Short answer: yeah. It's breathless and sometimes borderline chaotic, but the performances snap everything into place. Wiig is magnetic, Burnett is lethal, and Janney slips in with surgical precision. The finale pays off enough cliffhangers to satisfy, even if a couple resolutions feel like they were pulled from a very glamorous hat.
For awards watchers, there's plenty to talk about-performances first, craft close behind. Whether the plot density helps or hurts during voting? We'll see. But the show's pulse is strong.
Palm Royale Season 2 premieres Nov. 12 on Apple TV+. You can find the series page on Apple's platform here. Curious about awards chatter and past nominations? The Television Academy's page is a good bookmark here.
Bottom line
Palm Royale Season 2 is a sparkling cocktail: sweet, strong, occasionally too much. But you'll keep sipping. Because Wiig's Maxine makes the hangover worth it.
Pros
- Kristen Wiig, Carol Burnett, and Allison Janney firing on all cylinders.
- Bold style choices that actually serve the story.
- That theme song still hits like a welcome back hug.
Cons
- Twist overload may feel like homework for some viewers.
Score: 8/10
