On Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed Season 1 Episode 10, “Queens,” Paula has her custody hearing as everything surrounding Trevor’s murder comes to a head.
The season finale solidly wraps up its numerous loose threads while introducing some new ones for a potential continuation. However, amid the episode’s numerous crescendos, one stands out as the emotional crux of, not only the finale, but the entire season.
Paula’s custody hearing centers a lot of the series’ quandaries and impeccably blossoms into an impactful button on Paula’s arc. After Karl and Mallory’s attorney grills Paula about her relationship with Trevor and her decision making, Paula launches into a seething and remarkable monologue about motherhood.
It’s here that Tatiana Maslany reminds us that she is one of the best of her generation as she unfurls a lot of the underbelly of the show.
Paula remarks that, while her life fell apart, she herself was not allowed to do the same. As she delivers this, we can physically feel Maslany trying to keep it together on the stand as she bares her soul. The acting choices intricately line up with the text itself to maximize the emotional impact.
Had Paula completely crumbled, she’d have been likely deemed unfit ages ago. She has been far from perfect, but she’s under far more scrutiny than Karl. His affair with Mallory is never brought up, but every tiny detail of Paula’s life is combed through.
There’s a brilliant moment where Paula acknowledges her decision to engage with a camboy stems from the practicality of it. She fit it into her life between her obligations as a mom. In motherhood, even private and personal moments for have to be thought of in relation to their child.
There has been a recent surge in media depicting the messiness of motherhood and Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed happily takes the baton here. Being a mother is hard, especially when the world comes crashing down around. Yet, you’re expected to carry along anyway with a smile.
None of Paula’s problems came from malice. One relationship she had pulled her into a darker rabbit hole. But she always kept Hazel’s safety at the forefront of her mind and, as the judge states, she never violated her agreement with Karl and Mallory.
Maslany breaks herself wide open in this hearing. She makes no attempt to hide Paula’s flaws and wears them proudly, all while making us feel the utter anguish of being repeatedly told you are not up to standard as a parent.
Amid the pain, we feel her love for Hazel so deeply. There’s never a question about whether or not she can show up for her. In fact, Maslany allows us to feel the her fatigue from continuing to show up despite the ordeal.
“Queens” is an exciting season finale, delivering on the crime thriller promised at the jump. At the center, though, is a testament to motherhood, specifically the moms who are trying their best even when everything around them is crumbling.
The show and Maslany maintained the heart and soul throughout. Though some elements were a bit uneven, they never lost sight of the emotional core and both the show and the performance are better off for it, making the end result all the more triumphant.
Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed operates in extremes, but it grounds itself in the relatable mess of parenting. More specifically it manages to be an honest representation of modern motherhood through the lens of this heightened experience.
Hopefully, a second season follows. With Paula being dragged somehow deeper and tensions with Karl higher than ever, there’s so much room to explore and push the domestic struggles father.
Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed streams Wednesday on AppleTV.
Follow us on X and on Instagram!
Like us on Facebook!
Adam Patla
Adam grew up less than 3 minutes away from a movie theater so he was always destined to love all things entertainment. He studied Broadcast & Cinematic Arts at Central Michigan University before working as a talent agent in the Chicago area until 2020. During lockdown he began discussing film and television on TikTok where he cultivated a platform of over 50,000 followers. He is currently a member of Chicago Indie Critics.