Palm Royale, a series that plays host to an array of stories, hardly exemplifies romanticism. Yes, there are love stories, but they tend to be comical, scandalous, or transactional – a narrative that persists through Season 2, mirroring the first season's trajectory. However, Episode 5, aptly titled “Maxine Is Ready to Single Mingle,” introduces a captivating idea: What happens when one of these characters attempts to be genuinely romantic? What happens when Maxine, who has been synonymous with misfortune in love, desires to sincerely move on and seek a connection with someone? This question is not the only one raised in this episode, but it stands as a primary inquiry. It applies to Robert as well, who is striving to find a meaningful connection in a world that is completely unaccommodating to his preferences. Authenticity is a foreign concept in this superficial environment, making it an unfertile ground for romance.
We begin with Linda, who, after being spirited away by Douglas, has taken up the revolutionary cause in Cuba. She teams up with Che Guevara's half-brother to teach the children of Sierra Madre how to read. But such charitable endeavors require funding, and for that, Linda turns to Maxine in Palm Beach. She sends a message via the radio – which Mary initially mistakes for a message from the spirit world – with instructions for Maxine to meet a courier and hand over $100,000, using a dopey code phrase to confirm she's dealing with the right person.
Meanwhile, Maxine is busy. Following the previous episode's events, she's dating Dr. Dusty Magic but is oddly reluctant to reciprocate his advances. She's also technically broke. The Rollins estate, which she's the conservator of, has been frozen, and she and Evelyn are still trying to purchase the Palm Royale. Robert won't write her a check, and she can't turn to Doug for help since he has been kidnapped – again, thanks to those pesky Nazis! The Rollins' gold reserves are no good due to the FBI's valuation, and then the estate gets cleared out. The cruel irony is that even if they had the combined value of everything present, it wouldn't have come close to the $100K needed.
Regarding Doug's kidnapping, there's a humorous misconception involved. Dinah, thanks to her rudimentary grasp of Spanish, thinks he's being held by Pinky and Raquel and is due for an imminent fate worse than death. Perry comes up with the idea of using an upcoming square dance at Madge Post's – where everyone who's anyone will be present – to create a distraction and give someone enough time to sneak in and free Doug. Maxine and Dusty will also be there since Madge is the only person who will buy gold.
This is not the only prize she has acquired; it turns out she's also in possession of 11 out of 12 Romanov Fabergé eggs and, thanks to a deal with the authorities, the entire ill-gotten Rollins estate. She employs the desperation of Maxine and Evelyn to outbid them on the gold, but even this lousy deal provides them with enough funds to purchase the Palm Royale and send Linda a hundred grand. Meanwhile, Pinky and Raquel's distraction gives Perry the opportunity to sneak away and try to free Doug, only to discover that he was never their captive in the first place. Earlier, Raquel's mention of a literal pig being slaughtered hints at Doug's double-agent status with the FBI.
Palm Royale Season 2, Episode 5 leans more towards social satire than political intrigue, as Perry is preoccupied with the aforementioned shenanigans while Dinah is forced to excuse his absence at a dance attended by a mob of enthusiastic Republicans. The crafty Richard Nixon enlists Dinah's help in convincing Perry to run for mayor as a toothless Democrat to ensure a Republican victory. Dinah must establish Perry's Democratic credentials by taking to the stage and proclaiming things like "Perry supports women's rights!" to the raucous crowd. It's hilarious in real time.
The Doug kidnapping creates confusion for Maxine and Evelyn, who after hearing about it from Robert, who was enjoying an evening with Tom in the empty FBI offices, offers Pinky and Raquel the Dellacorte mansion in exchange for his release, unaware that they don't even have him. After a falling out with Evelyn over who's at fault for the seizure of her assets, Maxine at least discovers that Dusty is Linda's elusive courier, and she decides to celebrate by sleeping with him - the first time we learn she will ever sleep with anyone other than Doug. But of course, Doug himself arrives to ruin the tryst, fresh from his interrogation at the hands of the Feds. Even though Maxine is trying to get rid of Doug, Dusty mistakes their intimacy for a sign that he should make his excuses and leave, ruining Maxine's romantic ambitions.
Speaking of which - while things seem to be going swimmingly for Robert and Tom, Palm Royale Season 2, Episode 5 ends by throwing a further wrench in the works with the last-minute appearance of Reginald, the fake Prince of Luxembourg Robert had earlier mentioned as the man he had almost run away with before Tom arrested him. I'm sure that'll go swimmingly.
