For the first time in Palm Royale Season 2, the episode 6 sees a noticeable dip in momentum. "Maxine Finds Herself," a title that plays with double meanings, is not without its merits; it boasts slapstick physical comedy and a hilarious drunken performance by Kristen Wiig. However, it also feels a bit leisurely, devotes much of its runtime to a plot twist introduced out of nowhere, and seems to shortchange some other more compelling aspects of the narrative. It's not poor by any stretch; it's just a step back after the exceptional episodes in this season.
I do appreciate the gimmick introduced last week, using Linda's fortunes abroad as a counterpoint to Maxine's waning luck at home. Now, Maxine has made her way to Russia with a new man and an old fortune, and things seem to be working out well for her. However, for Maxine, it's not the same story. Virginia thinks – or at least J. Edgar Hoover thinks and is relaying it through Virginia – that Palm Beach is rife with Russian mobsters connected to Pinky, and thus to the Palm Royale. She also learns, rather suddenly, that she has a twin sister.
This revelation comes at an inopportune time. Maxine returns home to find herself sleeping on the couch, and the revelatory moment of her long-lost twin named Mirabelle gives Wiig a great opportunity to showcase a ridiculous new mode of performance but creates all kinds of new problems for Maxine. Naturally, she wants to know everything she can about her relative, who apparently lived with their parents and clearly likes a drink (among other things), but their attempted bonding sessions are continually interrupted by problems.
And the problems are everywhere. Evelyn has made Maxine persona non grata, Dinah is receiving death threats after her political speech, Mitzi is throwing a combined baby and bridal shower, and Robert manages to torpedo his love life – and potentially Tom's entire life – in about five minutes after accidentally letting it slip to lifelong conman Reginald that Tom is gay. He also kissed Reginald, though his heart wasn't in it, but Tom sees them anyway.
This isn't all. Due to Doug's disappearing act, Pinky requires some form of recompense and decides that being made godfather of his unborn child would suffice. He agrees to it and then has to reveal this to Mitzi at the "Braby" shower. It's a mess for everyone, and you can tell he's had just about enough of his circumstances. This is what striving for more gets you, I suppose. He would have arguably been better off with Maxine, who still can't quite seem to divorce herself from him mentally, even if the papers have been signed physically.
In the sixth episode of Palm Royale Season 2, the "relationship" takes a hilarious turn as Douglas encounters Mirabelle, cosplaying as Maxine. The ensuing comical chaos is a perfect example of the show's penchant for exaggerated physical comedy, which it sometimes indulges in but doesn't always have an excuse for. Mirabelle serves as the perfect excuse, providing not only comedic relief but also a clever way for Maxine to have her "lightbulb moments"—like going after Pinky for tax evasion, which requires stealing his ledger—and for Wiig to engage in confrontations that wouldn't quite work for Maxine's character alone.
Of course, Mirabelle is a conwoman, whose true nature is eventually discovered by Robert (via Tom) and passed on to Virginia. But her motives are not necessarily impure as far as Maxine is concerned. She was apparently told by a handsome gay conman—I think we all know who—that she had a twin and wanted to meet her. However, her striking resemblance to Maxine has both upsides and downsides. One of the downsides is that she slept with Doug while pretending to be Maxine. But the upside is that she has the ledger, presumably from Raquel, which she eventually hands over.
"Maxine Finds Herself" ends with a reveal—or at the very least an implication—of Evelyn's true colors. The final image of the episode is of Mirabelle being shot, floating face down in the pool, with Evelyn standing over her. The implication is clear: Is Evelyn so desperate to profit for herself that she was willing to shoot Maxine in the back? We'll have to wait and see, but stranger things have indeed happened.
