As of May 20, the first two of ten episodes of Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed are available to stream on Apple TV (the remaining episodes will be released one per week on Wednesdays). This dark comedy-thriller series was created by David J. Rosen (creator of Sugar, and writer of several episodes of Hunters and Citadel 2) and stars Tatiana Maslany, known for Orphan Black and She-Hulk.
If you’re looking for a miniseries—or at least a self-contained thriller series—it’s worth noting that this new series was written to continue into a second season, which has yet to be confirmed. But if you have the patience and are willing to take a chance, we promise that Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed will be worth your while. Here, then, is the plot summary and analysis (along with the trailer) of Apple TV’s new release.
What is Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed about?
Paula Sanders (Maslany) is a divorced, working mom trying to get by despite past traumas, shattered dreams, and life’s difficulties. She has a joint custody arrangement for her young daughter Hazel (Nola Wallace) with her ex-husband Karl (Jake Johnson from New Girl) and his new wife Mallory (Jessy Hodges), works as a fact-checker at a newspaper in New York, and finds time to coach her daughter’s soccer team.
So, to relieve stress and console herself amid her many problems, she occasionally chats online with a young “cam boy,” a guy she confides in and with whom she finds pleasure during virtual dates.
One day, Trevor (Brandon Flynn), the cam boy, is attacked and beaten while on a video chat with Paula, who is quick enough to record the entire incident on her cell phone. But that incident triggers consequences for Paula that are as unexpected as they are dramatic, threatening to turn her whole life upside down forever. Fortunately, she doesn’t give up easily, and with the help of her colleagues Rudy (Charlie Hall) and Geri (Kiarra Hamagami Goldberg), she’s determined to uncover the truth and prove her innocence to detectives Gonzalez (Dolly de Leon, seen in Nine Perfect Strangers 2) and Baxter (Jon Michael Hill).
Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed is a series not to be missed, but in a couple of months
We’ve already said this in general and about certain specific series (for example, Murderbot on Apple TV), and we can’t help but repeat ourselves regarding Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed: certain TV series aren’t meant for a slow release with one episode a week; they need to be watched all at once—or almost—in binge-watching mode.
As for Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, the problem isn’t so much (though it is a bit) the complexity of the plot and the details to remember, but rather the “emotional investment” required to immerse oneself in the story’s atmosphere and the level of engagement and connection that can be created with a roughly half-hour episode each week.
Because it’s true that Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed is fundamentally a comedy series—entertaining and brilliant in its darkness—thanks above all to the dynamics between Paula, Geri, and Rudy. But the protagonist ends up—and gets herself into—such a mess that it’s impossible not to feel anxious and eager to find out how it all ends. (And it does come to an end, though—as mentioned—with a clear and intriguing hint at a possible second season.)
Also noteworthy is the performance by Murray Bartlett (The Last of Us, The White Lotus, Nine Perfect Strangers 2), who can send chills down your spine with a single shift in expression. He, too, helps build the tension that is the best aspect of Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed. A series that is definitely worth watching, but it’s best to wait a little longer before starting it.
