Palm Royale is much more than just another Apple TV drama. Following its first season, the series proved to be a nostalgic cocktail of 1960s Florida, overflowing with secrets and lies among the crème de la crème of fashionable society – there was even a dash of political conspiracy for good measure.
It's a unique concoction for a series that, on the surface, might just look like a luxurious Slim Aarons' photoshoot brought to life. But the show's sun-drenched style, which creator Abe Sylvia admitted took inspiration from Aarons' photography, and sunny disposition is only part of the intrigue. There’s far more lurking in the shadows than meets the eye.
"They're not as bright or colorful or Slim Aarons-y, but we always say that [Palm Royale] is like if Hitchcock did a comedy," Wig revealed, before Chardae Robinson added, "well, how about this one, Kristen? It's like Alfred Hitchcock meets Bewitched."
While the pair agree that the show is a throwback to sitcoms from the era that balanced escapism with social commentary, which it does seamlessly just like Bewitched once did, the mystery element of Palm Royale is undeniable, forming the backbone of the suspenseful storylines throughout the series.
The period drama's mystery blends seamlessly with humor, but – thankfully – without a laugh track punctuating every joke, as so many sitcoms of that time did. In fact, the script leans more toward dark comedy. "I like to think of it like if Big Little Lies and Bridesmaids had a baby," Chardae Robinson said.
What does the cast say we can expect from Palm Royal season 2?
With Palm Royale season 2 arriving on Wednesday, November 12, can fans of the Apple TV Original's first chapter expect more of the same? Absolutely. From what I've seen of the first nine episodes, the show has topped up its winning formula with even more over-the-top drama and vintage kitsch than a grasshopper martini.
It's the show's dazzling style and unique mix of genres that helps make its parallels with today's social media culture go down more smoothly, according to Sylvia. "We're definitely holding up a mirror to contemporary society," he revealed. "And yet, because of the setting and because of the time, I think we create just enough distance that audiences can laugh.
"I think that's where setting it in the past allows for people to come to it and not feel like maybe the show is a judgment or anything – that they can escape into another time and place, and then hopefully come out of it reflecting on their own lives and the world as we're living in it contemporaneously."
Much of the pressure that Kristen Wiig’s character, Maxine Delacourt, puts on herself to fit in with the status quo remains all too familiar in today’s online-driven world. This forms the biggest overarching theme of the series and remains a major part of season 2. "It's about how we define our idea of happiness," Sylvia explained. "What are the benchmarks to say, ‘if I get to this place, will I be happy then?’ And I think so many of us keep thinking that our happiness is somewhere outside of ourselves. 'If I just accomplish this, if I just get that job, if I just get that person to love me, I’ll be happy.' And I think all of our characters are on their own personal journeys toward a goal outside themselves that they think will make them happy. Watching them stumble along the way, that’s where the comedy comes from."
The next installment also promises even more comedic chaos with new faces to stir up the Palm Royale universe. "Certainly, Patti LuPone’s character comes in mid-season and shakes up the world," Sylvia said. "Vicki Lawrence’s character expands the universe in ways that I think the audience will find really exciting."
Above all, he wants audiences to be moved by the upcoming season. "I hope audiences, as they're entertained, see something of themselves in Maxine's journey. That they see something of themselves in Evelyn and Diana's journey. You always want people to be moved, and I want them to have had a good time."
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