Catch up first: read Anika’s Episode 1 review, Episode 2 review, Episode 3 review, Episode 4 review, Episode 5 review, Episode 6 review, Episode 7 review, Episode 8 review and Episode 9 review before diving into this Episode 10 spoiler review.
With stellar needle drops, gratifying (temporary) resolutions, Tatiana's continued acting prowess, and ever unfolding twists and turns, the finale of Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed was more satisfying than I had expected. While there were definitely some strange choices, disappointments and lingering questions, I found myself cautiously intrigued about where the story will go from here.
After a season of immense struggle, things are initially looking up for Paula. In the finale, the show begins to release its pressure valve and gives Paula some wins. We quickly learn that she was not shot (I was proud I guessed that right!), and she confronts the big bad co. (unofficially coined by me) with a level of confidence surprising for someone unarmed and with minimal definitive evidence. Regardless, the blackmail seems to work out for Paula. We quickly learn that Dennis is still alive, and just as quickly he is promptly dispatched by big bad co. with a suicide confession note in tow. This exonerates Paula and she is soon joyfully reunited with Hazel. All within the first 10 minutes. I knew this happily ever after was too good to be true, but just like Paula, I wanted to believe it. Even for a moment.
Paula's winning streak seems to continue as she wins the custody battle with a heartfelt plea, and later rightfully tells Karl to get his shit together. Tatiana Maslany absolutely stole the show in her courtroom monologue, moving me once again to tears. It felt especially vindicating to see her win against everyone who was against her - wishy-washy Karl, conniving Mallory and that shame-y, slimy lawyer. I stand by the fact that Tatiana Maslany really carries this show. She was the reason I was interested and the reason I continued to stay invested.
In this episode, Paula also seems to be able to enjoy herself again - embodying absolute joy and relief with Hazel, leaning into her budding romance with Steve - putting the past behind her. However, throughout the episode something darker is looming. The music in the episode expertly captures this ongoing contrast, with songs that are instrumentally joyous but lyrically melancholic. The most evocative song of the episode for me was Once in a Lifetime by Joshua Idehen (ft. The Social Singing Choir), which provided a beautiful backdrop to Paula's reunion with Hazel. He sings, "And you may ask yourself, 'Well/How did I get here?' ". These lyrics are so fitting for Paula's journey. She has found herself in the most unexpected of places, at the edge of an ocean of loss, but found her way back to Hazel, her centre, her constant, her home. Music supervisor Gabe Hilfer really choose the perfect music for this series and absolutely knocked it out of the park in the finale.
Now for the strange choices and disappointments. The attempt at a Geri/Rudy romance moment was an odd and confounding choice. It felt forced and out of place. I couldn't fully understand why Geri was suddenly interested in Rudy. The romantic interest was not there at all throughout the series, so it felt incongruent for it to happen now. Perhaps this plot point was an attempt to show her sense of loneliness? If so, it wasn't clear. I sense that the writers needed something to propel Geri back to her hit piece and set up tension for a potential season 2, but this felt unearned and inconsistent.
Additionally, when reflecting on my questions from earlier this season, I've concluded that while the show has some things to say about sex work, it doesn't go far enough. In Paula's moving courtroom speech, she speaks to how her relationship with TrevorJeff satisfied an unfilled need in her life, when her sense of self was subsumed by motherhood. Her statement here alongside what we learn about his other clients demonstrate the emotional needs that sex workers can fulfill. That illuminates a key aspect of sex work, the intersection of physical and emotional pleasure and relief, however it feels surface level as the show does little to humanize the sex workers themselves. They seem to use them more as a plot device rather than engage with their lives meaningfully. Looking at the season as a whole, this is disappointing. Sex workers are not a monolith and deserve to be represented beyond stereotype. If this show gets a second season and chooses to continue to engage with the world of sex work, I hope that they are able to address this complexity more meaningfully.
Overall, I found myself mixed on this episode and the season as a whole. I started with a lot of optimism for the season, but found it got repetitive quite quickly. The acting hit the mark, but the story beats often felt rushed and at times a little too opaque. The music, of course, always hit.
It seems that I am not alone in this experience as the public opinion is quite mixed. Some people love it, some people hate it. What it does right is that it gets people talking. I wouldn't be surprised if it gets a second season run. However it's hard to say if the mixed reviews put it at risk.
But where does the story go from here? To end the season on a cliffhanger without a promise of a second season is a bold move. Plenty of shows have done this, but in the current television landscape where shows are being cancelled constantly and swiftly, it's absolutely a risk. The ending seems to set up another blackmail plot this time with higher stakes. There's potential for a new intriguing direction, but also for more of the same. If renewed, my hope is that they take the lessons from season one and take things in a new direction.
Despite my qualms and hesitations, Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed gets just enough right that I can't help but be intrigued about where they may go next. If there is a second season, one thing is for certain, I'll be tuning in.