Palm Royale Season 1 Finale: The Ending

The season finale of Palm Royale, titled "Maxine Throws a Party," culminates in a chaotic Beach Ball event where secrets unravel and violence erupts. Maxine's marriage to Douglas fractures when she discovers his infidelity with Mitzi and his plan to convert Norma's house into a club without her consent. As Maxine has a public breakdown on stage, Mary Jones, a communist operative hiding above the crowd, attempts to assassinate President Nixon but instead shoots Robert, leaving his survival uncertain as the season ends on a cliffhanger.

Expanded Narrative Account of the Season Finale

The evening of the Beach Ball arrives as the culmination of Maxine's desperate efforts to secure her place in Palm Beach society. This grand party represents everything she has worked toward throughout the season, her opportunity to prove herself worthy of acceptance among the elite. The event itself becomes the stage upon which all the accumulated tensions and hidden truths of the season explode into the open.

Maxine enters the evening with confidence, believing she has orchestrated the perfect evening. However, the foundation of her world begins to crack almost immediately. Douglas reveals to her his intention to transform Norma's house into a club, a business venture he plans to execute without seeking her approval or consent. This decision represents a fundamental betrayal of their partnership as husband and wife. Douglas has been pressured by a business partner into this scheme, and he becomes increasingly determined to move forward with the plan regardless of Maxine's objections. Maxine, deeply concerned about the consequences this will have for Norma and the stability of their household, refuses to sign off on the arrangement. The power struggle between them intensifies as Douglas pushes forward with his ambitions while Maxine digs in her heels in resistance.

The emotional weight on Maxine grows heavier when she learns a devastating truth: Douglas is the biological father of Mitzi's child. This revelation strikes at the heart of her marriage and her trust in her husband. Maxine, who had arrived in Palm Beach as a confident woman with grand aspirations, begins to lose her composure. She has already been abandoned by her astronaut lover and betrayed by those she considered friends. Now, facing the infidelity of her own husband, she reaches a breaking point.

In a moment of raw vulnerability and anger, Maxine confronts Norma about the older woman's plans to have her killed. The tension between these two women, which has simmered throughout the season, escalates dramatically. Maxine is unraveling, her carefully constructed facade crumbling under the weight of betrayal and abandonment.

Unable to contain herself any longer, Maxine exposes Douglas's infidelity publicly in front of their assembled guests, including the President of the United States. She has a complete breakdown on stage, her composure shattered, her dignity stripped away in front of everyone she has been trying to impress. This public humiliation represents the complete collapse of her social aspirations and her marriage.

Meanwhile, Evelyn Rollins faces her own crisis. She has been struggling to maintain her new relationship with Eddie, the tennis coach, but her lack of funds threatens to derail her plans to remain in Palm Beach and continue living the lifestyle she desires. When she discovers Linda and Virginia trapped in the basement of the Rollins mansion, she seizes an opportunity. She agrees to release them in exchange for the house and a substantial sum of money. This transaction allows Evelyn to secure her financial future and her place in Palm Beach society.

As Maxine's breakdown unfolds on stage, Mary Jones, a communist operative who has been hiding above the crowd, sees her moment. Mary has been planning to assassinate President Nixon throughout the season, and Maxine's public meltdown provides the perfect distraction. The Secret Service's attention is diverted by the chaos unfolding on stage as Maxine loses control. Mary takes her shot.

However, the bullet does not strike the President. Instead, it hits Robert, Maxine's only genuine friend and supporter in Palm Beach. Robert had removed his astronaut helmet and gone to the stage to console Maxine during her breakdown. He becomes the unintended victim of Mary's assassination attempt. Robert falls to the floor, and his survival remains uncertain as the season ends.

Maxine, already devastated by her public humiliation and the exposure of her husband's infidelity, now faces the possibility of losing the one person who has stood by her. Douglas attempts to comfort her as the episode concludes on this cliffhanger, leaving the fate of Robert and the future of Maxine's marriage and life in Palm Beach unresolved.

The fates of the main characters at the end of the season are as follows: Maxine's marriage to Douglas is severely damaged by his revealed infidelity and his unilateral business decisions. Maxine herself has been publicly humiliated and stripped of her social standing. Douglas remains in Palm Beach but with his marriage in jeopardy and his business plans now complicated by Norma's recovery from her coma. Norma, having awakened from her coma and secretly plotting against Maxine, survives the evening. Evelyn secures her financial future and her place in Palm Beach through her transaction with Linda and Virginia. Robert's survival is left in question, hanging in the balance as the season ends. Mary Jones's assassination attempt has failed, and she has shot the wrong target. The outcome of her actions and her fate remain unclear as the season concludes.

Based on the available information about Palm Royale, there is one confirmed death in the series.

Axel Rosenhips dies in Season 2, Episode 1. The circumstances surrounding his death remain deliberately ambiguous. Dinah had just ended her relationship with Axel when she discovers his lifeless body moments later. Prior to his death, Norma had met with Axel to "set things straight," making her the prime suspect in his mysterious demise. The exact cause of his death is left unclear--whether Norma poisoned him, manipulated him into ruin, or simply covered her tracks is never explicitly stated. What is clear is that Axel's cufflinks, which Dinah had gifted him, go missing after his death, suggesting foul play and Norma's involvement in covering up the circumstances.

The death serves as a turning point in Season 2, shifting the balance of power in Palm Beach and raising new questions about the lengths Norma will go to protect her secrets, particularly her true identity as Agnes masquerading as the wealthy Norma Dellacorte.