The high-stakes game of Palm Beach society hit a new level of absurdity and danger in the latest episode of Palm Royale. What started as a clever plan to catch a killer turned into a chaotic spectacle where secrets were spilled, alliances shattered, and a seemingly innocent bystander was revealed to be a master manipulator. The centerpiece of the madness was a funeral where the guest of honor was very much alive and hiding in her own coffin.
The plan was straightforward, at least for the characters of Palm Royale. To draw out the serial killer Norma, Virginia and Robert orchestrated a fake funeral for Maxine Dellacorte, using the body of her recently deceased twin sister, Mirabelle. Maxine was supposed to stay hidden at a local motel, keeping a low profile to sell the ruse. Meanwhile, her ex-husband, Douglas, was genuinely distraught, believing Maxine was truly dead.
The Motel Hideout Spirals into a Pool Party
From the beginning, the plan was doomed by Maxine’s personality. Feeling lonely and restless, she quickly broke her cover. She left her motel room and met a new friend, Bruce, who was relaxing in a hot tub. In typical Maxine fashion, she loudly confessed the entire scheme to him, ensuring her secret was no longer safe. Bruce, charmed by her chaotic energy, became an instant accomplice.
“Maxine immediately steps out of the motel room… it doesn’t take long for Maxine to scream at the top of her lungs about what’s going on,” one recap noted about her inability to stay hidden.
Her secretive adventure escalated when she and Bruce sneaked out to secretly watch her ex-husband Douglas. In a particularly dramatic moment, Maxine also spied on a distraught Mitzi, who was having a suspicious phone conversation. When Mitzi saw Maxine, she was so shocked she fainted. Bruce and Maxine carried her to bed and left, deepening Mitzi’s trauma.
Virginia was furious to discover Maxine had been out socializing, but her anger was no match for Maxine’s enthusiasm. Instead of laying low, Maxine turned the motel into a party venue, inviting the other core women of Palm Beach—Dinah, Ann, and Evelyn—who had also been sequestered there by Virginia, to a pool party hosted by Bruce. The women were relieved and delighted to see Maxine alive.
A Funeral Full of Shocks and Empty Coffins
Despite being expressly forbidden from attending the funeral for her own safety, Maxine felt compelled to say a proper goodbye to her sister Mirabelle. She and Bruce covertly traveled to the funeral home. Once inside, Maxine made a shocking discovery: the coffin was empty. Douglas, believing the body was Maxine’s, had honored what he thought were her wishes and had Mirabelle cremated.
When other guests arrived, Maxine had no choice but to hide inside the empty coffin.
The funeral service, led by Evelyn, began with its own set of dramas. Mary, acting under pressure from Norma, was there to deliver a message. She approached the coffin and opened it, revealing a very alive Maxine Dellacorte to the entire gathering. Mitzi, already on edge from her earlier encounter, completely broke down, screaming and fleeing the scene.
The chaos peaked when a grief-stricken Douglas gave a moving speech, apologizing for his past actions and declaring his love for his ex-wife of twenty years. Robert also shared heartfelt words. In the middle of these eulogies, Maxine sat up in the coffin, revealing to a stunned Douglas and the entire room that she was never dead.
“Maxine comes out of the coffin, revealing that she was never dead. Douglas is distraught, having endured a painful period thinking she was dead,” a recap described the pivotal moment.
Virginia later explained the entire scheme to Douglas, who forgave his ex-wife and gave her Mirabelle’s ashes. In a surreal act of closure, Maxine scattered her sister’s ashes in Bruce’s motel hot tub.
Major Revelations and a Surprise Villain
The episode ended with several game-changing twists that reshaped the entire season’s conflict. The biggest revelation was the true identity of the killer, Norma. Mary, who had been held hostage by Norma in her own home for three days, revealed that Norma is actually Robert’s mother. Her motives for targeting Maxine and others remain unclear but are now deeply personal.
However, an even more immediate threat emerged. Mary also referred to someone known as the “bootlegger,” whom she described as Norma’s “one chance at true love”. This person was revealed to be Jed, Evelyn’s seemingly devoted chauffeur and confidant.
This revelation connected directly to another shocking discovery. After a devastating fight with Eddie over an $8 million tax bill for the Palm Royale club, Evelyn was comforted by Jed. After he left, she found his wallet and discovered a photograph of Mitzi inside. This exposed that Jed is the father of Mitzi’s baby and that the two have been conspiring together, likely against Evelyn’s interests.
Also Read:
Meanwhile, Douglas, still carrying a torch for Maxine, convinced her to travel with him to Switzerland to sign over money. Virginia and Maxine quickly realized that if Jed and Norma are connected, and Norma is also heading to Switzerland, their entire group is walking into a trap.
In a secondary plot, Dinah finally uncovered the source of the threatening letters she had been receiving. The blackmailer was Miss Post, who was angry that Dinah had an affair with her partner, Nixon. Miss Post demanded Dinah retrieve a valuable Fabergé egg from Switzerland to buy her silence.
Also Read: Betamax Series: Release Date, Cast With Anthony Mackie, Jamie Dornan, And More Details
