Carol Burnett’s surprising character name on Palm Royale came from a real-life sitcom the network once tried to force on her. In a major twist in the show’s second season, Burnett’s character, Norma Dellacorte, reveals her true identity is actually Agnes, and she is the biological mother of Linda Shaw, played by Laura Dern. The name “Agnes” was chosen by the show’s creator as a special nod to a pivotal moment in Burnett’s own career history. The reveal changes everything audiences thought they knew about the wealthy, scheming matriarch and reshapes her relationship with Dern’s activist character.
The Major Season 2 Reveal: Norma is Really Agnes
In the penultimate episode of Palm Royale Season 2, a huge secret comes to light. Laura Dern’s character, Linda, finds Carol Burnett’s character in a church. It is there that Burnett’s character asks to be called by her real name, Agnes, and confesses that she is Linda’s birth mother.
The story Agnes tells is one of sacrifice and hidden scandal. She explains that she had an affair with a married man, Skeet, which resulted in Linda’s birth. To protect everyone from the social ruin of an out-of-wedlock child in that era, Agnes made the painful decision to let Skeet and his wife, Evelyn, adopt the baby. To build a secure life, she had already taken on a new identity, assuming the name and wealth of her former boarding school roommate, the real Norma Dellacorte, after her death.
“Being here in this room where I first became someone else, I can be myself again,” Norma tells Linda in the emotional scene. “Losing you was the greatest pain of my entire life. I love you”.
For Burnett, this transformation was a key part of the character. “I love the fact that she’s redeemable in the end,” the actor said.
How a Rejected 1967 Sitcom Inspired the Name ‘Agnes’
The choice of the name “Agnes” is a deeply personal Easter egg from series creator Abe Sylvia, directly linked to Burnett’s real career struggles. In 1967, when Burnett was pushing CBS to give her a comedy-variety show, a network executive tried to steer her in a different direction.
Burnett recounted the story: “The CBS vice president didn’t want me to have an hour-long comedy variety show. ‘It’s a man’s game, and it’s not for women.’ And he said, ‘We’ve got this great sitcom that we’d love you to do, called, ‘Here’s Agnes.’ I said, ‘I don’t want to be Agnes every week’”.
She stood her ground, wanting the creative freedom of a variety show. This determination led to the creation of the legendary The Carol Burnett Show, which ran for 11 seasons. Decades later, Abe Sylvia remembered this piece of television history.
“[‘Palm Royale’ creator] Abe [Sylvia] remembered that. And that’s why he gave her that name,” Burnett explained.
The Real-Life Friendship Behind the On-Screen Mother-Daughter Bond
The powerful mother-daughter storyline in Palm Royale is made even more meaningful by the genuine, long-running friendship between Carol Burnett and Laura Dern. Dern, who is also an executive producer on the series, revealed that getting to work with Burnett was a major motivation for her.
“I had a mission to get as close to Carol as possible,” Dern said, “and if I had to produce a show to make it happen, I was going to do it”.
Their bond dates back to Dern’s childhood. They first met when Dern was 13 years old at a school assembly where Burnett and her daughter, Carrie, were speaking about substance abuse recovery. A friendship formed between their families that has lasted for decades. This off-screen connection deeply informed their performances in the dramatic revelation scene.
Burnett spoke about their unique relationship, noting, “I do feel that it’s kind of like a mother-daughter thing. Not even kind of like. It is a mother-daughter thing, and I’m grateful for it”.
Dern, who lost her own mother, actor Diane Ladd, in late 2025, has found special comfort in this bond. “Knowing Carol and having her in my life means more to me than she can know,” Dern shared.
A Classic Comedy Reunion with Vicki Lawrence
The second season of Palm Royale also features a beloved reunion between Carol Burnett and her longtime co-star Vicki Lawrence. Lawrence guest stars as Lottie, the eccentric mother of Burnett’s character, Agnes.
This marks the first time the two have acted together since The Carol Burnett Show ended in 1978. On that show, they famously played mother and daughter in the recurring “The Family” sketches, with Lawrence as the cantankerous Mama Thelma Harper and Burnett as her daughter, Eunice.
Lawrence shared that the dynamic between Lottie and Agnes is very different. “Agnes and Lottie have a much more close, loving relationship,” she explained. “Norma could go to her for advice, and she would be honest and loving about it. Thelma, not so much”.
The idea for the cameo came from creator Abe Sylvia, who asked Burnett if she would be okay with him offering the part to Lawrence. Burnett was thrilled, as she had been about to suggest the same thing. Lawrence brought the character to life with a unique accent inspired by advice columnist and TV personality Dr. Ruth Westheimer.
The Mystery of Norma and Agnes Was Planned From the Start
The big reveal that Norma is an imposter named Agnes was not a last-minute idea. Creator Abe Sylvia planted clues throughout the first season, building toward the mystery. In the Season 1 finale, a character named Axel mentions that Norma’s old boarding school roommate, Agnes, was diabetic and died young.
This detail is crucial because Robert, played by Ricky Martin, had intimate knowledge that Norma required care for diabetes. Putting these pieces together, Robert confronts her at the end of the first season, calling her “Agnes” and exposing that he knows her secret. This moment sets the stage for the full confession to Linda in Season 2.
Sylvia pointed out the irony of this hidden identity. Throughout the first season, Kristen Wiig’s character, Maxine, feels like an outsider pretending to belong in high society. “But Norma is the biggest impostor of all,” Sylvia noted.
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Where to Watch the Emotional Revelation
The episode containing the major reveal between Agnes and Linda, Season 2, Episode 9, is now available for streaming. The second season of Palm Royale premiered on Apple TV+ on November 12, 2025. New episodes were released weekly. The season concluded with its finale on Wednesday, January 14, 2026.
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