With only three episodes left in its debut season, Apple TV‘s gripping dark comedic thriller Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed is seriously dialing up the drama.
After Episode 6 ended with one of TV’s most jaw-dropping deaths, Episode 7 wrapped with Paula (Tatiana Maslany) getting arrested for the murders of Jeffrey Thorwald aka Trevor (Brandon Flynn) and Samuel Frazier aka Sky (Daniel Dale). The final seconds of “Flighting” saw Paula being driven away in a cop car as Steve (Raymond Lee) walked to her apartment for her date. (UGH!) And in this week’s Episode 8, “Hallidays,” she’s locked up in prison. But not for long…
For Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed fans eagerly awaiting Episode 8’s premiere on Wednesday, July 1, DECIDER’s exclusive clip offers a first look at Karl (Jake Johnson) picking Paula up from prison. The two have an incredibly emotional conversation about the crimes she’s accused of and how the latest development impacts Hazel (Nola Wallace).
The 1:35 clip, featured at the top of this article, shows the exes reconnecting in the car as Karl desperately tries to understand what’s happening. When he plainly asks Paula to break it down for him, she keeps her guard up and replies, “I don’t know.” Before he can press her for more information, Paula changes the subject to her top priority: Hazel.
“Is she okay? I was supposed to FaceTime her before bed last night,” Paula asks. “Yeah, she’s fine,” Karl replies. “She doesn’t know anything. She just went to bed. She doesn’t know a thing.”
Feeling a shred of relief after learning that her image remains unchanged in Hazel’s mind, Paula attempts to convince Karl of her innocence. “I didn’t do what they say. You know that, right?” she asks. Rather than express unconditional support or even attempt to fake it, Karl keeps it real and simply replies, “It’s not for me, you know, to…”
Visibly rattled by the idea that Karl might not believe she was framed, Paula tries harder to get through to him. “Karl. You know that,” she stresses, emphasizing the weight that his opinion holds — both in the case and in her heart.
Maslany and Johnson deliver incredible, wide-ranging performances throughout Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed‘s entire first season. But the established chemistry they show in this scene, the palpable pain they exude, the tears that well in their eyes, and the impressive facial journeys they take will break your heart.
After Karl composes himself, he sets some firm boundaries. “I need to make something crystal clear. And I don’t think you’re gonna like it. Hazel’s gonna stay with us for now full-time. And you can visit her, obviously. But it has to be supervised, Paula. It’s gotta be me or Mel there. I think it’s just best for Hazel right now. Just cause there’s been some things that have been inconsistent. So if you want to fight, we can fight. But I don’t want to fight.”
Rather than push back and fight for custody as we’ve seen Paula do throughout the season, she accepts the severity of the situation and puts her daughter first. “I’m not going to fight you. You’re right,” she assures a tearful Karl.
The intimate, raw moment between the two ends with Paula whispering, “I’m sorry,” and leaning over to Karl in the driver’s seat for a much-needed embrace. BRB, CRYING!
On top of Paula getting bailed out of jail, the official synopsis for Episode 8 teases, “Paula hits rock bottom, but can’t let the investigation go. Rudy suspects Geri is keeping secrets.”
So mark your calendars for Wednesday, July 1. You won’t want to miss a second of what Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed has in store.
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