Critic Reviews

The star power in the series is undeniable, but the true hero of the show is its craft, which allows the series to stake its claim as the most fascinating thriller of the year.

It’s a sure-footed and completely bingeable thriller with an edge of unpredictability that holds you doubly fast to your seat.

While Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed might not be the most enjoyment I’ve ever derived from a TV show, its addictive combination of light comedy, unpredictable twists and sharp character work — all anchored by Tatiana Maslany’s fearless-as-usual lead performance — add up to one hell of a good time.

Maslany is the dynamic center of a story that twists in unexpected directions, giving Paula enough intelligence, warmth, and edginess to make her character cohere. Around her, Rosen builds an ensemble out of well-matched duos, drawn in enough detail to give the series potential beyond its first season.

The series initially presents itself as a dark comedy, but it quickly turns into a cat-and-mouse game with enough twists and turns to make the casual viewer dizzy — but hardly ever bored.

”Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed,” a 10-episode series on Apple TV created by David Rosen, is messy — the sloppy joe of streaming. And it is a lot of fun. The plot spills all over the side of the bun, into your lap and onto the floor. You’ll never enjoy cleaning up more.

Many things work in Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed’s favor, distinguishing it from some of the duller comps in the past several years. (Apple TV’s leaden The Last Thing He Told Me immediately comes to mind.) Maslany is the first and most crucial.

The pieces of its puzzle—involving a single mom and a murder mystery that begins online—don’t all fit together perfectly, but it’s hard to care too much about an abundance of coincidences and lucky timing on a show this well-paced, wonderfully performed, and unpredictable.

The overall execution is solid (everything makes way more sense than recent “average folks do crime” shows like “Big Mistakes” and “Imperfect Women.”), the cast is charming (shout-out to Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ son, Charlie Hall, for escaping Ryan Murphy-land), and the parallels between Paula’s experience and our own prove unmistakable, persuasive, and cathartic.

With an intensive story, an intriguing mystery at the heart of it, and a performance that reminds us of Maslany’s immense caliber of talent, the show solidifies itself as a must-watch.