From start to finish, Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed lived up to its title.

The Season 1 finale of Apple TV‘s hit dark comedic thriller premiered on July 15, delivering a resolution to the penultimate episode’s cliffhanger, a verdict in Paula’s (Tatiana Maslany) murder case and custody battle with Karl (Jake Johnson), palpable chemistry between Rudy (Charlie Hall) and Geri (Kiarra Hamagami Goldberg), and another shocking twist that will have viewers praying for a Season 2.

In honor of the eventful episode, DECIDER chatted with Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed‘s stars and creator about some of the Season 1 finale’s biggest moments. So buckle up as Maslany, Hall, Goldberg, and David J. Rosen take you behind the scenes.

Another Killer Death Scene

Two of the episode’s biggest jaw-dropping moments were undoubtedly the reveal that Dennis (Bartlett) was ALIVE — despite being shot in the face by Paula — and his ensuing suicide, which was staged to exonerate Paula. For those wondering, yes. The team was tempted to keep Dennis around longer “just to hang out with Murray.”

“He’s the greatest,” Rosen told Decider. “We always planned that [Episode 6] moment. And as we were getting close to it and loving his performance, and literally loving him as a human, it was one of those looking at yourself super close in the mirror moments, being like, ‘You’re going to do this. You’re really going to do this.’ And we stuck to our guns. But we did get one more taste. That was a fun little trick.”

Maslany Takes A Stand After Paula Takes The Stand

Since Paula was exonerated for murder right before her custody hearing, Karl’s lawyer tried to smear her relationship by questioning her involvement with a camboy instead. The deepest connection and emotional anchor of the series has been Paula and Hazel’s (Nola Wallace) relationship, so it’s no surprise that the mother’s love for her daughter captivated the courtroom.

“I’m the only mother in this room…When my marriage ended, it destroyed me. I was a wreck, but I had a kid. So I couldn’t be a wreck. I wasn’t gonna meet some guy at the farmer’s market or a book club. So I went online for some companionship. I could schedule that between school pickups and work deadlines. Do you think that was optimal? Do you think that was my life plan? It was fucking survival,” Paula said, stressing that she carried Hazel for nine months and they share an unbreakable bond.

If the scene struck a chord with viewers watching at home, Maslany could “100%” relate.

“The fact that she’s on trial because she sought out some pleasure and sexual satisfaction, and she did it in the only way that was available to her and a totally legit way — that that is on trial, her purity, and her worth and ability as a mother, is really fascinating to me,” Maslany told DECIDER over Zoom. “It’s interesting to me that Karl has an affair and that sex life is never questioned. The fact that Hazel is aware of it is not questioned. But Paula’s sex life is questioned. That double standard was so alive for me, and just as a woman, just to be judged for those very basic needs and impulses and desires was very visceral for me.”

Turning The Tables On Karl

Karl and Mal were sure they’d won full custody, but in a classic Maximum Pleasure twist, the judge ruled in Paula’s favor and ordered Hazel to remain in New York. In another win, Paula shared a deliciously cathartic moment with Karl, who begged her for logistical help after losing. “I think that I’m Hazel’s mom, not yours. And I think you should figure it out,” Paula said before feeding his own words back to him and triumphantly walking away. “I think you need to tighten your shit up, Karl.”

Was the scene as satisfying to film as it was to watch? You bet! “She’s not a high road taker, I don’t think. And she’s withstood so much judgment about how she lives from him. He always knows what’s right. She’s always doing it wrong,” Maslany shared. “There’s an element of controllingness in that dynamic. And I think just her being able to win for one second, she’s going to take it. She’s going to shove his face in it in a way that feels nice for her, and that just totally decimates him. It’s a fun little win.”

Geri And Rudy’s Will-They-Won’t-They

Thankfully, Season 1’s finale saw Paula and Steve (Raymond Lee) finally kiss. And though Geri and Rudy took the next step in their will-they-won’t-they relationship by holding hands, Geri was crushed to learn that Rudy just got back together with his ex. When she headed to the office after learning the news, she said, “fuck it!” and pushed forward with her harmful article about Paula’s camboy chaos, a decision that Goldberg feels was directly fueled by heartbreak.

“I think that rejection is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. I think she is on a tightrope when it comes to deciding whether to do this or not, and not having the foresight of what the consequences actually would be. You see that when she’s talking to her boss and being called this scheming person. And it’s like, ‘Wait, is that actually what I’m doing?’ And maybe that’s a little naive, but I think it’s just because she is caught up in both sides of it,” Goldberg told DECIDER.

“This friendship that is happening and developing is real, but everyone on this show is dealing with their own stuff. And I think that while Geri does value the friendship with Paula, there are things that she’s got to deal with. I think that she’s like, ‘No one’s really going to do this thing for me besides me. And if this is my best way to do it, is that the choice that I have to make?’ And I don’t think it’s made lightly, but the emotions are high because of the rejection. So she’s like, ‘Let’s go for it,’” Goldberg continued

And for anyone wondering, Goldberg and Hall are rooting for a Rudy and Geri romance. (Read their full comments here.)

Talk About A Cliffhanger

Before the finale ends, Paula kisses Hazel goodnight, grabs a beer, and savors a moment of serenity on the couch — or she tries to at least. A NO CALLER ID number rings, and when she ignores the call, a text from a random email address arrives. It’s security footage of her driveway that fateful June 2024 night in Portland. The video shows her neighbor Caleb shouting, “Stop avoiding me! I’m not going away. Talk to me, or maybe I’ll start talking. I vouched for you; what are you fucking dumb?” In response, Paula screams, “I’m gonna fucking kill you,” and revs the engine. While the head injury that caused Caleb’s death may have been accidental, there’s no doubt that Paula intentionally hit and threatened to kill him. Yikes!

How did someone get that old footage so many months later?! No idea! But it proves they’ve got incredible power and access to resources. And they’re not done with Paula yet. “We own you. You’re gonna do us a favor,” the mysterious messager writes. Before the end credits roll, Paula’s phone rings again. And after Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed cuts to black, we hear her say, ” Hello?” AHHH!!!!

Two major players who survived Season 1 are Brian (Adam Huber) and Cecilia Vanderwalle (Nina Arianda), Senior Vice President of The Souter Group. And while we don’t hear who’s on the other end of the line, we can likely expect to see more of them in a potential Season 2.

“Brian’s not at the top. But we wanted someone who had an office with a window at a big company. Basically the guy in charge of outsourcing to other guys who are in charge of outsourcing. But he’s got the legitimate job,” Rosen told DECIDER. “In our heads, the scariest people are the ones with legitimate jobs who are calling the contractors who they know are going to make decisions by calling other contractors.”

So what will Paula get blackmailed into if Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed returns? “We have an idea of what Season 2 will look like if we are so lucky as to get one,” Rosen confirmed. “But we don’t want to give anything away just yet.” Come on, Apple TV! Don’t leave us hanging. Let’s get that Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed Season 2 renewal!

Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed Season 1 is now streaming on Apple TV.