Sat. May 16th, 2026

Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed: Tatiana Maslany and Murray Bartlett Deliver a Thrilling TV Experience

Apple’s superbly twisty thriller about a beautiful camboy blackmailing a divorced mum is like the new No Country for Old Men – with added Nick from New Girl.

I was drawn to this week’s show for the worst reason. That name is pure critic bait, and I like my fruit low-hanging. Other famously pre-roasted works include the films The Happening and Fantastic Four, and the Oasis album Be Here Now. (No, thanks.) In my schadenfreude-soaked soul, I wondered if Apple’s show might join them. Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed (Apple TV, from Wed)? Do I need the warranty?

It stars Tatiana Maslany, who also led the brilliantly titled, if widely slated, show She Hulk: Attorney at Law. No one doubts Maslany’s chops. She won an Emmy playing 17 distinct clones in the sci-fi series Orphan Black. Here she plays Paula, a divorced mother going through a custody battle. Paula’s only access to intimacy is with a young online sex worker named Trevor. Despite his name, Trevor is beautiful, like Jeff Buckley. I suppose Jeff isn’t the most exotic name either.

By Rupert Blackwood

Investigative journalist based in Sheffield, focusing on technology's impact on society. Rupert specializes in cybercrime's effect on communities, from online fraud targeting elderly residents to cryptocurrency scams. His reporting examines social media manipulation, digital surveillance, and how criminal networks operate in cyberspace. With expertise in computer systems, he connects technical complexity with real-world consequences for ordinary people

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