Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for the Season 1 finale of Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed

Apple TV’s Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed has consistently surprised us with its twists and turns across the 10-episode first season, but nothing could’ve quite prepared us for that finale. David J. Rosen‘s comedic thriller — magnificently anchored by Tatiana Maslany‘s Paula — not only ties up some storylines in the finale, but ends on a chilling note that begs the question: Who exactly is Paula?

Yes, Paula might have won the heated custody battle against her ex-husband, Karl (Jake Johnson), but her life now is arguably the most complicated it’s ever been. Namely, her mysterious past in Portland continues to haunt her present, with a video from an unknown number revealing that Paula seemingly went out of her way to kill her neighbor, rather than it being an accident. During this 1-on-1 interview with Collider, Maslany discusses Paula and the show’s evolving identity, her dynamic with Karl, and whether she knows what happened in Portland.

Tatiana Maslany Had a Lot of Freedom for ‘Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed’s Court Room Scene in the Finale

“I was really interested in the idea of a clumsy monologue.”

COLLIDER: Thank you so much for chatting with me for the finale. It was so tense in the best way. What amazed me is how many highs and lows there were for Paula. Obviously, the custody battle was a huge win and then the final scene was terrifying. What was it like reading the script? Were you surprised by any of the twists?

TATIANA MASLANY: It really felt in line with how the show kind of never gets comfortable, and the relentlessness of Paula’s past. Even when she’s sort of getting ahead a little bit, it’s always there to kind of haunt her. It really feels like the ultimate expression of inner life, which is these huge feelings — huge griefs and huge joys — and that they all can kind of coexist right next to each other.

Were you surprised at the outcome of the custody battle? Because I was talking to Jake Johnson, and he’s like, “I was surprised.”

MASLANY: [Laughs] He loves to say that. He’s like, “I thought I was gonna win,” and I’m like, “Did you really?” I never once thought that. But I mean, we know that it’s precarious, right? With anything in Paula’s life, it’s precarious. So maybe he’s right. Maybe [if there’s a Season 2] he gets Hazel somehow.

What was your experience shooting that really beautiful monologue Paula had in court? It’s probably the most vulnerable Paula has been the whole series. What kind of direction did you get?

MASLANY: It was kind of in line with how we’ve been doing the whole series. There was a lot of space for things to be very different from take to take. Two of our main writers, David Rosen, who created the show, and Andrew Gottlieb, were both there. I could feel their energy behind it because I think we really wanted to get that moment right and make it feel real.

I was really interested in the idea of a clumsy monologue that’s not perfectly formed and that is reactive. She’s pinned against the wall. She has everything to lose, but she sort of names the elephant in the room, which is that she’s up against a system that is vilifying her for choices she’s made that aren’t actually bad choices. There are people in that room who aren’t being put to the same standard as she is.

For me, I kept thinking about the fact that her ex has had a sex life, and, obviously, that life has derailed their marriage. But that’s never a problem. It’s kind of a benefit to him. He marries into a moneyed life, somehow he’s protected from scrutiny. I just think all of that’s really interesting. We just tried it so many different ways.

Mallory’s a lawyer, so that helps him too.

MASLANY: Totally.

Tatiana Maslany Doesn’t Think Geri, Rudy, and Paula Can Trust Each Other

“It always felt like we were in a different show a little bit.”

It was a quick scene between Paula and Karl, but the roles were reversed, where she has the upper hand, and he’s kind of a mess now. Was that cathartic to shoot?

MASLANY: Yeah. I think because it’s one of the easiest experiences Paula gets to have with him. It’s not even like she takes a dig at him really bad. She’s kind of light. It’s sort of a moment of levity where she gets to skewer him without it costing her anything, and I think that is quite, quite wonderful.

Something I really loved about the second half of the season was how Geri and Rudy became really important and woven into your storyline. Those two are just fantastic. But Geri flirts with being a villain a little bit, and that’s where she’s going in the finale. Do you think Paula can really trust them going, hopefully, into Season 2? I really feel like you can’t trust anyone.

MASLANY: Yeah, I sort of feel the same way, and I think they similarly can’t really trust her. You know what I mean? She’s on her own trajectory and kind of drags people along with her. She’s not super thoughtful in terms of these two people who maybe don’t need to be implicated in a murder or drawn into this mystery, but she sees a connection with them. She feels heard by them. She has no other option.

But for me, playing with those two — Charlie and Kiarra — is just amazing. I really think we grew into those dynamics and that the natural dynamic of affection we had for each other was part of how those characters in the trio grew. It always felt like we were in a different show a little bit. Somebody had said they were like the Scooby-Doo gang and that I was like, “Oh, yeah, we’re a bunch of 12-year-olds at a sleepover looking at stuff with a flashlight.” It kind of has that feeling which is super fun to play with. They’re both so funny, and those characters are so clear. It was just a blast.

In the opening scene, I’m like, “Oh, so they’re going to be antagonists — thorns in Paula’s side for the whole show,” and then it completely changes.

MASLANY: They really rise above any kind of idea of what those characters could be—the sort of trope of what those characters usually are in that dynamic. They’re not just the witty person on the phone—they’re actually living breathing people with complex intentions.

It was really refreshing.

‘Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed’s Finale Puts Tatiana Maslany’s Paula in a Horrible Position

“Who is Paula?”

The scene at the very end with the video that Paula receives on her phone from an unknown sender — do you have any predictions about who it’s from?

MASLANY: No. I have no idea. I feel like David and Andrew have been discussing a second season. I think they know way more than I do. Also, even if they told me, I’d probably forget because my brain doesn’t retain plot details very well which helps for a character that’s just trying to hold things together.

This probably makes things more exciting for you.

MASLANY: I’m worse at keeping track than the audience is which makes some actions probably frustrating.

I have no idea who it could be which works great for the show. Do you think Paula remembers what she did in that scene?

MASLANY: Oh yeah—100%. My feeling watching it is: Who is Paula? Can we as an audience trust her? We’ve sort of fallen into her story and allied ourselves with her perspective but what information have we not learned yet about this person? Will that challenge how we can feel about her going forward?

The credits started rolling as I thought about who Paula is.

MASLANY: That question is one I’ve been contemplating since starting this series because so much of this character involves reinventing herself while discovering who she is after all this loss—it’s interesting how this question gets passed onto the audience.

I was shocked when they brought Dennis back—then his death… Everything just kept escalating.

MALANY: Every time Paula interacted with Dennis it was so non-verbal—there were hardly any words exchanged between them except for my screams when he was around! Murray’s such an incredible actor—I wanted to engage more deeply with him but we never got to have an actual showdown.

The electric interactions between Paula are captivating—the show is such fun! I hope it gets renewed!

The series Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, is available for streaming on Apple TV.