Iconic horror writer Stephen King‘s works have inspired many incredible television shows. With creepy premises and unforgettable dark characters, series such as The Outsider, Mr. Mercedes, and <em>Castle Rock</em> have thrilled audiences for years. With this background, it’s safe to say that King is an authority on what television shows are worth watching. While Apple TV has recently offered a fantastic horror show that has generated considerable buzz, surprisingly, King isn’t praising <em>Widow's Bay</em> as a definite must-watch.
Stephen King Is Hyping Up Apple TV’s ‘Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed’
Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed premiered on Apple TV in May and has already proven it’s unlike anything else on TV right now. Just like Widow’s Bay, the 10-episode series offers a quirky blend of comedy and much more macabre themes. It’s received positive initial reviews, and steady word-of-mouth has encouraged other viewers to tune in. King definitely isn’t alone in offering his praise, but he might be one of the show’s more vocal fans. On June 17, he tweeted, “Widow’s Bay is good. Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed is even better. It’s like Hitchcock came back to do it one more time…” In a Threads post just this week, he went further, writing, “Maximum giggles, maximum suspense, and a few gross-outs along the way. Who could ask for more?”
King’s new favorite Apple TV show follows Paula Saunders (Tatiana Maslany), a recently divorced single mom living in New York City. She has a stressful job as a fact-checker for a local publication and is in the midst of a brutal custody battle over her young daughter. To blow off steam, Paula pays a cam-boy named Trevor (Brandon Flynn) to spend time with her. However, her life truly goes off the rails when she witnesses Trevor getting assaulted and kidnapped during one of their online meet-ups.
After Paula goes to the police, a detective named Sofia Gonzalez (Dolly de Leon) assures her that the whole thing was likely a scam. From there, Paula falls into a complex web of blackmail, deceit, and murder. Somehow, the inane and ridiculous chain of events that follows includes some humor as well. Yet Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed is also filled to the brim with twists and turns, especially in Episode 6, where a shocking cliffhanger upends everything viewers thought they knew.
‘Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed’ Is a Twisted Thrill Ride
In King’s earlier tweet, he makes a point to praise Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed‘s lead, saying, “Tatiana Maslany is so good. The play of emotions on her face is pretty incredible. She goes from comic to terror in an instant.” Maslany’s performance helps make the events actually feel believable, compelling viewers to follow Paula and her slowly unraveling world.
De Leon (who broke out in 2022’s Triangle of Sadness) is also a clear standout in the series. Her sarcastic, wry detective is as central as Paula but is portrayed in a much more grounded way. Murray Bartlett (who appeared in the second season of Nine Perfect Strangers alongside De Leon) turns out to be a terrifying villain, showing off his acting chops in a clear diversion from his past roles in The White Lotus and The Last of Us. Supporting actors Jake Johnson, Charlie Hall, and Kiarra Hamagami Goldberg are also valuable links in the chain that help make Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed an impeccably fast-paced and addictive ride.
With three episodes left in the season, there’s no telling where the series will head next, but Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed will certainly have you on the edge of your seat, wondering how on earth Paula will survive the increasingly unfortunate circumstances she finds herself in. One thing is for certain: King has good taste in television, and we’ll be paying close attention to what he’s binging in the future.
