The Cast of Palm Royale Talks Power, Belonging and Ricky Martin's Musical Moments - INTERVIEWS

The brighter the sun shines in Palm Beach, the deeper the shadows it casts. In season two of Apple TV's Palm Royale, the glamorous, pastel-covered world returns bigger, louder, and delightfully more unhinged, with women, power, and status at its center. The men are either conductors, links, or catalysts, unless you are Robert, Ricky Martin's character.

Based loosely on Juliet McDaniel's novel Mr. & Mrs. American Pie, the series continues to follow Maxine Dellacorte-Simmons, played by Kristen Wiig, as she claws for a place inside the most coveted social circle in 1969 Palm Beach. But unlike season one, where longing and desperation defined the quest to belong, season two of Palm Royale looks inward, exploring what happens after the gates open and belonging itself becomes a currency.

The music and choreographic numbers are the prefered forms of subtle communication.

Executive producer and star Laura Dern says that expansion was intentional. "In the second season we could explore not what we want from the outside, but what we want from the inside," she explained in an interview with The Music Times.

That shift, she added, turns the story toward relationships and identity rather than acceptance alone. "Then it becomes about deep-found family and what family should look like, and female friendships and what they mean, and a sense of self for women, as opposed to the projected place of identity for women."

Belonging: A Currency and a Weapon

That idea plays out through several characters who were previously observing from the margins.

For Mindy Cohn, who returns as Ann Holiday, the club reporter whose proximity grants her partial access, the character isn't simply an outsider. "Anne's kind of got one foot out but one foot in," she said. "She's not society, but she certainly isn't on the outside. She straddles both."

That duality becomes a key storytelling tool as season two blurs the lines between spectator and participant.

Amber Chardae Robinson's character, Virginia Lyons, exists even further outside the system and with more at stake.

"Being Black at this time is very specific," Robinson said. "You never know what kind of room you're walking into, whether it's friend or foe."

Yet season two brings an unexpected bond between Ann and Virginia. Robinson smiled knowingly and teased just enough: "Anne and Virginia become pretty close. They're in pursuit of something."

Even under the glitter, Palm Royale has always carried a subtle, biting feminist thread, and this season doesn't hide it. When the conversation turns to whether the world has changed since the era the series depicts, Robinson doesn't hesitate.

"That fear is still very relevant today," she said. "I think that's why we've struggled to have a female president. They know how powerful women are when we put our minds to certain things."

Dern agreed, adding context rooted in history. "In 1969 you couldn't even get your own credit card," she reminded. "Women with equity and voice can do extraordinary things in this country, and can cause outrageous harm. And we're seeing both."

Fashion, Camp and Ricky Martin

Of course, for all its social commentary, Palm Royale is still a spectacle — one filled with costume drama, surreal comedy, and yes, musical numbers.

The person responsible for elevating the series' visual madness is showrunner Abe Sylvia. "Anyone who thinks it couldn't get wackier needs to meet our creator," Cohn laughed. "His mind is a treasure trove."

Season two also gifts viewers something unexpected: Ricky Martin performing in full musical glory. "To be with our friend Ricky on set, and then suddenly there's a dance number , we were like, Oh right. He's also Ricky Martin," Dern joked.

Jayme Lemons still marvels at the scale of it. "Watching him do that opening number for 12 hours... what a treat," she said.

Pink, Plants and a Little Bit of Self-Discovery

Even off-screen, the Palm Beach effect lingered. Robinson laughed when she confessed:

"I've found myself buying more pink lately... maybe I found myself again. Thank you, Palm Beach."

For Lemons, the show sparked a different obsession. "I've become a plant lady," she said. "My house runneth over."

Season two of Palm Royale cements the series as more than a glamorous escape. It's a mirror, sparkling, satirical and sharply accurate ,reflecting how belonging, especially for women, remains something society controls and polices.

Or as Cohn put it with a knowing grin:

"They represent the viewer in a way."

And that may be the most dangerous thing Palm Beach has ever allowed in.

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