Leslie Bibb is already Palm Royale's MVP

Apple TV+’s kitschy new TV show Palm Royale has a lot of juicy angles going for it: a ’60s-set retro aesthetic, snazzy vintage costumes, characters burdened with slow-simmering secrets, and plenty of catfights, to name a few. Best of all, though, is its enviable ensemble. Abe Sylvia’s drama features Kristen Wiig, Alison Janney, Laura Dern, and Ricky Martin attempting to have the time of their lives in sunny Florida. But no one’s having more fun chewing up the scenery than Leslie Bibb, who quickly stood out in the show’s three-episode premiere.

The series is still carving out a unique tone. But at the moment, it feels like a mysterious Desperate Housewives set in the artful world of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel with much, much lower stakes. (We’re talking about seeking to become the queen bee of a Palm Beach club, after all.) This frivolity means the cast gets away with loud, theatrical performances no matter how grave or ridiculous the situation. And no one takes more advantage than Bibb, who makes the most of her meaty storyline in the pilot.

Bibb plays Dinah Donahue, the wife of an ambassador poised to inherit a leadership role at that aforementioned elite club—if only “her libido didn’t get the better of her.” But having an affair with her sexy tennis coach isn’t stopping her from her routine: sipping martinis by the pool, wearing glamorous outfits, and making bitchy jabs at the older women in her clique, including her frenemy, Evelyn (Janney). In playing an unabashedly slick role, Bibb shines in a way she hasn’t had the opportunity to on-screen in a while. She dishes out perfect smirks, drops in one-liners, and is the right amount of over-the-top for Palm Royale.

Dinah’s “friends” might think of her as a wealthy dimwit, but she is sharper than anyone, including Maxine Simmons (Wiig) gives her credit for. It’s yet another chance for Bibb to slowly unmask various facets of her character, all in the span of an hour-long episode. And there are even more layers to come.

A new-to-town Maxine is desperate to climb the social ladder. Utterly, truly desperate. She tries in vain to befriend Dinah by manipulating her vulnerabilities, but it doesn’t last long. As seen in episode one, Maxine witnesses her crumble after a confrontation with the tennis coach. She plots a car accident, forcing them to spend time together, and that’s when Dinah briefly brings down her walls. She admits to Maxine she can’t be with her true love, even if she’s pregnant with his child, because she’s married to a more reputable man. “Only the poor can afford to know romance,” she announces.

Once again, Bibb goes all-out here, nailing the heightened comedy and also showcasing twinges of emotion whenever Dinah needs to appear fragile. She can’t keep the baby, but there’s no one trustworthy she can confide in. The only reason she’s venting to Maxine is there’s no other choice. Eventually, after shedding a few tears and delicious passive-aggressive remarks, Dinah gets an abortion with the help of Maxine’s new friend, a hippie named Linda (Dern). Bibb’s performance hits hardest during a sincere moment. All dolled up in pink while resting in bed, with her hair perfectly styled, Dinah tearfully mourns to Maxine, “I keep thinking about how beautiful what could have been, could have been.”

But the tables turn the next morning when a luminous Dinah, dressed in yellow, reveals to Maxine that she knows the truth about her new “pal.” They may have bonded for a hot minute, but it means nothing in the grander scheme of things. She’s aware Maxine doesn’t come from money and doesn’t trust Maxine even if she’s married to Douglas (Josh Lucas), the son of Palm Beach royalty Norma Delacorte (Carol Burnett). Bibb enunciates each word as she seethes, slowly, “You are a liar, Maxine.” And it’s a delight.

It’s especially gratifying since some of Bibb’s other recent shows, including Netflix duds Jupiter’s Legacy and God’s Favorite Idiot, haven’t done her justice. Here, she more than holds her own opposite mainstays like Dern, Janney, and Wiig—and perhaps this turn is a preview of what she’ll bring to The White Lotus season three. The initial Palm Royale episodes set up an intriguing path for Dinah and Maxine, who are at the moment keeping each other’s secrets while navigating the cutting social politics of the club. Let’s hope, whatever lies ahead, that Palm Royale allows Bibb to swim in even more smarmy, scandalous waters going forward.