Palm Royale season 2 episode 7 ending explained: Are Norma and Robert related?

Palm Royale season 2 episode 7, titled Maxine Plays Dead, premiered on December 24, 2025, exclusively on Apple TV+. The episode revolves around Mirabelle’s funeral as Maxine plays dead while Virginia tries to figure out who killed her twin sister. Thus, the entire episode revolves around Maxine’s fake funeral as Dinah, Ann, Evelyn, Douglas, and the company attempt to deal with the loss of their friend in different ways.

Disclaimer: The following article contains spoilers from Palm Royale season 2 episode 7. Reader's discretion is advised.

Despite being told by Virginia to stay in her motel room, Maxine sneaks out and decides to attend her own funeral after being egged on by her new friend Bruce. Things then take a turn at her funeral after a series of unfortunate incidents mean that there’s no body in the coffin. This somehow leads Maxine to hide inside the coffin, where she listens to the various speeches being given about her.

However, after another major incident, Maxine decides to step out of her coffin and reveal to Palm Beach that she’s still alive, much to the surprise of everyone who gave emotional speeches. That includes Douglas but not Robert, as he had been acting increasingly distant and cold to her from the very beginning.

Not only that, he simply walked away at the start of the episode, even after Maxine told him she believed Norma had killed her sister, Mirabelle. It is then revealed that Norma is Robert’s mother, and she has come back from the Alps to help save her son from the disastrous world of Palm Beach at the end of Palm Royale season 2 episode 7.

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Norma and Robert share a relationship that explains quite a lot in Palm Royale season 2 episode 7

Ricky Martin Performs In Sydney - Source: Getty

Palm Royale has delivered revelation after revelation this season, from Maxine and Douglas breaking up, to Mitzi having a child, to Agnes taking over Norma’s identity, and even Mirabelle, Maxine’s long-lost twin sister. However, Palm Royale season 2 episode 7 delivered arguably the biggest and most shocking revelation of the show yet: the fact that Norma is Robert’s mother.

This explains a lot of Robert's and, in turn, Norma’s behavior over the course of the season. That includes her fake attempt to kill him a few episodes ago and Robert’s disgust when romantically linked to Norma earlier in the season. It also explains his reaction when Maxine tells him at the start of Palm Royale season 2 episode 7 that Norma killed her sister, mistaking her for Maxine.

He refuted the claims, walked out on her, and even gave Maxine the finger as he left. The connection also explains his almost unwavering loyalty to her and Robert’s entitlement to living in the house, as well as the fact that Norma left everything to Robert in her will.

It also shifts the power dynamics after Palm Royale season 2 episode 7, as now Robert is no longer just a pool boy who inherited a fortune. However, instead, a legitimate heir, and thus someone who now has a claim to her estate, is why she has been so protective of him.

Read More: Palm Royale season 2 episode 5 ending explained: Who kidnapped Douglas?

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Maxine and Douglas are on their way to Switzerland and are joined by a few friends

Palm Royale season 2 episode 7 ends with the shocking revelation that Robert is Norma’s son, but before that, it also shows that Douglas and Maxine are still in love with each other.

He confessed the same to Mirabelle after mistaking her for Maxine in the previous episode. This happened after Maxine told her sister that she was still in love with him. When he realised that Maxine had died, it broke his heart, and he gave a rather emotional speech at her fake funeral.

That was something that she heard while hiding in her sister’s coffin. Despite Douglas being angry at Maxine, Virginia quickly explains the situation, and he accepts it, which leads to the two former spouses reconciling with a passionate kiss. Things then take a turn when Douglas tells Maxine that they need to go to Switzerland to activate the Dellacorte generation-skipping trust account for their baby.

On the other hand, Norma and Robert are also on their way to set up in Norma’s Alps hideout, and so is Dinah for completely different reasons.

Over the course of Palm Royale season 2 episode 7, she discovered that the threatening letters she had been receiving were from Marjorie Merriweather Post. She was jealous of Dinah’s torrid affair with Richard Nixon and threatened to expose them unless Dinah agreed to retrieve a valuable Fabergé egg from Switzerland.

To make matters even worse, Palm Royale season 2 episode 7 ends with Evelyn discovering a photo of Jed in Mitzi’s wallet, questioning the legitimacy of her child when Mary drops another detail. She reveals that Jed was also the mysterious ‘bootlegger’ that Norma was once in love with, a detail that makes him a significant figure as season 2 comes closer to its finale.

Read more: Palm Royale season 2 episode 4 ending explained: What happened to Douglas?

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Interested viewers can watch Palm Royale season 2 episode 7 on Apple TV+.

Edited by Toshali Kritika