NEW YORK — In the new Apple TV+ mystery dramedy “Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed,” Jake Johnson plays Karl, a father caught between his unstable ex-wife Paula (Tatiana Maslany) and his manipulative new spouse Mallory (Jessy Hodges) as a murder investigation complicates their family dynamic.
Johnson, 48, said in a recent Zoom interview that Karl’s primary motivation is always the well-being of his young daughter Hazel, played by Nola Wallace. “He’s really trying to do what he thinks is best for his daughter,” Johnson said. “I think the ‘Idaho of it all’ is a wrench in his plans.”
The series follows Karl as Paula puts the family and her co-workers at risk by clumsily investigating the death of Trevor (Brandon Flynn), the cam-boy with whom she had been having an online sexual relationship. Karl’s new wife Mallory wants the family to move from New York to Idaho, where she has been offered a promotion — a move Karl resists.
Johnson said his character maintains sympathy for Paula despite her dangerous decisions. “He thinks Paula is a good person who makes really bad decisions and I think those bad decisions can get really dangerous,” Johnson said. “He doesn’t inherently hate her, as evident from when he picks her up at the jail. He has love for her as his first wife and the mother of his child.”
Hodges, 39, described Mallory’s perspective on the move. “Anyone who has lived in New York knows it’s a tough place to be,” she said. “The tricky thing about being a New Yorker is there’s always a strong case to be made for not being one, particularly when there are children involved.”
Hodges added that Mallory sees the job opportunity as a “sea change” and “this is what our calling is and we have to go.”
Johnson credited series creator David Rosen and director David Gordon Green for establishing an authentic tone. “The writing was excellent,” Johnson said. “The goal was truth.”
New episodes of “Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed” air Wednesdays on Apple TV+.