1 of 4 | Jake Johnson and Tatiana Maslany star in “Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed.” New episodes air Wednesdays. Photo courtesy of Apple TV
NEW YORK, June 10 (UPI) — New Girl and Minx actor Jake Johnson says all his character Karl cares about in the mystery dramedy, Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, is the well-being of his young daughter Hazel (Nola Wallace).
The show follows Karl as he is caught between his unstable ex-wife Paula (Tatiana Maslany) and manipulative new spouse Mallory (Jessy Hodges), who wants the whole family to move from New York to Idaho where she was offered a promotion.
The tension boils over when Paula puts the family and her co-workers at risk by clumsily investigating the murder of Trevor (Brandon Flynn), the cam-boy with whom she had been having an online sexual relationship.
New episodes air Wednesdays on Apple TV.
“He’s really trying to do what he thinks is best for his daughter. I think the ‘Idaho of it all’ is a wrench in his plans and when Paula calls him out and says, ‘I know you don’t want this,’ [she’s right],” Johnson, 48, told UPI about Karl in a recent Zoom interview.
“He’s actually really trying to think from his daughter’s point of view and I think what’s frustrating for him is he’s not sure that Paula is always doing that and he inherently trusts that Mallory is,” Johnson explained.
“As the show goes on, he wonders a little bit what Mallory’s playing here. She’s just doing this to win? Or is she really just thinking about what’s best for Hazel?”
Barry and Indebted alum Hodges said Mallory wants to go to Idaho because it is a smart career move, but also because she believes they will all enjoy a better quality of life there.
“Anyone who has lived in New York knows it’s a tough place to be,” the 39-year-old actress 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,” she added.
“With what’s going on with their family dynamic and with this job opportunity, Mallory just feels like there’s a sea change. There’s a shift and this is what our calling is and we have to go.”
While Mallory frequently undermines Paula, Karl is more sympathetic toward the ex he still cares deeply for.
“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,” he added.
“But he just thinks that when she acts irrational, anything can happen. She’s one of those people… You have certain friends you grew up with, who, when they go to the bar, and they have one drink, the night could go in any direction and then there’s a point in your life where you’re like, ‘I don’t need to hang out with that person.’ He thinks of her as a liability.”
Johnson credited series creator David Rosen and David Gordon Green, who helmed the first episode, for setting a tone that feels authentic regarding how regular people would speak and react under these extraordinary circumstances.
“The writing was excellent,” Johnson said. “The goal was truth and, so, if you did something and it felt honest and real to these characters, that was always probably the best answer.”
