Aahana Swrup
The ‘Palm Royale’ season 1 finale is full of many jarring revelations and discoveries for the characters as well as the audience. Maxine, the quirky outsider trying to fit in with the socialites of Palm Beach, finally brings in the season’s biggest event, The Beach Ball. However, tensions begin to run high as all of Palm Beach and more convene at the Dellacorte Estate. As such, amidst the chaos brewing on the horizon, Robert has a startling realization about his close friend Norma and her past. Therefore, after his conversation with Norma’s ex-flame, Axl, fans are bound to wonder about Agnes and her role in the Dellacorte matriarch’s life. SPOILERS AHEAD!
The Agnes Reveal and Its Implications
Introduced into the narrative while she was in a coma, Norma is supposed to be the most powerful woman in Palm Beach. She has been hoarding secrets about significant personalities for years, using her knowledge to manipulate everyone behind the scenes. Yet, her health complications allow Maxine and Douglas to swoop in and take advantage of the woman and her wealth. Initially, Maxine starts small by simply stealing and pawning off Norma’s jewelry. Nevertheless, soon enough, the newest Dellacorte couple takes over the Estate after Maxine earns the rights to Norma’s conservatorship.
Through it all, Robert seems to be the only person who genuinely cares about Norma without any ulterior motives to exploit the older woman. While others only want to please Norma for her influence and affluence, Robert extends a genuine hand of friendship toward her. For the same reason, he remains the only person who is privy to some of Norma’s most well-kept secrets. Thus, fittingly, he becomes the first to put all the puzzle pieces together and uncover Norma’s biggest, most coveted secret: Agnes.
Towards the season’s end, Axl’s character sees an introduction as an older wealthy man whom Dinah Donahue attempts to seduce and impress. Although Axl isn’t disinterested in Dinah’s approach, he maintains the significance of his past romance with Norma. As it would turn out, Axl and Norma used to be in love until one day, the latter changed her mind and cut the man out of her life. Therefore, after Norma proposes that Robert marry her despite his homosexuality to earn the rights to her conservatorship and, in turn, wealth, Robert attempts to understand her past better.
Even though Robert knows Norma and he will never have a relationship that exceeds their platonic closeness, he wants to ensure he won’t unknowingly rob Norma of the possibility of happiness with Axl. However, his conversation with Axl turns up a different and entirely unexpected revelation. Axl and Norma’s romance fell apart after the woman returned from her boarding school following her father’s untimely death. Around the same time, Norma’s roommate, Agnes, was also found dead due to her diabetes.
Since Robert is Norma’s closest confidant, he’s aware that the woman also has diabetes— a secret she withholds from everyone else. In fact, Norma hired Robert after their first meeting at the Palm Royale Country Club because she needed someone’s discreet help with her medical condition. Thus, after Robert learns about Agnes, he realizes that the woman whom everyone believes to be Norma is actually Agnes. His suspicions are confirmed once he confronts Norma/Agnes about the same. All this time, while Norma has been insisting on upholding the Palm Beach status quo, she has been the biggest imposter hiding behind a fake identity.
Abe Sylvia, the show’s creator, spoke about the big reveal in a conversation with Today and said, “Everything really has for the last three episodes been leading up to this revelation [about Norma and Agnes] that only Robert has put together because of the intimate knowledge he has of Norma and her diabetes.”
Still, even though Norma’s secret comes out in the open, Robert remains the only one who has knowledge about the same. Therefore, his precarious predicament that follows as he gets shot by a stray bullet might just ensure he ends up taking Norma’s secret with him to the grave. On the other hand, if Robert manages to survive, it could lead to adverse consequences for Agnes/Norma.
Read More: When and Where Does Palm Royale Take Place?
