With Abe Sylvia’s star-studded Apple TV+ series Palm Royale, Hollywood legends Bruce and Laura Dern finally got to play father and daughter on-screen. On top of fulfilling their longtime dream, the series also let the real-life family members star in several poignant, incredibly emotional scenes that will leave viewers weeping.
“It’s one of the great experiences of my lifetime, and forever a treasure to us, but also something we’ve longed for my whole life,” Laura told Television Critics Association members during the February 2024 press tour. “I’ve had the privilege of working with my mom several times. So, to have never had that experience, it was incredible.”
We first meet Bruce’s character Skeet — father to Laura’s Linda and husband to Allison Janney’s Evelyn — in Episode 4 and learn he’s struggling with health issues that stem from Linda accidentally shooting him. Over the course of three episodes, we see Skeet confined to his wheelchair and bed, managing a great deal of pain, and coming to terms with his readiness for death.
If you have yet to see Palm Royale‘s sixth episode, “Maxine Takes a Step,” and don’t want to be spoiled, consider this your warning. Those ready to experience the emotion of the heart-wrenching, out-of-this-world Dern death scene…prepare for liftoff.
The father/daughter storyline in Episode 6 kicks off with Linda bringing Skeet his favorite buttercream cake to celebrate the destruction of gun she used to shoot him. “You are free,” Skeet tells her, as a wave of relief washes over his face. As she sits beside him in bed, he apologizes for failing as a father and explains the pain he’s in is no way to live. With the knowledge that the gun is gone and Linda can no longer be blackmailed by Evelyn, he tells her he wants to go, and she tearfully says, “I know. And you can. You can, dad. I’m gonna be OK.” As the camera zooms out, she tightly clutches his hand, promising that he can put himself first. The Derns flex their brilliant acting chops, blurring the lines between television and reality. The authenticity in their emotions is evident and helps Palm Royale pack an even greater punch.
Rather than opting for a less effective off-camera demise or a more traditional deathbed scene, the series found a creative way to incorporate its signature flair and grand aesthetics in Skeet’s final hour. As Linda and Skeet sit side by side in front of the television to watch a historic rocket launch to the moon, Linda hands her dad LSD, takes some herself, and the two go on their own life-altering trip in his living room. As Buffy Sainte-Marie’s “Moonshot” sets the mood, wishing Skeet “bon voyage” and reminding him to “see all the wonders” he leaves behind, he puts his glasses on, pulls his blanket up to his chin, and embarks on one final father/daughter adventure. As Palm Royale uses visual effects to fill the living room with stars, spectacular lights, and celestial colors, a spaceship formed around Skeet and Linda, signifying their shared vision.
The camera lands on Linda, who palpably braces for what’s to come. She grabs her dad’s hand again before we check in on other characters, but when we return to Skeet’s living room, his hand gently falls away from hers. Linda’s face drops, she ping pongs between glances of grief and acceptance, and she yelps “dad!” before breaking down. Acting alongside a direct family member, let alone playing characters that mirror real-life relationships like father and daughter, is rare. But getting to prematurely say goodbye to a parent through a beautifully-written scene — cycling through raw, relatable emotions of fear, grief, and loss that will inevitably come when said parent passes off screen — is a touching, once-in-a-lifetime chance.
Laura and Bruce’s organic chemistry transcends their acting abilities, bleeding into reality in shared scenes. Each touch, look, and conversation between the two exudes incredible care, familiarity, and warmth, and their personal love for each other is palpable. The beautiful, poignant sendoff may have been fictional, but as Laura slumps over her 87-year-old father’s still body sobbing, her tears hit different than they would have had Palm Royale cast any other duo — but Bruce’s involvement in the project didn’t solely impact Laura.
“I know what it meant to me,” Laura told TCA members back in February. “But to see it means so much to the other people I got to be with. Abe, of course, Jayme, who’s known him forever because of our working together. And also, Ricky [Martin] was in the first scene we did together. And I could feel Ricky experiencing working with dad…”
Though Bruce’s character clearly struggles throughout the series, the role allows him to showcase his range through Skeet’s rage, exasperation, pain, humor, and heart.
Skeet’s personality and Bruce’s seasoned talent are first visible in the aforementioned scene with Robert (Martin), when he talks about the war, shares his biggest regret in life, recommends Timothy Leary, and makes a NSFW Pinocchio joke. Working opposite the legend (and his legendary daughter) had an especially profound impact on Martin.
“It’s another gift that Palm Royale gave me to be able to be in front of the camera with them both. I was just sitting there taking notes,” Martin explained during the TCA panel. “At the end of the day, it was about the gift that I was given to be able to see their dynamic together as daughter and father. And forget about the script. At this point, it was about really enjoying what he would come up with. And before the action and after the action, the stories that he would share with us about his experiences throughout his career. Hopefully I will share [that] with my children eventually, because that’s the level of generosity that I felt shooting that scene. It was a gift.”
“It’s just a gift come true,” Laura concluded.
New episodes of Palm Royale premiere Wednesdays on Apple TV+.
