Actor Jake Johnson has spoken to Collider about the Season 1 finale of Apple TV's comedic thriller "Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed", revealing he was left "floored" by the outcome of a custody storyline in the show. Johnson plays Karl, the ex-husband of Tatiana Maslany's lead character Paula, and argues that Karl should not be seen as the series' villain, but as a father genuinely trying to act in his daughter's best interests. The interview offers insight into how the actor approached a role that is positioned as an antagonist largely because he stands in opposition to the show's protagonist.

In the interview, Johnson explains that Karl wanted to relocate to Boise with his new wife, Mallory (played by Jessy Hodges), taking daughter Hazel (Nola Wallace) with him, and was genuinely shocked when he lost the custody battle in the finale. The ten-episode series, created by David J. Rosen, follows Maslany's Paula as a newly single mother who becomes entangled in a blackmail plot alongside her divorce proceedings. Johnson also discussed his upcoming Apple TV comedy film "The Dink", a cameo-filled pickleball comedy due for release on 24 July 2026.