Max Whitford's character is smart writing and some of the show's best
I know we're all reeling from the finale but; Max's character, and that entire arc in season 8-9, was so well written. I remember watching it the first time and thinking how suspicious/nefarious his character was from the very beginning and how strange it was that there was no "Max conned Fiona" reveal. I got the same vibes from him that I got from the squatters, the rent-dodging single mom, etc. But I assumed I just misread it.
But upon rewatching it, I was impressed by how they wrote his character.
Max DID con Fiona. He WAS a villain. Such a good one, that no one in the show seemed to figure it out (Which is likely why the show-writers framed it the way they did, because we're seeing it from their perspective) Every discussion around him or the deals after that arc came to an end that I've seen acts as if Max was a near-neutral party. The show even seems to frame it as if he "saves the day" by offering Fiona that final buyout. Hell, its the turning point for Fiona getting her life back. But the thing is, Max is an absolute scumbag and the entire thing was 100 percent intentional. And there's so much proof.
- Max knew Fiona didn't know what she was doing and he knew she didn't have the funds to ride the deal out. He's a professional and a successful developer. He likely had inside knowledge. Even if he didn't, the conversations he'd have with Fiona would give away that she had no idea what she was talking about beyond a surface level.
- Max was planning on acquiring Fiona's apartment from the start. Developers don't just decide to redevelop an entire block overnight. That takes years of planning. Yet right after he acquires it, the project is a go?
- Max's initial introduction of the investment "opportunity" is a classic con. One of a conman's mains strategies in scams like these are getting the mark to ask YOU to "invest". Make them work for it and pretend like its their idea, not yours, and they let their guard down completely. This is exactly what Max was doing when he met with Fiona. Why else would you mention a project that you don't want the person to invest in?
- Max just "happens" to show up to bail here out and just happens to benefit from it every time?
- Max wins big over and over, and always at Fiona's expense. He makes hundreds of thousands on the sale of Fiona's apartment, essentially used Fiona's 100k as a loan for his project and then HE gets paid interest, and then *he* gets the profit that Fiona would have gotten for her investment.
- The most damming act is his last one; Buying out Fiona's share of the land. Fiona was going to hit the jackpot. The retirement home was going to get built, Max said it himself. All Fiona had to do was wait 6 months to a year. She wasn't going to starve or be homeless. She had a job (even if it was a shitty one) and she had already turned a corner with her downward spiral (One that Max didn't even know about). She's been poor her entire life and she could not wait 6 more months? What was Max saving her from exactly? What was he bailing her out of? Max manipulated her situation knowing she'd be heartbroken and demoralized from the loss of the apartment (Not to mention the 25k loan with interest that she was saddled with). He knew that someone who thought they'd have nothing would jump at the chance at 100k without a second thought.
The smartest part about all of this is that the cinematography, score, and the character's reactions all make it seem as if Max wasn't he villain he was. We never saw a single person react badly to him. Hell, during this entire thing Fiona didn't once say a bad word about him or show him any aggression. We are left to believe that Fiona just fucked up and it was no ones fault but her own because that's what Fiona, and all the people in her life, think. All despite the actual facts.
Anyways, thanks for listening to me ramble. I just really enjoyed this and haven't seen it discussed.