Acapulco season 4 episode 9 ending explained: Does Maximo get fired from Las Colinas?

Acapulco season 4 episode 9, titled The Winner Takes It All, premiered on September 10, 2025. With the Miss Universe pageant underway at Las Colinas, the episode kicks off in the future as present-day Maximo struggles with his fears about failing Julia and losing his second chance with her.

Disclaimer: The following article contains spoilers from Acapulco season 4 episode 9. Readers’ discretion is advised.

After taking a break from Las Colinas in the previous episode, episode 9 returned with a heavy dose of pressure as the 1986 Miss Universe pageant kicked off. However, while things initially went well, the air-conditioning in the resort died, causing complications to arise during the contest.

That included the contest host fainting from heat exhaustion, forcing Diane to take over, and Lorena giving birth in the middle of the live broadcast. It made the Miss Universe CEO and Alejandro Vera upset at Maximo, especially after he opted to stop the broadcast to make sure Lorena got the treatment she needed.

This led to him walking a tightrope for the remainder of the episode, but everything ended well. The Miss Universe board loved the interruption as they said it made for great TV, and Las Colinas earned rave reviews, which kept Vera happy.

Maximo wasn’t fired as head of operations and lived to fight another day despite the pressure nearly getting to him in Acapulco season 4 episode 9.

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Maximo puts everything aside and asks Don Pablo for help in Acapulco season 4 episode 9

Acapulco season 4 episode 9, The Winner Takes It All (Image via AppleTV+)

With the Miss Universe pageant finally kicking off in Acapulco season 4 episode 9, Maximo was a ball of nervous energy right from the start. So much so that he lost his checklist before the big staff meeting and struggled to accept the fact that he was running the event as well as the hotel.

Even when Don Pablo visited him to give him a peace offering in the form of a bottle of alcohol, Maximo was wary about accepting the gift from his mentor. The former head of operations at Las Colinas also realised that Maximo was a bundle of nerves and attempted to help calm him down, but failed.

Things improved slightly for Maximo once the pageant kicked off, but only marginally as the first major crisis hit the resort. With their AC systems failing, it left everyone inside the resort sweating bullets, including the contestants. This resulted in the host fainting and needing to be replaced, with both Alejandro Vera and the Miss Universe CEO upset that Maximo hadn’t planned better.

Not sure how to fix the air-conditioning system, Maximo opted to ask Don Pablo for his help, and his mentor was more than happy to lend a hand. Not only that, the two had a heart-to-heart, which seemed to ease Maximo’s anxiety as the pageant got back up and running with proper ventilation.

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Memo and Lorena have their baby during the Miss Universe pageant

Acapulco season 4 episode 9, The Winner Takes It All (Image via AppleTV+)

Throughout Acapulco season 4, Memo and Lorena’s pregnancy has been a big storyline, with Memo dedicating most of his time to his child and pregnant girlfriend. Episode 8 showed the two finally accepting the fact that they were going to be parents and that a lot of things were going to change. This didn’t come a moment too soon, as the AC shutting down in Acapulco season 4 episode 9 hastened the arrival of their child.

With the two of them sitting in the front row of the crowd during the pageant, it meant that the event had to be paused, despite it being a live broadcast. Maximo decided to do so despite both Vera and the Miss Universe CEO angrily telling him not to. This eventually proved to be the right decision, as thanks to some help from Miss Venezuela, the baby was born healthy and in great condition.

The Miss Universe board also ended up loving the birth, as they called it a “double crowning” and said it made for great TV, leaving the CEO happy in the end.

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Present-day Maximo still has a long way to go to win back Julia

Acapulco season 4 episode 9, The Winner Takes It All (Image via AppleTV+)

Upset that his attempts to win back Julia were going nowhere in episode 8, present-day Maximo lashed out at her and told her she didn’t even care about rebuilding Las Colinas with him. This accusation upset her, and the two have barely spoken since, with that trend continuing into Acapulco season 4 episode 9.

Julia even told Maximo that she was refusing to show up for the interview with the reporter despite his insistence that he needed her there. She also told him that she was only going to be present for the ribbon cutting and then planned on leaving for Milan forever. This left Maximo upset and unhappy with the fact that he had seemingly lost his chance to tell Julia how he felt again.

He did get some hope when Octavio Cruz, the telenovela star, checked out of the resort and told Maximo that Julia still had feelings for him. However, when he asked her, she denied the fact and instead called Cruz delusional before storming off. It left Maximo feeling downcast and sad for most of the interview with the reporter until his daughter stepped in to save the day.

However, by the end of the episode, his attitude hadn’t changed, and things only became worse when Julia walked away, yet again, when he tried to talk to her.

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Acapulco season 4 episode 9 is currently streaming on Apple TV+.