It’s been a little bit now, but I’m so glad I was able to watch this series! As of right now, there is no news of a second season of The White Lotus, but it was almost so perfect it doesn’t need one? In my opinion, anyways. In a show where so much great stuff happens, it also floats in the ether of being genre-less. That’s a pretty rare feat!
Truly, I can’t land on one word, or even a cluster of words to describe what The White Lotus encompasses, but I promise it is completely worth your time. And not much time, really. This was a smart, half-hour six episode arc of storytelling, again, done quite expertly. It’s even great to hear about the thought process behind the show. Creator, Mike White, was given the green light to make a show for HBO Max, but the constraints were it had to be done meeting the intense COVID protocols. What better way to do that then have your central cast quarantine and film in Hawaii?! That’s a job I’m sure most of those actors weren’t mad about accepting. And what a cast! Each brought something uniquely special to the show, even those who at first appear to be pretty throwaway secondary characters.
But enough set-up, let’s get to the meat of the story! Several different groups of people arrive at a Hawaiian resort and cause all sorts of chaos for each other and for themselves. Representing the main hotel staff is manager, Armond, and spa manager Belinda. In the hopes of getting some good fortune, Belinda befriends lone traveler, Tanya, who is there to mourn the loss of her mother and to spread her ashes. She’s a hot mess (and played brilliantly by Jennifer Coolidge). Also at the resort is the Mossbacher family who are all sort of going through their own crises. Mark starts the vacation thinking he has prostate cancer and then decides to really cherish every moment with his less-than-willing family. Daughter, Olivia manages to piss off her family and her best friend by being aloof, mean, and selfish. Strange son Quinn is forced to give up electronics and really connect with nature, while mom, Nicole can’t seem to quit working. She also gets put down a little bit by a naïve writer, Rachel, who is on her honeymoon. She’s almost immediately questioning her marriage to the overbearing Shane. Who invites their mother to their honeymoon?! Shane’s interactions with Armond are among my favorite of the series though. They are both such assholes to each other.
Not much by way of action happens throughout the show, but the dialogue and storylines are so strong. Ultimately, this show takes a look at money and how it impacts people’s lives. For most of the guests at the resort, save for Rachel and Olivia’s friend, they are used to almost endless means. They don’t know what it is to struggle to make a living, and no one feels that more than Armond and Belinda. They work so hard to be shit on by these people over the smallest of inconveniences. It’s a little sickening. Rachel’s story is also interesting because she came from no money to being told she’s not allowed to work anymore…mainly because she doesn’t have to (also because Shane is an old-fashioned dick). She really flounders for most of the series, and her ending is a little unsatisfying, but the arc is a treat to watch.
Aside from hilarious and extremely dramatic moments, there’s also a murder mystery involved! At the very start there is mention of a body being shipped back from the resort, so you spend a little bit of time trying to figure out who it could be. And honestly, it could have been any of them. I enjoyed so much was this show was able to do, and similar to Ted Lasso, it’s a standout and a bright spot in the over-packed land of television right now. Definitely add this to your watch list! I promise you won’t be disappointed.