The White Lotus Season 1 (2021)
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The White Lotus Season 1 Review
The White Lotus is a 2021 drama series that aired on HBO. It is such a strong show that was too short, but superbly written and acted.
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“You have to treat these people like sensitive children“
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The series details a week in the life of vacationers as they relax and rejuvenate in paradise. With each passing day, a darker complexity emerges in these picture-perfect travelers, the hotel’s cheerful employees, and the idyllic locale itself. I loved watching this hugely entertaining show. Yes, it only has six episodes, which is a bummer. That was too short for me. But the episodes are at least an hour long, so that was great.
The show portrays how the rich are mostly horrible people that are also deeply troubled, insecure and unhappy despite all of their wealth. But they will persevere in their extreme fortune unfortunately and the show is very dark in how it depicts honestly that this battle against them will never be won unfortunately.
The series’ depiction of SJW lunatics in the form of these entitled brat teenagers was highly important as it’s rarely satirized on television this bluntly and forcefully. The show wonderfully showcases the importance of real fight for justice and not this entitled, made-up bullshit from the people who just talk about it, but never act to really change anything.
The show ended very darkly, but it was so unexpected and so realistic at the end of the day that I really respected it. The first three episodes were definitely prolonged build up, but the last three episodes were so incredible that I loved every second of them. The characters are largely very unlikable, but still following their stories was entertaining. And most were intertwined surprisingly well.
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I loved seeing Murray Bartlett of ‘Looking’ fame. He deserves many more amazing roles in the future as this is yet another superb turn from him. His Armond is one of the most relatable characters on the show. I have worked in a hostel myself and some of his troubles I could definitely relate to, so I found myself rooting for him throughout. What happened to him in the end was very tragic and unexpected.
Another likable highlight is Jennifer Coolidge as Tanya. She’s terrific in what has to be her career-best performance. Her troubled past and insecurities are very well explored while her eventual newfound relationship was quite sweet. She was great, though she was obviously terrible toward Belinda in the series’ clever depiction of how difficult it is to gain funding and support for a project.
Connie Britton is terrific as Nicole, though I did find her quite frustrating as this overly conceited business woman, but she did care for her family and ultimately this family got somewhat of a happy ending, which was nice. Quinn was the most admirable person here as a guy who reconnects with nature and actually tries to change something. The father-son relationship is wonderful and Mark is also so well developed. I loved how he put his daughter to her place.
Yes, Olivia is quite atrocious with her SJW bullshit, but her dynamic with her friend/potential love interest Paula was intriguing. The whole theft subplot was terrific and it also signified just how unfair the whole situation in Hawaii is with the natives having lost everything to these terrible rich people.
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As for Rachel and Shane, I found Alexandra Daddario simply incredible in this complex role. But the fact that she could not break away from him was deeply disturbing, though again grounded in reality. Shane is just horrendous as the show’s biggest straight up villain and it was very easy to hate on him through and through.
Overall, The White Lotus was incredible toward the end. It did get a while to get going and the characters are mostly awful, but still so well developed and wonderfully acted with the standouts being Alexandra Daddario and Jennifer Coolidge. This is a show that explores some great themes of injustice and entitlement while also benefiting from an immensely dark, unexpected conclusion.
Worst Episodes: New Day and Mysterious Monkeys.
Best Episodes: The Lotus-Eaters and Departures.
