The White Lotus

Season 2 in Italy was overall the best one so far. Season 1 is right behind that. Season 3 was a downer and way too slooooow. It is not a coincidence season 1 was just 6 episodes and season 2 was 7 while boring, slow season 3 was 8! It really could have been just 6 episodes and it would have come across as more action packed and dramatic. The common thread across all three seasons so far is the superb acting and filmography. It does not matter where in the world this production crew goes, it will be an immersive experience for the viewer. As for season 4 coming up (location TBD), I hope they cut it down to 6 episodes and stay away from the overarching darkness of season 3. Yes, people died in each season but season 3 hits you differently and not in a good way at all.

The White Lotus is so much better than I expected. Both seasons have all-star casts from top to bottom and all do an incredible job. I can't point that out enough, both casts are perfect. Also, the visuals on this show are just beautiful. This series has already won so many awards for season one and I expect season two to win just as many. It's both funny and serious in how it shows the difference in classes and how some of the wealthy and privileged live their lives. There are no real villains in this show but definitely some frustrating and annoying characters. There are so many great characters that everyone will have their favorite and most annoying.

I believe the use of the music in episode 2, nearly overpowering the dialogue in some sections, was intentionally done to further enhance the unsettling mood of the entire episode. There's a lot bubbling under the surface of these characters, and it's about to start boiling over soon.

If you don't like many of these characters and find them hard to root for, that's intentional too. Mike White writes characters that challenge you and leave you feeling conflicted. He wants us to have an inner dialogue with ourselves as we watch. As to what's around the corner, I can pretty much guarantee you we have no idea (unless you've read the scripts). But fasten your seatbelts, it's gonna be a bumpy ride.

Honestly, "reviewers"? This show is a true HBO show. It is quirky, uncomfortable, exquisitely written, beautifully acted, and is presented nakedly, warts and all.

I found the reviewers fell into two categories - love it or hate it. The "love its" praised it for what I praised it for (above). The "hate its" did not like that you don't have a joke, then a laugh, then a joke, then a laugh. This is an adult satire. When you reviewers write that you can't find anything to like about the characters, THAT'S the idea. You are supposed to delve into why you don't like them. You are supposed to not like what they do (or, if you're a little bit twisted, LOVE what they do). Brilliantly written by Mike White, it exposes the underbelly of people, yet still shows dignified people in the same context. You don't like water breaking? That is a natural occurrence. White mingles humanity with absurdity, and coats it with a sheen of money, power, and humility. These actors are willing to be bad people, honest people, people at the end of their rope, and people trying to understand what life holds for them. I have only watched two episodes, and I feel that this show could go in any direction and I'd still love it.

The first season of the show gets a nine from me. It's tight, consistent, darkly humorous, and its social commentary is nuanced and central to the show. Season two gets more like a six. It's good enough for me to watch a season three, but overall season two is less interesting because it feels more like a slow moving trainwreck of a tabloid story. The writing is just too obvious and lacks the nuance necessary to make the excesses interesting or meaningful. That doesn't make it bad television, but it does move it to the "maybe" category of recommendations for me - except for Aubrey Plaza's performance. She is excellent and definitely worth showing up for. Overall, the show is engaging and has plenty to say. If they can move past the sophomore slump of overly obvious excess, I'd love to see more seasons.