Denials

...and yes, I'm including my formerly beloved Severance, which went from a tight, intriguing, focused thriller of a S1 (something I would strongly recommend to every person I talked to about it) to a strong S2 start that slowly lost its focus, blew up in scale, and turned into a kid with ADHD, ending on a somewhat exciting but empty husk of a finale. I can't believe all the 10/10 ratings on the finale, but I digress.

S3 of White Lotus, sure at 8 episodes it's moved a little slower than S1 (6 eps) & S2 (7 eps), and while I love having more time with this location, these characters, and most of all these topics of exploration, I do think my one criticism of the season would be that 6-7 eps make more sense for the contained stories they're telling. I could end up eating these words depending on how the final 2 eps go, but so far, this is my take.

My other minor critique is while we do have some fantastic characters this season (and no Jennifer Coolidge's Tanya thankfully, she was funny in S1 but I was pretty sick of her cartoon character schtick by end of S2) - but they're not quite as compelling on the whole as the last two seasons. Gaitok & Mook, while I actually like the actors a lot, they're just not given much to work with. It seems like they just wanted to shoehorn in some locals, which is great in the sense that the stories about the hotel interacts with the place it's located are a huge part of why this show is good, but in Hawaii & Italy the stories couldn't haven't happened without the locals, while so far in Thailand they almost feel retrofitted, regardless of what happens. What has Mook even done besides look attractive and give Gaitok mixed signals? The actress playing her deserves better imo.

So, with these complaints, why am I giving this ep a 9/10? Well, because those are really the only complaints I have about the entire season. This location is by far the most interesting visually, has on average the best collection of acting performances (S1 leaned more comedy, S2 was a mixed bag, Plaza/James couples were fantastic as was Imperioli but otherwise it was so-so, this season pretty much the whole cast is putting on a masterclass), but most of all, it's by FAR the most interesting areas of exploration.

Sure, power/status is compelling, sex is fun to do but not the most interesting topic to explore beyond that, but identity/meaning/and our own narratives about who we are vs who we actually are - I honestly don't think you can top that. What happens when we realize the stories we tell ourselves about who we are, why we are the way we are, or how we see ourselves in relation to others, are challenged? What comes with the existential crisis of your entire identity being ripped away from you? Can you overcome your worst instincts and habits during your lowest moments? There's just so much going on here and and I watch each episode twice to catch everything I missed the first time.

Some may not like this because of some of the surface events (brother on brother, depressing Duke Dad, less comedy, etc) and that's totally fine we all have our presences, but if you're open to going along for the existential ride with Mike White & Co, there's really not much better on right now.

I always forget to give a shoutout to Parker Posey from this season, but her accent and the way she acts are hilarious and adorable. This was another solid episode that pulled down a bit from the prior episode, but still kept the same energy. Seasons are always slow burns with beautiful shots and slow pacing, but it works every season. Whether it's some of the Ratliff family that are taking on the repercussions of their decisions or Rick, who is aggressively pursuing what he came to do in Thailand, they go in different directions, but somehow give that uneasy anxiety that pulls you in as you get deeper into the season. Can't wait for the last two episodes. 4/8 stars.

Come on, really? I was so excited to see what would happen between the two women and the brothers from the last episode, but really? Saxon vomited just thinking about it, and I can understand that.

The reviewers who were complaining about the brother-brother thing in the last episode might not be able to digest what happened in this one. The show is getting interesting story-wise, but I feel like all the characters are just waiting for the final episode to do something crazy because it's the rule-killing usually happens in the finale, so they're just waiting for it.

Also, who hired that security guard? For two episodes now, he's been scared about something that someone stole from him, and to get it back, he's behaving like a thief-even though it's his own thing he's trying to take back. Were the resort owners looking for a security guard to take care of Mook or the resort?

Overall, the tension is building up. I just hope the characters don't wait for the finale and actually do something in the next episode.

Okay, "that" plot twist didn't really seem out of character for the series. The whole schitck is, pushing boundaries. The agenda seems pretty obvious, to depict the Ratliffs as so dysfunctional that Piper, by far the most "normal," will happily flee to a monastery, for a lot longer than a year. Maybe Dad will go with her, if he was actually listening to what the monk was saying.

Some of the plotlines are getting tedious, such as the guard and his gun. Is there a point other than filling time? Ditto for the three cougar friends. They're a mess, okay, I get it. But not an interesting mess.

I'm afraid Rick's plotline is headed for a twist I saw coming several episodes ago. That leaves Greg vs. Belinda as the most interesting story. No idea how that pans out.

Here's a random thought: Tim cuts a deal with the feds in return for ratting out Greg. Murder beats money laundering, right? There's been no setup at all for that idea, so they'd have to move fast.

Wow. As usual, the music was excellent, the writing was sharp, and of course the acting was superb (Patrick Schwarzenegger stood out this episode). With the White Lotus, I've come to expect these aspects to shine-but the storytelling in the back half of this season is proving to be very effective.

This episode was shocking, yet surprisingly grounded. One of the things that makes this show so special is the way that tension escalates. Each character is progressively mentally unraveling, and the murder mystery aspect keeps the tone ominous. Mike White knows how to keep us guessing, and this show is the perfect example of that. I'm very excited to see how this story concludes.