The White Lotus

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.

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.

I will say from the start this isn't a series for everyone, it's different, there's tons of charecter development, and it's a show I'd find much more enjoyable binge watching then consuming one episode per week.

I've grown to love limited series, immediately there is a start and end point set out from the get go. There's no cliffhangers written with no exact conclusion in mind or series that goes on way past its shelf life. This series is so well done it gives you a definitive, acceptable conclusion that leave little if anything to conclude. It's great when a season of episodes ends and it leaves you begging for more, however it's also great to watch a short series that tells its story while manages to leave no stone on turned and you're satisfied with it's ending and enjoyed it. In a lot of ways I believe this series left a wonderful blueprint for future limited series to come.

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.

Though some of the first season was cringe-worthy. This second season is about as masterful as anyone could hope for.

It starts a bit slow, the first episode, but soon finds its legs and impresses again and again, captivating me as if I weren't quite seasoned. It feels like a review of every thought I've ever had at a vacation resort, many of which I'd long forgotten. On that score alone it's a delight, but not to worry, it goes way beyond that to flirt with opera-like heights of drama and beauty something quite appropriate given its setting in Sicily.

Given the excellence of the acting and the seeming effortlessness of the story I would have to say Mike White, this series' creator, is some sort of unsung genius. The guy seems unaware of boundaries coupled with one of the sharpest eyes for detail I've ever seen.