Abductions

For those who love to watch people eat, have sex, and talk about themselves, look no further! The White Lotus season 2 is your show. And the epitome of this slavishness is on fully display here in episode 6!

How long do people stay at a hotel that probably costs $1k a night, anyway? Answer: Many many many nights. The grandfather, father, son trio talk about their Italian heritage and visiting a place nearby to search for distant relatives every day, multiple times a day - they don't go until now. Before today, they just drank and ate and slept with sex workers!

Conversations have become repetitive. Ethan complains to Cameron that Aubrey Plaza thinks HE's the one who had sex with a prostitute, but he's already told Cam this, like twice. Does Aubrey Plaza think he did it? Yes, maybe, maybe not, definitely.

And wasn't Tanya's husband supposed to fly home for two days? That was like episode 2. It feels like a week and a half ago. Do they ever talk on the phone? No. It's like he was just written off the show.

The hotel manager subplot doesn't quite work- it feels forced and has gone nowhere.

People swim, and look forlorn, and eat. And they drink. The only change really comes from the Sopranos guy, who's stopped sleeping with hookers and looking at porn. Tanya's character kind of grows, and has a nice moment with Portia early in the episode, but then she's doing blow later with the same gay guy friend she saw having sex with his "nephew" the night before.

Lucia's pimp was introduced late, like episode 5, so we have some other possible murder in the offing. Now he takes her into his clutches. Uh-oh!

Whenever the show starts to drag, which is does a lot, eerie music plays and we see an image of a creepy statue or a stormy sky.

Ooooh the mystical secrets of Italy...

Driving the people mad with lust and jealousy!

No, the ghosties aren't driving this madness. It's because the people staying here at this ridiculously opulent resort are insulated and shallow.

I have to say, TWL season 2 started with some promise. Aubrey and Ethan commenting about the state of the world before the redhead and Cam poohpoohed such talk (and didn't understand much of it), that was cool, and felt true to life. But soon Aubrey and Ethan are acting just as bratty and spoiled and vapid as cam and his wife are.

It must be the island's spooky juju!

No, it's just what happens when you put people into a situation where they have nothing to do but eat and drink and screw and think about themselves. Welcome to hedonism. Even the nice kid who gets rejected by Portia just starts banging one of the sex workers. Oh, I know they "like each other," but come on. I stopped rooting for that kid the second he acted like Portia no longer mattered to him. He's now as shallow as everyone else.

Halfway through episode 6, I've tuned out. I'm sure the big reveal ending of who dies will be amazing. But unless the whole place gets suddenly hit with ballistic missiles and they ALL die (except the sex worker who sings - save her) it wouldn't satisfy me at this point.

In "Abductions," the penultimate episode of The White Lotus Season 2, the tension reaches a fever pitch as the characters' intertwined lives spiral towards a dramatic climax. Suspicions and betrayals deepen, leaving viewers on the edge of their seats.

The episode masterfully sets the stage for the finale, leaving us with a myriad of unanswered questions and a sense of impending doom. The characters' actions become increasingly desperate as they grapple with the consequences of their choices and the looming threat of exposure.

The Sicilian setting continues to play a crucial role in the unfolding drama, with its rich history and cultural nuances adding depth and intrigue to the narrative. The episode's title, "Abductions," hints at the physical and emotional turmoil experienced by the characters as they become entangled in a web of deceit and manipulation.

With its masterful storytelling, compelling characters, and breathtaking cinematography, "Abductions" is a fitting prelude to what promises to be a dramatic and unforgettable finale. The episode leaves us with a heightened sense of anticipation, eager to see how the stories of The White Lotus guests will ultimately resolve.

It might come off a bit disingenuous to suggest that, more than a decade into her career, this is Aubrey Plaza's breakout role, but it is the absolute truth. The acting that she achieves in this series in phenomenal, but this episode truly leaves you breathless. You can't take your eyes away from her whenever she is on screen. I feel in many ways Aubrey Plaza has been the industry's pariah, a shadowed caricature defined by her roles, not by her talent. If you take nothing else from this episode, I hope that you at least appreciate how absolutely masterful Aubrey is in evoking the most gut wrenching sincerity in her most nuanced performance to date. She may be a comedic genius, but drama is where she soars.

The intensity got much better with this episode. I felt like the prior one was a bit of a letdown but this one had the drama I was looking for. The Di Grasso family with Lucia is a pretty crazy situation. Having her being chased down was nuts and I'm curious if they will even show her in the finale. The Spiller and Sullivan couple has a wild situation going on. It was hinted in the first episode with the inappropriate way Cameron is approaching his best friend's wife. Portia and Jack is also an interesting dynamic. Jack opening up to her being near blackout drunk might have pushed her away from pursuing him but we'll see how it all turns out. 4/5 stars.

The previous episode was a let down. A lot of random twist and unexplained developments. It looked like most of the story thread had to take an unexpected turn.

This episode is a bit better as it makes more sense and is more focused on characters motives rather than plot events. This episode we are (finally) starting to see people motivations more clearly and it feel somewhat refreshing.

The biggest reveal of course concerns the subplot of the gays and Tanya. Until now it looked somewhat uneasy and strange but there was no concrete element to say what was going on for sure. Now, it is clear that it's simply a giant con. Personally, I am a bit disappointed again that Tanya did not storm out of the room at the end, when she discovers it. She ends up in a number of situations where her behavior is not in line with her character. All this time, she was somewhat assertive and impulsive. Now that she is stuck in this surreal rabbit hole; most of that seems lost and forgotten, and she is now basically submissive and timid.

One thing that started to bother me, was the fact that the series was disconnected from its Sicilian environment. And the small acknowledgments felt more like lip-service than anything meaningful. Until now the show could have taken place almost anywhere. Yet, we finally got some immersion. The Di Grassos go to the countryside, have run-ins with the mob and a couple of typical Sicilian nonnas. Also the mob is mentioned! And the final party scene is very deliciously baroque and decadent. It feels Italian, it feels representative.

One aspect that was I liked very much was the whole Ethan-Harper-Cameron love triangle. First of all because it is a plot thread that is not as predictable as the others, and it is well executed. The role-reversal in the infidelity is very interesting, and justifies Harper's beaing a b-word earlier; it is clear that Ethan is very bad at communicating. The whole situation could have been diffused with a simple conversation between adults. Of course that would not make for an interesting show. But it is great to see him almost confronted with his own actions.

I feel that there was too many twists and turns in the previous episodes just for the sake of it. Characters behaving and doing things out of the blue. That somewhat turned me off this series. It feels like this episode attempts to justify many of those previous choices after the fact. Some of it lands, some of it fails, like Valetina's arc. It looks like everything is geared towards a very sinister conclusion; you kinda expect the worst a bit like in Black Mirror. Yet, I do not feel like all these stories are as sophisticated and meaningful as we are told they are.