The latest HBO Murder-Mystery is a social satirical view on our modern world. When a mob of privileged, rich, white families arrive at the Hawaiian island-getaway, the “The White Lotus,” there is already a degree of apprehension in the air. The separate groups are all visiting the island for different reasons: a family vacation, a romantic honeymoon, a bon-voyage getaway – but when someone ends up dead, every episode is a clue and every character has its own sinister motives.
"The White Lotus" Trailer
The HBO Limited Series was one of the few early-pandemic TV shows that got the green light to shoot. Secluded on a remote Hawaiian-island, “White Lotus” production required extensive testing and strict protocols to ensure the series was executed in a safe way, one of the early shows to adapt what is now considered “modern” COVID restrictions. But for that we are grateful, without we would not have gotten this wonderfully, weird representation and viewing of power struggles and boundaries between the elite and privileged vacationers.
We enter the show from a variety of perspectives, but spend most of our time with the "White Lotus" Manager, Armond (Murray Bartlett), a quirky do-gooder trying to keep everyone and everything together, as well as the visiting families:
Mossbaucher’s, The Patton’s and Tanya McQuoid. Each of the travelers are visiting the islands with different ideas of a relaxing vacation. Nicole Mossbaucher family (Connie Britton) is a working CEO mom who brings along her family to vacation with her, including her sarcastic, GEN-Z daughter (Sydney Sweeney) and her distant, socially awkward son. Although the entire family travels together, they spend their days very much apart.
Joining the resort, we also have Tanya McQuoid (Jennifer Coolidge), a single woman in her mid-fifties that is planning to release her mother’s ashes on the island during her stay. To say she is an emotional-wreck would be an understatement, but Coolidge gives a rock-solid performance.
Finally, we have Shane (Jake Lacy) and Rachel (Alexandra Daddario) Patton, the newlywed couple who are just as entitled as any privilege white couple benefitting from mommy and daddy’s bank accounts. Immediately, they get into a tussle with the hotel manager of the White Lotus when their room is not to their exact specifications. While each group rarely interacts with each other at the beginning of the series, they soon become entangled in each other’s lives and family dynamics, unable to separate themselves which leads to the probable untimely death, and possible murder, of Rachel Patton before their tropical getaway ends.
The series is…wacky, to say the least. While the series has only a six-episode run, it takes at least three to four episodes to really get the characters and plot up and running. Each of the characters are insanely un-likeable in almost every different way. There is hardly an episode or run where you find yourself actively rooting for any of the characters visiting the island for their vacation. It, of course, can be viewed under a very social satirical and political lens, but it also doesn’t have to be. The series is a character-driven drama with one very serious implication, someone ends up dead.
I am still debating whether I enjoy the series or if I am just bored.
There is still time to catch up! The Series Finale of "The White Lotus" premieres next Sunday, August 15th on HBO!
And that’s the sitch.
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