created by Mike White, 2021-present
The White Lotus is right up my alley. There’s something I adore about shows and movies that focus on rich people with beautiful aesthetics. There is plenty of drama and beautiful scenery, and, most significantly, it made some solid (and pretty loud) points. The White Lotus is about the guests and staff of a gorgeously expensive hotel in Hawaii called (fittingly) the White Lotus. We follow them throughout about a week’s stay at the hotel and the way that they change each other’s lives in that time. The series is blatantly critical of wealth and whiteness, and examines how both of those things affect people’s perspectives and treatment of others.
Every single character in this series was, in my opinion, unlikeable in some way. It seemed to me the series was examining all of the ways that people hurt one another. Even though we were meant to see the motives behind each character, it was harder to sympathize with them because we saw each of their actions affect those around them. Much of the characters’ dialogue didn’t correlate with how the audience knew the person was feeling. It demonstrated human error and how we often don’t intend to hurt each other. There were also several very blunt and uncomfortable conversations that were important to getting the point of the series across.
This series is stunning. The music is beautiful, the outdoor shots are gorgeous, and of course the hotel is amazing (it was filmed at a Four Seasons). I can see rewatching this series a couple of times, but the tone was definitely heavier than would be expected. The discomfort of certain scenes would make me less likely to pick this up as a light watch. However, I think this series still provides a beautiful enough image to draw me in to watch again. Plus, I do love some great drama, and this series makes sure to include that.
The ending, to be honest, was not at all emotionally satisfying. However, logistically, the last scenes really drove home the themes of the series. (Slight spoiler ahead). The rich people came, conquered, and left. Although each of the wealthy guests had a wild week, none of their lives ended up changing, whereas those in their wake changed greatly. It’s not the ending I necessarily wanted, but it actually is much better.
I also want to add another comment about limited series in general. Just like Moon Knight, this series was advertised as, even submitted to awards for, a limited series. However, there will be a second season coming in less than a month. While I am excited to see this continue, it does feel a bit like they are reaching for more content that might not be there. Perhaps the next season will be a perfect addition, or it may be just extra episodes that weren’t needed. I’m interested to see what happens to limited series like this one in the future.
I would say this series is pretty much as advertised. If you’ve already decided whether or not you want to watch, I’m not going to attempt to sway you in either direction. However, for those of you that have this series on your list and have been putting it off, I would give it a try! It’s a quick watch, entertaining, and will make you think. It’s not perfect, nor my favorite series this year, but it definitely earns a high score in my book!
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