‘The White Lotus’ — “I’m Wealthy. I’m Important. I’m a Jerk. Look at Me!”
A bunch of self-indulgent rich people struggle to have a good time in a luxurious Hawaiian resort.
I don’t know why HBO execs keep thinking we want stories about horrible rich people — but to their credit, they’re not wrong.
The channel’s most bizarre show about a filthy-rich family, the Roys, will begin its third season this fall. That series taught me that even the most unlikable and rotten affluent people can be written in a highly entertaining way. I loathe every character on that show, and yet I couldn't resist watching two seasons of it. So, well done, HBO.
Their latest attempt to create something similarly successful isn’t far off from Succession. However, as opposed to the cold and hostile New York, The White Lotus takes place in a charming and much warmer setting: Hawaii. But make no mistake, the location doesn’t mean the characters aren’t cruel and controlling psychos. After watching the pilot, though, they don't seem to be the kind of monsters as the members of the Roy family. But let’s give it time — the chances are certainly there.
The plot begins at the Hawaiian airport, where potential douche-bag Shane (Jake Lacy) awaits his flight back home. He's upset. As a charming couple attempts to make small talk with him, he mentions that the past week was his honeymoon — and also adds to leaving him the fuck alone because he's grieving. We don’t know who he lost yet — that’s going to be a twist revealed in the next five weeks.
This is how showrunner Mike White sets off this six-episode-long satirical drama show. The limited series will recount what happened during a week-long vacation in a luxurious hotel among a group of self-important moneyed people.
I admit: it’s not the most intriguing premise I’ve ever heard. The trailer didn't really know how to sell it, either — although Hawaii, Connie Britton, and Alexandra Daddario will never be wrong selling points. But it’s the kind of show you need to watch to decide whether it’s your cup of tea. You have to feel its awkward vibe and oddly threatening atmosphere to find out how much tolerance you require to put up with a bunch of narcissists.
But let me help and briefly introduce them to you.
Candidate for Dick-of-The-Year award, Shane, and his wife Rachel (Alexandra Daddario) are newlyweds spending their honeymoon in the wrong suite of The White Lotus Hotel, apparently. At least that's what Shane is obsessed with. Their room has three different pools with a breathtaking beach view, but he can't let this mistake of the hotel's management fly. He'll get his way even if it costs him a marriage — or a murder?
Alongside them, there’s the Mossbacher family — an eccentric group of weirdoes. The husband, Mark (Steve Zahn), is dead certain he's got testicular cancer. "Look at how big my balls are," he says to his wife, Nicole (Connie Britton). Then we get a chance to inspect them up close with her. She’s the CFO of a multimillion wellness company, by the way. So, the concern of a possibly life-threatening disease hardly bothers her. People have cancer all the time, and they just deal with it — that’s what Mark gets from her as reassurance.
Their daughter, Olivia (Sydney Sweeney), is a monster put in a devilishly sexy body. She is an updated version of a Heather and a Mean Girl. Her words and gestures are designed to hurt people. Paula (Brittany O’Grady) is her bestie, who is lucky to tag along. Well, as far as she doesn’t forget where she belongs on the social scale. She might be gorgeous and sensitive, but she’s not a Mossbacher. The family’s other kid, Quinn (Fred Hechinger), is an introverted nerd glued to several screens even when reality looks better than a dream. He's the only one among them who seems somewhat normal and relatable.
And then there’s Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge), aka Stifler’s Mom, who’s slowly descending into an abyss of depression. She recently lost her mother and clearly needs help. She seems to find it in the resort’s spa manager, Belinda (Natasha Rothwell). But Tanya looks at her as a Black Savior, which marks the weird beginning of a relationship between a guest and a staff member.
One thing’s for sure, these characters are bound to make the hotel employees’ lives miserable — and we are just on the right side of the screen to see that happen.
To keep up some balance, White lets us take a glance at the staff’s side, too. Armond (Murray Bartlett), the manager of The White Lotus, is a master of fake smiles and nailing first impressions. He's got a skillset to make these guests believe he cares about them. Yet, as soon as they aren’t watching, he explains to the new trainee that these people are like sensitive children. They need to be treated as one, but with a firm hand, otherwise, they get out of control. To put it differently, he loathes these smug narcissists he has to deal with daily.
If you ever worked in hospitality, you know what he’s talking about: the guests are always right — and, in most cases, they’re also insufferable idiots. So, I hope we get to see a little more of the employees as the show continues because they’re a delightful representation of normal people so far.
However, White is smart enough not to draw obvious conclusions and portray any of these characters as villains. He provides us with just the right amount of characteristics to make our own minds up. Who knows? In the end, we might end up sympathizing and rooting for some of these schmucks that we hate right now. Well, if I take Succession as an example, it’s entirely possible. And I have a feeling that we're in for a funny and uncomfortable ride following how this vacation turns into a disaster.
If you’d like to read more about films and TV and pop culture, you know where to go.