NFL
By: Randall Slifer
Television shows are ubiquitous when you have dozens of streaming services to go along with your cable package. Filtering out bad TV comes with its wasted time, but finding the shows that get you excited for a new episode to drop every week, makes it all worthwhile. I think an underrated genre of television is “stories”. By that I mean, that all shows have a premise and storylines, but some shows focus on the twists and shock value over what the story truly holds, that power of the narrative line—not so with The White Lotus.
If you have been living under a rock, The White Lotus is now in its third season and going strong. It is a satirical drama set on a vacation retreat for the elite. There is something about satirical comedy of the elite that works in a sort of duplicitous way. For the rich, I would like to assume, it can be somewhat relatable. The environment, their demeanors, and those they surround themselves with probably possess some commonality. For the blue-collar side, there is something deviously uplifting about watching a train wreck on a 50k-a-day resort and saying, “I’m good”.
Here the fun begins. There is always one constant in each season: someone dies, Now, each season has its own style, but the vibe remains similar. The White Lotus operates utilizing the same spa retreat company; however, each season develops different storylines, characters, and unique locations that are integral to the telling of that story—almost like a character itself. A couple of characters come back from the previous season as the same person, and some actors or actresses come back, but as new characters. In addition, they pump it up with a couple of star-studded new actors and actresses. Jennifer Coolidge was the star of the first two seasons in the same role, and this season, they brought back the wonderful Natasha Rothwell from season 1. You must at least go through an episode to figure out who is a new character, and who is a returning character, which poses its own fun. It helps you predict the conflicts that will arise throughout the season, but you still won’t be able to guess how it unfolds. And vibe-wise, season 1 oozed with a comedic tone while season 2 created a much more mystery/drama atmosphere. The comedy remained, but it was darker with even a sinister edge, which helped build more and more tension in each episode.
That tension, the secrets, and the lies are both seething and robust in each character and everyone has a pharmaceutical regimen that keeps them going on a week-to-week basis. Here’s just a taste: Jennifer Coolidge is a filthy rich woman whose only goal is to find her purpose for the final half of her life. She has an amount of money that she could not spend even if she lived to a very old age. You can’t help to love her vision and humor but roll your eyes when her narcissism prevails. They also employ the younger generations being products of their parents’ theme. Season 3 has the typical under-performing son at his dad’s company only employed through nepotism and his strategy for the ladies is a cringy level of douche; whereas, season 1 has a daughter who is so self-absorbed, a crack that knocks on her life’s door becomes more like a tectonic shift.
At any rate, television fans can agree; that there is nothing like a top-tier show running 4-8 seasons and building a community locally or globally to discuss theories, and predictions, share laughter, and pose concerns. Stories complete in their own, short vacuum of a season, though, is why I wanted to talk about The White Lotus. Each season is a beautifully crafted story that has an ending finishing said story. Some of the story rolls over a bit, just like some of the characters do into the next season, but there is no major cliffhanger that makes you shout at the screen detesting that you must wait one or more years for the next season to drop (I am looking at you, Severance). It’s a very unique show in its own way and breaks some barriers that seem predictable in other television series. I heard it said that there are no new stories, just new ways of telling them—not so with The White Lotus!
The White Lotus premieres Sunday nights at 9 pm EST. Season 3 is only three episodes in, and it is one of the easiest shows to binge. Reach out to me on Twitter/X @Randall Slifer and let me know your thoughts on the show.
