The White Lotus

The White Lotus is so much better than I expected. Both seasons have all-star casts from top to bottom and all do an incredible job. I can't point that out enough, both casts are perfect. Also, the visuals on this show are just beautiful. This series has already won so many awards for season one and I expect season two to win just as many. It's both funny and serious in how it shows the difference in classes and how some of the wealthy and privileged live their lives. There are no real villains in this show but definitely some frustrating and annoying characters. There are so many great characters that everyone will have their favorite and most annoying.

I will say from the start this isn't a series for everyone, it's different, there's tons of charecter development, and it's a show I'd find much more enjoyable binge watching then consuming one episode per week.

I've grown to love limited series, immediately there is a start and end point set out from the get go. There's no cliffhangers written with no exact conclusion in mind or series that goes on way past its shelf life. This series is so well done it gives you a definitive, acceptable conclusion that leave little if anything to conclude. It's great when a season of episodes ends and it leaves you begging for more, however it's also great to watch a short series that tells its story while manages to leave no stone on turned and you're satisfied with it's ending and enjoyed it. In a lot of ways I believe this series left a wonderful blueprint for future limited series to come.

Though some of the first season was cringe-worthy. This second season is about as masterful as anyone could hope for.

It starts a bit slow, the first episode, but soon finds its legs and impresses again and again, captivating me as if I weren't quite seasoned. It feels like a review of every thought I've ever had at a vacation resort, many of which I'd long forgotten. On that score alone it's a delight, but not to worry, it goes way beyond that to flirt with opera-like heights of drama and beauty something quite appropriate given its setting in Sicily.

Given the excellence of the acting and the seeming effortlessness of the story I would have to say Mike White, this series' creator, is some sort of unsung genius. The guy seems unaware of boundaries coupled with one of the sharpest eyes for detail I've ever seen.

The first season of the show gets a nine from me. It's tight, consistent, darkly humorous, and its social commentary is nuanced and central to the show. Season two gets more like a six. It's good enough for me to watch a season three, but overall season two is less interesting because it feels more like a slow moving trainwreck of a tabloid story. The writing is just too obvious and lacks the nuance necessary to make the excesses interesting or meaningful. That doesn't make it bad television, but it does move it to the "maybe" category of recommendations for me - except for Aubrey Plaza's performance. She is excellent and definitely worth showing up for. Overall, the show is engaging and has plenty to say. If they can move past the sophomore slump of overly obvious excess, I'd love to see more seasons.

Season 3 is absolutely atrocious. It is slow. There are no likable characters. The entire season seems like a waste of time. Everyone is either frightened, stupid, or vacuous. I keep watching only because I have come this far hoping something will happen. Season 3 is the worst of the series.

I don't know how the producers can expect people to stick with a series that is so bereft of an interesting plot. Its like each episode is trying to extend itself for 45 minutes.

I am very disappointed in this season because the first two were so entertaining. Not only are the characters not interesting, they are downright unlikable. Don't waste your time.