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 went into watching The White Lotus not really knowing what to expect. I just finished the second season and now know why it's had so many great reviews and won so many awards. What makes this show so good is the acting and the writing. Each character is beautifully written and acted, not a weak link on either season. HBO always puts out great content and this is no different. It's not a show for everyone but I definitely enjoyed it. It's one of the rare anthology shows where both seasons are equally as good. I'm now looking forward to future seasons of The White Lotus and hope they stay as good as these first two.

I believe the use of the music in episode 2, nearly overpowering the dialogue in some sections, was intentionally done to further enhance the unsettling mood of the entire episode. There's a lot bubbling under the surface of these characters, and it's about to start boiling over soon.

If you don't like many of these characters and find them hard to root for, that's intentional too. Mike White writes characters that challenge you and leave you feeling conflicted. He wants us to have an inner dialogue with ourselves as we watch. As to what's around the corner, I can pretty much guarantee you we have no idea (unless you've read the scripts). But fasten your seatbelts, it's gonna be a bumpy ride.

It's not for everyone's taste but if someone likes weird and satiric humor, can enjoy cringe and slow-burn stories with layers then it would be one of the best from recent shows. Finally something different.

Acting and writing are on point too. After the utter Netflix nonsenses this show is like your first ice cream sundae after a year long diet with extra whipped cream.

Honestly, "reviewers"? This show is a true HBO show. It is quirky, uncomfortable, exquisitely written, beautifully acted, and is presented nakedly, warts and all.

I found the reviewers fell into two categories - love it or hate it. The "love its" praised it for what I praised it for (above). The "hate its" did not like that you don't have a joke, then a laugh, then a joke, then a laugh. This is an adult satire. When you reviewers write that you can't find anything to like about the characters, THAT'S the idea. You are supposed to delve into why you don't like them. You are supposed to not like what they do (or, if you're a little bit twisted, LOVE what they do). Brilliantly written by Mike White, it exposes the underbelly of people, yet still shows dignified people in the same context. You don't like water breaking? That is a natural occurrence. White mingles humanity with absurdity, and coats it with a sheen of money, power, and humility. These actors are willing to be bad people, honest people, people at the end of their rope, and people trying to understand what life holds for them. I have only watched two episodes, and I feel that this show could go in any direction and I'd still love it.