Show Cover

I woke up this morning and I swear to God, I felt better today than I've ever felt in my life, and I just really need to know how you did that.

# Review

I've been recommended this show from multiple sources so I watched the entire first season on my flight to Asia. The show is a social satire that focuses on the fictional luxurious White Lotus resort in Hawaii. There are multiple parallel story-lines which focus on the interactions between the (mostly narcissistic) wealthy guests and the people who work at the resort.

While technically a dark comedy, the show's humour is very cerebral and rarely laugh-out-loud funny. The caricature portrayals of the wealthy guests, such as the needy Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge), the entitled Shane (Jake Lacy), and the codependent friends Olivia (Sydney Sweeney) and Paula (Brittany O'Grady), are fun to watch. The satirical characters are constantly foiled by the more "normal" guests, such as Shane's wife Rachel (Alexandra Daddario) who did not grow up wealthy, and the resort staff, such as the spa manager Belinda (Natasha Rothwell). Of course, not all hotel staff is necessarily "normal"; my favourite character from the season is probably Armond (Murray Bartlett), the unhinged hotel manager. The beautiful Hawaiian backdrop almost creates a dystopian feel to the story.

The core of the show, which is the social commentary, can feel very heavy-handed but is very apt. The themes cover the exploitative nature of the relationships between the wealthy patrons and the working-class employees, such as the "friendship" between Tanya and Belinda. The themes also criticize many social aspects of wealth, such as the saviour-complex virtue-signaling "activism" by the elite and how wealth insulates the wealthy from consequences. The show also showcases the downsides of being wealthy, such as the emotional void, stunted growth, and relational toxicity among the wealthy guests. One of my favourite stories is that of Quinn (Fred Hechinger) whose character growth arc is very well-executed.

# Conclusion

Really sharp (and relatable) social commentary.

# Overall rating: 7.8

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