Thursday, July 22, 2021

Round Two: The White Lotus

The White Lotus: Season 1, Episode 2 “New Day” (B+)

I’m very pleased to see that this show isn’t relying much on flashbacks to anchor its story, settling for that opening scene in the pilot and now remaining firmly in the present as things start to crumble. Good news seems to always be followed by bad news, like with Mark, who was elated not to have cancer but then startled to learn that his father died of AIDS, a jarring revelation best understood by the open-mouthed shock on Nicole’s face. Connie Britton continues to be fantastic, dismissing Paula’s apparent diagnosis and questioning whether her doctor is Lena Dunham. Quinn sleeping in the closet kitchen with no air wasn’t good for him, and, after all the craziness of this episode, he got to see an amazing sight all by himself in the morning. Why Paula is lying to Olivia about her flirting is unknown, and those two friends are going to start losing it now that their stash of drugs is gone and in the hands of Armond, who’s nursing his guilt and indulging in a previously-controlled addiction. I’m intrigued by the relationship between Tanya and Belinda, and the look on Belinda’s face when Tanya suggested bankrolling her was quite interesting. Shane just can’t let the whole wrong-room thing go, and while that’s making things awkward, he showed how much he is really an asshole when he responded to Rachel saying she wanted to do the article by offering to pay her double not to do it. I’m not so sure that the body in the coffin is going to end up being her, but it’s looking more and more like this problematic relationship isn’t going to survive even if both of them do.

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