What I’m Watching: The White Lotus (Penultimate Episode)

The White Lotus: Season 1, Episode 5 “The Lotus-Eaters” (B+)

Well, this episode changed course a bit, moving some characters in a very different direction. I had the chance to speak with actor Steve Zahn shortly after watching, and I had to ask him about how Mark so bluntly and shamelessly defended the idea of privilege when it came up, marking a sharp change in his attitude, which before that had mainly been comical and non-committal. Nicole was so mad at him but all that changed when he showed up to save her from the burglar who was never going to hurt her anyway. Paula tried to seek revenge on the Mossbacher family for their callous behavior, but now it’s likely just to hurt Kai, and Olivia noted the unfortunate coincidence of the jewelry getting stolen just after Paula put something of value in the safe in a way that indicated that she may be on to Paula as the strongest suspect. In other dramatic encounters, Shane telling Rachel that he wanted to swim by himself after she was eager to come with him led to an entirely honest opinion from Kitty, which is that Rachel is a trophy wife and there shouldn’t be anything wrong with that. I know that if I ever get a sci-fi novel published, I’ll consider myself a true success. As Tanya obsesses over her newfound romance with Greg, it’s becoming increasingly clear that she’s not going to do anything with Belinda, which is crushing but expected. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the finale but I’m very much looking forward to it, even though that means the last of this show, which is a shame.