Interview with Abe: Sabrina Impacciatore

I've had the pleasure of speaking with a number of members of the ensemble of “The White Lotus,” for Awards Radar. Watch my conversation with Sabrina Impacciatore below!

Interview with Abe: Beatrice Grannò

I've had the pleasure of speaking with a number of members of the ensemble of “The White Lotus,” for Awards Radar. Watch my conversation with Beatrice Grannò below!

Interview with Abe: Haley Lu Richardson

I've had the pleasure of speaking with a number of members of the ensemble of “The White Lotus,” for Awards Radar. Watch my conversation with Haley Lu Richardson below!

Interview with Abe: Aubrey Plaza

I've had the pleasure of speaking with a number of members of the ensemble of “The White Lotus,” for Awards Radar. Watch my conversation with Aubrey Plaza below!

Interview with Abe: Will Sharpe

I've had the pleasure of speaking with a number of members of the ensemble of “The White Lotus,” for Awards Radar. Watch my conversation with Will Sharpe below!

Interview with Abe: Meghann Fahy

I've had the pleasure of speaking with a number of members of the ensemble of “The White Lotus,” for Awards Radar. Watch my conversation with Meghann Fahy below!

Interview with Abe: Theo James

I've had the pleasure of speaking with a number of members of the ensemble of “The White Lotus,” for Awards Radar. Watch my conversation with Theo James below!

What I’m Watching: The White Lotus (Season Finale)

The White Lotus: Season 2, Episode 7 “Arrivederci” (B)

Like with season one, the culmination to all this feels a bit like a letdown given how much of an intriguing buildup there was. We didn’t get express confirmation that Greg was involved even though it seemed quite obvious, and it turns out that shooting blindly works out only so well, since Tanya then took quite the plunge to her death after managing to take out all of her captors. It’s impressive that Quentin was able to maintain his composure and not becoming any creepier while he was ensuring that Tanya didn’t leave, whereas Jack broke completely and made himself entirely suspicious to Portia, who managed to escape this whole thing unscathed and even get Albie’s number in the process. Lucia and Mia both got happy endings to a degree, while the Di Grasso men leave without having been too negatively impacted, with Dominic out a good sum of money but now optimistic about reconciling with his ex-wife. I would not have predicted a happy ending for Ethan and Harper, but after everything, they got their passion back and seem like they’re in a good place, at least for the moment. That moment where Daphne reacted briefly to what Ethan told her and then just moved on to her happy-go-lucky state was fascinating, and I wish we had spent more time with Daphne. There wasn’t much closure for Valentina, other than that she has created good relationships with Isabella and Rocco, who will be grateful to her for reuniting them, and with Mia, who might help her find someone who can actually love her back after she netted her the plum piano playing gig. This season wasn’t as enthralling as season one but I’m still up for more next season and will continue to enjoy speaking with cast members about their experiences.

Season grade: B+
Season MVP: Aubrey Plaza as Harper

What I’m Watching: The White Lotus

The White Lotus: Season 2, Episode 6 “Abductions” (B+)

I like when characters specifically mention gaslighting rather than just fall victim to it, and, by the end of this episode, it was Ethan who was going crazy and not Harper, who had managed to alleviate her concerns about her husband’s dependability either by reassurance that he was a good guy or by getting her own revenge, as recommended by Daphne. Telling the whole truth is always the best option, and Ethan could have avoided a lot of this by just throwing his friend under the bus for not having paid Lucia and Mia. The Di Grasso expedition to find their long-lost relatives did not go particularly well, and now Albie is going to do something stupid to try to “free” Lucia from her current arrangement. Tanya had one hell of a night which ended in sex while she was very high, and apparently her being recorded. I wasn’t on board with these theories about Greg being involved in something, but that photo looked a lot like him. Jack is also becoming less and less appealing by the moment, but Portia, who pretty much knows by now that he’s not Quentin’s nephew, is not making much of an effort to do anything about it or get the hell out of there. When I had a lovely interview with Sabrina Impaccatiore last week, she did mention that this was a big episode for Valentina, and she did do fine dramatic work as she got her heart broken by a truly well-meaning and clueless Isabella and then let her guard down to enjoy a wild night with Mia.

What I’m Watching: The White Lotus

The White Lotus: Season 5, Episode 5 “That’s Amore” (B+)

This season really does feature a lot of sex, opening and closing this hour with that, first with Lucia and Albie and then with Tanya watching Quentin without him knowing. Portia is also having plenty of fun with Jack, Mia is putting the moves on Valentina after nearly killing the piano player, and Harper is carrying out her revenge plan by flirting with Cameron. As usual, no one is handling things particularly well, and there are sure to be some consequences - or at least a moral realization that there should be - for those missteps. Ethan didn’t respond well when he found the condom wrapper sitting out, and now it seems like he’s hiding much more than he is. Harper isn’t letting up in her intense inquisition, and nothing good can come from all of this. Dominic is accosting his father for the example he set while Albie is doing the same thing to him, and I feel like he’s going to attempt a grand gesture to win over Lucia that’s going to backfire in a big way. Valentina reassigning Rocco to the beach club so that she won’t have romantic competition with Isabella is also going to blow up in her face. It’s not clear exactly what’s going on with the eccentric Quentin and Jack, though the latter’s decision to dine and dash indicates something questionable. Tanya did express something interesting when she talked about the sense of relief she feels when you realize that someone has money since it means they don’t want yours, but there still seems to be something else going on there, not to mention the still-absent Greg possibly making a return.

What I’m Watching: The White Lotus

The White Lotus: Season 2, Episode 4 “In the Sandbox” (B+)

I’m glad to see that the Italian characters are getting a good spotlight on this show, even if the locals aren’t nearly as prominent as they were in the first season. Like Armond in season one, Valentina is showing a strong romantic interest in one of her employees, and while Isabella appears to be reciprocating the affection, that may be a dangerous route for her. Mia made an important decision in her career path but was too impatient to wait for confirmation on exactly which pills she was giving to the piano player. Killing him may well help to accelerate her career, but Valentina was in no mood to talk about it at that moment. Lucia was spiraling before she found someone going through his own form of crisis, as Albie had to watch Portia flirt and then make out with Jack after suggesting that they should spend the day together. Lucia went all in on that too, kissing him so that they wouldn’t let her win. Dominic seems very stressed by how his previous indulgence is now coming back to haunt him with both his son and his father present, and he’s not the only one regretting past mistakes. I would describe the look on Harper’s face when she found the condom wrapper as murderous, and I’m honestly terrified of what she’s going to do when she finally confronts Ethan about it. Quentin is turning out to be very intriguing, and it’s great to see someone paying attention to Tanya for once, even if his motivations are truly unclear.

What I’m Watching: The White Lotus

The White Lotus: Season 2, Episode 3 “Bull Elephants” (B+)

What’s been interesting about this season is that there aren’t clearly good and clearly bad people, while the first season suggested a stronger dividing line between pure and malicious intentions. Greg managed to gaslight Tanya just a little more before leaving, and now that he’s gone, she’s turned her attention on psychics and Portia, who isn’t having any of it since she didn’t even get to have her own reading, while a mystery man played by Tom Hollander keeps staring at her. Albie is nice and really does mean so well, but Portia seems more interested in the jacked guy in the pool and pushing him not to be as nice as he is. He’s not willing to forgive his father, who dismissed his prostitute friends but is still feeling the pull of being around attractive women, while Bert is very close to blowing it all for Dominic, who is having enough trouble getting Albie not to lump him and his “old-fashioned” father in together. Harper’s efforts to put on a show are working well, and she’s doing a good job of bonding with Daphne, whose surprise nighttime getaway may have actually allowed Cameron the time he needed to corrupt an otherwise devoted Ethan. Finding out that everyone wealthy apparently cheats shouldn’t have been an eye-opener for Ethan but instead the perfect opportunity to prove that he’s nothing like that. While he turned down Lucia’s advances, he otherwise failed the test. Ending the episode on Harper was an interesting choice, one that signals the consequences Ethan will be sure to face which will forever transform their relationship.

What I’m Watching: The White Lotus

The White Lotus: Season 2, Episode 2 “Italian Dream” (B+)

It’s taking a bit of time to acclimate to this new cast and new location, but I am seeing the appeal and enjoying it as I begin to understand who these people are. After seeing Tanya clutch on to an annoyed Greg as he drove them on a Vespa, it was good to see an unexpected twist in their relationship, revealing that he’s been lying the entire time and actually coming home to another person. Now that she’s overheard, I’m hoping that she’ll team up with someone else to exact revenge on him, which should be a delight to watch. Lucia and Mia are enjoying the privileges and luxuries they’ve been afforded at the hotel thanks to an all-too-amenable Dominic, but he’s getting such condescending pressure from his father to save his marriage that this all can’t end well. I like the relationship that’s developing between Portia and Albie, both of whom are dealing with wild personalities who are dominating the time they’re spending in Italy. It’s hard not to be most enticed by Harper thanks to Aubrey Plaza’s terrific performance, and I especially enjoyed how she reacted to walking in on Ethan and then having her time-of-day sex preferences broadcasted to people who don’t like her and who she doesn’t like just as much. I don’t think I properly appreciated Valentina in the first episode, as her exchange with Dominic about how Lucia and Mia would be sleeping with his father was certainly one of the highlights of this installment, and I’m sure her unapologetic sarcasm will be back in successive episodes.

What I’m Watching: The White Lotus (Season Premiere)

The White Lotus: Season 2, Episode 1 “Ciao” (B)

It’s crazy to think that this show only started just over a year ago, and that it took on such a tremendous popularity that it got renewed for a second season. I had the pleasure of speaking with nine of the cast members, and I hope to have the same opportunity with some of the new faces on this season. I went in not expecting to recognize almost anyone, but of course there’s Aubrey Plaza from “Parks and Recreation,” F. Murray Abraham from “Homeland,” Haley Lu Richardson from “Support the Girls,” Michael Imperioli from “The Sopranos,” and Theo James from “The Time Traveler’s Wife.” Emmy winner Jennifer Coolidge is back as Tanya, which makes some sense given how popular and funny she was, though of course it’s a questionable idea given that her role is different here and might not be able to live up to what season one delivered. Starting fresh might have made more sense, though this season already feels like something new given the staff speaking Italian and just generally being in a very different kind of environment. There’s a mystery related to a dead person again, and hopefully little time will be spent on just who that is, as was the case in season one. I’m most intrigued by Mia and Lucia, the two local women who are causing plenty of trouble for the already frazzled Valentina, who is less capable of exhibiting a friendly demeanor than Armond was. I’ll try not to compare the two seasons too much since that surely won’t be helpful, but we’ll see how episode two holds up to this one.

What I’m Watching: The White Lotus (Season Finale)

The White Lotus: Season 1, Episode 6 “Departures” (B)

I had the opportunity to watch this episode before news of the show’s renewal came in, but waited long enough to write this review until after that happened. I’m happy to know that its success won’t be contained to just six episodes, but it’s bittersweet to think that, at least in theory, most or all of the characters who made it so great won’t be coming back. The only one who possibly could have without much need to explain was Armond, and it turns out he’s the one in the coffin since, after that very visual defecation into Shane’s suitcase, he ended up getting stabbed. I think this show could have done without that little bit of mystery from that opening scene in the pilot, and I suppose what we can take away from Shane appearing to be thanked by authorities as they carted Armond’s body away is that he once again was able to use his power and his privilege to get away with something that might have meant certain incarceration for someone else. That was the fate that befall Kai, who was seemingly caught with little trouble, and Olivia revealed to Paula that she was well aware of what had happened. The most poignant moment was Belinda just choosing to get up and walk away after Tanya reeled her in and then let her go and Rachel was about to use her as a crutch to lean on and make all her problems go away. I really liked this show but felt that this finale wasn’t the end I wanted to see, which doesn’t diminish its overall impact. If there was any way to bring back not just this show but also these characters, I’d be all for it. I’ll still watch a season two since I like what Mike White has done before, particularly “Enlightened.” Fortunately, I did have the opportunity to interview a large portion of the cast for this show, including Brittany O’Grady, Alexandra Daddario, Jake Lacy, Murray Bartlett, Steve Zahn, and Connie Britton, so make sure to check those out!

Season grade: A-
Season MVP: Murray Bartlett as Armond, but really everyone!

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.

What I’m Watching: The White Lotus

The White Lotus: Season 1, Episode 4 “Recentering” (B+)

This episode was a great showcase for Brittany O’Grady, who I got to interview recently, as Paula, far more real and less vain than she usually is when she was away from Olivia and then ready to explode when Nicole doubled down on her defense of how hard it is for straight white young men. Olivia, who appears to be doing exactly what she promised Paula she wouldn’t do this time with the guy she likes, did try to stop her mom from making the situation worse with her repeated use of the word “cringe,” but Nicole isn’t going to be told by anyone what she should or shouldn’t think. As if this cast couldn’t get any better, Molly Shannon as Shane’s mom is an absolutely fantastic addition, and I like that she is very judgmental and opinionated but in a different way than her son. Armond making up fake business cards to ward off the nuisance that is Shane didn’t go too well since the number he put on there didn’t work, and now Shane is beside himself with glee that he caught Armond and Dillon in a compromising position, which in all fairness they were doing in his office and not out in public. I hope that Rachel is going to stand up to her oblivious, condescending husband, and I’m curious if it’s Shane’s mom who ends up in the casket given that he seems to care a whole lot more about her happiness than he does about his wife’s. I worry that Tanya is going to be entranced by her BLM neighbor, who I thought might be very much against the tenets of the Black Lives Matters movement rather than just confused because he worked for the Bureau of Land Management, and she’s going to forget about Belinda, who has already invested too much emotionally in what Tanya proposed to her.

Take Three: The White Lotus

The White Lotus: Season 1, Episode 3 “Mysterious Monkeys” (B+)

I feel like everything is about to implode, with these people on their vacations interacting in ways that are just going to make them want to jump out of their skin and far too ready to say things that will be problematic and impossible to take back. Quinn having all of his things washed away or ruined isn’t all that consequential since it just means that he needs to use his parents’ phones to watch porn, fulfilling the image of him that Olivia has even if it’s not particularly nice. Mark is going off the deep end thinking about his father’s secret life, and I loved how Murray answered his question about what gay sex was like by asking him if he wanted to find out. It was certainly less drawn-out than Rachel sitting there and listening to Mark drone on about how the spark has died and then launch into a detailed narrative of his sex life even with his son right there and then underline his point by arguing that you don’t watch the same porn clip every time. Shane only becomes more unbearable with each passing episode, flirting with Olivia and Paula and dismissing it to Rachel as nothing and then complaining about how he was being gaslighted since people have been “coming for him” his entire life. Armond was eager to seize an opportunity to ruin Shane’s vacation for real by pairing his romantic candlelit dinner with Tanya’s ashes-scattering trip, and I expected something much more dramatic than Shane offering to open the box for her and then just doing it. Armond hitting on Dylan seemed to catch him by surprise, and Belinda fighting him sleeping in his car suggests that he’s losing his grip, thanks no doubt to the contents of Paula’s bag that he’s pretending he didn’t find. I’m not sure what Olivia is going to do now that she’s seen Paula with the guy she kept saying she didn’t notice, and that’s just one of the many things that will surely grow more volatile in the final three episodes.

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.

Pilot Review: The White Lotus

Check out my one-minute take on every new pilot, which is embedded below and you can also watch by subscribing to movieswithabe on YouTube.