White Lotus
White Lotus, a HBO production on Sky Atlantic, has been the success story of the summer and I can see why as it’s topical, well-observed and funny.
The White Lotus is a high end hotel in Hawaii which attracts privileged, self -absorbed white American guests varying in their awfulness.
The general manager Armand, a gay recovering addict, panders to them but is disgusted by them too.
Typical of the guest is honeymooner Shane, a very rich son, who becomes obsessed that he paid for a honeymoon suite but which was not given to him.
His new wife Rachel, an unsuccessful journalist, tries to make her husband enjoy his honeymoon but is slowly realising that she will not he happy in her marriage.
Nicole Mossbacher (Connie Britton) is at the hotel with her family including a friend of her daughter Olivia called Paula.
Nicole’s husband Mark initially believes he has cancer of the testicles and, even when tests reveal this is not the case, he asks an uncle for the type of cancer that killed his father only to find out he died of AIDS having lead a double life as gay.
He is devastated but Olivia criticises him for homophobia.
Their other son – Quinn – is also devastated when, sleeping on the beach, the tide comes in to ruin his Nintendo and mobile.
Olivia and Paula have bad luck on the beach too: they leave a bag of drugs there which a dressed out Armand comes to use.
Then there is Tanya McQuoid (Jennifer Coolidge) a bereaving daughter who wants to scatter the ashes of her late mother in the waters of Hawaii.
It’s the first pandemic series and for that alone worth watching.
Add too, sumptuous shots of Hawaii, excellent acting, crisp dialogue and first rate production values and you have a winning formula.
