Does a TV show improve when it starts mentioning subjects like Trump and the Ukraine war?
For a show like The White Lotus, which people watch for their daily dose of escapism, I’d argue not. And yet, barely five minutes in, we’re watching as the three childhood friends who secretly hate each other (Laurie, Kate and Jaclyn) are cooing over their hunky Russian spiritual advisor, who’s apparently very handy with his chakra work.
“I’m very lucky,” he says modestly, when they ask him whether he managed to leave the motherland before it invaded Ukraine. It all feels a bit unnecessary – and is indicative of this whole episode, which doesn't so much heat things up as keep them simmering limply for the entire duration of its hour-long runtime.
One of the key fatalities of the plot inertia here is Rick (Walton Goggins, looking increasingly strung out), who, despite announcing he was departing for Bangkok in the previous episode, chooses to spend his day smoking weed and interacting with the local snake show. What do you know? That goes badly.
And entertaining as it is to watch Goggins do his thing, the whole episode has the feeling of treading water. Is it really necessary for Rick to have another therapy session in which he admits nothing? For the episode to dedicate ten whole minutes to his snake-freeing rampage? Or for a cobra to bite Chelsea?
The other issue here is the Ratliff family, who spend the episode descending further into caricatures of themselves. Among the revelations here: Piper wants to become a spiritual guru of some sort, Lochlan is obsessed by videos of the catastrophic Boxing Day tsunami, Saxon wants to get his younger brother laid (uh-oh) and Tim spends the episode so stressed it’s a wonder Jason Isaacs doesn’t pop a vein.
So stressed, in fact, that the camera continually zooms in for claustrophobic close-ups, as Tim proceeds to make his entire family go on a digital detox to hide just how bad the news is from his son, Saxon.
Apparently the CIA are storming his offices now – which seems a bit over the top, but at least Isaacs sells it, even if he does spend a decent chunk of the episode knocking himself out with his wife’s prescription medication. What are the odds of another heart attack for the White Lotus finale – or indeed, for this mega-stressed CEO to grab a gun and go on a rampage?
And we do get to watch the women’s relationship descend ever further into cattiness and infighting. As if we didn’t know what side of the debate Mike White is on, watching Laurie and Jaclyn react with astonishment and derision to Kate’s declaration of being an “independent” voter (spoiler alert: her husband voted for Trump) is fascinating, even if it does cut a bit too close to home.
Things do start getting spicier towards the end, when Belinda clocks that ‘Gary’ is actually Greg, Tanya’s erstwhile partner. Naturally he denies it when she asks him at dinner, which looks to set up some wonderfully awkward conversations later, especially given that Greg appears to have fed his girlfriend a story about a mentally unwell ex-wife who killed herself.
“Well, you must be his twin,” she laughs, while the others (Chloe, who seems to be starting a flirtation of some sort with Saxon, as well as Chelsea and Rick) look on stupefied.
At least Belinda is having a lovely time on holiday, flirting with her hot masseuse partner and reminiscing about her experiences with Tanya. But relaxation and minor plot advancements do not a series make. Bring on the drama: it’s been sorely lacking so far.
The White Lotus is streaming on Sky Atlantic and NOW
