Catching up on ‘The White Lotus’? Read our guide to the TV show of the summer
With his dark satire “The White Lotus,” writer-director Mike White has taken summer TV by storm.
Set at a luxury resort in the tropics, the HBO series combines elements of satire, murder mystery and existential dread — though, as White told The Times, at heart it’s about “trying to get into the mind-set of the people who have money and the power and why they are so defensive right now.” And TV nerds have responded in kind, creating memes, taking odds on the death teased in Episode 1, expressing love for cast member Jennifer Coolidge, and more.
And whether you’re just catching up now or re-watching to prepare for Sunday’s season finale, we’ve got everything you need to know, from a glimpse inside the real-life White Lotus to a closer look at the problems with the series’ critique of white privilege.
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White and cast members Murray Bartlett and Brittany O’Grady reveal how the series unearthed the ‘apocalyptic anxiety’ beneath the surface of luxury tourism.
As the emotionally needy Tanya McQuoid, the star of ‘American Pie’ and ‘Legally Blonde’ is a shard of Greek tragedy driven into a comedy of (bad) manners.
Composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer explains how he made the ‘Hawaiian Hitchcock’ music for the series — including the animal sounds.
The series ably mocks the wealthy patrons of a tropical resort, but its knives would have been sharper if it had spent more time on the staff.
The series will be back for another season — but not at the same resort.
