Whether it was Shane’s enduring battle to get upgraded to the Pineapple Suite or Tanya using the lure of wealth to buy a friendship with resort employee Belinda (Natasha Rothwell),the power of privilege was exposed for all to see.Rich white people are fair game in TV land right now,butThe White Lotus managed to stand out even in a crowded marketplace.
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And so it was that the finale found its strengths when tackling the complexity of the characters,while the revelation of who ended up dead felt flat – and borderline flimsy.
Ultimately,we learned that resort manager Armond (Australian actor Murray Bartlett) met an untimely demise.
The tension between Armond and Shane had been building all season and in the finale it reached a fatal crescendo. After Shane engineers Armond’s sacking,the grin-and-bear-it resort manager chooses to stop grinning and stop bearing it. Time to check out ofThe White Lotusonce and for all.
The death may have been anti-climactic,butThe White Lotus wasn’t designed to be guessing game television in the vein ofMare of EasttownorThe Undoing. It didn’t detract from the finale because the best action was taking place elsewhere.
Like in Shane and Rachel’s room,when Rachel (Alexandra Daddario) finally delivers the farewell speech we’ve been waiting for. “I genuinely cannot believe what a baby man you can be,” she says to a dumbstruck Shane. “Coddled by your mummy,who showed up on your honeymoon.”
Or the inevitable showdown between faux-BFFs,Olivia (Sydney Sweeney) and Paula (Brittany O’Grady). “You think you’re like this rebel,but in the end,this is your tribe,your family,the people here,” Paula spits at Olivia. “That’s really manipulative,Paula,” counters Olivia.
And in a way,both teens are right,with each proving oblivious to their own privilege. Olivia rallies against the values of her capitalist parents from the comfort of her Hawaiian bungalow. Meanwhile,Paula’s misguided attempts to help Kai (Kekoa Scott Kekumano) get rich quickly display a foolishness that comes from never worrying about the consequences of her actions.
Particularly heartbreaking was the final exchange between Tanya and Belinda. Tanya has been dangling the ‘let me fund your business proposal’ carrot in front of Belinda all season long,but in the finale,she reneged.
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“The last thing I need in my life is another transactional relationship,” slurs Tanya,sliding over an envelope stuffed with cash as a make good. The ease with which she crushes Belinda’s dream is telling:for Tanya,it is barely an afterthought;to Belinda,it meant everything.
Ultimately, The White Lotusserved to remind us that the more things change,the more they stay the same. We like to believe that going away will be a transformative experience,but in the end,there is no hiding from who you truly are,whether at home or in Hawaii.
Unsurprisingly,the success ofThe White Lotus has seen HBO rush to greenlight a second season. Season two will follow a different group of holidaymakers as they jet off to another White Lotus property.
While we will undoubtedly miss this complex cast of characters,you know what they say:change is as good as a holiday.
The White Lotus is on Fox Showcase,Binge and Foxtel on Demand.
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