HBO‘s anthology series The White Lotus, created by the acclaimed screenwriter Mike White, portrays the life of the elite, their power dynamics, the weaknesses and inequalities that permeate their interactions.
Set in a franchise of luxurious resorts of the same name, the series offers a deep and incisive look at the behavior of privileged people, showing how luxury and ostentation often hide a complexity of emotions, insecurities and hypocrisy.
The show and the Spectacle of Privilege
The series takes place in a franchise of luxury resorts in paradisiacal places, with each season taking place in a different location – the first season is set in Hawaii, while the second takes place in Sicily, Italy; and Thailand was the one chosen for the new season.
The hotel has a strong presence in the series, being practically a character in itself. The same could be said about the locations; the storyline has a significant part tied with the countries cultures. In addition, they are chosen to reflect the ostentation and superficiality of the world that the series intends to criticize.
There is a reason why the “White Lotus” hotels have the styles they do: they are a direct reflection of the guests’ privilege and lifestyle. Large suites, stunning landscapes and a team of highly trained employees who show no dissatisfaction and are ready to satisfy even the most extravagant desires.
The resort acts as a small world of inequality and privilege. The luxurious structure contrasts with the tensions that accumulate between guests and the hotel staff, who, although present in this environment of wealth, are treated with contempt or with superficial courtesy. While tourists live a fantasy of comfort, employees, who live in the “other world”, deal with their own frustrations and challenges, establishing a clear dividing line between social classes.
One of the most explored themes is the hypocrisy of the rich class. Through extremely human and sometimes uncomfortable intertwined plots, the series shows how the perfect life is a facade, hiding several internal weaknesses, such as betrayals, flawed marriages, lies, resentments and an eternal search for something that fills the void of their existences.
The latest season
In the third season, there is a great example of a supposed perfect life. The Ratiliff family, consisting of father Timothy (Jason Isaacs), mother Victoria (Parker Posey) and children Lochlan (Sam Nivola), Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger) and Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook) have the idea of themselves that they are a great example of successful people, with good manners and unproblematics.
As the episodes go by and the plots unfold, the façade breaks down. The father, who owns a successful company, actually earned much of his fortune in shady business and is about to be arrested. While the mother – who spends most of her time stoned and saying that she just wants to mix with “good people” like those in the club – can’t even imagine the future of her family, as well as her privileged children who are so focused on their power dynamics to realize that something is wrong.
Characters like Tanya McQuoid (played by Jennifer Coolidge), represent the rich who, on the outside, look successful and, on the inside, have a deep emotional dissatisfaction, always looking for something to fill their existential emptiness.
There are also those characters who see themselves as progressive and politically correct, thinking themselves superior to their families for having more class consciousness, but still not being able to see the privileges they have, such as Olivia in the first season and Piper Ratillif. The characters of The White Lotus are often caught in situations where their attitudes do not correspond to their declarations of values.
Through satire, The White Lotus explores the dynamics between social classes, exposing the mistakes, insecurities and hypocrisies of those who think they have everything. By offering a critical view of the world of the rich, the series also invites the public to reflect on the issue of power.
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The article above was edited by Malu Alcântara.
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