It's in the nature of television, especially today, that if a series becomes a big success, there will be follow-ups, even if the storyline was originally conceived as a one-off. I don't know what Mike White, the director and writer of The White Lotus had in mind originally, but he came up with a story concept that is flexible enough to be highly adaptable.
Having enjoyed season 1 of The White Lotus, I wondered if I'd find season 2 a let-down. I needn't have worried: it's at least as good, and benefits not only from a good ensemble cast but also the presence of such notable actors as F. Murray Abraham and Tom Hollander (who is as good here, as the rather sinister gay man Quentin, as he was in the first season of The Night Manager).
This time the setting is the White Lotus resort and spa in Sicily. There are plenty of scenes in and around Taormina, a gorgeous town I've been lucky enough to visit twice. Again the storyline is built around a teasing 'whowasdunin' puzzle. A body is found floating in the water, but we don't know who is dead. And then we flashback to a week earlier. This season is seven, rather than six episodes long, which allows for plenty of exploration of the guests, staff and their relationships. What I didn't expect was that two interesting characters who featured in season 1 also show up here - although their lives have moved on.
If anything, I thought season 2 was better than season 1. Experienced as I am in anticipating plot twists, I did not see the final development coming, forseeing neither the identity of the body in the water, or the reason for their death. And this is only one example of Mike White's clever writing. There's quite a lot of wit here, but also a number of genuinely poignant moments. It's far superior to a typical soap opera, for instance, because not only are the characters drawn in depth, the situations are intriguing and often unpredictable.
No comments:
Post a Comment