‘The White Lotus’ was great. Let’s hope it’s not another ‘True Detective’
“The White Lotus” was fantastic
(the conclusion on Sunday likely generated as many memes as viewers), as did “Mare of Easttown,”
capping off a fantastic year for HBO limited series, and it’s just August.
Even with a new cast and a new location, HBO’s news that “The White Lotus” would return is met with skepticism,
underscoring the difficulties presented by today’s prestige television dynamics.
“The White Lotus” may potentially go in a number of different ways, but we’re hoping it doesn’t end up like
“True Detective,” Season 2.
The underlying concept of television and film is that anything done well is worth doing again.
Since it started providing more restricted series, programs that convey a defined narrative with a definite beginning, middle, and conclusion, the first medium has grown immensely richer.
That’s a far cry from the old TV model
which relied on coming up with an idea — think “Law & Order” — and then repeating it for as long as an audience was willing to watch it.
The attraction of the streaming era has included a move toward shorter commitments, enabling fans to catch up
and watch something like “White Lotus” in a single weekend
How ought to HBO satire ‘The White Lotus’ hit unsightly
(on HBO Max after it’s all done, that is).
Once the experience is complete, it’s on to the next title, but not always upward with something this excellent.
Multiple storylines were resolved in the show’s conclusion, the most noteworthy of which
being the death of hotel manager Armond (Murray Bartlett), who had been driven to his breaking point.
There were also minor tragedies, such as Belinda’s (Natasha Rothwell) shattered aspirations and Rachel’s
(Alexandra Daddario) flirting with abandoning her newlywed husband (Jake Lacy), whose character emerged throughout the course of the journey.
With something this intriguing (with a track record for weirdness that goes beyond it) from writer-director Mike White, it’s easy to see why HBO would be hesitant to let such a series go.
(HBO, like CNN, is a WarnerMedia subsidiary.)
The second season of “True Detective,” which premiered in 2014, demonstrates that there can be a significant gap between an original concept that captures the audience’s imagination and a follow-up that, despite the same title, creative pedigree, and new big-name actors, seeks to recapture that magic.
With the thrill of discovery gone, achieving such a lofty goal becomes a more difficult task.
It’s understandable that networks and streaming providers would want to cash in on the hype around
“White Lotus” or “True Detective,” knowing that media attention and expectations would be higher — but did they do it again? Is it a letdown or a triumph? — rather than a brand-new show like “The Green Orchid” or “Honest Sheriff.”
The third installment of “True Detective,” starring Mahershala Ali, outperformed the second, proving the old adage that “Nobody knows anything” in Hollywood and that you can’t judge a book — or a TV show — by its title, no matter how tempting it is.
Even yet, if you leave a limited series feeling satisfied and wondering, “How can they possibly top that?” if you have to ask, chances are they won’t.
‘The White Lotus’ was great. Let’s hope it’s not another ‘True Detective’
