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"The White Lotus": 2.1

 Season Two of "The White Lotus" takes us to Sicily; we have three odd groupings, and we suspect one might include a murderer.


The first group is a bizarre threesome; Jennifer Coolidge, deteriorating, has brought along her personal assistant, but her husband is unhappy with this arrangement. We know Coolidge enjoys paying people to be around; this was a theme with Natasha Rothwell one year ago. There's no clear reason why Mr. Coolidge objects to Jennifer's behavior--except that Mr. Coolidge seems to be a controlling asshole. Jennifer cannot manage her life, so she barks at the assistant to remain hidden in a small room for the duration of the trip--then she pleads with her husband to acknowledge that a moment of indulgence has involved just three macarons, not five. ("Fine. You ate the whole damn dish of panna cotta at dinner.") All of this is immediately mesmerizing.

In another wing of the hotel, we have two couples; maybe one couple has attached itself to the other just because the other "has money." It seems like there will be bed-swapping--but Mike White doesn't want us to feel certain this will be *heterosexual* bed-swapping. Theo James looks at his man-friend and says, "Well, certainly, I PERSONALLY would do you...." There's also a spotlight on Aubrey Plaza, who can't just hold a prosecco glass during a toast ("I don't need the calories"), and who overrides her spouse's meal-ordering behavior ("If you get that fish, it might be too fishy.")

Finally, we have three generations of men, including the Oscar winner F. Murray Abraham, who farts too much and who might be coping with a concussion. Abraham wants more sex--"I'm still virile"--and he insists that all adult males must ejaculate once per day. ("Doctors assert this.") Abraham's grandson innocently asks if an octogenarian penis might offend some romantic consorts, and Abraham shrugs. "My penis has NEVER been visually stunning. It's a penis, not a sunset."

I see trends from last year carrying over. One year ago, Steve Zahn wrestled with memories of his father, and with the idea of manhood. That's what we're seeing here--with Imperioli and F. Murray Abraham. The Coolidge habit of paying young women to be friendly listeners--this is front and center. And the idea of "trophies"--Jake Lacy's trophy spouse, Theo James as a "trophy" friend--this remains prominent.

How nice to meet these weirdos.
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