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On Mike White

 Before "Enlightened," before "The White Lotus," Mike White made a splash with "Freaks and Geeks"; he wrote an immortal episode called "Kim Kelly Is My Friend."


White likes to consider problematic connections between women. In "Lotus," Tonya seems to recognize that Belinda is a human being--until Belinda becomes expendable. In "Enlightened," Amy tortures herself with questions about what her buddy, Robin Wright, might be saying on the phone. This same kind of tension runs through "Freaks and Geeks": Lindsay suspects that Kim Kelly isn't really interested in hosting a nice, cordial dinner, but, also, it's hard to say no to the invitation. 

Also, White writes about class. If a certain kind of "bad girl" invites a well-groomed "A" student to visit, this is a kind of statement. Kim Kelly wants to impress her own mother, so she talks at length about Lindsay's money and her (fictional) lake house. This is excruciating to watch--and, oddly enough, it makes us sympathize with Kim (who has been a bully since the pilot episode of the series).

A final wonderful flourish in this hour is White's attention to pettiness. White loves to notice how tiny moments can become power plays: A boorish ("White Lotus") tourist wants "The Pineapple Suite," and not a "Volcano Suite." In "Beatriz at Dinner," Lithgow mistakes Hayek for a waitress, then blames Hayek for the minute of confusion: "I just thought....since you were hovering...." Along these same lines, "Freaks and Geeks" shows a school principal fuming about a defaced locker. The owner of the locker is clearly a victim; an older student has embarrassed the locker owner by writing "PYGMY GEEK" in black paint. Just a second of observation would help the principal to understand what is going on. But, intoxicated by power, the principal immediately begins a speech about the high costs of new paint jobs. His self-indulgent weariness is relatable to anyone who has been a parent (and familiar to anyone who has been a child).

White can empathize with the most obnoxious tyrants among us, and he can find Shakespearean drama in a high-school lunchroom. It's time for someone to make "the Mike White documentary."
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