I'm reading "The White Lotus Kill-or-Be-Killed Report: Chattering Monkey Minds" (Vulture)(analyzing, after Episode 1, who might be killing whom, this time around).
The article goes through a number of options. I'll cherry pick one, just because the actor is Patrick Schwarzenegger (as Saxon Ratliff, who went to Duke):
The eldest boy is here to be the Dukiest Dukeson Who Ever Duked: He loves working and doesn’t need a vacation and is sexually aggressive in literally every context, including with his immediate family (speculating salaciously about his “hot” sister’s virginity, then asking his brother about porn and strutting naked to the bathroom in front of him...). His motto: “Get laid, get everything.” Subtle!
Will he kill or be killed? This guy has American Psycho eyes. We could be getting set up for a twist, but right now let’s not overthink it. He could absolutely be a killer.
I'm not making a tag for Patrick Schwarzenegger. I already have a "Schwarzenegger" tag. That will do.
By the way, the stereotype of Duke students and alumni is heavily in play in the new season, with the father and older son in the Duke category, while the mother is a UNC alumna and the daughter is a UNC student. There's a younger son who's been admitted to both colleges and needs to make what he refers to as a big decision (and will no doubt be a big decision about something other than where to go to college, since he seemed way too fascinated by his naked brother (!)).
Duke seems to represent masculinity at its worst and UNC femininity at its worst.
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I liked the first season of "The White Lotus" but couldn't take the second. I don't remember exactly what the problem was for me, but if you pile on snarkiness about the upper classes thick enough and heavy enough it starts to look like ... just more snarkiness from the upper classes, like one part of the elites bashing another for not being elite enough or in the right way. Plus, the show seemed to work better with a tropical or "exotic" setting. Naming a hotel in Italy "The White Lotus" was pretty ridiculous in itself.
Wife and I watched the first 2 or 3 episodes from season 1 of White Lotus and stopped. I did not like any of the characters. Did not get the point of the show.
Southern WASPs are scalawags
Patrick seems to have bulked up a bit. Looking like his dad in those publicity shots.
I haven't seen The White Lotus but remember being interested by it. I heard a review of the 3rd season a few days ago on NPR and it was generally positive about it.
"Wife and I watched the first 2 or 3 episodes from season 1 of White Lotus and stopped. I did not like any of the characters. Did not get the point of the show."
If you're the kind of viewer who needs to like a character, Season 1 gave you Belinda (the spa worker who I actually think was predatory toward the mentally ill Tanya).
Personally, I don't like being given a character who's there to latch onto as the good/normal/deserving person. They can all be awful people. I want them to be good characters, not good people. They need to be interesting and funny (or something that's as rewarding as funny).
The idea of a mixed Duke/UNC marriage is preposterous, even among non-sports fans.
Season 2 was pretty lame, but it did have "The gays are trying to kill me!" which was the funniest moment of the season.
I find the writing interesting, if wildly improbable. There's the usual Woke scolding but the self-interest and hypocrisy of the characters is on full display.
The characters are not unlike Succession, where none were likeable but they all were fascinating.
Low expectations this season, as the second season I did not find as strong as the first. The GM guy from the first season was such a dumpster fire and provided laughs the second season didnt match.
In my little neighborhood the Duke grads sometimes have little Duke parties for each other. Kind or rude. They’re not even an Ivy. Sniff…
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