 Yes, HBO has always been known for its top quality content, well, for the most part. But it's been some time since we've seen a new, original show that has made such an impact, not just on myself personally, but with viewing audiences as a whole. But what is so interesting about a bunch of rich people holidaying in Hawaii? Well join me today as we take a look at HBO's number one show right now, The White Lotus. But before we get into it, if you want videos on your latest movies and TV shows delivered straight to your subscription feed, be sure to spank that subscribe button and ring that bell to not miss a single thing. Now as mentioned, The White Lotus really just is a bunch of rich people on holiday, but the show's tagline says it best by saying paradise is no vacation. Now I am going to keep spoilers to a minimum here as it's not the kind of show that you want ruined if you haven't seen it. The only things I will be talking about in detail is the opening few scenes, so you have been warned. We are introduced to a bunch of strangers, each with very different reasons for being here. A young family just going on vacation with the daughter's friend tagging along, a newly wed couple on their honeymoon, and a single woman grieving the loss of her deceased mother and planning to scatter her ashes in the tropical paradise. This woman played by the one and only Jennifer Coolidge, seen in this series in a rare dramatic role. I've always been frustrated that Coolidge has always been underutilised. She said herself in a recent interview that quote, people assumed I could only do certain types of roles. That lady who comes in, opens the door, says something funny, then closes it. Coolidge went on to say that she got put in a box as a comic relief but those things really helped her get back in the game which she's glad about and after watching this show I think we're all glad as audience members. As this woman can act and she's finally starting to be taken seriously. Now from the very beginning this doesn't feel like you're run of the mill dark comedy or satire, if you could even call it that. And this is due to an extremely haunting factor that immediately fills you with dread, the soundtrack. There is something unnerving about seeing relatively mundane conversation being scored by tense drums and breathy chanting. The score almost is a character in itself, underlying an interwoven between all the characters and stories. It would have been difficult to score a show like this, with lots of moving parts and different paces, there had to be a common denominator to keep the tone the same. I was reading an article with the composer Christabel Tapia-Devier and he perfectly described it as tropical anxiety and I couldn't put it better myself. There's also one particular scene that stands out to me, which takes place over dinner at the hotel around the mid-season mark. The conversations between all the characters are quite tame but there's this intense drums and percussions throughout which gives off such a tense atmosphere and you don't even know why. The soundtrack has also taken on a life of its own in pop culture, celebrities like Sarah Paulson and Billy Eilish's brother and producer Finneas saying quote my days and nights are entirely scored by the theme music from the White Lotus. And Finneas saying theme song for White Lotus is so f***ing good it's crazy. For me personally I'm going to be listening to this album for a long time to come. But back to the show itself, in the very first opening scene quite a major plot point is spoiled and I'm about to do the same so fair warning. The newly married husband is seen in an airport and it is revealed that someone died whilst he was on vacation. As he is alone it's implied that the person that died was his wife, but was it? And this was a smart writing choice as you know that throughout this show someone is going to die. Will it be a main character? How did it happen? When will it happen? All questions that keep you guessing and theorizing about throughout the show. And I suppose it gives you a little bit of a hint as why this show should make you anxious. So we follow these vacations and their misadventures at the beautiful White Lotus Resort in Hawaii. Some relationships flourish and others fall to pieces. There's betrayal, lust and tragedy strewn throughout the script and don't even get me started on the hotel staff. Their presence throughout the visitors' stay causes nothing but the opposite of what they intended. The goal is to disappear behind our masks as pleasant, interchangeable helpers. It's tropical kabuki. Something that could easily go unnoticed in this show is the realism of the dialogue. Good dialogue for me is when you really understand why characters are saying what they're saying and can relate with their feelings on the topic rather than them having to come out and explicitly say how they're feeling. Throughout the show, all of these characters, each complex in their own way can go from being likable to unlikeable even just after one interaction. Jake Lacey's character as well as the hotel manager played by fellow Ozzy Murray Bartlett are perfect examples of this. The viewer's relationship with their characters is a rollercoaster. The creator and director of the series is Mike White, who you may know from some acting roles, but more recently he's been into the writing-producing directing side of things and doing a great job at it. He had another HBO show starring Laura Dern called Enlightened, which I've just started watching and it shows a lot of promise so far. And HBO loved the White Loader so much that they've already renewed for a season two. Deadline reported that season two checks out of Hawaii and will follow a different group of vacationers as they book their stay at another White Lotus property and settle in temporarily amongst the inhabitants. A new cast and setting is always a risk, but I like these stories being self-contained into six episodes and starting fresh each season opens up unlimited story opportunities. And seriously, at this stage, HBO should just give Mike White the keys and let him do what he wants, as the White Lotus currently ranks number one amongst all series on HBO Max and has achieved consistent week-over-week growth for both premiere and digital audiences, leading into the finale episode. But have you seen the White Lotus? What were your thoughts? What do you want from a new season? I'll be down there in the comments, but bear in mind if you haven't yet watched the show, there may be spoilers in the comments also. So be sure to subscribe for weekly videos covering your favorite movies and TV shows. If you subscribe during this video, then walk them aboard. And if you had a good time hanging out, then spank that like button. This is Matt Rodgers, and that is all.