Through multiple episodes, the big question was always how they were going to tie in that big tease in the premiere with the rest of the storylines that were being played with. What was supposed to be a mystery, ended up being a last-minute inclusion and was more played as a mystery for the audience than the actual show. And this sort of anticlimatic finale to it all is actually why it works so well, with Mike White subverting all of our expectations with this. And that makes this a memorable finale and a great finish to a show that has brought all the stops.
The magic of "The White Lotus" has been its ability to blend its genres together so nicely throughout, and the finale is a nice blend of the funny and the dark. A lot of the storylines ended on a rather positive note for the people involved, but others had to face the truths that they had found on this trip, and it's a nice reminder that some people never change and will always find a way to turn other people's depression into their own happiness. It's a dark way of looking at things, but Mike White doesn't need to pull his punches here as the world is full of rich people who deserve to get their butt nipped sometimes. The episode provides a satisfying conclusion to most of its characters, and subverts expectations on more than one occasion, although it continues to use its approach to privilege to show the troubles of this part of society. Those expectations don't need to be subverted, while the approach to the mystery that has been haunting the show ever since the first episode needed to be surprising. And it certainly was. In a surprisingly impactful way. This show doesn't try to make a statement, but it aims to give a thorough look at the things that the rich take for the granted, and the people under them. This show is a great metaphor for those ideologies: the rich are meant to go out and show themselves, while the poor are simply there to serve them and their needs.
"Departures" is a very powerful and surprising ending to a show that has consistently found a way to keep itself fresh and ahead of everyone. It's a happy ending for some and for others a tragedy, but it leaves the audience with a haunting reminder that money will always have a grip on the poor.
The magic of "The White Lotus" has been its ability to blend its genres together so nicely throughout, and the finale is a nice blend of the funny and the dark. A lot of the storylines ended on a rather positive note for the people involved, but others had to face the truths that they had found on this trip, and it's a nice reminder that some people never change and will always find a way to turn other people's depression into their own happiness. It's a dark way of looking at things, but Mike White doesn't need to pull his punches here as the world is full of rich people who deserve to get their butt nipped sometimes. The episode provides a satisfying conclusion to most of its characters, and subverts expectations on more than one occasion, although it continues to use its approach to privilege to show the troubles of this part of society. Those expectations don't need to be subverted, while the approach to the mystery that has been haunting the show ever since the first episode needed to be surprising. And it certainly was. In a surprisingly impactful way. This show doesn't try to make a statement, but it aims to give a thorough look at the things that the rich take for the granted, and the people under them. This show is a great metaphor for those ideologies: the rich are meant to go out and show themselves, while the poor are simply there to serve them and their needs.
"Departures" is a very powerful and surprising ending to a show that has consistently found a way to keep itself fresh and ahead of everyone. It's a happy ending for some and for others a tragedy, but it leaves the audience with a haunting reminder that money will always have a grip on the poor.