The White Lotus (TV Series) Departures (2021) User Reviews

A diverse group of viewpoints

[chaakar · 9/10 · 16 August 2021]

This show is amazingly well written; boring and a yawn to some, but not at all for me.

I think the thing I appreciated most was that -among this assortment of unlikable characters- there was no real villain; as soon as you begin to dislike one, they redeem themselves is some small way and another presents themselves with some seemingly irreconcilable quality... And the best part is: by the end of it, there was no absolute verdict to be given on any one storyline --a strong face was given to each side of every dynamic/relationship/conclusion in this show and we are free to judge these characters however we see fit! No patronization or forced-feeding; incredible; we are completely free to be our own observers in this show, and that does seem to happen very much any more.

Excellent, true to life, and very different to any other show I've ever seen. Thoroughly enjoyed!

Checking Out

[solojere · 7/10 · 16 August 2021]

Personally, this final episode was a bit of a letdown epically compared to the previous one. It was good, just not great. Don't get me wrong. There were a couple of great parts. However, I felt a lot of it was predictable, and at times it dragged a little. Especially, Alexandra Daddario's characters part really took forever, and for me, the payoff didn't work. There also is a lot of white privilege talk, which would be fine, but it doesn't really go anywhere. I was really disappointed that Kai wasn't in the finale. Also, the Paula and oliva Storyline could've been so much more. Overall, I enjoyed the White Lotus, and it definitely made me think it just would have been nice to have had a little more closure at the end.

Reveal?

[Near-L · 7/10 · 16 August 2021]

It was so obvious what was gonna happen, xcept for the 💩 of course. And also they ruined the whole Rachel story by making her come back to that dips**t seriously? Not bad but episode 5 was better and Quinn storyline is the only good one.

The White Lotus - Departures

[noahsmithmichael · 10/10 · 16 August 2021]

What's very interesting about this show is that, while there is no real hero or villain, the people that you least expect to get a happy ending, do, while the people you root for the most and want them to get a happy ending, don't. I'm specifically referring to Belinda, Paula, and Rachel. Each of these women are sort of the punching bag in their respective scenarios: Paula is needlessly trying to survive the Mossbachers and keep her head above water, Rachel is suffocating in her marriage and Belinda is just trying to survive while trying everything possible to make her dream, the one she's been working years for, come true.

In the end, each of these women don't get ahead, but instead end up right back in the same place. Belinda, after having her business proposal shut down by Tanya, comes to the realization that her dream may never come true and that she may only ever get stuck serving rich people. Paula, who gets in a fight with Olivia about how she's only a prop to get 'woke' points from everyone around her, succumbs to the fact that her friendship with rich, snooty Olivia will always be one-sided. Rachel, who recognizes that she doesn't just want to be a trophy wife, willingly accepts her place as Shane's arm candy and plasters a fake smile on her defeated face. Ultimately, the women we root for to overcome their tribulations end up giving into it, while the characters who started off , like wealthy Mark and Nicole, Tanya, and Shane, only end up MORE well off than they were before. Shane finally overpowers his wife and gets her to come crawling back. Tanya, after crushing Belinda's dreams, finds herself a new man, finally lets her mother go, and finds a sliver of happiness. Mark and Nicole rekindle their rocky relationship for the time being and ignore everything else.

As a viewer, I try to relieve myself of any great expectations but with this show that was hard to do, because I really got attached to these characters and wanted to see some of them find happiness or success, and others a reality check. All in all, I thought it was a compelling and addictive story, and I'm excited to see where season two takes us.

[9.2] Dream on!

[cjonesas · 9/10 · 20 August 2021]

A final character-study finale to a great show. Liked it very much. Everything was well developed, deep in its own way and marvelously pictured. The acting was spot-on and I wish them much success ahead, especially Belinda who was the best and the most helpful person with a big heart.

P. S. Murray Bartlett rocks!

"I want to live"

[melodyso · 10/10 · 16 August 2021]

Quinn's transformation is alllllll I wanna see. The life he dreams of is so raw and beautiful. I'm so happy for him.

Other than that, I was a little bit disappointed at the ending since I wish there's more to the murder misery. And I expected something more dramatic to happen. But I guess this is how things go, just like in real life.

I will certainly miss the series tho! The writer did such a great job and I feel so close to each character. I truly feel like I know them irl. I wish they live happily after the vacation.

A Masterpiece

[navyox · 10/10 · 16 August 2021]

I had zero expectations for this series and it absolutely blew me away. From top to bottom the cast made the most of a stellar script. The slow burn of the mystery from the opening of the first episode builds with agonizing intensity right up until the reveal. Music, editing, directing, all of it was perfect.

Love this show, initially hated the ending

[jclifford-60-636211 · 6/10 · 17 August 2021]

I'm not sure whether it's just because of how much I enjoyed Murray Bartlett's character, but this episode did not sit well with me. It's annoyed me for about 24 hours now since viewing for the first time and that feeling still hasn't improved.

I was so super excited for the series finale and kinda feel let down, however it seems I'm in the minority. Which is good. I'm happy for those that enjoyed it. It's not terrible, by any stretch, and there are moments of kindness and relevance and humanity but I just feel ultimately the episode didn't reflect the overarching quality and weirdly dark humour or oddity of the series. Maybe it did and I'm wrong, and I definitely came to appreciate some of the characters that I had previously despised.

So perhaps I take back everything and it's more like this is a truer reflection of life, and the joy and sadness and complexities that each one of us have or are involved in. And maybe that's why (as well as Murray's character dying) I didn't really dig it. Ultimately, I loved this series and so many of these characters deserve a spin off. I'd watch them all.

Sorry for the rant and thank you to the two people that read this :)

Jaw Dropping Finale

[axfan64 · 9/10 · 16 August 2021]

Very excited that they announced they're turning the series into an anthology series for the future with new location/cast. I had so many guesses as to who would end up dying and why throughout the six episodes and when the big reveal came I was absolutely stunned.

Bad script for the ending!!!

[li0904426 · 7/10 · 16 October 2021]

I enjoyed this series up to the fifth episode. It seems the last episode was written in a hurry without many thoughts. I understand that money and power can buy anything but it doesn't make any sense that the hotel staff, police, airport security and others can carry that plot. Also which parent would let a plane take off without a minor son??

Fantastic Finale

[bacarciaca · 10/10 · 16 August 2021]

Can't say anything to not spoil the events but it is a perfect, extremely well written ending for an amazing mini series. I appreciate Mike White's talent. Hoping he does many other things.

Too many holes at the end.

[Lewsir60 · 7/10 · 22 December 2022]

Adding to some others' points about the flimsy ending: 1) the police release a just killed body for return to mainland within hours, not to mention they let the killer fly off. The entire resort would have been in lock down for at least 24 hours while they investigated the events. 2) our bride reconciles with a terrible groom, who incidentally just killed someone (did she not get the news? Or does she really not give a damn about that? Seems like it might matter. Even randoms at the airport had heard the news). 3) the family doesn't jump off the plane to chase down their son. Not going to happen like that. Why does Hollywood repeatedly bale on any semblance of realism when going for their preferred endings?

Bad ending

[ronfernandezsf · 4/10 · 4 March 2023]

While the show was good, it could have been great if it weren't for the horrible ending!!! No way could this mess have been solved. How is it the Shane character gets off so easily? Justifiable as it was, it would have taken several days to sift through. And the body wouldn't have been taken away so quickly. No sens1111e whatsoever.

The worse thing is when the teenage son refuses to go home with his parents. He just runs out of the airport. No luggage, no money. How is he expected to survive. The parents don't go back for him?? Very stupid and inane Very bad writing!! And the suitcase scene was disgusting.

Also, the two teenage girls were written as nutty as a fruitcake. Wanted to strangle them both.

Too bad this was such a bad finale as some of the earlier episodes were very good.. Poor Tanya character was as dopey as could be, but we'll played by Coolidge. Nuff said!!1.

The perfect ending to the series

[crazyk-60261 · 9/10 · 17 August 2021]

This show is breathtakingly beautiful in its scenery, music, and atmosphere, as well as equal parts haunting and tense. All of the characters are imperfect in some way (except Belinda she deserves the world) and the way all their stories tie together is impeccable.

I love the way this show examines class, race, addiction, spirituality, toxic relationships as well as toxic masculinity, and white privilege. It is a nice, bite size, slice-of-life story that has many points to make.

This finale was the highlight of the whole series, and I wish it wasn't a mini series because I would love to see what's next for these characters, especially the family and the newlywed couple.

Spectacular

[robertstephie · 10/10 · 16 August 2021]

The finale.... What a great ending to an amazingly written story, from the perfect writing of the script to the excellent performance the Actors gave, nothing can prepare to for the twists and turns, the ups and downs of the episode the ending gives a nice well rounded finish capping off everyone's mini story and opening up some more for a future second season.

Great show and episode! Very disappointed in my favorite character, Rachel

[jamesfaris · 10/10 · 16 August 2021]

I found myself pulling for Rachel the entire show and was very disappointed that she didn't leave Shane at the end. Also, I like Belinda and respect where she was coming from, but she was manipulative in trying to squeeze out money from Tanya when she knew she was emotionally vulnerable and didn't have good judgment. She gave Tanya one massage and all of a sudden she wants to accept her money to start a business? I don't feel bad for her at all. Taking that money would have been taking advantage of Tanya. However, I 100% think she should leave her job and find another career that's more rewarding. She could get a loan instead of free money from someone she barely knows. Just my opinion.

Departures

[lassegalsgaard · 9/10 · 30 July 2023]

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.

Good series, awful episode

[seba-ortiz-lira · 7/10 · 16 August 2021]

Don't get me wrong, the series is very good, i enyoied all episodes.... but the series START with the mistery of who is into the coffin, but when the mistery is solved in this episode it feels empty, like it's unimportant to future seasons.

Armond packs the suitcase

[safenoe · 6/10 · 22 January 2024]

Well here we are at the end of season one of The White Lotus. For me in my humble opinion, it was episode one that was the standout, but it seemed really drawn out and it was like Mike White (the creator, director, writer), to his credit, tried to incorporate every element of privilege an all, except the kitchen sink. Although there was a suitcase thrown in with Armond strutting his stuff. The designers of those two props would have been working hard on that design I guess.

The ending, well, much has been written about it. Quinn's return to the island would have caused anxiety to his parents.

Pretty crazy ending

[jpismyname · 7/10 · 19 October 2023]

In this finale, things finally take a wilder turn. It's like, "nothing happens" but a lot of things also happen at the same time, lol I dunno. In this episode, Rachel feels stuck in her marriage and wants out. Nicole and Mark rekindle their romance. Tanya shatters Belinda's dream. Olivia and Paula's friendship is tested. And Armond...oh God...Armond. That particular scene is shocking and revolting.

Overall I think this episode is pretty good. With a gorgeous setting and despicable but very interesting characters, I wasn't bored one bit. However, despite an hour-run, it still feels rushed and I wasn't really satisfied very much. With so many characters storylines that needed conclusions, one hour might not have been enough to show them. Or maybe it's just that some things weren't timed well, I dunno.

What a letdown

[mpf101 · 3/10 · 22 August 2021]

Let me be clear, I adored the first five episodes. But this season finale had holes you could drive a truck thru. At least three huge fails (spoiler alert): 1) the police release a just killed body for return to mainland within hours, 2) our bride reconciles with the worst groom in history, 3) the family doesn't jump off the plane to chase down their son. Those were the most egregious but there were others. Sorry, the season deserved so much better.

Season One Review

[southdavid · 7/10 · 13 October 2023]

A little after the fact, as normal, I got around to watching the first season of "The White Lotus". I found it to be the enjoyable and funny series that the rest of the world discovered a few years ago.

At an expensive all-inclusive resort in Hawaii, a boat arrives with a new intake of guests. Newlyweds Rachel (Alexandra Daddario) and Shane (Jake Lacy) disembarked on their honeymoon but issues with the room illuminate awful Shane's temperament. Nicole Mossbacher (Connie Britton) arrives with her husband Mark (Steve Zahn), son Quinn (Fred Hechinger), daughter Olivia (Sydney Sweeney) and Olivia's friend Paula (Brittney O'Grady) but the dynamics of their regular lives remain. Finally, Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) is an heiress who's looking to scatter her mothers' ashes but can't bring herself to do it.

Mike White has, to my mind, usually been involved with broader comedies than "The White Lotus", perhaps not since "Chuck and Buck" has he written something quite so psychological and psychosexual. Sex features heavily in the series, not just in terms of actual on-screen acts, but also in the dynamics between the characters. Rachel wonders if Shane only likes her because she's so physically attractive, Nicole and Mark have drifted apart both due to an affair he's had previously, but also due to the length of their marriage and the power dynamic.

Performances are really good, across the board and it's rare for a show with this many concurrent storylines that I didn't favour any particular one and was happy wherever the story went. The funniest character work probably goes to Murray Bartlett, who plays Armond, the resorts manager who is in recovery and is driven to relapse by both opportunity and the actions of his demanding patrons. I found this season really funny, even if perhaps its more of a black comedy drama than a straight comedy series.

The good news is I can go straight on into the second season too, which I'm going to start immediately.

No Surprises Ending

[hayley96 · 2/10 · 17 August 2021]

Given the time commitment in the last episode to scenery, I wonder if showrunner and writer, Mike White simply didn't have enough story to fill the hour. No big reveals, Rachel realizes she married a jerk, Quinn is changed by his native pals, Paula realizes she's a token, not a friend and Tonya squints a lot while exercising all kinds of privilege.

We're all bummed out that Rachell stays with Shane. But we're not really all that invested in that outcome or any outcome in this show.

Show is good but that finale stunk

[Zedyeti · 5/10 · 23 August 2021]

Just knowing this series was suppose to be a limited series originally makes me dislike the ending even more. I'll watch the next season but the fact it's an anthology series and that's how they ended these characters story arc was pretty lame.

However, this show does seem to be great at making an interesting watchable show when nothing ever really happens. This show shouldn't work but it does, well except that dump of an ending.

Beautiful but shallow

[witchywoman-97932 · 2/10 · 17 August 2021]

Cinematography and music were brilliant. Thats about it. No depth to the characters because there was no time to develop anyone. The twist at the end, other than Armands surprise in the suitcase, were long expected, and it fell flat. How does that idiot get away with murder, exactly?

And that she has all this tension only to go back to that idiot?

Jennifer coolidge was hard to watch because she looked high or too much sun half the time, sentences incoherent and painful.

The son, Quinn, was the only person i empathized with and smiled for his ending, as he was the only one worthy of anything good.

I cant say i was disappointed, as i had no expectations for this show, but man, that was challenging to get through.