The White Lotus: A pineapple pu pu platter of tropical anxiety, white privilege, and death

Stream It or Leave It

This show we pack our bags for Hawaii and check into our 5-star suite, where a pu pu platter of privilege awaits our consumption at The White Lotus, now streaming on HBOMax.

Basking in the moonglow of excess and entitlement, we stroll along pearlescent, stolen, sandy beaches — but one of us doesn’t make it home alive.

“Quite a treat. Fantasy Island meets The Shining in America, 2021, or, terrible people in a beautiful place, in a spiral of anxiety,” praised Mat.

“I loved the ‘Upstairs and Downstairs’ element because I wasn't expecting that,” exclaimed Shindy.

“A lot of outstanding players here,” deduced Jeff.

Press play to hear what happens after our rowdy closed door office Spoiler Alert party (05:50):

• The star-studded White Lotus cast (05:53)
• What ‘tropical anxiety’ looks like and how it inspired The White Lotus theme music ... and why Shindy skips opening credits (09:55), (13:36)
• Show continuity from episode to episode (14:43)
• Subversive themes and metaphors, like white privilege and reparations (17:48), (20:18)
• Our favorite White Lotus moments (23:53)
• Our White Lotus predictions (we taped this show before the ep. 6 finale) (29:23)
• Who dies?
• Does Armand keep his job?
• Do Rachel and Shane stay together?
• What happens to Quinn?
• Does Belinda get what she wants?
• White Lotus and the Buddhist ‘false nirvana’: (34:00)
• Which White Lotus characters you are and why (35:18)

Stream it or Leave it? (38:21)

Bonus: What else we’re watching (39:02)

• Mat: The Suicide Squad, in theaters
• Jeff: Rachel Dratch’s Late Night Snacks, TRUtv on HBO Max
• Shindy: Woodstock 99, on Hulu

*Become a Stream It or Leave It Fan*

Newsletter: Subscribe to Stream It or Leave It on Substack to be first to get alerts about our newest episodes.

Follow @StreamitLeaveit on Instagram and Twitter.

Follow the crew:

Shindy Chen: @shindychen on Instagram and Twitter, @realshindychen on TikTok

Mat Sanchez: IG @matflixx, Twitter: @mrmatsanchez

Jeff Kuns: @spqanglemqker

*

This episode was brought to you by Scribe, a financial content agency. Scribe produces blogs, articles, website and product copywriting, ebooks, pitch decks, and whitepapers, for everyone from late-stage fintech startups to the world’s biggest banks and financial brands.

*

Stream it or Leave it Podcast ©Pod Barn, LLC. For questions or sponsorship inquiries, email [e-mail]