S01.E03: Mysterious Monkeys

[preeya]

14 hours ago, Andyourlittledog2 said:

Really? I saw it as her daughter being a complete asshole about her father's reaction to the sudden revelation that he'd been lied to his entire life about his family, his father, his perceptions of his childhood, etc.  Olivia was thoroughly enjoying her digs at him. That wasn't an honest conversation, that was pure aggression. Olivia is an entitled selfish bitch.

Yes, yes, yes. Couldn't have said it any better.

Edited July 27, 2021 by preeya

[edhopper]

I have given up thinking this show has any resemblance to an actual resort on Maui. Just characters living in a world somewhat like ours. But what does bother me is the use of warm filters for the cinematography. I have been to Maui, it is a lush GREEN island with a beautiful blue sea. The filters turn it into yellow and brown.

 

Here is the scene from the boat.

[/IMG]

 

Here are the way the West Maui Mountains really look.

[/IMG]

Edited July 27, 2021 by edhopper

[Rickster]

Never been to Hawaii, but I wonder if the filter in the boat scene was used since it was supposed to be a sunset cruise. 

[tennisgurl]

Armond is clearly giving into his inner Basil Fawlty, nothing good can come out of him deliberately antagonizing a guest, especially one as rich and as entitled as Shane. What is he trying to accomplish here? Is it mostly the drugs talking, or is this just something he does sometimes? 

[Empress1]

16 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

Her comments to her father positing about what sexual positions his father would have enjoyed, etc. were completely inappropriate and grossly insensitive.  Perhaps the dad is dealing with his own internalized homophobia, but his daughter's behavior was almost cruel, I thought.

I cannot imagine speaking to either of my parents that way, and I'm an adult. "Maybe Grandpa was a power bottom," like, girl, what? No home training at all.

The revelation really is upending - for one, his father wasn't who he thought he was; second, it sounds like at least some of his family knew and conspired to lie to him; third, it means his father was cheating on his mother, which is a hard pill to swallow. I can see how it would rock your world. (I just watched one episode of a show I won't continue to watch in which a widow found her late husband's journals in which he detailed all of his affairs, and she's distraught because she thinks her whole life was a lie.)

Edited July 27, 2021 by Empress1

[chocolatine]

44 minutes ago, Empress1 said:

I cannot imagine speaking to either of my parents that way, and I'm an adult. "Maybe Grandpa was a power bottom," like, girl, what? No home training at all.

I'm sure she thought she was being edgy, woke, and witty.

Edited July 27, 2021 by chocolatine

[txhorns79]

41 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

Armond is clearly giving into his inner Basil Fawlty, nothing good can come out of him deliberately antagonizing a guest, especially one as rich and as entitled as Shane. What is he trying to accomplish here? Is it mostly the drugs talking, or is this just something he does sometimes? 

At this point, I presume it's the drugs and booze.  He seemingly knew the cruise would piss off Shane, and part of him must realize that purposefully antagonizing the guy is a terrible idea. 

[Nellise]

It is interesting to have one of your characters openly mock a major plot point of your show saying "who cares?" Which makes me wonder if the show is almost making fun of the viewers with Olivia's story line with her friend, purposely writing a story that should have viewers saying "who cares?" to it. Is the whole show supposed to be a joke? Have a bunch of terrible people doing uninteresting things, yet try to make people invested?

I did at least laugh a few times this episode, with Olivia and her friend going too far with the sex position stuff, and Mark oversharing with Rachel.

[edhopper]

3 hours ago, Rickster said:

Never been to Hawaii, but I wonder if the filter in the boat scene was used since it was supposed to be a sunset cruise. 

There looks like they are using a filter for all the outside shots.

[Bulldog]

10 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Armond is clearly giving into his inner Basil Fawlty, nothing good can come out of him deliberately antagonizing a guest, especially one as rich and as entitled as Shane. What is he trying to accomplish here? Is it mostly the drugs talking, or is this just something he does sometimes? 

I could blame it on the drugs, but the first time he antagonized him was with the lie about which room was booked and that occurred before the bag of drugs was in his possession.   

[Darian]

Armand driving Shane over the edge could be funny, but sabotaging what Tanya was hoping would be a beautiful, cathartic ceremony was cruel. The newlyweds were pretty kind considering and Tanya's a mess, but Armand had no way of knowing how it would go and you don't involve a grieving, paying guest in your petty revenge schemes.

I know they resolved the question of Mark's possible testicular cancer early on, but every week, seeing Steve Zahn's name in the credits beside two hanging fruits (figs?) make me smile. I'll cop to being immature and I appreciate that level of detail. 

[Andyourlittledog2]

This whole show is like some Twilight Zone episode, where the guests think they are taking a normal holiday but are really being transported to some bizarre alternate world where they have no one but other narcissists to interact with and relate to -- assuming they can stop thinking about themselves long enough to notice that there are other actual people with thoughts and feelings in the world also. Who knows? The few folks we like -- Rachel, Belinda, other staff -- may have their own failings that have forced them to wind up there too. I like to think about all these awful folks slowly realizing they are not in a vacation paradise but a never ending vacation hell zone. Forever. 👹

[edhopper]

On 7/28/2021 at 9:02 PM, Andyourlittledog2 said:

This whole show is like some Twilight Zone episode, where the guests think they are taking a normal holiday but are really being transported to some bizarre alternate world where they have no one but other narcissists to interact with and relate to -- assuming they can stop thinking about themselves long enough to notice that there are other actual people with thoughts and feelings in the world also. Who knows? The few folks we like -- Rachel, Belinda, other staff -- may have their own failings that have forced them to wind up there too. I like to think about all these awful folks slowly realizing they are not in a vacation paradise but a never ending vacation hell zone. Forever. 👹

Wait until Sebastian Cabot shows up. 😄

Edited July 31, 2021 by edhopper

[lucindabelle]

Literally the plot did not move forward an inch. Literally not one new thing was revealed about anybody.

And I have decided that the uneven tone is not deliberate. It’s just awkward. Take away the music, & this show is pretty serious and not very funny. I would actually like it more if it took the characters seriously and just made this a drama with a few funny moments rather than trying to lean so hard into over the top silliness when it does.

 

Because the problem is that that over the top ridiculousness is just a very different world. So there are things going on that I just simply can’t believe and the show was asking me to kind of sort of believe them.

 

I just don’t believe a competent manager would deliberately do what he did with the boat, and there’s no reason to believe Armand is not a competent manager. 

does anyone else find it weird the way the guests always start conversations with one another? I could buy it if they were all on a tour and on a bus together but this is a hotel. I thought it was strange when RACHEL turned around and made conversation with these girls who I guess they’re supposed to be in college but come across like high school girls. I found it creepy when Shayne was flirting with the girls. I’ve been on some cheap Dominican republic vacations and it would never occur to me to start a conversation just because I was sitting next to someone at the pool or the beach. Maybe if I went on an excursion with them or something.. and again, the show is not making me suspend my disbelief because it’s a broad comedy, it just seems bad writing. 
 

I didn’t find Tanya’s breakdown funny but pathetic and not convincing, it felt sort of like improv. 
 

Having worked with teenage girls recently I would say that Olivia and Paula come across like sociopaths. Teenage girls can’t of course rolled her eyes and be snarky but what I have seen of them is that that is just a small part of what is an overall basic sweetness. Honestly, again, I don’t actually buy Olivia saying those overt sexual things to her dad just a needle him.

 

I also don’t think it’s a generational difference about homophobia. To me it was so clear she was just saying whatever she could just needle him.

 

I was very angry at the way Nicole mildly scolded her daughter but didn’t actually step in.  Pretty bad parenting.

Anyway, I think I’m out. Curious to see who gets killed, but not curious enough for 3 more hours. 

Edited July 30, 2021 by lucindabelle

[teapot]

Paula is a strange name for a 21st century teen.  (Don’t get me wrong; it’s perfectly lovely, but I’m sure quite uncommon these days)

i’m not sure what’s going on with Olivia.  Teen girl friendships are crazy intense; she could just be jealous that P is getting attention or has her own thing going on

[Shermie]

Olivia is likely jealous of Paula for many reasons, but it probably pisses her off that Paula is not devoting 100% of her time to Olivia.

Those sexual comments to her father were just terribly inappropriate. If they found out Grandpa had an affair with a woman, would she have gone on and on and ON about his cunnilingus skills? Ew, so wrong. 

Quote

I still don't understand why Rachel married Shane. She doesn't seem to like him.

I don't think anyone likes Shane; he's immensely unlikable. Armand is messing with him for that reason. If Shane hasn't made such an unending fuss about his room, Armand probably would have moved on. However if Armand had just said sorry, have a free massage, Shane might have let it go. Although I could see Shane calculating the price difference of his lesser room compared to the value of a massage and still being unsatisfied. He's that guy.

I wonder what the point of Lani and her birth was? She's not in the story anymore and it didn't affect the other plot,ones, so what was the point?

Quote

does anyone else find it weird the way guests always start conversations with one another?

Not at all. I don't go on vacation to make friends, but have engaged in conversation with someone in the next beach chair or bar stool. For me, it ends there, just a pleasant conversation, but I know lots of travellers who make friends on every holiday, starting conversations, then dining together, exchanging contact info, even visiting them on a road trip. That's too much extra casual friendship for me to maintain, but lots of people do it.

[BC4ME]

2 hours ago, Shermie said:

Not at all. I don't go on vacation to make friends, but have engaged in conversation with someone in the next beach chair or bar stool. For me, it ends there, just a pleasant conversation, but I know lots of travellers who make friends on every holiday, starting conversations, then dining together, exchanging contact info, even visiting them on a road trip. That's too much extra casual friendship for me to maintain, but lots of people do it.

For me this rang just inside the range of plausibility. It seemed natural enough. I've certainly seen people do it even though I wouldn't.

 

[edhopper]

Part of what is going on with Armand is he is off the wagon and using.  That said, what he did with the boat is a fire-able offense. But then again, Managers at resorts the size and quality of White Lotus (The Four Seasons) don't work the desk and have more than four employees they work with.

And though there are people who go to a resort like this and stay on the property, most don't. It's friggin, Maui, one of the most beautiful places on Earth. AND it's Whale Watching season.

But this is as similar to a real Hawaiian resort as The Apprentice was to actual business.

 

 

[wendyg]

On 7/27/2021 at 12:01 AM, TV Anonymous said:

So Nicole, an executive at an IT organization, does not know that she can change the background digitally on Zoom?

Yeah, but it always looks fake.

[Andyourlittledog2]

2 hours ago, wendyg said:

On 7/26/2021 at 4:01 PM, TV Anonymous said:

So Nicole, an executive at an IT organization, does not know that she can change the background digitally on Zoom?

Yeah, but it always looks fake.

And I always think that people assume you are using it because you are zooming on the toilet.

[Catfi9ht]

I started watching this today after Mike Schur tweeted it's currently his favorite show on tv.

I'm not sure how I feel about the show. No pun intended. 😁

The show doesn't seem like a fully formed idea to me. Is it a show about how exploitative the tourist industry is in Hawaii? Is it a show about working in the tourism industry? Is it a show about how oblivious rich people are toward people in the service industry? Is it a show about neurotic, selfish people's personal realizations?

I can see shades of all of the above, but there's not really a deep dive into any one of them.

There are alot of things I like about the show. Belinda seems like a genuinely nice person, and I'm worried she'll take Tanya's promises too seriously.

I have a soft spot for Armand. When he was explaining his philosophy to Lani, it was clear he's simply trying to placate guests enough to make them happy but not too much. I can absolutely see how someone in that environment would develop a case of the "fuck its".

I'm worried about Quinn. He seems mentally checked out because the rest of his family is so self-centered. When he took his blanket off at the beach, I was worried he was going to drown himself by walking into the ocean.

SO far, this show is just okay for me. I'm curious to see how they wrap up the characters' stories.

[Refresh]

On 7/29/2021 at 9:29 PM, lucindabelle said:

was very angry at the way Nicole mildly scolded her daughter but didn’t actually step in.  Pretty bad parenting.

The way Olivia is allowed to treat her brother is appalling. Yes he’s a bit quirky but geez. That said, It’s completely on Quinn that his tech got ruined. Theyre called tides dude, and it’s pretty easy to tell where tides reach on a beach.

I agree that Nicole might be one of those execs who give lip service to taking vacations (because she’s on her laptop a lot writing emails and such). But I think there’s another component to the zoom with China issue, and that’s based in my experience where there’s cultural differences between American offices and Chinese offices even within the same global company, and maybe that extends to how they view vacations or being out of the office. Ultimately, I think the issue is less about this actually being true that China can’t know, but more so that she thinks it’s true.

I really liked Enlightened. This and that show have this same Mike White awkward uncomfortable vibe even though the actual plot is pretty mundane.

I enjoy this perspective on wealthy people being awful but in a way lesss showy than, say, the Roy’s in Succession. I used to work at a company where this middle aged trust fund guy who didn’t work was friends with the owners. He came by the office all the time to hang out. Guests were welcome in the office to visit, say hi, sure, but he’d be there all afternoon and come in multiple days a week sometimes. I still to this day think it’s the weirdest thing. You don’t need to work but you’re choosing to spend time in an office. Oh, rich people. There are at least 50 other things I could think of doing if tables were turned. 

 

 

Edited August 1, 2021 by Refresh

[Blackie]

On 7/26/2021 at 6:02 PM, peachmangosteen said:

This show is boring as hell. I know I'm gonna regret giving 6 hours to it once it's done but here I am still watching it lo

Ya not getting the point of this show at all, if I am desperate I may watch more to see who actually dies but if I never finish it I probably wont care.

The best part was when the idiotic son learned about the tide lol!

I guess it is very good at portraying realistic people, no one is over the top, but no one is interesting or likable and it just reminds me that when the pandemic is over and I can be around people again, I really don't want to be

The music continues to be the most annoying part of the show.

[Kirbyrun]

On 8/12/2021 at 9:20 PM, Blackie said:

The music continues to be the most annoying part of the show.

Yes! Thank you! Every time something remotely interesting starts to happen, that damn music swells and overwhelms everything. Drives me crazy!

[Haleth]

I'm not sure why I'm watching this (other than a good friend recommended).  I hate everyone on this show to varying degrees, everyone except Belinda.  (I don't hate Tanya yet but I'm sure she'll end up hurting Belinda so my hate is preassigned.)  I hate comedies, especially ones where people are mean to each other.  I don't think it's funny to demean other people or put them in situations that cause pain.  I hate obnoxious teens.  Olivia is the worst.  Paula shows some sign of humanity now and then but then regresses to being an obnoxious teen again.  (But as college sophomores shouldn't they be beyond the obnoxious teen stage?)

However.

The one thing that did make me laugh was when Mark was talking about eating worms on a reality show.  Oh, Mike!

And Maui.  My favorite place in the world.  

[Anela]

I'm liking this more than Nine Perfect Strangers, which I didn't expect. Maybe it's because, as socially awkward as I can be, these people are making me look the opposite. 

The girls as so horrible, and the mother is paying for everything. Spoiled. I like that the hotel manager is screwing with Shane. I can't blame him. 

[Anela]

I also like the son having all of these great experiences. 

[JBC344]

On 7/25/2021 at 8:23 PM, AzureOwl said:

Some thoughts on tonight's episode.

Why am I not surprised that Shane and Olivia hit it off so well?

I am really disturbed by how much I related to Nicole obsessing about the Zoom background. I take the X-Wing painting of the wall every time I have a work one.

While I suspected before, now I am pretty sure Olivia is gay. The look on her face when she saw Paula having sex with that guy sealed the deal.

Speaking of which, are hotel employees allowed to fraternize with the guests? I remember reading a story a few years ago about the bartender at a London hotel getting fired because the manager found out she’d had sex with some celebrity that was staying at the hotel (the name will come back to me).

With regard to the person who dies, right now my top candidates are:

• Armond, via overdose;
• Mark, via drunken scuba accident;
• Tanya via accident while scattering the ashes

On another note, I like how the show is leaning into the fact that while Shane is an insufferable prick, he is completely right that Armond is plain fucking with him at this point. 

I remember that story and the celebrity was Orlando Bloom, before he married Katy Perry.  If you have seen his nude photos, I'm sure the night was well worth it.  

[jeansheridan]

On 7/25/2021 at 11:25 PM, thuganomics85 said:

He might not be a loud, brash homophobe, but Mark definitely seems to have a dated view about homosexuality and masculinity in general.  Not sure yet if it will be something he will rise above or if it will be his downfall, but I'm curious to see how this plays out.  Steve Zahn was great throughout it all and was probably the MVP of this particular episode.

Steve Zahn is almost always a secret weapon in any project. He is able to sell privileged white male but NICE. Because in many ways he IS nice. He isn't rude like Shane, he tries to connect with his son. But he comes from a certain era and background. It can be hard to shake that off. 

[jeansheridan]

On 10/4/2021 at 11:40 AM, Anela said:

I like that the hotel manager is screwing with Shane. I can't blame him. 

Oh yes. There's only so much an employee can take.

[LuvMyShows]

On 7/29/2021 at 8:31 PM, edhopper said:

Wait until Sebastian Cabot shows up. 😄

I only know him from being Mr. French on Family Affair, which would seem a non sequitur here, so what is it actually referring to? 

On 7/26/2021 at 1:14 AM, Irlandesa said:

The waiter would know he's easily replaceable and wouldn't be so careless as to have sex on the premises--and certainly not cabana sex for anyone to see.

Oh my, have you actually met older teen/young adult men? 😉 They would do that in a heartbeat!  I even asked my husband about it, and he said three things: 1) they would not think about the consequences 2) if they thought about it at all, they think they would not get caught 3) if they did get caught and there were consequences, they would still think it was worth it!!!

On 7/26/2021 at 11:17 AM, Corgi-ears said:

Along the same lines, I would love it if the mystery body being loaded onto the plane turns out to be a hotel employee that we never really even meet; it could be the show's way of subverting audience expectations that it must be a main character who dies, and commenting on how we tend to be less invested in the people who actually keep the place running.

But we also have to believe what we've come to know of the characters, and unless there is a huge turnaround for Shane, he is quite unlikely to look pensively out the airport window at the body being loaded in the plane, and give even a portion of a crap about it if it's just some basically random hotel employee.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

17 hours ago, LuvMyShows said:

I only know him from being Mr. French on Family Affair, which would seem a non sequitur here, so what is it actually referring to? 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Nice_Place_to_Visit

[PurpleTentacle]

Mark took quite a while to call "raincheck" on that whole trying out anal thing. Now I'm wondering if it is eventually going to happen or not...

On 7/26/2021 at 5:23 AM, AzureOwl said:

Speaking of which, are hotel employees allowed to fraternize with the guests? I remember reading a story a few years ago about the bartender at a London hotel getting fired because the manager found out she’d had sex with some celebrity that was staying at the hotel (the name will come back to me).

Probably not during work hours, but it's nobodies business what you do at night. People aren't slaves. On the other hand, US employment laws are so batshit insane, you might stilll be able to get fired for that...

On 7/27/2021 at 2:32 AM, dmc said:

I think that’s Olivia’s personality.  However what’s she saying to him is how most people under 30 would read the conversation.  There’s nothing wrong with being gay so what is his issue? A lot of commenters have been like well he didn’t know, true.  He also didn’t know how his father died, also true.  But the idea of his father engaging with intercourse with a man seems revolting to him.  

The idea of my parents engaging in intercourse with anybody is revolting to me.

I think he's mostly shocked because it destroys the picture he had of his dad. And yes, a lot of that is outdated views on masculinity and he needs to check those, to piece the picture back together, but give the poor guy a week. That isn't going to happen in a day.

On 7/27/2021 at 4:47 PM, edhopper said:

I have given up thinking this show has any resemblance to an actual resort on Maui. Just characters living in a world somewhat like ours. But what does bother me is the use of warm filters for the cinematography. I have been to Maui, it is a lush GREEN island with a beautiful blue sea. The filters turn it into yellow and brown.

This scene was supposed to be set during sunset. That is a very tight window, but the scene was very long. In a movie you would have had to come back for like a week to film all of it, but in a TV show you usually don't have that time. So they just filmed it during the day and slapped a sunset-filter on it.