S01.E04: Recentering

[peachmangosteen]

Quote

After Shane shoots down her latest career plans, Rachel is further blindsided by an unexpected arrival. Just as Belinda begins to take her business proposition seriously, Tanya’s attention turns to an intriguing hotel guest. Meanwhile, Armond’s renewed commitment to sobriety is put to the test.

Airs August 1st.

[DoubleUTeeEff]

MIL showing up on your honeymoon uninvited and husband being totally cool with it seems like grounds for immediate divorce to me. And Shane telIs Rachel that her mother would never show up because she can't afford the ticket and walks out on their fight so he can continue his obsession with Armand. Why did she marry this guy again? She doesn't seem to care about his money. I wonder if he's been on his best behavior and is just letting his true self out now that they're married. Is Rachel going to get nothing with that pre-nup if she is married for less than a week?

Ooo, Olivia. She's the worst! Why is Paula still friends with her? Chatting up the busboy because she can't stand for Paula to have something that she doesn't? I guess Paula's going to feel that saying "Fool me once, shame on you. fool me twice shame on me" pretty hard once she finds out about it. I hope Kai has more integrity than Trevor did and doesn't take the bait. That's hoping for a lot in this show because everyone seems to be pretty terrible.

Oh, Belinda. She's so hopeful writing up her business plan. I wonder if Tanya will lose all interest after hooking up with the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) guy or what.

What in the heck is khaki face? That was a funny Tanya-ism.

Poor Quinn. His parents didn't even know his friend moved away 2 years ago and even who his friend was in his father's case. Plus, he has to listen to his father unload all his issues on him.

I admit that I enjoyed watching how happy Shane was to walk in on Armand in a compromising situation. It was like Christmas came early for him! I do feel bad for Armand for some reason even though it is entirely his own fault.

[preeya]

14 minutes ago, DoubleUTeeEff said:

Ooo, Olivia. She's the worst! Why is Paula still friends with her? Chatting up the busboy because she can't stand for Paula to have something that she doesn't? I guess Paula's going to feel that saying "Fool me once, shame on you. fool me twice shame on me" pretty hard once she finds out about it. I hope Kai has more integrity than Trevor did and doesn't take the bait. That's hoping for a lot in this show because everyone seems to be pretty terrible.

She is a c.u.n.t.

Edited August 2, 2021 by preeya

[AzureOwl]

15 minutes ago, DoubleUTeeEff said:

Ooo, Olivia. She's the worst! Why is Paula still friends with her? Chatting up the busboy because she can't stand for Paula to have something that she doesn't? I guess Paula's going to feel that saying "Fool me once, shame on you. fool me twice shame on me" pretty hard once she finds out about it. I hope Kai has more integrity than Trevor did and doesn't take the bait. That's hoping for a lot in this show because everyone seems to be pretty terrible.

 

Just now, preeya said:

She is a c.u.n.t.

I couldn't agree more. The fact that her deal is actually worse than romantic possessiveness is quite impressive. It really isn't the direction I thought they were going. 

 

[Irlandesa]

I know there was a lot of speculation that Olivia was gay after last week but I did wonder if it was more of a jealousy thing.  It's just not cool to her if Paula has a hot guy and she doesn't.

I can't believe how much I find myself wanting Armand and Steve Zahn's character to hook up.  Their vibe was sexy.  But then it all switched to creepy when Armand propositioned the bell boy (or whoever he is) and got him high on cocaine.  I did not feel one bit bad that he got caught. 

Of course, Jake Lacy's character is coming off rather lazy asking Armand for his manager's number instead of calling the corporate entity himself to get it. 

And Connie Britton is pretty awful, isn't she?  I'd bet money her company probably hired more white men than any other demographic in the prior year. 

Edited August 2, 2021 by Irlandesa

[AzureOwl]

Also impressive? That Shane's mother still managed to find something to passive aggressively criticize about Rachel's physical appearance. That's is some next level passive aggressive bitchiness right there.

Granted, Alexandra Daddario probably does need a couple coats of SPF 50 before even looking at a beach, but it is hardly something anyone would hold against her.

Edited August 2, 2021 by AzureOwl

[AzureOwl]

3 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

Of course, Jake Lacy's character is coming off rather lazy asking Armand for his manager's number instead of calling the corporate entity himself to get it. 

Ah, but if he did that, then he wouldn't be asserting dominance over Armond by making Armond give it to him. 

Shane clearly feels that Armond doesn't respect him (which he would be right about) and wants to "put him in his place", sort to speak.

[MerBearStare]

IDK, Olivia is for sure awful and a piece of shit, but I'm not feeling too bad for Paula. 1.) Why are you still friends with someone who hooked up with your boyfriend/possible future boyfriend? 2.) Even if that first thing didn't happen, why are you friends with someone who is genuinely cunty? 3.) Why accept a free vacation from said cunty friend and her terrible (to varying degrees) family?

And lastly, why then turn around and be super shitty yourself to the family who took you on an expensive-ass vacation and who you still have to be with for like another week and then travel home with? 

In terms of everyone in that suite, I would be team:
1. No one..................
20. Quinn
21. Paula
22. Mark
23. Nicole
24. Olivia

ETA: As out of control as Armand is being, I thought it was hilarious when he called the girls' bluff on the drugs and asked them to write an inventory of what was missing from the bag. I mean, really, what were they expecting to happen?

Edited August 2, 2021 by MerBearStare

[Snazzy Daisy]

This is my fav moment of this episode, it’s so satisfying! I don’t really like Shane but now I can’t wait to see what he has in store for Armond in next episode! It’s payback time baby!!! 😆😘

 

[BC4ME]

1 hour ago, AzureOwl said:

Also impressive? That Shane's mother still managed to find something to passive aggressively criticize about Rachel's physical appearance. That's is some next level passive aggressive bitchiness right there.

Yeah, Molly Shannon just added a whole nother level of fucked up to the Shane/Rachel dynamic. 

I'm starting to think Armond just wants to mess with all the guests for spite.

[chocolatine]

Armand is a huge idiot to "party" in his office and not even lock the door. I know the hotel is the show's setting so they won't let any of the action happen off the premises, but at least he could have found a more private place, like a vacant room. (My mother worked the front desk at a hotel when I was a kid. I would often come to her work after school and she would put me in a vacant room to do my homework until she was done with her shift. It's really easy for hotel staff to do something like that.)

Nicole saying that her company is unable to hire white men is completely false. There's a huge talent shortage in the tech industry, and anyone who's qualified is usually getting multiple offers. Also, the majority of tech workers are Asian men, not white men.

I hate to say it, but Shane's mother was right that taking a job at a non-profit - and it would be an entry-level job since Rachel has no relevant experience - won't make as much of a difference as hosting fundraisers.

Finally, I got a bad feeling about BLM (not *that* BLM) guy. I feel he's going to try and take advantage of Tanya.

Edited August 2, 2021 by chocolatine

[preeya]

10 minutes ago, chocolatine said:

Finally, I got a bad feeling about BLM (not *that* BLM) guy. I feel he's going to try and take advantage of Tanya.

I knew it wasn't *that* BLM as soon as he mentioned it to Tanya.

[chocolatine]

2 minutes ago, preeya said:

I knew it wasn't *that* BLM as soon as he mentioned it to Tanya.

Yup, because Black Lives Matter activism doesn't usually entail middle-aged white men going on deep sea fishing trips to Hawaii.

[CarpeFelis]

I’m just wondering exactly how much longer it will take for Rachel to walk the fuck out on Shane. Not only is he an asshole (“your mom couldn’t afford the plane ticket”, WOW!) but now she’s also got an asshole for a MIL who thinks nothing of horning in on their honeymoon, insulting her, and trying to tell her what to do with her life! Oh, HELL no. Run for your life, Rachel!

I couldn’t blame Paula for rolling her eyes at Nicole’s little diatribe about poor downtrodden white males. Give me a fucking break! Does Nicole seriously consider herself a feminist?!

Can’t say I feel the least little bit sorry for Armond. Dude is seriously self-destructive. And while I don’t particularly care about Olivia and Rachel getting their stash back, it was really rotten of him to lie about the bag in the first place and then when called on it, keep the drugs. Dumbass carries on his little orgy IN HIS OFFICE WITH AN UNLOCKED DOOR. And his little vendetta with Shane? Even though Shane richly deserves it, it’s way out of line and he deserves to lose his job. With what Shane saw, that’s pretty much guaranteed now.

Olivia… another complete piece of garbage. She just can’t stand for Paula to have anything (or anyone) she doesn’t. So apparently she’s already stolen one guy from Paula before, and now she’s chatting up Kai - bitch. I suspect she’s only friends with Paula in the first place so she can have a sidekick to feel superior to. She probably chose Paula because Paula isn’t from a rich family like she is, but Paula’s way prettier. I had a girlfriend like that in college. She never went so far as to outright steal a boyfriend from me, but she did have this way of always having been there first and one-upping me. Like, my boyfriend once told me I didn’t kiss right because she had given him kissing lessons(!!!) and I didn’t kiss exactly the same as she did. (With 40+ years of perspective on this, I should have dumped him right then and there, but I was young and insecure and that comment just made me feel even more so.)

BLM guy: I knew it wouldn’t turn out to be Black Lives Matter, but I was afraid it would be something truly repulsive like a pedophile organization for “Boys Loving Men”. Compared to that, Bureau of Land Management was a relief.

Edited August 2, 2021 by CarpeFelis

[Cheezwiz]

4 hours ago, AzureOwl said:

I couldn't agree more. The fact that her deal is actually worse than romantic possessiveness is quite impressive. It really isn't the direction I thought they were going. 

 

That little reversal was a bit of a surprise for me as well - didn't see that coming, and it makes her that much more awful.

Armond has also turned out to be much more awful than expected - he really enjoys fucking with the guests and getting himself fucked up not to mention messing with junior employees. Ugh. While I don't feel bad for him getting caught, I hate that Shane was a witness, because I still hate Shane way more than Armond for reasons I can't quite articulate.

Run Belinda! Take that business plan and RUN!!!, Ditto for Rachel - run awaaaay!

I sort of like where they're going with Quinn at the moment - it looked like he was intrigued by something non-electronic, and was trying engage the outrigger canoe guys in conversation.

[Clare]

Quote

Oh, Belinda. She's so hopeful writing up her business plan. I wonder if Tanya will lose all interest after hooking up with the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) guy or what.

I'm assuming that Tanya really doesn't have that kind of money.  She doesn't seem to live in reality and I'm not sure she has any concept of how much it would cost to start up a business.

I love that Quinn is having all these real experiences by sleeping on the beach.  I wonder if he will end up staying at the end?  Is he supposed to be in college?

I love Molly Shannon so much,  I forgot she was in this show.  Everything out of her mouth was perfect.  This show is so well written. 

 

[preeya]

6 hours ago, Cheezwiz said:

While I don't feel bad for him getting caught, I hate that Shane was a witness, because I still hate Shane way more than Armond for reasons I can't quite articulate.

Armond is just an asshole. Shane is the ULTIMATE DICK to the nth degree.

Edited August 2, 2021 by preeya

[dmc]

“Your as a white as a sheet.  Don’t worry I have my own room and I’m staying one night maybe two.  I know, I’m crazy”

Lol

“this is a nice room but definitely not the one I reserved.”

Lol

so now we know the deal with Olivia and Paula.  Olivia is treacherous which seems right on par.

Now do we need the deal with her brother Is he staring at those guys because he’s gay or because he wants friends? Or both

my money is on hotel guy in the body bag.

 

Belinda trying to steer the rich white lady back to her future and away from oxygen facial masks (which I have had and to me they make your skin dryer)

 

 

12 hours ago, AzureOwl said:

Ah, but if he did that, then he wouldn't be asserting dominance over Armond by making Armond give it to him. 

Shane clearly feels that Armond doesn't respect him (which he would be right about) and wants to "put him in his place", sort to speak.

Most people do this. Ask for the number.  If you’ve already gotten shitty customer service why should you be the person in charge of looking for the number?

Calling corporate is a shit show.  You would get the receptionist and then you would have to pray she knows who’s in charge of what property because sometimes they don’t.  Then they don’t give you the person’s number they would just give you the extension you would call and leave a message and they may or may not call you back.  If you ask the person you can get their direct number

Edited August 2, 2021 by dmc

[CarpeFelis]

Shane was dumb to ask Armond, who’s already screwed him over more than once, for his boss’s number. He shouldn’t be at all surprised Armond gave him a bogus number. It would have been smarter to go to someone else (Belinda, for example) to get that number. Or he could have put Mommy Dearest’s pit bull of a travel agent on the case again.

At this point I hope the body bag contains either Armond’s body or Olivia’s. Better yet would be both.

[dmc]

1 minute ago, CarpeFelis said:

Shane was dumb to ask Armond, who’s already screwed him over more than once, for his boss’s number. He shouldn’t be at all surprised Armond gave him a bogus number. It would have been smarter to go to someone else (Belinda, for example) to get that number. Or he could have put Mommy Dearest’s pit bull of a travel agent on the case again.

At this point I hope the body bag contains either Armond’s body or Olivia’s. Better yet would be both.

LOL 

Armond is better than Olivia but yeah agreed...one of these two

[BeckyThatcher]

Loved Quinn reaching out to the outrigger canoe rowers. His personal growth in these small moments is lovely, and seems to be happening outside the hotel. (I almost wrote the “confines of the hotel” but no one is confined.)

Shane delights me. He’s horrid yet the evil glee as he skipped away from the manager’s office made me laugh.

Sorry for Cornell grads. Do you think Shane’s Cornell hat is a nod to his year on The Office? 

Edited August 3, 2021 by BeckyThatcher
Typo for name correction in last two paragraph- Shane

[meep.meep]

Since I'm a Fed and always have a knee jerk reaction to the term BLM, I'm glad they put that in.

I don't know how old the actor is but Quinn looks like he's 17 going on 35.  There is a couch in his parents bedroom.  Did anyone suggest that he sleep there?

The music is really starting to bug me on this.

[CarpeFelis]

11 minutes ago, BeckyThatcher said:

Loved Quinn reaching out to the outrigger canoe rowers. His personal growth in these small moments is lovely, and seems to be happening outside the hotel. (I almost wrote the “confines of the hotel” but no one is confined.)

Quinn delights me. He’s horrid yet the evil glee as he skipped away from the manager’s office made me laugh.

Sorry for Cornell grads. Do you think Quinn’s Cornell hat is a nod to his year on The Office? 

The guy in the Cornell hat is Shane, not Quinn.

[AzureOwl]

1 hour ago, preeya said:

Armond is just an asshole. Shane is the ULTIMATE DICK to the nth degree.

The tagline of this show might as well be "Assholes may have a valid point some times, but they’re still assholes".

[Milburn Stone]

Armond is one of those characters who (for me) remains likable despite his egregious behavior. Maybe because he's so charming? Maybe because the people he has to please, day in day out, are all complete assholes, so my sympathy goes with him? Anyway, he should have to pay some kind of price for his transgressions, but I don't want to see him either A) fired or B) dead.

Paula's contempt for Kai made me really hate her. Very easy for her, in her privileged position, to fault him for "playing to the people." She fails to see that for someone in his position, this is where his power lies. Putting on a show for the rich folks is how he puts food on the table. Too bad for her if she thinks he's not being as "real" as her idealization of him. She's no paragon of authenticity herself.

[dmc]

1 hour ago, meep.meep said:

Since I'm a Fed and always have a knee jerk reaction to the term BLM, I'm glad they put that in.

I don't know how old the actor is but Quinn looks like he's 17 going on 35.  There is a couch in his parents bedroom.  Did anyone suggest that he sleep there?

The music is really starting to bug me on this.

Did anyone think that guy was with Black Lives Matter? I mean I didn’t.  I didn’t know what the acronym stood for but I knew it wasn’t that.  
 

I think they put it in to show that she put off Belinda for Black Lives Matter but Belinda is a black life that she blew off. So her life/livelihood didn’t matter as much as her date.  

 

This show is basically trolling rich people

Edited August 2, 2021 by dmc

[CarpeFelis]

47 minutes ago, Milburn Stone said:

Paula's contempt for Kai made me really hate her. Very easy for her, in her privileged position, to fault him for "playing to the people." She fails to see that for someone in his position, this is where his power lies. Putting on a show for the rich folks is how he puts food on the table. Too bad for her if she thinks he's not being as "real" as her idealization of him. She's no paragon of authenticity herself.

That wasn’t the impression she gave me at all! I thought it was indignation on his behalf, that he was reduced to doing this to make a living because his family was cheated out of their land.

[Andyourlittledog2]

I was actually worried about the behavior of BLM guy because everything he did at the door was classic predator behavior to meet and get a target at ease and insert himself into her bubble. And Tanya looked like she was wary of him in the beginning, like her intuition was telling her to beware but he slid skillfully under her radar and schmoozed his way into her comfort zone.  I still don't trust him.  He may be targeting her as an easy route to gain access to her money since she's alone and mostly sad and drunk and vague and seems easy to fool. He may be a con man who just claims he's a fed to put her at ease. I don't know, but I don't trust this guy at all.

When he said BLM though I knew immediately what that was -- I have our local office just three blocks away next to the forestry service. Black Lives Matter therefore didn't occur to me and made me laugh when she said it.

I don't think Tanya has that kind of money either. Enough to indulge herself at the White Lotus but not enough to be funding Belinda's dream spa future. She's no business woman, seems more like inheritance or divorce settlement money. I wouldn't be at all surprised if she floats this kind of thing with targeted service people to get them to give her personalized dedicated service in the hopes of getting Tanya onboard with whatever the employee dreams of getting from her. I don't trust her or like her at all.

 

[AzureOwl]

3 hours ago, dmc said:

“Your as a white as a sheet.  Don’t worry I have my own room and I’m staying one night maybe two.  I know, I’m crazy”

Lol

“this is a nice room but definitely not the one I reserved.”

Lol

so now we know the deal with Olivia and Paula.  Olivia is treacherous which seems right on par.

Now do we need the deal with her brother Is he staring at those guys because he’s gay or because he wants friends? Or both

my money is on hotel guy in the body bag.

 

Belinda trying to steer the rich white lady back to her future and away from oxygen facial masks (which I have had and to me they make your skin dryer)

 

 

Most people do this. Ask for the number.  If you’ve already gotten shitty customer service why should you be the person in charge of looking for the number?

Calling corporate is a shit show.  You would get the receptionist and then you would have to pray she knows who’s in charge of what property because sometimes they don’t.  Then they don’t give you the person’s number they would just give you the extension you would call and leave a message and they may or may not call you back.  If you ask the person you can get their direct number

Having slept on it, I also realized that calling corporate would’ve been useless for what he wanted.
 

There’s no chance in Hell they’re going to give a general manager’s cellphone number to a random customer with a complaint. Shane wouldn’t have made it past a supervisor, guaranteed. 

[dmc]

17 minutes ago, Andyourlittledog2 said:

I was actually worried about the behavior of BLM guy because everything he did at the door was classic predator behavior to meet and get a target at ease and insert himself into her bubble. And Tanya looked like she was wary of him in the beginning, like her intuition was telling her to beware but he slid skillfully under her radar and schmoozed his way into her comfort zone.  I still don't trust him.  He may be targeting her as an easy route to gain access to her money since she's alone and mostly sad and drunk and vague and seems easy to fool. He may be a con man who just claims he's a fed to put her at ease. I don't know, but I don't trust this guy at all.

When he said BLM though I knew immediately what that was -- I have our local office just three blocks away next to the forestry service. Black Lives Matter therefore didn't occur to me and made me laugh when she said it.

I don't think Tanya has that kind of money either. Enough to indulge herself at the White Lotus but not enough to be funding Belinda's dream spa future. She's no business woman, seems more like inheritance or divorce settlement money. I wouldn't be at all surprised if she floats this kind of thing with targeted service people to get them to give her personalized dedicated service in the hopes of getting Tanya onboard with whatever the employee dreams of getting from her. I don't trust her or like her at all.

 

 

Agreed...I think she will be dangling this business venture over Belinda for the rest of her stay...I suspect she mentioned it offhand because its not a big deal to her....

She threw it out there casually like after one frigging massage that ONLY involved her face (because she couldn't get the full one)

She puffs Belinda up and takes her to dinner and this offer could change Belinda's life...so Belinda clearly wants to happen and now we know the resort owners are awful and exploit the workers...

Belinda will legit be chasing this woman down the whole trip for specifics because she is not serious 

 

 

5 minutes ago, AzureOwl said:

Having slept on it, I also realized that calling corporate would’ve been useless for what he wanted.
 

There’s no chance in Hell they’re going to give a general manager’s cellphone number to a random customer with a complaint. Shane wouldn’t have made it past a supervisor, guaranteed. 

I used to, I gave people my Regionals number left and right.  I mean this is customer service.  People complain, no one thinks its a big deal including upper management.   There's more going on with Armand maybe he got in trouble before, something where he has to hide this...because the room messup and this are not a big deal.  The sex in his office with employee would be though

Edited August 2, 2021 by dmc

[Andyourlittledog2]

45 minutes ago, CarpeFelis said:

That wasn’t the impression she gave me at all! I thought it was indignation on his behalf, that he was reduced to doing this to make a living because his family was cheated out of their land.

It is one of my pet peeves that first world people seem to want others to live the way their ancestors lived so the first world people can enjoy their 'authenticity', like the other people are museum sets they can visit and observe and then go back to their comfortable modern lives and conveniences. I am sure I am not explaining this well. Having a refrigerator and comfortable homes does not make you a sell out to 'westernization'.

That said, I think that Paula was specifically upset that Kai had to make a living working for and entertaining the rich guests of the very corporation that stole his family's land. That was a very specific thing to Kai and what he shared with her. And yet Kai is doing this specifically because he is left with few options for supporting himself at his family's location so it's a mixed bag. We see it everywhere, including in the mainland US: big companies ruin your land and your way of life but then become the only thing that puts bread on your table so you are dependent upon them for survival.

Edited August 2, 2021 by Andyourlittledog2

[thuganomics85]

I was wondering when Molly Shannon was going to show up and I totally didn't know it was going to be as Shane's mother.  Who crashes his and Rachel's honeymoon.  And, of course, Shane "Don't talk about work at our honeymoon, Rachel!" Patton is totally fine with that, and continues to ignore how frustrated Rachel is over it.  Of course, that's just par for the course for him, since he seems to only think about himself and his need to be the big man on campus/resort, and doesn't care if his (admittedly legit at times) grievances are what is actually ruining the honeymoon instead.  Yeah, I really don't see them being together by the end of this.  Shannon was great, of course.  And credit to Mike White I guess for somehow finding some physical attribute about Rachel for Kitty to criticize, because I guess being a little too pale is about the only think Alexandra Daddario has against her physically and even that's a stretch!

So, Olivia really doesn't have any actual romantic feelings for Paula or anything.  Instead, she is apparently someone who needs to be in control of whoever she considers a "friend", and doesn't like it if they dare to do their own thing every now and then.  Yeah, I'm not surprised that Olivia would grow up to be controlling like that.  Granted, Paula has her own flaws and bad attitude, but I really hope she gets out from under her thumb, because maybe she has a shot at being a decent person.

Nicole takes up the mantle of defending the true downtrodden of society: the poor... straight white males?  Sure, Nicole.

Despite Olivia's claim at the end, it seems more and more likely that Quinn is the actual member of the Mossbacher family that might not be completely fucked up.  He has issues, sure, but he at least seems to be moving in the right direction.

Steve Zahn had some great reaction shows and baffled line deliveries here.

Already suspicious of Tanya's new fling because I feel like in this day and age, everyone knows that most people will automatically think BLM stands for Black Lives Matter, so that little mis-direct seems kind of shifty.

Really hope Belinda lands on her feet at the end.

Armond continues to spiral and might have now just given Shane the upper hand.  Murray Bartlett continues to make me actually be invested in Armond and almost want to see if he can somehow get out from this, but Armond really has no one to blame but himself for escalating things the way he has.

[Nellise]

I don't know if it's poor writing or what, but the way that Shane and Rachel are written it's as if they've never been around each other before this trip. While they said the marriage was quick, I thought they said they'd been together at least 6 or 9 months. There's been no indication that Shane has changed his behavior during this trip from who he always was, so it makes Rachel come off as naive or dumb rather than sympathetic. Also, Rachel said she had been working on their wedding for months and given that Shane's mother paid for it, Rachel should know exactly who she is. It's hard to believe this is the first time Rachel's future has come up between them given how involved Shane's mother seems to be in his life and she doesn't seem shy about sharing her opinions.

The BLM thing didn't come across to me as anything other than what it turned out to be because I saw the same exact joke/confusion on another show recently (I can't remember where though).

Since everybody on this show sucks, I thought Kai was telling Paula a story to get sympathy hookups.

Armond is awful, he's screwing with multiple guests just because he can, trying to seduce a married man, and taking advantage of other employees. Nobody has forced him to do any of these things.

 

 

 

 

 

[preeya]

7 minutes ago, Nellise said:

Armond is awful, he's screwing with multiple guests just because he can, trying to seduce a married man, and taking advantage of other employees. Nobody has forced him to do any of these things.

The drugs/alcohol and falling off the wagon did it.

[txhorns79]

1 hour ago, Nellise said:

Armond is awful, he's screwing with multiple guests just because he can, trying to seduce a married man, and taking advantage of other employees. Nobody has forced him to do any of these things.

I'll defend him a little about trying to seduce Mark, in that I can see how Armond thought Mark was hitting on him last episode and completely misunderstood the situation.

I'm not sure what to make of the Armond/Shane fight.  Shane is in the right in the sense that Armond has been providing awful customer service, but Shane is just a huge dick. 

And seriously Rachel, run.  Shane is someone who feels no compunctions about insulting your mother, and is fine with his own mother invading your honeymoon.  He's just awful.

[chocolatine]

16 minutes ago, txhorns79 said:

I'm not sure what to make of the Armond/Shane fight.  Shane is in the right in the sense that Armond has been providing awful customer service, but Shane is just a huge dick. 

One of the main requirements of working in hospitality, or any service industry for that matter, is to remain professional no matter how much of a dick a customer might be.

[Cosmocrush]

6 hours ago, dmc said:

Most people do this. Ask for the number.  If you’ve already gotten shitty customer service why should you be the person in charge of looking for the number?

Calling corporate is a shit show.  You would get the receptionist and then you would have to pray she knows who’s in charge of what property because sometimes they don’t.  Then they don’t give you the person’s number they would just give you the extension you would call and leave a message and they may or may not call you back.  If you ask the person you can get their direct number

I hope that's not correct; that most people would disrupt their honeymoon over and over just to stick it to someone in the service industry who didn't cause any real harm.  There was nothing wrong with the room, it had a better view, and besides Shane didn't pay for it.  I think it was probably just a booking error but Shane made such a big deal over it he couldn't enjoy the room they had.   I used to have a friend who spent so much time complaining about our theater seats she couldn't enjoy the show and like the White Lotus this was in a theater without bad seats.  Same deal. 

As far as the dinner cruise goes, Shane didn't pay for that either and really what was the cost?  Faking compassionate (or at least patience) for a couple hours?  Shane is an entitled dick who treats people he feels are beneath him like hell.

Of course I think that everyone that ever travels, goes out to eat or shop should have to spend some time working in the service industry.

 

[dmc]

9 minutes ago, Cosmocrush said:

I hope that's not correct; that most people would disrupt their honeymoon over and over just to stick it to someone in the service industry who didn't cause any real harm.  There was nothing wrong with the room, it had a better view, and besides Shane didn't pay for it.  I think it was probably just a booking error but Shane made such a big deal over it he couldn't enjoy the room they had.   I used to have a friend who spent so much time complaining about our theater seats she couldn't enjoy the show and like the White Lotus this was in a theater without bad seats.  Same deal. 

As far as the dinner cruise goes, Shane didn't pay for that either and really what was the cost?  Faking compassionate (or at least patience) for a couple hours?  Shane is an entitled dick who treats people he feels are beneath him like hell.

Of course I think that everyone that ever travels, goes out to eat or shop should have to spend some time working in the service industry.

 

When you reserve something and pay money for it, you should get it.  Shane is a jerk but this is a reasonable expectation. 

Before my career in marketing, I worked in property management.  And yes people frequently complained for service issues, rent issues, noise issues, and general complaints.  I always gave them my boss’ number.  Sometimes we would discuss how it could handled better.  Sometimes she would have idea I haven’t thought of and sometimes she had more power than me to make things happen. It wasn’t a big deal at all.  The expectation is that you are there to make the experience better for someone.  

If you cannot handle it, customer service isn’t right for you.

Shane is not even the worst kind of customer I have dealt with 

This could have been alleviated by fixing the room rate and an apology 

 

 

Edited August 2, 2021 by dmc

[Armchair Critic]

Armond is a mess but I am rooting for him because I can't stand smug Shane and I liked how he got the best of the two snotty girls by asking for an inventory list.

[Cosmocrush]

4 hours ago, dmc said:

When you reserve something and pay money for it, you should get it.  Shane is a jerk but this is a reasonable expectation. 

I agree with both things.  But it's not like he was in a shitty dirty room or anything.   It didn't have a private pool but it had a fantastic view.  Probably cost the same.  Like Rachel, I don't see why he couldn't just let it go instead needing to "win" at all costs.  Pick your battles. 

My point was that instead of enjoying a beautiful paradise like the White Lotus (aka Four Seasons Maui) Shane took time over and over to be a dick to a guy who was just trying to do his job.  

Now as far as the cruise went, I thought it was kind of funny but then I got through grad school waiting tables and there were plenty of fantasies of doing something like that or worse.   In this case though, no real harm was done. 

Edited August 3, 2021 by Cosmocrush

[Empress1]

3 hours ago, CarpeFelis said:

That wasn’t the impression she gave me at all! I thought it was indignation on his behalf, that he was reduced to doing this to make a living because his family was cheated out of their land.

Me too, and when Olivia asked her why she left she said it was gross to watch them dancing for the rich white people who stole their land.

1 hour ago, txhorns79 said:

And seriously Rachel, run.  Shane is someone who feels no compunctions about insulting your mother, and is fine with his own mother invading your honeymoon.  He's just awful.

What I don't get is, did he not show his true colors before this? Was his mother not overbearing before this? A woman that pushy would have been pushy off rip. When she said she planned their wedding, I thought "I bet there was nothing in their wedding that Rachel and her family wanted." But I agree - I'd have been on the next flight home when Mommy Dearest showed up, and if that wasn't enough the mother insult would have me in an attorney's office the second I got home. He's a dickhead who doesn't respect her at all. I don't think he loves her; I think he likes that she's beautiful and that he can use his wealth to control her.

4 hours ago, dmc said:

Did anyone think that guy was with Black Lives Matter? I mean I didn’t.  I didn’t know what the acronym stood for but I knew it wasn’t that.  

Agreed. Not for a second did I think he was with the movement.

I knew someone like Olivia once, who didn't like it when anyone had something she wanted. She was one of those women who would complain that other women didn't like her, and the reason they didn't like her was that she kept trying to seduce their boyfriends/husbands or sabotage their jobs. I don't know why Paula still hangs out with her after the first "lapse in judgment," but I can chalk it up to them being young. Paula clearly recognizes Olivia's game though, so I'm not sure why she stays "friends" with Olivia, although I guess if Olivia regularly takes her on these kinds of vacations maybe she decided it's worth it.

Just now, Cosmocrush said:

My point was that instead of enjoying a beautiful paradise like the White Lotus (aka Four Seasons Maui) Shane took time over and over to be a dick to a guy who was just trying to do his job.   I used to have a friend who spent the bulk of what could have been a great evening complaining about not getting the exact theater seats he thought he reserved.  This was a small theater where honestly there were no bad seats but he just couldn't let it go.  Ruined the evening for himself, me and probably half the people in our row.

It makes me think of a story I read in which a couple was getting divorced and they were arguing over like $50K, but they spent years and way more in legal fees than the original $50K. It wasn't about the money, it was about spite. 

[dmc]

9 minutes ago, Cosmocrush said:

I agree with both things.  But it's not like he was in a shitty dirty room or anything.   It didn't have a private pool but it had a fantastic view.  Probably cost the same.  Like Rachel, I don't see why he couldn't just let it go instead needing to "win" at all costs.  Pick your battles. 

My point was that instead of enjoying a beautiful paradise like the White Lotus (aka Four Seasons Maui) Shane took time over and over to be a dick to a guy who was just trying to do his job.   I used to have a friend who spent the bulk of what could have been a great evening complaining about not getting the exact theater seats he thought he reserved.  This was a small theater where honestly there were no bad seats but he just couldn't let it go.  Ruined the evening for himself, me and probably half the people in our row.  Again, pick your battles. 

Now as far as the cruise went, I thought it was kind of funny but then I got through grad school waiting tables and there were plenty of fantasies of doing something like that or worse.   In this case though, no real harm was done. 

Agreed I think they are separate issues.

Shane being able to let it go and have a nice honeymoon.

Armand not gaslighting guests about room rates 

 

Edited August 2, 2021 by dmc

[khyber]

1 hour ago, chocolatine said:

One of the main requirements of working in hospitality, or any service industry for that matter, is to remain professional no matter how much of a dick a customer might be.

I worked in an upscale hotel during grad school. I was in awe of the employees who could just stand there and take the abuse with a pleasant look on their face.  They felt it was water off a duck's back. They fixed what they could and didn't take it personally.  I learned that I should never have a job working with the general public. 

[Cosmocrush]

21 hours ago, DoubleUTeeEff said:

Ooo, Olivia. She's the worst! Why is Paula still friends with her? Chatting up the busboy because she can't stand for Paula to have something that she doesn't? I guess Paula's going to feel that saying "Fool me once, shame on you. fool me twice shame on me" pretty hard once she finds out about it.

Instead of wondering why Paula is friends with Olivia (which I have) I wonder why Olivia needs to have friends she feels are inferior to herself?  I wonder if this something she does with 'friends' who are white too or just POC?  Clearly, Olivia doesn't feel like she and Paula are equals.  And at least on this trip, they aren't.  Paula is expected to witness this horrible family's drama and be grateful for the trip.

Edited August 2, 2021 by Cosmocrush

[Empress1]

36 minutes ago, Cosmocrush said:

Instead of wondering why Paula is friends with Olivia (which I have) I wonder why Olivia needs to have friends she feels are inferior to herself?  I wonder if this something she does with 'friends' who are white too or just POC?  Clearly, Olivia doesn't feel like she and Paula are equals.  And at least on this trip, they aren't.  Paula is expected to witness this horrible family's drama and be grateful for the trip.

I would guess she does it with anyone she perceives as beneath her, like a white person who came from less money than she does. (I think Shane is doing the same thing with Rachel.) I would also guess that Olivia deliberately doesn't HAVE friends that are "on her level" (other rich white girls) or above her level (even richer white girls) because she feels like she can't compete with them, and she likes feeling like she has the upper hand. These aren't friendships to her, they're power struggles. I don't think she'd be able to articulate it this clearly, but I bet that's what's happening.

[preeya]

1 hour ago, dmc said:

This could have been alleviated by fixing the room rate and an apology

Due to Shane's "EXTREME DICKNESS" and abhorrent behavior this ↑ would not have worked either.

[dmc]

12 minutes ago, preeya said:

Due to Shane's "EXTREME DICKNESS" and abhorrent behavior this ↑ would not have worked either.

I absolutely think it would have. 

At the point where you don’t have the room he wanted, the inferior room at a lower rate is all there is.  You throw in a couple of freebies, it’s fine.

 

This didn’t happen because this guy re-rented the room by accident.  It happened because he lied about it.  First he lied and said that was the room he rented when he knew he made a mistake.  Then when Shane was willing to except the new room, Shane asked am I at least paying the lower rate and then he lied about that.  Only after Shane checked with his mother and the travel agent and confirmed he had booked the right room and he was paying the higher wrong rate did the guy address it.  Then after he addressed it and knew that he lied to the guy three times he deliberately sabotaged that cruise.

 

He brought this on himself.

If this were not a rich person and it was someone who had saved all year for this vacation, we wouldn’t be having this discussion. We would be like Armand is awful. 

Shane being a dick doesn’t change the fact that he has a right to be pissed here.  

 

 

Edited August 3, 2021 by dmc

[CarpeFelis]

25 minutes ago, Empress1 said:

I would guess she does it with anyone she perceives as beneath her, like a white person who came from less money than she does. (I think Shane is doing the same thing with Rachel.) I would also guess that Olivia deliberately doesn't HAVE friends that are "on her level" (other rich white girls) or above her level (even richer white girls) because she feels like she can't compete with them, and she likes feeling like she has the upper hand. These aren't friendships to her, they're power struggles. I don't think she'd be able to articulate it this clearly, but I bet that's what's happening.

My thoughts exactly.

1 hour ago, Empress1 said:

I knew someone like Olivia once, who didn't like it when anyone had something she wanted. She was one of those women who would complain that other women didn't like her, and the reason they didn't like her was that she kept trying to seduce their boyfriends/husbands or sabotage their jobs.

Similar thing - power struggle / ego gratification. Those women are the ones who have to have the eye of every man in the room on them at all times - even the ones they have zero actual interest in, and even the ones they know are married or in a relationship. They have to “win” by proving they’re the most attractive woman in the room. Often they prefer to have only male friends, too, because they think other women are beneath them. Though some do have women friends but eventually lose them because stealing their boyfriend or husband, or deliberately going after someone their friend is interested in, is like “bonus points”. Yeah, small wonder other women don’t like them. I’m reminded of this: https://www.thecut.com/2018/12/i-always-steal-my-friends-boyfriends-and-i-cant-stop.html

So it won’t come as any surprise to me if Olivia openly flirts with Kai in front of Paula or even seduces him (or makes it look like she does) and contrives a way to make sure Paula sees them.

[Catfi9ht]

While I have no doubt the story Kai told happened, I don't think it happened to him. I think it's a story he tells to swindle rich tourists out of money. I think Paula will steal Nicole's bracelets, give them to Kai, and find out she was tricked.

It's kind of like what Paula is doing by hanging out with Olivia on a larger scale. Paula is Olivia's friend to swindle her out of money because she has alot of it, didn't earn it, and sucks as a human, and Paula uses these excuses to justify her actions.

In the first episode I thought Armond told Shane the room he was staying in was the same rate as the other suite. The one his mom reserved had the pool but the one he's now staying in was larger and had a better view. Armond apologized for the mix-up during check-in.

Both of these things would have resolved the issue for people who aren't entitled. Shane couldn't let go because it wasn't the thing HE wanted, and there is no reasoning with someone like that. It's all about getting everything he wants exactly when he wants it, which mirrors how Olivia sees the world, but Olivia's approach is passive aggressive where Shane's approach is direct.

The BLM mixup happened on the west coast during the wildfires last year. People were carrying guns worried that Black Lives Matter was trying to take over towns, but what actually was occurring was the Bureau of Land Management was trying to send crews to help evacuate and fight the fires.

Molly Shannon was fantastic. I think casting her and the actress who plays Rachel was intentional. Both have similar length brown hair parted the same way and blue eyes. It wouldn't surprise me if at some point Shane says Rachel is a hotter version of his mother or something to that effect.

[dmc]

5 minutes ago, Catfi9ht said:

While I have no doubt the story Kai told happened, I don't think it happened to him. I think it's a story he tells to swindle rich tourists out of money. I think Paula will steal Nicole's bracelets, give them to Kai, and find out she was tricked.

It's kind of like what Paula is doing by hanging out with Olivia on a larger scale. Paula is Olivia's friend to swindle her out of money because she has alot of it, didn't earn it, and sucks as a human, and Paula uses these excuses to justify her actions.

In the first episode I thought Armond told Shane the room he was staying in was the same rate as the other suite. The one his mom reserved had the pool but the one he's now staying in was larger and had a better view. Armond apologized for the mix-up during check-in.

Both of these things would have resolved the issue for people who aren't entitled. Shane couldn't let go because it wasn't the thing HE wanted, and there is no reasoning with someone like that. It's all about getting everything he wants exactly when he wants it, which mirrors how Olivia sees the world, but Olivia's approach is passive aggressive where Shane's approach is direct.

The BLM mixup happened on the west coast during the wildfires last year. People were carrying guns worried that Black Lives Matter was trying to take over towns, but what actually was occurring was the Bureau of Land Management was trying to send crews to help evacuate and fight the fires.

Molly Shannon was fantastic. I think casting her and the actress who plays Rachel was intentional. Both have similar length brown hair parted the same way and blue eyes. It wouldn't surprise me if at some point Shane says Rachel is a hotter version of his mother or something to that effect.

 

 

He did he lied. It wasn't the same rate.  He also lied and said Shane had rented that room and not the Pineapple Suite.  Then he tells someone in the staff Shane booked the Pineapple Suite and he made a mistake. He apologized that Shane was disappointed for Shane's own misunderstanding

Paula is absolutely hanging with Olivia for trips and such, agreed. 

 

Edited August 3, 2021 by dmc