S01.E05: The Lotus-Eaters

[peachmangosteen]

Quote

As Armond attempts to do damage control, Belinda tries to redirect Tanya’s focus to her business proposal. Paula grows increasingly disillusioned with the Mossbachers. A sidelined Rachel begins to question her future. Nicole rebuffs Mark for airing their dirty laundry to Quinn.

Airs August 8th.

[SeanC]

Paula proves she really does belong amongst the Mossbachers by cluelessly fucking around with a poor guy's life.

[Paws]

Every mother everywhere can identify with Nicole walking off the boat. Constantly pulling everyone’s shits together and then getting shit on? Hell yeah I’d walk away too,

All Kai needed to do was run out the door and she never would have noticed anything, or at least not quickly enough to notice any important details. Instead he does this!   

[MerBearStare]

Why in the world did Paula not text Kai when Nicole and Mark got off the boat?! Also, wouldn't there be security cameras in the hallway? Yeah, he didn't leave fingerprints, but there should be a video of him somewhere approaching the room right before the robbery. And he was still wearing his work uniform! Kai and Paula are definitely not a braintrust. 

I love that Nicole was getting fed up with Paula, first allegedly being allergic to ibuprofen and then needing dramamine for the boat ride. 

The dinner after the robbery was the nicest any of them have been their whole vacation. And it was sweet of Quinn to wait for his dad to go scuba diving. 

On a superficial note, I loved Rachel's floral swimsuit cover-up/robe and the halter dress she wore to dinner. 

ETA: I wonder what's gonna happen with Paula's locket? Is Kai gonna give it back and Olivia sees she has it? Olivia already kind of suspects her.

Edited August 9, 2021 by MerBearStare

[txhorns79]

39 minutes ago, SeanC said:

Paula proves she really does belong amongst the Mossbachers by cluelessly fucking around with a poor guy's life.

She really is the worst.   And what gets me is just how stupid she really is in thinking any of this would work.  The more expensive an item is, the harder it is to fence.  Kai is not a professional thief.  He clearly had no real idea what he was doing.  Even if the theft had gone perfectly, the Mossbachers would notice their expensive jewelry is gone.  They would report it to the police.  Those reports go to local pawn shops and jewelry stores.  Those shops totally would notice if those pieces come in, and they would inform the police who brought them in.  I think the only real question will be when does Kai get arrested and whether he brings down Paula with him.  Presumably he will, because I think one of the first questions the police would ask is how did he know there was something in the safe to take, and where did he get the combination?  

And I really wanted to smack the smug look off Shane's face. 

[Irlandesa]

*cough* *cough* *cough*

The dreaded cough.  There it is.  Coffin body is BLM guy. 

Of course, I also thought, during this episode, that someone was going to die in the fight that took place during the robbery so the actual dead body will be one of the people I suspect and follow one of the good old fashioned tropes--I'm just not sure which one yet.

Poor Belinda.  Tanya got her hopes up and now she's all wrapped up in BLM guy.  "I still want to fuck you" isn't much of anything.  He doesn't care if you're crazy if he's not going to see you after he leaves. 

Kai's an idiot to listen to Paula.  And Paula is just as awful for not warning him about the aborted trip.

[AzureOwl]

OK, we can add one more to the list of assholes that have a valid grievances, because Nicole was absolutely right that if was a shit move for Mark to tell Quin about the affair. It was unfair to Quin to have the emotional stress of that information dumped on him, and it was unfair to Nicole precisely because of the reasons she mentioned. 

4 minutes ago, txhorns79 said:

And what gets me is just how stupid she really is in thinking any of this would work.  The more expensive an item is, the harder it is to fence.  Kai is not a professional thief.  He clearly had no real idea what he was doing.  Even if the theft had gone perfectly, the Mossbachers would notice their expensive jewelry is gone.  They would report it to the police.  Those reports go to local pawn shops and jewelry stores.  Those shops totally would notice if those pieces come in, and they would inform the police who brought them in.

I came here to write that. Basically Kai's only chance in hell is to fortuitously pick a crooked pawn broker who wouldn't report the bracelets, and someone like that would've only given Kai cents on the dollar. At best. 

[AzureOwl]

On another note, color me surprised that Shane didn't put the screws on Armond any harder. I would've imagined he would've tortured him every second.

And speaking of the "happy" couple, I like that they're clarifying that what is dawning on Rachel is not that Shane is an asshole (there's no way she could've married him without realizing that until the honeymoon) but the fact that she's essentially a trophy wife. 

[Mr. R0b0t]

I wanted to like this ep as much as last week, but it fell short for me.  Armond got off light.  I'm still not sure what the hell Coolidge is going for, but it has never worked for me. Kai had 47 different choices that would work better than the ones he made, but ok sure... he attacks Papa Swole Balls and then flees the scene, but not before ripping off his disguise.  Olivia has sniffed out Paula's involvement and why does Paula even like her enough to vacation with her again? Shouldn't she be allergic to the Mossbachers at this point? 

It's not the characters leaving me underwhelmed this week, it's the plot points (with the exception of Coolidge who is acting like she's in an entirely different show from everyone else).

 

[chocolatine]

I hope Kai gets caught quickly and sings like a canary. Of course he should be held responsible for his own actions, but Paula really needs to be exposed for the hypocrite that she is.

I didn't think it was possible, but Shane is even worse when his mother is around. The way they gleefully talked about some acquaintance's misfortune was sickening. It's just hard to believe that Rachel didn't notice any of that before she married him.

Poor Belinda. I've been in a similar situation before when I was really young, so I sympathize - someone made an off-hand remark that I should come work for them, and I got my hopes up, sent that person my resume and a follow-up email, only to be ghosted. After that, I've learned my lesson not to be so eager and to wait for people to follow up with me if they're serious. Belinda must have had thousands of flaky clients like Tanya over the years, so she shouldn't let herself get carried away.

[DiabLOL]

I don’t know if it’s sloppy writing or if Paula is really stupid but she’s not going to alert Kai that the robbery she set up for him is about to be interrupted?! Forget texting him call while running to the hotel! 
 

Then the bracelets. I could swear that last week they were 75k total. Am I wrong? I’m guessing they’re supposed to be Cartier.  So yeah not exactly under the radar when trying to sell them. And just because they cost 75k does not at all mean they’re “worth” 75k. 
 

I’m horrified watching the Tanya Belinda situation for the exact same reason as @chocolatine. It’s played pitch perfect with the dynamics too. I get an uncomfortable thrill out of watching it.

I hope Quinn stays.

While I also hope to watch Rachel flee, I do not understand how the realization she made a huge mistake is hitting her so enormously, she has spent a lot of time around these monsters already how is it just dawning on her now? Someone up thread guessed it was the not wanting to be a trophy wife. Good call, I think.

 

ETA it was so ridiculous for Paula to tell Kai that he could use the money from the stolen declining-in-value-by-the-second bracelets to get land back(!!!)

Also I kind of take back my thoughts about Rachel. She’s young she fell in love she got married fast. It happens. Therefore Shane and his mom may very well have been on their best behavior and their awfulness was gradually revealed to her. After all she is still getting to know them. “Marry in haste, repent at leisure .” Also also lots of people change after they’re married. The actual “honeymoon phase” is the first three months. 

Edited August 9, 2021 by DiabLOL
Additional thoughts

[bobbyjoe]

This is one of those shows that zigs when you think it's going to zag— I fullly expected a lot of the tension in tonight’s episode to be about the Armond/Shane feud, and instead we get Paula at the center of things.  Oh no, Paula!  As SeanC says above she proved tonight how much she really is a part of her social tier— and she did so even before she convinced Kai to commit a crime, just by how callous she sounded when she told Kai she was leaving and they’d never see each other again.  It felt really cold.

I have to watch this show through my fingers— it’s brilliantly written, but sooooo painfully dark.  It was clear that we’d end up with the privileged class exploiting and damaging the more vulnerable characters,  but watching it play out is still pretty harrowing.

Belinda, Kai, and even to some extent Rachel— these people are really getting seriously harmed by the blitheness and  self-centered-ness of the upper class characters.  In each case they have someone they thought loved or supported them, and in each case that’s falling apart.

That being said, I have no idea how all of these stories are going to wrap up next week— and that’s exactly why I love his show!

[CarpeFelis]

As soon as Paula told Kai the room would be empty at 3:00 my mind immediately jumped to “so what happens if someone ends up not going after all?”

What sort of dumbass takes jewelry worth tens of thousands of dollars along when traveling? And if you’re going to do that, you don’t leave it in the room safe. I’d think a hotel catering to the ultra-rich would also have a more secure safe at the front desk. Also, I don’t know if people still do this, but I read somewhere that sometimes people would have a cheap copy made and leave the real stuff locked up in a safety deposit box and only take it out to wear on special occasions. I think it would be just the sort of twist this show would do, to have it turn out the bracelets Kai stole were imitations and Nicole left the real ones at home.

As was pointed out already, wouldn’t the hallway have cameras? Why the hell didn’t Paula text Kai to let him know? And how is he going to manage to fence the jewelry?

[thuganomics85]

So, Paula finally has enough of the Mossbacher family's shit (I know she claimed it was to help Kai, but I doubt that was her main motive), so she sets up the most half-cocked heist plan ever with her current vacay fling that goes about the way one would expect.  Yeah, there was just way, way, way too many variables that neither one of them seem to factor in.  At the very least, did they not even think about exchanging phone numbers to contact one another in case shit went down?  I really don't see how anyone won't put two and two together and figure out he was the thief.  And unless he can find one hell of a shady broker or pawn store, I don't see him being able to off-load the goods.  Meanwhile, Olivia is already suspecting Paula's involvement, so I imagine all of this will come to ahead finale time.  Factor in all of this actually making the Mossbachers be more supportive and even loving with one another, and it is safe to say that this was not Paula's episode.

Kind of surprised that Shane hasn't been lording over Armond as much as I thought he would and seems content to just have all of his needs met for the rest of the stay.  I guess for Shane, it really was just about the "win" for him and being the top dog again.  Granted, it might be my bias against him talking, but after it was all said and done, I thought the grand room he and his mom wanted so damn much ended up being underwhelming compared to the first one.  I think Rachel felt the same way.

Speaking of which, Rachel is so over Shane and Kitty now.  Part of me can't figure out why it took her so long to get to this point (especially since it sounds like Kitty was a nightmare during all of the wedding stuff), but I'm glad that she has finally and I hope she unleashes some kind of hell.  Glad that Alexandra Daddario has been getting to shine on this show and I hope it takes her career in more interesting directions.

Poor Belinda is quickly figuring out that she is not a priority for Tanya, but was just someone for Tanya to latch onto until the next person came along to distract her.  Definitely think that Greg is going to end up being the mysterious death though.  No one on television is allowed to just have a normal cough!

Nicole might be a nightmare nine times out of ten, but her lashing out at her ungrateful and screwy family was definitely relatable.  Connie Britton's got skills, y'all!

But, hey, amongst all of the deception and darkness, Quinn gets a nice moment by bonding more with the rowers and even getting invited onto the boat with them.  I really hope he gets to a better place when this is all said and done.

I have no idea how this is all going to end next week, but I can't wait to find out!

[Armchair Critic]

I was worried Quinn was going to drown and Olivia and Paula would be oblivious to it. Also the shots of them sitting by the oxygen tanks made me think maybe  his oxygen would get cut off while scuba diving. So I am relieved that didn’t happen.

[Cheezwiz]

1 hour ago, thuganomics85 said:

Definitely think that Greg is going to end up being the mysterious death though.  No one on television is allowed to just have a normal cough!

Yeah that cough of doom seemed very randomly and ostentatiously inserted - I thought he might croak right in front of her. I admittedly did have a bit of a laugh at tanya's original "alcoholic crazy core of the onion" speech. Poor Belinda. 

33 minutes ago, Armchair Critic said:

Also the shots of them sitting by the oxygen tanks made me think maybe  his oxygen would get cut off while scuba diving. So I am relieved that didn’t happen.

I got nervous seeing  the oxygen tanks all lined up as well. Fortunately as diving accidents go, "Not this episode, Satan!" All kidding aside, I'm really rooting for Quinn and don't want anything bad to happen to him. Also thought someone was going to bite it in the bungled robbery scene. I'm trying to recall if the older couple in the pilot episode mentioned that someone had "died/been killed" at the resort or if someone had been "murdered" when they were questioning Shane. I'm too lazy to go re-watch right now.

I wonder if Shane is quietly biding his time and plotting something bigger for Armond, or if he's just content to have the upper hand now. The pineapple suite definitely  isn't as nice as their other one. I really want to know what Rachel is planning - is she just thinking she'll bolt, or does she have something else in mind? I'm actually really enjoying Alexandra Daddario in this, she's been convincingly sympathetic, and hope she continues to get better roles.

The Hawaiian choral music that they've been using in throughout the show is incredibly beautiful.

[Samsnee]

I really hate how the writers have screwed over Kai. I don’t see how he gets away unpunished, while Paula will probably get away with it. 
 

I’m not expecting a happy ending, but that family really is toxic. 

[Dminches]

Every show has plots with holes in them.  This is no different.  The robbery thing was just stupid.  If no one came back to the room then the parents would have blamed one of the kids and likely Paula.  By having Kai actually steal the bracelets she cleared herself.

However, I can usually get by the holes if the show is otherwise good.  The show is just not that interesting.  Some of the performances are noteworthy (Lacy, Bartlett and Zahn) but other than that this has been somewhat disappointing.

 

[txhorns79]

8 hours ago, DiabLOL said:

 

While I also hope to watch Rachel flee, I do not understand how the realization she made a huge mistake is hitting her so enormously, she has spent a lot of time around these monsters already how is it just dawning on her now? Someone up thread guessed it was the not wanting to be a trophy wife. Good call, I think.

I had a relative who ended their marriage not long after their wedding.  They explained it to me as getting very caught up in the wedding, feeling intense pressure to not want to disappoint people and ignoring what turned out to be warning signs with the hope things might change.  I can kind of see that with Rachel.  It's one thing when the marriage is more of an abstract idea, and it's another when you actually are married and can see day to day how little your spouse thinks of you.  I mean, Shane's comment last episode to Rachel about how her mother could never afford the ticket to come to Hawaii was just brutal, IMO.   

5 hours ago, Cheezwiz said:

I wonder if Shane is quietly biding his time and plotting something bigger for Armond, or if he's just content to have the upper hand now.

My presumption is he intends to proceed with trying to get him fired.  He was too smug not to go through with it. 

[Ice Dragon]

5 hours ago, Cheezwiz said:

I'm trying to recall if the older couple in the pilot episode mentioned that someone had "died/been killed" at the resort or if someone had been "murdered" when they were questioning Shane. I'm too lazy to go re-watch right now.

 

They said someone was "killed".

Edited August 9, 2021 by Ice Dragon

[CarpeFelis]

I think Greg’s cough is a red herring. Too obvious.

Really, really hope Shane doesn’t throw a huge tantrum and kill Rachel because it really does look like she’s about to leave him.

[Rickster]

One other thing that requires a certain suspension of disbelief on my part is the relationship between Greg and Tanya. Not that something might develop over time, but someone like Greg would be hanging out at the bar looking for someone younger, thinner and less ….complicated. I figured in the last episode he was setting up some sort of scam, but this week it seems less likely.

[EtheltoTillie]

11 hours ago, MerBearStare said:

The dinner after the robbery was the nicest any of them have been their whole vacation. And it was sweet of Quinn to wait for his dad to go scuba diving. 

Yes, but FWIW, you never go without a buddy. Unless that boat driver was also a dive master who was going to accompany them. I learned this in my one introductory scuba lesson years ago after which I determined never to go scuba diving again. This was probably reinforced by the fact that while I was having the lesson my friend was out on a dive boat and two people died!  (Not my friend.). So I was expecting the worst. 

Edited August 9, 2021 by GussieK

[Milburn Stone]

2 hours ago, Samsnee said:

I really hate how the writers have screwed over Kai. I don’t see how he gets away unpunished, while Paula will probably get away with it. 

Paula getting away with it would be right in line with Mark's dinner speech, which I thought was the crucial moment of the entire episode, if not the series: "Should we give all our money to poor people?" No. For all our ideals, you wouldn't. I wouldn't. Paula, in the scenario in which she gets off scot-free, is going to have an interesting awakening when she discovers that she is readier to sacrifice Kai than her privilege.

Edited August 9, 2021 by Milburn Stone

[dmc]

Well…of course Armand lives another day because Shane cannot be bothered to get revenge immediately.  And of course Belinda must wait with her business proposal because Tanya cannot be bothered and of course Olivia suspects the deal with Paula but cannot be bothered either.  
 

Rich people let you twist in the wind until they can find the time to be bothered.  That's the power dynamic.

 

Paula and Olivia play a twisted game with each other that makes me think Olivia’s next strike will be not her parents or the police but manipulation later. Kai probably will get arrested. Olivia will watch it all go down and then use it over Paula. 
 

I did like the fact that the dad got what he wanted, seen in a way that he liked by his children.  His wife is clearly the breadwinner and clearly makes most of the decisions.  But his kids did wait to go out on the boat with their dad and today they see him as a hero. 

Edited August 9, 2021 by dmc

[CarpeFelis]

9 minutes ago, dmc said:

Well…of course Armand lives another day because Shane cannot be bothered to get revenge immediately. 

His wife is clearly the breadwinner and clearly makes most of the decisions.

I suspect Shane was just biding his time, because the nastiest thing he could do to Armond would be to let him think switching the rooms was enough to get Shane off his back and then call his boss and get him fired after checking out.

I’m wondering whether Mark had some huge inheritance or something, because he did say last episode that he bought the bracelets with his own money.

[dmc]

2 minutes ago, CarpeFelis said:

I suspect Shane was just biding his time, because the nastiest thing he could do to Armond would be to let him think switching the rooms was enough to get Shane off his back and then call his boss and get him fired after checking out.

I’m wondering whether Mark had some huge inheritance or something, because he did say last episode that he bought the bracelets with his own money.

Nah his mother is just there and Armand isn't important enough to him to rush to his demise.  Armand has been dismissed for now.  The dismissive nature of wealthy people was the theme of this episode.  

[gesundheit]

12 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

Kai's an idiot to listen to Paula.  And Paula is just as awful for not warning him about the aborted trip.

Yeah, his first clue should've been that she wasn't offering to just hand him the bracelet herself. But naturally she was unwilling to risk anything, just wanted him to so she could feel better about herself somehow.

9 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

 

Kind of surprised that Shane hasn't been lording over Armond as much as I thought he would and seems content to just have all of his needs met for the rest of the stay.  I guess for Shane, it really was just about the "win" for him and being the top dog again. 

I really think his best revenge is simply milking this for all it's worth for the rest of his stay and then getting him fired afterwards. Shane's the worst, but that is the most effective way to use the leverage!

3 hours ago, Dminches said:

 If no one came back to the room then the parents would have blamed one of the kids and likely Paula.  By having Kai actually steal the bracelets she cleared herself.

Quite deliberately! Very convenient.

 

[dmc]

11 minutes ago, gesundheit said:

Yeah, his first clue should've been that she wasn't offering to just hand him the bracelet herself. But naturally she was unwilling to risk anything, just wanted him to so she could feel better about herself somehow.

I really think his best revenge is simply milking this for all it's worth for the rest of his stay and then getting him fired afterwards. Shane's the worst, but that is the most effective way to use the leverage!

Quite deliberately! Very convenient.

 

I too think it was the leverage but less he wants perks and more he didn't like being treated that way by someone who works there (or to him someone inferior) and now that he has leverage he's sated for now.  The power dynamics are where he wants them and he can relax.  I absolutely think he will burn Armand eventually.  But I doubt he thought of him the last episode.  His real issue the whole time was who is he to treat someone like me like this

Edited August 9, 2021 by dmc

[gesundheit]

3 minutes ago, dmc said:

I too think it was the leverage but less he wants perks and more he didn't like being treated that way by someone who works there (or to him someone inferior) and now that he has leverage he's sated for now.  The power dynamics are where he wants them and he can relax.  I absolutely think he will burn Armand eventually.  But I doubt he thought of him the last episode.  He real issue the whole time was who is he to treat someone like me like this

Oh absolutely, that's what I meant by "milking it for all it's worth" -- not the perks, but the satisfaction of Armand knowing who has the upper hand.

[dmc]

3 minutes ago, gesundheit said:

Oh absolutely, that's what I meant by "milking it for all it's worth" -- not the perks, but the satisfaction of Armand knowing who has the upper hand.

Agreed, he was more relaxed this episode than the whole trip combined.  Even when Rachel is like I made a mistake, it barely registers.  

Edited August 9, 2021 by dmc

[Kenz]

Mike White and the casting director did such an excellent job in choosing actors for their roles in this series. I can't think of a bad choice that they made. The actress who plays Belinda, Natasha Rothwell, especially impresses me with her nuanced reactions to Tanya's behavior. She doesn't want to grovel, so she delicately tries to promote her business plan to Tanya, and she displays her disappointment in such a sad, sweet way. There are so many other examples of great acting in this series, and to think they got this crew together in Hawaii with the pandemic going on is really impressive. Plus, the musical score is fantastic! I wonder if there could be another season at The White Lotus with Armond still the manager and another bunch of new tourists visiting. I can only hope. Get going, Mike White!

[EtheltoTillie]

7 minutes ago, Kenz said:

Mike White and the casting director did such an excellent job in choosing actors for their roles in this series. I can't think of a bad choice that they made. The actress who plays Belinda, Natasha Rothwell, especially impresses me with her nuanced reactions to Tanya's behavior. She doesn't want to grovel, so she delicately tries to promote her business plan to Tanya, and she displays her disappointment in such a sad, sweet way. There are so many other examples of great acting in this series, and to think they got this crew together in Hawaii with the pandemic going on is really impressive. Plus, the musical score is fantastic! I wonder if there could be another season at The White Lotus with Armond still the manager and another bunch of new tourists visiting. I can only hope. Get going, Mike White!

I agree.  I love the acting and writing.  Is this just a one-time limited series?  That's what I thought but would love to be proved wrong.

[Irlandesa]

11 hours ago, bobbyjoe said:

As SeanC says above she proved tonight how much she really is a part of her social tier— and she did so even before she convinced Kai to commit a crime, just by how callous she sounded when she told Kai she was leaving and they’d never see each other again.  It felt really cold.

I don't see her response to Kai in this instance as an indication of social status.  I saw it as straight forward reality. They've known each other less than a week.  They're both quite young.  And while it hasn't been explicitly stated, I don't think she has the kind of money her friend's family has, especially with the way  Olivia went "is it valuable?" when Paula wanted to put the necklace in the safe.  So it's either giving up college to stay in Hawaii for a boy (ridiculous) or it's fly back and forth which unlikely if she doesn't have the funds.

Sure, some people make a go at making a long distance relationship that started on vacation last but the reality is that most peter out and people don't see each other again.

Kai's living in a fantasy at that time.  Paula is living in cold stone reality.  Or at least she was until she convinced him that he could steal the jewelry. 

And as much as I think Paula is the worst for convincing him to do it and then not warning him when things go south, Kai has agency. 

 

[chocolatine]

52 minutes ago, CarpeFelis said:

I’m wondering whether Mark had some huge inheritance or something, because he did say last episode that he bought the bracelets with his own money.

He may very well have a successful career in his own right, but it's dwarfed by Nicole's success. 

7 minutes ago, GussieK said:

Is this just a one-time limited series?  That's what I thought but would love to be proved wrong.

I wouldn't mind another season with the same staff and a different set of guests. Armand may be fired and/or dead, but I'd love to see Belinda again. And the Mossbachers might be return visitors - despite the robbery - since Quinn loves it so much there.

[spiritof76]

I think the thing that is hard with Belinda, was that her first instinct was to dismiss Tanya. She thought she was full of shit originally. She really did not want to get sucked in. But she kind of did. She let her guard down just a little. Got her hopes up just a little. And that's what hurts worse. When you know better. When you didn't listen to your gut. I think that is where Belinda will find herself. 

[peachmangosteen]

Was the scene with Nicole talking to Steve Zahn about the affair supposed to be funny? Because the acting was so bad I figured it was. That’s one of the biggest issues for me with this show; I can never quite tell if I’m supposed to find this all funny or not.

[gesundheit]

27 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

I don't see her response to Kai in this instance as an indication of social status.  I saw it as straight forward reality. They've known each other less than a week.  They're both quite young.  And while it hasn't been explicitly stated, I don't think she has the kind of money her friend's family has, especially with the way  Olivia went "is it valuable?" when Paula wanted to put the necklace in the safe.  So it's either giving up college to stay in Hawaii for a boy (ridiculous) or it's fly back and forth which unlikely if she doesn't have the funds.

Sure, some people make a go at making a long distance relationship that started on vacation last but the reality is that most peter out and people don't see each other again.

 

Yeah, I don't think there's anything wrong with her making it clear this is a vacation fling, but I wish he'd realized then how little her "offer" meant to him when she could've just gotten the bracelet herself and given it to him without him having to risk his job and freedom.

[dmc]

1 hour ago, gesundheit said:

Yeah, I don't think there's anything wrong with her making it clear this is a vacation fling, but I wish he'd realized then how little her "offer" meant to him when she could've just gotten the bracelet herself and given it to him without him having to risk his job and freedom.

Agreed Paula is in college.  If Paula was a jerk she would have gone along with it and ghosted him.  Instead she is 100% honest

Edited August 9, 2021 by dmc

[Paws]

1 hour ago, peachmangosteen said:

Was the scene with Nicole talking to Steve Zahn about the affair supposed to be funny? Because the acting was so bad I figured it was. That’s one of the biggest issues for me with this show; I can never quite tell if I’m supposed to find this all funny or not.

Oh I didn’t think so at all and I was 100% with Nicole on that. He really screwed up, not just w the affair but telling the kids about it was really crossing the line. I’m honestly surprised she was so loving with him after the robbery attempt, I would probably still be incredibly  pissed off.

[dmc]

5 minutes ago, Paws said:

Oh I didn’t think so at all and I was 100% with Nicole on that. He really screwed up, not just w the affair but telling the kids about it was really crossing the line. I’m honestly surprised she was so loving with him after the robbery attempt, I would probably still be incredibly  pissed off.

I understood.  He just found he didn't know his dad well.  He wants his son to know him, mistakes and all.  I actually think he did make a connection with his son.  I think he screwed up having an affair and probably should have discussed telling the kids with his wife first.  But I read it as Nicole is controlling and she is controlling her image with the kids.  

Edited August 9, 2021 by dmc

[BrownBear2012]

2 hours ago, GussieK said:

I agree.  I love the acting and writing.  Is this just a one-time limited series?  That's what I thought but would love to be proved wrong.

Apparently there are discussions going on about a second season!

[DoubleUTeeEff]

2 hours ago, CarpeFelis said:

I’m wondering whether Mark had some huge inheritance or something, because he did say last episode that he bought the bracelets with his own money.

Another possibility is that Mark was lying to Quinn about how much the bracelets cost in order to gain the respect he was so desperately seeking. Plus, it would be an ironic twist for Paula and Kai's heist to end up worth very little. (Which I believe you already mentioned in a different scenario-the real bracelets switched out for copies).

Doesn't the fact that Kai knew the code to the safe make Paula more at risk, not less? I mean, it doesn't take a rocket surgeon to figure out it was an inside job if the burglar knew the code? I thought Paula was going to ask to use the safe and "accidentally" leave the door open. Then she could pretend to be remorseful about it and it would explain how the burglar got access. This way we know the only way the burglar got the code is if someone told him or he overheard it somehow. And the only way he overheard it is if someone mentioned it outside of their room, which is unlikely.

That whole conversation between Rachel and Kitty really shed some light on how Shane turned out as entitled as he did. Kitty talked about how lucky Rachel was that Shane picked her to marry over all those other women who were "throwing themselves at him" (LMAO) and how Rachel should do everything to try and make Shane happy. I do like how they didn't make Kitty an over the top villain but rather a mother who spoils her son but isn't completely nuts about it. (I mean if you can overlook showing up on his honeymoon. At least she isn't planning to stay the whole trip or follow them to Tahiti.)

[BrownBear2012]

I have thouroughly enjoyed this series...flaws and all. It couldn't have been placed in a better midsummer time slot for me. The photography and the exquisite shots of Maui are breathtaking. I love the dark humor mixed with a dash of LOL moments. Great ensemble cast. Hope they do another season.

[CarpeFelis]

17 minutes ago, DoubleUTeeEff said:

Doesn't the fact that Kai knew the code to the safe make Paula more at risk, not less? I mean, it doesn't take a rocket surgeon to figure out it was an inside job if the burglar knew the code? I thought Paula was going to ask to use the safe and "accidentally" leave the door open. Then she could pretend to be remorseful about it and it would explain how the burglar got access. This way we know the only way the burglar got the code is if someone told him or he overheard it somehow. And the only way he overheard it is if someone mentioned it outside of their room, which is unlikely.

It was obvious that he was a hotel employee, and might have been one of the employees with access to the override code for the safe. The hotel has to have that in case a guest locks the safe and forgets their code.

ETA: https://www.cntraveler.com/stories/2016-08-05/the-one-thing-you-should-check-before-you-use-a-hotel-safe

Edited August 9, 2021 by CarpeFelis
Added link

[dmc]

4 minutes ago, CarpeFelis said:

It was obvious that he was a hotel employee, and might have been one of the employees with access to the override code for the safe. The hotel has to have that in case a guest locks the safe and forgets their code.

Yep I think there are two possibilities.  Kai will get arrested or somehow Armand will get the blame.  

I am thinking manager and assistant manager have override codes right.  I don't think they have an assistant manager so I am thinking Armand is probably the only person with the overrride code.  Armand with the substance abuse problem, that just got caught sleeping with an employee that he offered drugs

Edited August 9, 2021 by dmc

[txhorns79]

10 minutes ago, dmc said:

I am thinking manager and assistant manager have override codes right.  I don't think they have an assistant manager so I am thinking Armand is probably the only person with the overrride code.  Armand with the substance abuse problem, that just got caught sleeping with an employee that he offered drugs

Most hotels have security cameras in the hallways on the guest room floors.  They likely would show Kai going into and out of the Mossbacher suite at the time of the robbery. 

[dmc]

6 minutes ago, txhorns79 said:

Most hotels have security cameras in the hallways on the guest room floors.  They likely would show Kai going into and out of the Mossbacher suite at the time of the robbery. 

Maybe they don't work...you'd be surprised the places with security cameras that don't work.  I would think Nicole would  know Armand isn't her attacker but that doesn't mean he didn't give the attacker the code

Edited August 9, 2021 by dmc

[DoubleUTeeEff]

Interesting. Wouldn't using the override code wipe out the code Nicole had programmed into it though? As long as that still worked, you would know no one has used the override code?

 

I forgot to mention how funny Kitty's clueless question to Shane and Rachel about whether the White Lotus was really romantic or not was. Gee, Kitty, I wonder why Rachel and Shane's honeymoon is not really romantic right now?

[BC4ME]

14 hours ago, bobbyjoe said:

Belinda, Kai, and even to some extent Rachel— these people are really getting seriously harmed by the blitheness and  self-centered-ness of the upper class characters.  In each case they have someone they thought loved or supported them, and in each case that’s falling apart.

That being said, I have no idea how all of these stories are going to wrap up next week— and that’s exactly why I love his show!

I think the theme here may end up being all the rich, privileged people go untouched, while the under-privileged or not rich people get screwed over, whether they're at fault or not. So Kai, Armond, Belinda, and possibly Racheal will end up in a bad place.

Boy Shane hasn't gotten very far into Blink has he? They keep showing him with that book in roughly the same spot. That may be true for all the books being read, but I only noticed his. I feel like there are a lot of nuggets on this show I'll pick up on second watch when I'm not distracted by the main plot. 

Edited August 9, 2021 by BC4ME