Written by Elliot Lines
Catching us almost unawares, The White Lotus has been a real hit with many since its recent release. Following different groups of people within a luxury paradise resort, this has brought real interest amongst the masses. But what makes this show so interesting, the people. This is a look into the Relationships within The White Lotus and how they develop throughout the show.
ARMAND & SHANE
Maybe the most intriguing relationship amongst the guests. Armand, the concierge of the hotel, is immediately introduced to the demands of Shane (a guest on his honeymoon), when he has double booked the room Shane's mother has paid for. This event causes a friction immediately between the two, which then continues throughout the remainder of Shanes stay.
Shane becomes almost obsessed with Armand, going out of his way to make him as uncomfortable as possible, ultimately ruining his honeymoon in the process. You see the "spoiled brat" side of Shane, not getting what he wants but also you eventually see the breaking point of Armand, who is fed up with Shane's s***. The spiralling path that this one event sends these two characters down shows the cracks in their personalities, bringing the worst out in them both.
MOSSBACHER FAMILY
On the outside, it seems like a "perfect" family, but far from it. There is a dysfunctional nature to all the relationships within the family, from Nicole and Marks marriage to Quinn and Olivia's lack of sibling bond.
Nicole is a businesswoman, and a successful one at that, but this causes tension in her marriage to Mark who after a whole holiday of Nicole's business calls and lack of attention, reaches breaking point. He feels undervalued within the family and resentment towards his wife starts to appear in his character, but an unlikely event causes the pair to evaluate their situation, bringing them closer than ever.
Olivia is an opinionated character, and her immediate treatment of her brother Quinn drives him to stay on the beach every night. There is no bond here, for the most part and their differences in the way they view life will always come between them.
TANYA & BELINDA
An interesting relationship develops between these two. Tanya is an employee of the spa and Belinda a rich hotel guest. When Belinda takes a shining to Tanya, they start to develop a business relationship, where Belinda will fund Tanya's dreams. This comes into disarray when Belinda meets Greg, only to send the relationship with Tanya sideways.
For one of these characters it is a moment of realisation. Belinda now recognises that she cannot throw her money at her relationships anymore, but where she may of been doing some good in helping Tanya, she chooses the other path to throw her money elsewhere. As for Tanya's reaction, this sets off a side in her we haven't seen, she just doesn't care anymore, feeling let down by a promise made to her.
RACHEL & SHANE
From the off there is something not quite right about Rachel and Shane's marriage, and eventually we learn exactly what that is. But the way in which Shane reacts across the holiday puts so much strain on these newly weds.
You're always questioning his motives, what is he really in this for, and those reasons may be because of those that appear. Rachel seems as though she is treated badly, but is it just the fact she has married a spoiled child (still no one should be treated this way). She wants to make something of herself, but in the end seemingly taking the easy way out, eventhough she has already fought her ground
OLIVIA & PAULA
A complicated relationship at best, this is a friendship that has seemingly been built over a number of years, but there is clearly a catch and plenty of tension between the two and the cracks start to appear throughout this luxury getaway.
Olivia has a personality that always wants to be the alpha, which is evident at times. She wants to be viewed as #1 at all times, so you do question as to whether these two are actual friends or not. Now there is also an element of jealousy from Olivia throughout, which can be interpreted in a few different ways, is this a cry out for attention or is there a romantic element between these two. Paula seems to recognise the way Olivia is, this causes her judgement to be clouded. In a desperate attempt to help one person, she puts others in potential danger.