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Like a tornado, the uber-elite in “The White Lotus” consume whatever is in their path and leave behind a damaged, altered state. In doing so, the elite remain largely unaffected from their actions while those around them are left to deal with the fallout.

The HBO miniseries, which wrapped up season one earlier this month, revolves around mostly horrible people and presents sharp satirical humour delivered by a cast with range, all set in a hotel resort called the White Lotus in the vibrantly beautiful state of Hawaii.

Mike White — the show’s creator, writer and director — presents a story predicated on the strains of transactional relationships and what happens when privilege and class exacerbate the already-uneven power balance between server and the served.

It’s impressive that White can convey his message through a fun and rewatchable show even though the characters are written with little to no redeeming qualities. He finds a perfectly balanced tone between hysterical and grounded through his writing and direction.

The Emmy-nominated composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer created a surreal theme song that also captivates the audience. Through the use of fast-paced percussion, monkey screams and heavy breathing, the song provides an addicting and anxiety-filled sensation of music that opens the show and creeps up in the background of tense scenes.

The show includes a cast of established stars like Jennifer Coolidge, who plays Tanya — a grieving, wealthy woman who lacks clear direction — and Murray Bartlett, a charismatic hotel manager named Armond who’s also spiraling-out-of-control. Additionally, the show features Sydney Sweeney, who plays a crude, toxic and unrefined college sophomore named Olivia who depicts the modern young adult to a tee.

Previously known for playing nice guys on screen, Jake Lacy found his calling playing an entitled jerk named Shane. Despite being on his honeymoon, Shane spent most of his stay at the resort obsessing over the “Pineapple Suite,” a room reserved for the couple that Armond accidentally double-booked.

This leads to a cat-and-mouse game between Shane and Armond that escalates to some tremendous cataclysmic television. Lacy showcases in Shane a man who comes from a world where his every need is catered to. So, when something doesn’t go his way, he derails, inadvertently bringing Rachel (Alexandra Daddario), his largely ignored wife, to rethink her marriage.

Shane and Rachel’s relationship doesn’t come to a perfect conclusion, as Rachel is willing to sacrifice her independence for the alluring comfort of privilege. Belinda isn’t given the chance to start up her own spa and health center with Tanya after being led on and lied to from the opening episode of the show.

The show gives a new perspective to the relationship between host and guest. The guests treat the staff as their personal butlers, expecting them at their every beck and call. This theme fully divulges near the final moments of the show when Belinda (Natasha Rothwell), the hotel spa manager, finally refuses the “healer” role the rich white guests of the hotel pushed onto her.

White favors the staff within his writing, but he doesn’t allow the show to necessarily take on a good versus evil mentality, as life is more nuanced than that.

Not every character chooses the smart path, but they always choose based on their own self interest. This leads to varying results based on each character’s standing on the social-economic pecking order.

The guests all remain unchanged by their experiences interacting with lower castes at the White Lotus because they can always tap their heels three times and head back to their respective realities.

Published on August 30, 2021 at 11:08 pm