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Should I Watch It? The White Lotus, the new dark comedy about rich people behaving badly.

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In the opening scene of Foxtel and Binge's new dark comedy The White Lotus, Shane Patton (Jake Lacy) sits alone in an airport departures lounge.

As he waits to head home, a nearby couple strike up a conversation, asking Shane where he stayed during his time in Hawaii.

"The White Lotus," he replies, reluctantly.

Watch the trailer for The White Lotus below. Post continues after video.


Video via HBO.

"Our guide says someone was killed there," the woman in the couple responds.

A back and forth ensues until, finally, Shane explodes.

"No offence, but leave me the f**k alone," he shouts.

As Shane walks over to a nearby window, he watches as a coffin is carefully loaded onto the plane that he is waiting to board. 

But before we can find out who is inside it, the series moves backwards in time, transporting us "one week earlier" to a luxury resort in Hawaii.

It's a small taste of what's to come in this hilarious yet unsettling genre-bending series.

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Below, we unpack what The White Lotus is about and deliver our verdict on whether you should watch it.

What's it about?

Created, written and directed by Mike White, The White Lotus follows the lives of the staff and guests at a luxury Hawaiian resort over the course of a week.

From the very first episode, The White Lotus introduces viewers to the type of characters that you would never want to spend time with. Especially at an exclusive tropical resort.

Alexandra Daddario as Rachel and Jake Lacy as Shane in The White Lotus. Image: HBO. 

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There are newlyweds Shane (Jake Lacy) and Rachel (Alexandra Daddario), whose honeymoon quickly becomes overrun by Shane's penchant for being an unbearable, entitled man baby.

There's Tanya McQuoid (Jennifer Coolidge), a slightly desperate solo traveller on a mission to spread her mother's ashes by the seaside.

And then there's the Mossbachers, including Goop-esque website CEO Nicole (Connie Britton), her husband Mark (Steve Zahn), her gaming-obsessed son Quinn (Fred Hechinger), her bratty daughter Olivia (Sydney Sweeney) and Olivia's best friend Paula (Brittany O'Grady).

As the series progresses, The White Lotus flips between the lives of the guests sipping cocktails by the pool with the workers waiting tables and mopping floors at the luxury resort, focusing in particular on resort manager Armond (Murray Bartlett) and spa manager Belinda (Natasha Rothwell).

Jolene Purdy as Lani and Murray Bartlett as Armond in The White Lotus. Image: HBO. 

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Come for the...

The top-notch ensemble cast and Jennifer Coolidge being Jennifer Coolidge.

Stay for the...

The hilarious yet deeply cringeworthy moments and the growing sense of chaos.

What shows will it remind you of?

Made For Love for the uncomfortable yet hilarious dark comedy elements, Big Little Lies for the impressive HBO-backed ensemble cast, and Succession for the rich people behaving badly.

How many episodes are there and how long are they?

There are six hour-long episodes, which are available to watch on Binge and Foxtel in Australia.

Will there be a second season?

As The White Lotus is a limited series, it's highly unlikely that the show will be renewed for a second season.

Connie Britton as Nicole in The White Lotus. Image: HBO. 

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So, should you watch it?

Absolutely.

Although the cringeworthy nature of the humour in The White Lotus won't be for everybody, it's certainly worth watching.

The six-part series joins the growing list of HBO's high-quality shows about rich people behaving badly, including Succession, Big Little Lies and Gossip Girl. 

And while each entitled, rich character in the new series will have you rolling your eyes, their lives, dramas and interactions are undoubtedly interesting. 

After all, The White Lotus shines the most in its top-notch ensemble cast, including notable mentions Connie Britton and Jennifer Coolidge.

Featuring Jeff White's smart writing, the series is a hilarious yet slightly uncomfortable watch that will make you rethink your next resort holiday.

The White Lotus is available to watch now on Binge and Foxtel.

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Feature Image: HBO.