Our favorite rich-people-being-shitty-in-paradise prestige scripted TV show, “The White Lotus” just wrapped up season 3, and we have to be honest: Much like Laurie (Carrie Coon), or Timothy Ratliff (Jason Isaacs), we didn’t have our best vacation ever.

Season 3 of Mike White’s dark comedy finds us at a White Lotus resort in Thailand, where we reconnect with Belinda (Natasha Rothwell), the betrayed and downtrodden wellness director from season 1. Belinda is here for an extended training program, so that she can bring home all the wellness techniques the Thai location has become famous for offering. But soon, Belinda runs into one of the resort’s neighbors: Tanya’s widower, Greg (Jon Gries), who has fled here under an assumed identity to enjoy his inheritance and avoid being investigated by the Italian authorities for taking out a hit on his late wife.

We also meet new White Lotus guests. There’s Rick Hatchett (Walton Goggins), a tormented and vengeful man whose gorgeous and spiritual young girlfriend Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood) hopes to heal him with the power of her love. There’s Jaclyn Lemon (Michelle Monaghan), a TV star who has treated her two oldest girlfriends, Trump-voting mom Kate (Leslie Bibb) and New York attorney Laurie (Carrie Coon) to a luxurious getaway that is quickly spoiled with backbiting and tension. And, of course, there’s the Ratliff family: Timothy (Jason Isaacs), a successful businessman and scion of a wealthy North Carolina family, his lorazepam-addicted and materialistic wife Victoria (Parker Posey), and their three kids Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger), Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook), and Lochlan (Sam Nivola).

The staff we see dancing attendance on this miserable rich people include Belinda’s teacher Pornchai (Dom Hetrakul), the sweet security guard Gaitok (Tayme Thapthimthong), his crush Mook (Lalisa Manobal, better known as Lisa from Blackpink) who pushes him to show more cutthroat ambition, obsequious manager Fabian (Christian Friedel), meditation coach Amrita (Shalini Peiris) and sexy wellness butler Valentin (Arnas Fedaravicius).

“White Lotus” is famous for its sharp-edged social comedy, which helps ratchet up tensions that end up exploding into violence or catharsis in the final episode. But this season often just felt… aimless. Long shots of monkeys and crashing surf weren’t counterbalanced with enough freighted conversations and meaningful moments of characterization or even, God forbid, plot. Instead, it dragged on until a movie-length finale that tried to tie up too many disparate plot holes with resolutions that were both too heavily telegraphed and too abrupt.

Mike White defended himself on an episode of the official “White Lotus” podcast, saying, “There was complaining about how there’s no plot… part of me is just like bro, this is the vibe. I’m world-building. If you don’t want to go to bed with me then get out of my bed. I’m edging you! Enjoy the edging.” This seems like an apt description of earlier seasons. But, to be honest, this season often felt more like going to bed with someone can’t find your erogenous zones.

By the finale, the show was littered with Chekhov’s guns and obvious setups to obvious twists. We spent the almost 90-minute episode watching the guns go off, the characters spell out their motives and feelings, and the twists click into place.

And that’s not even getting into the gender politics of this season, which felt more heavy-handed than ever. But did we hate it all? Of course not! It’s “The White Lotus,” and Parker Posey was there! So we had a lot of conflicted thoughts to sort through alongside our critiques.

In this episode, we dug into the whole season — our frustrations with it, our favorite parts, our problems with how the show explores masculinity and its pitfalls, that Carrie Coon monologue on how time creates meaning — and what we hope season 4 might have in store for us.

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When the end of “Bravo” stars Paige DeSorbo and Craig Conover’s three-year long relationship became public in December, it seemed like everything was going to be handled amicably.

"I have so much love and respect for Craig. I think he is one of the best people I have ever met in my entire life," Paige said on her podcast, Giggly Squad. "I will remain the biggest fan of him and want the best for him and he truly will get the best because he is the best. But with that said, I think it was just the right decision for both of us moving forward in our lives and the direction in our lives that we didn’t force."

But shortly after, things started going downhill. Craig addressed the breakup on IG stories in a way that made it clear that he hadn’t precipitated it. And then the rumor mill went wild: Was there cheating involved? Had Paige moved on immediately with another man?

As fans became rabid for a villain, Paige and Craig’s casts — “Summer House” for the former, “Southern Charm” for the latter — lined up behind them, ready for PR battle.

Because both shows were airing in the aftermath of the split, Bravo was ready to capitalize on public interest. Season 10 of “Southern Charm” and Season 9 of “Summer House” have been littered with breakup easter eggs; freighted moments where the cracks of Paige and Craig’s not-yet-ended relationship are showing. And what we’ve ended up seeing is a breakup positioned amidst a culture war: On one side, Craig’s South Carolinian bros are ribbing him about how his girlfriend wears the pants in the relationship and isn’t ready to move to a farm and pop out a baby. On the other, Paige’s girls are calling out Craig’s “hater energy,” suggesting that perhaps he’s not secure enough to truly support a partner who is shining more than him.

In this episode, we dive into the incentive structures of public relationships, the fascinating way that this breakup has been positioned on and off Bravo, and the competing visions of femininity and masculinity that are presented on “Summer House” and “Southern Charm.” Hope you enjoy! Xo

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The only people who anticipated the completion of “Cold Harbor” as eagerly as Jame Eagan and the Lumon Board were, well, the entire audience of Apple TV+ hit “Severance.” And we had been waiting a long, long time. Season 2 was famously delayed and delayed, arriving almost three full years after season 1, and the second season took a little while to hit its stride. The explosive finale finally dropped on Thursday, bringing us some (though not all) of the answers we were seeking about the experiments being done on Gemma, the purpose of the goats, and how the ill-fated love triangle between Mark, Helly, and Gemma might end. Though the final scenes seemed like a fitting ending for the series, never fear: Season 3 is in the works, and there are plenty of threads to pick up and potential storylines to pursue.

For now, however, we wanted to talk about what it all means, and how season 2 continued to build out a world that uncomfortably mirrors our own rapidly changing reality. Themes of alienated labor and exploitation remain the foundation, but the second season of the show had more to say about the fascistic valences of big tech, religious cults, and the patriarchal control of reproduction. (Sound familiar?) Motherhood — in particular the care work associated with motherhood — is another one of the bonds often severed or corrupted in the world of “Severance.” Lumon’s conception of parenthood is one that involves top-down control of fertility and reproduction; nurturing and mutual care are only threats to the regime. We also dig into the relationship between innies and their outies, a bond which in itself echoes not only pregnancy and parenthood, but another real-world avenue for reproduction of the self: personal branding. And, of course, we save a little time to appreciate Tramell Tillman absolutely rocking out to a marching band from Choreography and Merriment.

Hope you enjoy!

Reviews and essays we discuss:

James Poniewozik, NYT: “‘Severance’ Season 2 Will Blow Your Mind(s)”

Sara Petersen: “Severance Has Mommy Issues”

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When Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’s new lifestyle show, “With Love, Meghan,” premiered on Netflix last week, the reactions were swift… and negative.

“‘With Love, Meghan’ Is a Montecito Ego Trip Not Worth Taking,” declared Variety. “Meghan Markle Pioneers New Frontiers in Unrelatability,” said Vulture. The Guardian called the show “toe-curlingly unlovable TV.” Audience reactions were largely even less charitable (and considerably more racist) than the critical ones.

These are big feelings elicited by a show that can best be described as placid ASMR; the kind of television programming perfect for half-watching at the nail salon or while you’re doing laundry. “With Love, Meghan” is full of color-coordinated platters, celebrity cameos, Montecito kitchen-core, wooden monologues, a few delicious-sounding simple recipes, and SO MANY FLOWER SPRINKLES. The content is a little boring, wholly inoffensive, and falls soundly in the grand tradition of domestic arts lifestyle content targeted towards women. So why the collective freakout instead of a collective yawn?

We had to dig through the discourse and sort out what it is about Meghan Markle Sussex that makes everyone lose their minds. Hope you enjoy! Xo

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Claire is out sick, so the wonderful Kelsey McKinney joined me to recap the “Traitors” finale! Go order her book! Also: THIS EPISODE CONTAINS SPOILERS!

During this season of “The Traitors,” a 10+ year dedication to Bachelor Nation finally payed off. The people have discovered Gabby Windey — but us real ones (a.k.a. “Bachelor(ette)” fans — knew all along.

On Thursday night, the third season of “The Traitors” US edition had its season finale and reunion, and the former did not disappoint. (The latter was sweet and fun, but not so juicy.) We ended up with a final 6 that consisted of two gamer Traitors from different franchises, 1 former Bachelorette, 1 gay royal, 1 Zac Efron’s brother, and 1 Housewife. And our gal Gabby really shined. Her one-liners! Her catsuit! Her cool, calm and collected face-off with Danielle at the roundtable! 10/10, no notes.

In this episode we get into Carolyn and Danielle’s downfalls, Britney’s late Traitor recruitment, our ragtag team of Final Faithfuls, and one last Tom Sandoval gem. Hope you enjoy! Xo

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Emma is officially a married woman! (Or, as she likes to think of herself, an appendage.) She and Adam tied the knot this weekend at Shun Lee West, a Chinese restaurant on the Upper West Side, in a Jewish ceremony that artfully mingled tradition with their own unique personalities and values. Emma looked like an old Hollywood film star. Their vows brought me to tears. And, fittingly for a woman whose ability to make and keep friends is the stuff of legend, her wedding felt like the best cocktail party you’ve ever attended: overflowing with good food and drinks, pulsing with laughter and dancing, and brimming with interesting people to befriend or catch up with.

In this episode, Emma answers as many of your questions about the wedding as we could squeeze in. We talk about the aesthetic vision, the vendors, the budget, the hair and makeup, the dresses, the food, the ceremony, the reception vibes, and more.

If our voices are a little croaky and exhausted, please bear with us: This is not the kind of party you recover from in just one night. Hope you enjoy this glimpse inside the details! xo

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There are few reality TV moments that truly break through amidst all the pop culture noise. But I think we can agree that Tom Sandoval holding one ear closed so he can sing backwards nursery rhymes — with vibrato — into a phone booth is one of them.

@peacockWell I got chills. #TheTraitorsUS is streaming now on Peacock. #Traitors #TomSandoval #SingingTiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

This was a great stretch of “The Traitors” for Sandoval, who has mostly been bouncing around the castle annoying people, throwing out extremely incorrect theories, and steamrolling over women to get shields for himself. But in episodes 7 and 8, he shined. And that’s because he (a) like a broken clock twice a day, finally got something right, and (b) embraced his true calling as the Resident Buffoon.

In this episode, we get into Sandoval’s triumphs as well as Boston Rob’s downfall and some sad murders in this episode. Plus — our girl Gabby Windey continues to T-H-R-I-V-E!!! Hope you enjoy! Xo

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Halfway through the third season of “The Traitors” US, one thing has become clear: This game is in a shambles. The Traitors are demoralized and divided, unable to pursue any real strategy because they hate each other more than anyone else in the house. It’s unclear that many of the Faithfuls even really care that much about banishing Traitors anymore — and why should they, given that new ones would simply be recruited? Instead, people are either desperately deflecting votes from themselves or targeting players they simply don’t like very much. (Tom Sandoval, your days are numbered.) There’s chaos in the castle, but it’s hardly a testament to the prowess of the Traitors; it’s simply evidence of how little evidence and motivation the game provides for rooting them out.

Meanwhile, the gender war has continued — though, after a challenge in which the men hoard almost all eight shields for themselves, and a painful banishment that makes the women realize they’re being targeted, the gender divide has started to subside in the face of the general pandemonium.

So… why are we loving every minute? Are Alan Cumming’s glam Braveheart-core outfits enough? Or Gabby’s eyerolls and comic monologues? What about watching every last person in the castle’s patience with Tom Sandoval being shredded in real time? Okay, it’s all of it — plus, we just love mess. In this episode, we caught up on the key events of the last three installments of “The Traitors,” plus some general thoughts on the format, where the game is headed, and why Sandoval is still in the game despite being despised by everyone who meets him. Hope you enjoy! xo

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Last night, we were on the YouTube front lines — alongside 250k other people — to see what former “Bachelor” winner Rachael Kirkconnell had to say about her very fresh breakup. Because if there’s a woman who’s in need of a comfy couch, a matching sweat set, and some tea spilling, Alex Cooper is gonna rise to the occasion and offer all three on “Call Her Daddy.”

For those out of the loop on Bachelor Nation / influencer news, on January 16 former Bachelor Matt James posted a bizarre, prayer-filled post on Instagram announcing his split from Rachael, his girlfriend of four years. The pair met when Matt was the lead of “The Bachelor” in 2021, and weathered a racism scandal that led to the ousting of the show’s longtime host, Chris Harrison.

The caption of Matt’s breakup post — which was posted at 6 a.m. EST — read as follows:

“Father God, give Rachael and I strength to mend our broken hearts. Give us a peace about this decision to end our relationship that transcends worldly understanding. Shower our friends and family with kindness and love to comfort us. And remind us that our Joy comes from you, Lord 💔”

This, unsurprisingly, caused a feeding frenzy on social media. Was Matt’s account hacked? He had just been posting videos with Rachael in them! Why was Rachael being silent? What the fuck was going on? Little by little, information started trickling out. We learned from Rachael’s sister that the couple had only been broken up for three hours when Matt posted on Instagram, and we learned from DeuxMoi that they had just been vacationing together in Tokyo. But other than that, all we had was pure speculation. Enter Alex Cooper.

On Monday night, the “Call Her Daddy” sit-down premiered on YouTube. And it was both less salacious and more sad than perhaps people were expecting. We did not learn about any big revelations of infidelity, just about the more mundane signals that a relationship dynamic may not be a healthy one. (And about the fact that Rachael saw Matt’s breakup post JUST AS SHE BOARDED A 12-HOUR FLIGHT.) However, the hour and 40-minute interview was raw, honest and deeply relatable.

The two of us had big plans to cover “Traitors” this week, but instead we decided to bump that until next week so we could discuss this “Call Her Daddy” episode. We get into the details Rachael outlined of the breakup, how “The Bachelor” sets couples up to fail, what we’d like to hear from Matt, and why we think so many of us viscerally connected to Rachael’s post-breakup grief. Hope you enjoy! Xo

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With Donald Trump officially back in office, and a flood of abhorrent executive orders and public displays of fascism already grabbing our attention, we couldn’t focus on anything else this week. We decided to check back in — with each other and with Sami Sage (co-founder of Betches, host of The Morning Announcements and American Fever Dream, and author of Democracy in Retrograde) — to discuss how we’re filtering through the firehose of bad news, how to avoid expending energy on endless outrage consumption and anxiety wheel-spinning, and what is worth putting our energy toward.

In part, this has meant reevaluating how we approached Trump’s last administration, trying to learn from what was effective and what was self-indulgent. As individuals, we don’t want to use up all our mental space or political will on Instagram posting or fruitless doomscrolling; instead, we’re thinking about building in-person communities and targeting our involvement locally or towards narrow, winnable national debates.

But we’re also thinking about what role we play as writers and podcasters who, unlike in the last Trump administration, aren’t affiliated with a news organization. In this episode, we discuss our roots in feminist critique of “The Bachelor” franchise, how that has evolved along with our political context over the past decade, and the value of pop cultural commentary with a left-wing, feminist point of view.

We also touch on the inauguration itself, particularly Elon Musk’s unapologetic Nazi salute and the infuriating discourse that followed.

In this episode, we discuss all of this, along with the hope that we’re holding on to. We hope you’re finding ways to hope, and to help, as well. xo

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