The Midlife

I remember watching my first soap opera when I was asked to leave my nursery school. I guess you could call me a nursery school drop-out. While this tells wonders about my mother’s parenting style, it introduced me to the glamour and drama of daytime television. Specifically, I was hooked on Days of Our Lives.

When I should have been focusing on learning how to spell, I learned about whether Bo and Hope were ever going to get on the same page about their romance. Homework could wait until we figured out if Marlena was possessed by the devil. Even if I missed weeks or months of episodes, it only took one sick day from school, and I was easily caught up on who was plotting against the other.

Eventually, I stopped watching daytime soaps and gravitated to primetime shows. We’re talking the night-time gems of Dallas, Dynasty, and Falcon Crest. Fast forward to Beverly Hills 90210 and Melrose Place, and you’ll no longer wonder why I never excelled at team sports.

There are two current TV series I’ve had the pleasure of watching, and they’re tone screams modern soap opera. They are Euphoria and The White Lotus. Here are my mini reviews of both.

I had heard much hype about Euphoria, but I had hesitated to watch because I knew it included a bunch of drug use. If you choose to slip down the rabbit hole of Euphoria, you will be taken on a wild ride led by the absolutely spectacular Zendaya. She plays Rue, a high schooler whose life starts spiraling after the death of her father. You’ll get a snapshot of modern teen angst through her experiences and those of her fellow classmates. It’s gritty and raw. You’ll see too much misogyny, plenty of male full frontal nudity, the messiness of friendships and relationships, and the most creative makeup and fashions I’ve seen in years. And while I appreciated the artistry of Sam Levinson’s storylines and the overall way the show is filmed, it scared me. I hope my eight year old fares far better than the Euphoria teens. I will start praying now.

Next is The White Lotus. I had the great pleasure of binge-watching season one while home sick. What a whirlwind! I tried to explain the premise and characters to my husband, and his eyes started to glaze over. It’s complicated. However, we follow a group of people whose lives get entangled on their trip to Hawaii. All of them stay at The White Lotus, a luxurious resort. The fantastic cast led by Jennifer Coolidge and Connie Britton brings equal parts comedy and drama. It’s a psychological snapshot of the weird complexity of humans all trying to do the right things, often failing. The White Lotus highlights the evils of white privilege. And there’s a murder mystery to uncover. It’s a sick day binge extravaganza, and I was loving every twist, turn, and cautionary tale.

So, dear reader, what are you watching these days? Please feel free to share your favorites in the comments. In the meantime, hope your week ahead is full of comedy with as little drama as possible. -C:)