‘The North Water’ and ‘The White Lotus’: Sui Generis

Most TV shows slide easily into one genre or another, but occasionally something unique comes along. Here are two remarkable new shows that resist any kind of label.

The North Water

The North Water is based on Ian McGuire’s 2016 novel, which was long-listed for the Booker Prize, named by the New York Times as one of the 10 best books of the year, and is one of the most gripping and dark novels I have ever read. BBC and AMC adapted it into a five-part miniseries that screened in July. 

You are a long way from Nantucket in this violent tale of a whaling expedition to the Arctic circle. The story centers on two main characters: harpooner Henry Drax (Colin Farrell), an amoral psychopath; and Patrick Sumner (Jack O’Connell), an army surgeon and decent man whose moral compass is slightly askew because of an addiction to laudanum.  

The murder of a cabin boy, who is found strangled in an oil barrel, leads to a conflict between these two. 

The ship’s captain makes an attempt to mediate and is bludgeoned to death for his effort. Life on the ship is brutal, but it gets worse when the crew finds themselves on the ice after the ship is scuttled by the first mate as part of an insurance scam.  

I will not describe the bloody incidents that follow; such a naked synopsis may lead you to avoid the show. Yes, this is a dark story, but it is so brilliantly written and acted that you can’t take your eyes off the screen. Amazon, AMC+

The White Lotus

As The White Lotus opens, someone has died — you don’t know whom — then the story jumps back a week, to guests arriving at a luxury resort in Hawaii. 

You may think you’re in for another of HBO’s soapy mysteries, like “Big Little Lies” or “The Undoing.” Not so. 

As the hotel guests are introduced, you wonder who might be the worst of this unsavory gathering of shallow, rich mainlanders. Two top candidates are Shane (Jake Lacy) a total jerk in a Cornell baseball cap, and his awful mother, Kitty, who make life miserable for his lovely new bride, Rachel (Alexandra Daddario). 

Another is Olivia (Sydney Sweeney), the nasty, sardonic daughter of Mark (Steve Zahn) and Nicole (Connie Britton). 

Then there is the resort manager, Armond, a drug addict who can barely hide his contempt for most guests and who is played masterfully by Murray Bartlett as a man who is both revolting and sympathetic. The native Hawaiians who work at the resort are portrayed more sympathetically, and their stories are disheartening. 

There is no real plot here, aside from the mystery of who has been killed, but the interaction among the guests and staff becomes increasingly bizarre as the story moves to a shocking conclusion. (The hypnotic theme music, ranging from Bach to a kind of anxious percussion, is an important part of the show.) 

Lotus is a satire with many funny moments; its creator, Mike White, was a writer-producer of the comedy classic Freaks and Geeks. But it moves beyond comedy and turns into a tragedy for a few characters, a life-changing event for some, a week in the sun for others, and one of the best and most unusual shows of the year. HBOMax