‘Étoile' is gone after one season, and that's a shame
In a piece about the cancellation,
Advertisement
Still. The A.S.P./D.P. model is an idiosyncratic one, filled as it is with endless references to other works of art, all spoken at 10 times the speed of normal human communication. And they have a real skill at
Advertisement
Shows can come and go quickly these days, especially given the volume of programming across all the streamers. We're awash in a lot of
content
, so to speak. It's worth praising the stuff that was worth watching, even if it's gone too soon.
Lisa Weidenfeld is an arts editor at the Globe.
Lisa Weidenfeld can be reached at
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
19 hours ago
- Boston Globe
‘Étoile' is gone after one season, and that's a shame
In a piece about the cancellation, Advertisement Still. The A.S.P./D.P. model is an idiosyncratic one, filled as it is with endless references to other works of art, all spoken at 10 times the speed of normal human communication. And they have a real skill at Advertisement Shows can come and go quickly these days, especially given the volume of programming across all the streamers. We're awash in a lot of content , so to speak. It's worth praising the stuff that was worth watching, even if it's gone too soon. Lisa Weidenfeld is an arts editor at the Globe. Lisa Weidenfeld can be reached at
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Boston Globe
Dear Mike White, look no further. This is where you should film the next season of ‘White Lotus.'
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The living room area of a tent at the Mahali Mzuri safari camp. Christopher Muther/Globe Staff Advertisement The Sir Richard Branson Mahali Mzuri Virgin Mega Safari Camp features a swimming pool, a bar, and a dining room, where a chef prepares multi-course, restaurant-quality meals for an eclectic mix of guests. Between the unbridled opulence of it all and the mix of guests, I immediately knew that this stylishly-appointed camp is where season four of HBO's 'The White Lotus' should be filmed. Listen carefully, Mike White. I broke my pledge of not working on vacation to tell you that your show needs a safari season, and Sir Richard Branson's quaint camp is the obvious setting. You don't even need to give me creative credit, but I certainly wouldn't refuse it. Advertisement The dining area at the Mahali Mzuri safari camp in Kenya. Christopher Muther/Globe Staff The The mix of guests at Mahali Mzuri during my stay could easily translate to the small screen. I was traveling with a group of seven gay men from Boston (a.k.a. the drama). There was a honeymooning second-marriage couple from South Carolina (cue the Parker Posey accent), a large family from Hawaii celebrating a non-descript and unspoken milestone (suspicious), a solo traveler enjoying her birthday (sad), and a pair of young couples from Southeast Asia who had a wardrobe better suited for Coachella than Kenya. The script writes itself. Heck, I'm happy to help, for a small fee, of course. The pool area at Mahali Mzuri safari camp overlooks a valley where guests can watch animals such as giraffes, elephants, hippos, and baboons stroll through. Christopher Muther/Globe Staff I'll give you an anecdote for free, and you can decide if it works for 'White Lotus Kenya.' My friends and I visited a traditional Maasai village near the camp to see how the locals live, except this village had more handicrafts for sale than residents. Now, picture a group of gay men sitting inside a traditional mud hut listening to a local describe how the huts are constructed. Before he could finish, an elderly woman from the tribe had a question for us: 'Where are your wives?' Advertisement Did I mention that homosexuality is illegal in Kenya? This is comedy gold, Mike White. It's not just the culture that works for 'White Lotus.' There's also room for danger. A month before our arrival, a lion killed a 14-year-old girl at a camp in Kenya, and while we were on a safari, a lion killed a man in Namibia when he stepped out of his tent in the night to use the toilet. On our twice-daily safari rides through the conservancies, we frequently saw lions gnawing on freshly killed prey. Think of the possibilities of killing off a character by mauling. A pair of giraffes keeps watch for predators at the Maasai Mazari National Reserve in Kenya. Christopher Muther/Globe Staff The beautiful locations are part of the 'White Lotus' television-as-travel brochure appeal, and the 580-square-mile Maasai Mara National Reserve, where Sir Richard Branson's Mahali Mzuri Virgin Mega Safari Camp is located, is breathtaking. Each evening, the sunset was like a painting, and the sheer amount of wildlife was impressive. Throughout the trip, our group stayed at three different camps. They were all notable in their own way, but even the wildlife around Mahali Mzuri seemed more extravagant. Were they on Branson's payroll? Are you picking up what I'm putting down here, Mike? I think we've got a hit on our hands. Two of the 12 tents at the luxury Mahali Mzuri safari camp. The tents are stretched over steel supports. Christopher Muther/Globe Staff You can even draw upon our wacky experiences of occasional power outages, an actual spear being used as a 'Do not disturb' sign, and a policy that allows guests to step behind the bar and mix their own drinks if there's no bartender in sight. Those three elements alone can serve as a story arc. Advertisement It may sound surprising that I knew so little about Mahali Mzuri before I arrived, but since my job involves planning travel, I was happy to leave the planning to others for my vacation. I just showed up with a duffle bag of what I thought were appropriate safari clothes and prepared to rough it. Little did I know I'd wind up in such glamorous surroundings. That's my pitch, Mike. I know you're looking at setting the new season Even if you don't use my idea — and you'd be crazy not to — I won't hold it against you. I'll always have the memories of the luxury, the lions, and the local woman asking a large group of gay men why we left our wives at home. Staff prepare the restaurant for diners at the Mahali Mzuri safari camp in Kenya. Christopher Muther/Globe Staff An outdoor table is set for an evening dinner party at the opulent Mahali Mzuri safari camp. Christopher Muther/Globe Staff Christopher Muther can be reached at
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Boston Globe
Pint-size summer in the city: Fun things that kids will actually want to do
We recently revisited a sampling of local family-friendly attractions with a rotating posse of children under the age of 10. Here are some highlights. Of course, your results — with your kids, little buddies, or grandkids — may vary. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Kids are often pretty entertained by the squirrel action in the Public Garden, and it's easy to see why. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Fun freebies Attractions aren't cheap. Happily, Boston is full of fun freebies that score high with small fry, like the splash fountains on the Rose Kennedy Greenway ( Advertisement The chaos that is the Haymarket? The child in your party may well be entranced; ours was. But plan to carry that tot — this is not the place for a stroller. (For more tips, see Cyclists, runners, and walkers don't have to worry about cars on a section of Memorial Drive on Sundays. Vincent Alban For The Boston Globe How much fun is it to ride your bike in the street when there are no cars around? It's a blast. Our tester kids — old enough to ride two-wheeler bicycles — enjoyed Memorial Drive Recreation Sundays ( A pool of sprinkles at the Museum of Ice Cream. Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff New and topped with sprinkles We asked an 8-year-old if she wanted to go to a museum. 'Yes! The ice cream one!' she replied. We should have seen that coming. Boston has its own outpost of the Museum of Ice Cream (timed entry; weekday tickets from $25; weekend tickets from $33; Advertisement View Boston, the observatory on top of the Prudential tower, is where Top of the Hub used to be. Lane Turner/Globe Staff Room with a view We were eager to check out View Boston ($34; ages 6-12, $15; "Back Bay Bertha" splashes into the Charles in 2020. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Duck, duck, boat Hard to believe the duck boats, a.k.a. Boston Duck Tours (adult tickets, $55; 3-11, $40; under age 3, $11; The jokes come fast and furiously, and will go right over the kids' heads. For them, the fun comes with that splash into the Charles River, and the chance to pilot the vessel for a minute or two. Our take: Out-of-town adult guests and older kids will enjoy this most, while little ones get antsy. (Tip: If your party includes two adults and two kids ages 3-11, ask about their Family 4 Pack; it's $165, good at the Museum of Science location only. Not valid on Saturdays.) Advertisement Martin's Park was officially opened in June 2019 with a celebration of music and family-friendly programming. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Awesome twosome Yep, the bubble exhibit is still there. And the Japanese House. The Boston Children's Museum ($22; under 12 months free; Visit on a nice day and make it a two-fer with a visit to Martin's Park Boston ( Legal Sea Foods gives little diners some options on their kids' menu. Of course, ours chose chicken fingers, along with rice pilaf and slaw. Diane Bair Best kids' menu If we never saw another chicken finger, we'd be fine. Legal Sea Foods ($10, for kids age 12 and under; Advertisement Maelynn Munro, 8, watches a penguin feeding session at the New England Aquarium. Barry Chin/Globe Staff Sea creatures? Yes please Harbor seals. Parading penguins. Seahorses. Sharks. Opened in 1969, New England Aquarium (adults, $39; ages 3-11, $30, We're running out of space and didn't have a chance to share the details of the Boston Public Library's ( Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum ( Sugar Factory Boston ( Advertisement See you on the Greenway Carousel — and in line at Cookie Monstah.
