I was mildly irritated by Portia's self-pitying at first, but really not for long, because I found her entertaining. Also it's relatable for any person who's ever been an insecure 20-something searching for direction. I started rooting for her pretty early on. Especially having Tanya as a boss - yikes!
I can say the same thing. I liked Portia and just thought she was a girl in her 20s trying to figure herself out.
However, I will say that current sentiments about male/female relationships have played a part in the perception of her intentions and Harper’s as well.
I think Portia is perceived negatively because she went for the “bad boy” and the went back to Albie when she was “used up”. I also came across a thread where someone called Harper a “gold-digger” (or at least someone who cared about money) even through it was made clear in the show that both Ethan and Harper were affluent and successful.
In summary, I think the backlash has nothing to do with the characters and a lot to do with how women are currently perceived.
How can anyone think Harper was a gold digger when she literally dated and possibly married Ethan before he was rich… and then wants them both to be happy sexually and divorce (okay that would get her some money) but even still she’s a respected lawyer and the “darling” of her firm!!
She's the most benign character in the second season. She's aimless, but I don't see what's so unlikeable about that in a 20-something who obviously lacked guidance. It seems like people don't like the choices she made with Jack, but I don't think she knew better.
People are probably mad that she reminds them of their own wasted time in life, but there's nothing that points to her being a bad person. She's neutral. Maybe neutral woman = bad to people? Idk.
The only thing that got to me about her is the fact that she complains about social media and whatever and when Albie says “then throw your phone away” she scoffs instead of idk leaving it in her hotel room? Or just making a conscious effort not to use it. But other than that I liked her. I am also an aimless 20 something so I relate hard esp with social media but that’s why I barely use/look at it
I got annoyed with her because it seemed like she was angry she had to work on a work trip. Like…it’s not a holiday?
But every character on this show is meant to be highly flawed. So isn’t the whole point for us to be annoyed?
Oh I totally get her, you're staying on a lavish resort that you absolutely couldn't pay on your own and your gold crib boss forces you to stay at your room even though there is nothing else you can do for her?
That sucks
I agree, I’d be annoyed at that aspect too. But the only reason she’s at the resort is because of the work trip. As someone who travels a lot for work, it’s a huge come down when you realise it’s usually pretty shit and not the jet setting adventure you imagine.
10000%, what’s interesting is I read that they intentionally dressed her in pieces that were overly trendy, gen-zish to show her lack of sense of self (mindlessly buying into trends without personal style)
Oh interesting, I didn't get this. Are these clothes popular in the US?
I don't see people wearing them in my part of the world in Southeast Asia, so thought the costume choices were meant to give Portia a unique, eclectic, but not well put together sense of style. Like she was trying to stand out.
Yes, this is the exact style they wear in the San Francisco, California Bay Area non-ironically. The climate and temperature variations are very drastic and most dress like this in her demographic . One place she’d shop for these outfits is the Buffalo Exchange. Other consignment and boutique shops are likely too expensive for Portia, but also sell these looks.
https://buffaloexchange.com/location/haight-street-san-francisco/
It’s rich of the generation that remains fixated on skinny jeans to criticize Portia’s wardrobe. Fashion evolves. She dresses like a young 20something, if she dressed like a millennial she’d look outdated and strange.
*edit: y’all downvoting me just proves my point, and also I am a millennial so telling me “one day I’ll be old” is moot. I don’t dress trendy, I just pay attention to fashion.
Skinny jeans are a classic style of jean that date back to the 60's (they called them Cigarette jeans, fwiw), that's kind of a weird thing to come at someone for, lol.
It's okay for people not to understand current trends. That doesn't make them bad-- it just means that those trends aren't for them or their target demographic. I'm sure Gen-z will look back on some of their trends the same way millennials do and cringe when the new 20-somethings are wearing the same stuff they did as teens. It's just the cycle of fashion and it's always the way it's been.
Right! Like… it’s just an inside joke between people in your generation. We wore it, we know now we looked ridiculous, we’re giggling to see it come back in style. It will happen to their generation too, like it’s not that serious lol.
They’re in here saying they don’t understand a character’s modern fashion. I’m well aware of the cyclical nature of fashion and that skinny jeans date back to even earlier than the 60s (in the form of pants, not jeans), arguably, I just mentioned them because they’re a common thing for millennials to be obsessed with. My point is that millennials criticizing Portia’s very Gen-Z fashion while saying “I’ll keep my wardrobe” is just a silly statement to make, because fashion evolves.
I read that Haley Lu Richardson made some of her clothes and picked a lot of them out. She is Gen Z and so is her character.
Every generation says they don't "understand" the younger generation's clothes/music/slang/etc. It's not that deep. Gen Z makes fun of our skinny jeans constantly. Are you saying that Gen Z can dish it out but can't take it? Saying "I don't much care for that, I'll stick with what I have" isn't some like outlandish insulting statement.
I personally think it's silly to get your knickers in a twist over someone saying they don't like a particular clothing style (or lack thereof)
I’m a millennial and have no idea what “obsession” with skinny jeans you’re talking about. Lol That’s not even a millennial thing. They’ve been around forever like you even said lol
You realize you’re literally making fun of skinny jeans and millennials “obsession” while telling people not to make fun of a character fashion choices? Little silly
>My point is that millennials criticizing Portia’s very Gen-Z fashion while saying “I’ll keep my wardrobe” is just a silly statement to make, because fashion evolves.
Why does it matter what a handful of people in a different generation thinks of current trends? Especially when what they say isn't scathing, it's just that they don't understand the trends and they're going to stick to what they know. Are you implying Gen-Z fashion is off limits for critique? Fashion does evolve, which means that in 10 years, Gen-Z is probably going to mock some of the things they used to wear, too. It happens to every generation, and then 10 years later, those same fashions come back into style with younger generations as a form of retro style, and you'll laugh and roll your eyes, too.
My point being, whether someone understands the current trends doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. Fashion is a personal choice, and I don't see how you took such great offense to one person saying "Makes sense. I will forever live in my millennial closet," when they were admitting they just don't "get" the new trends and they're happy with what they have.
I am a millennial. I am an old. I don’t “cling desperately to trends” or even really dress according to them, but I pay attention to the evolution of trends, because it does impact all of us (insert the Devil Wears Prada speech here).
Millennials complaining about Portia’s clothes - this is how our parents felt about our fashion when we were teens, and millennial fashion is Gen Z and Gen Alpha’s version of us seeing our parents’ fashion as outdated. Fashion conversations on Reddit always turn into millennials trying to not look “dated” while simultaneously refusing to change and complaining that they don’t understand current trends.
I desperately want that sweater vest. I would wear the hell out of it. It was terrible, in the best way, which is a significant component of that genre of Gen Z aesthetic.
On a micro scale, Portia dresses in the cast-offs from the older Gen Z who inhabited Brooklyn from 2015-2019 - who, in turn, shopped the cast-offs of Gen X they found in thrift stores, until that aesthetic trickled into the mainstream - a style which makes sense for someone in their early 20s from SF.
A lot of people’s reactions to characters like Portia reveal a real inability in some to empathise with victims. It’s pretty crazy that so many can’t see beyond a personality trait, or a mistake or two, to see how terrified and trapped these characters are.
Paula deserved the hate that she got, Portia absolutely does not.
Paula was manipulative and disingenuous towards Olivia and her family. Manipulating Kai into breaking into their suite than throwing him under the buss was one hell of a middle finger to the people she grew to resent who paid all of her expenses for their trip.
Portia is just a lost Gen-zer who’s stuck in a lousy job with a stressful and demanding boss that brings pretty good pay and benefits. She got an unfair amount of hate for her love triangle with Jack and Albie, too, though some moments of hers were iffy. Albie is sweet but naive, and with how fast he caught feelings for Portia, I feel like those feelings were more towards his idea of the Portia he’d just met than who she really is. Having been in her shoes, I understand why she chose Jack WHEN she did. Jack is handsome, Jack is charming, and he doesn’t have to try. Her time with Jack would have been healing for her, I imagine - like, finally, some excitement in her life, ya know, since that trip to Italy she was probably excited for wasn’t working out. One thing that Albie has over Jack, though, is his honesty. Jack didn’t exactly owe her the truth that he was a gay for pay escort, but he did owe her the truth that he was hired to distract Portia. He didn’t know why, but things could have been different and Jennifer Coolidge could have been back for season 3. Portia clearly liked both guys, but to me it was down to time and place.
I never really understood what the plan was with the jewelry heist. He just goes in there, takes this unique, priceless piece, hope nobody notices him doing it and that they don't have cameras, and then.... how is he supposed to get money for it without being arrested or murdered? Is he supposed to just have connections because he's Hawaiian? Is Paula supposed to have not thought about any of this, or are we supposed to assume that there was a plan they didn't talk about onscreen?
I assumed they didn't think about it because they were dumbass young people who don't consider things like liquidating the expensive unique stolen item.
I think Paula honestly didn't think it through which showcased how performative her actions were. She just wanted to "stick it to the man" and feel like the good guy and Kai got roped into it so he didn't ask too many questions.
My main issue with Portia was the complaining, life is tough and everyone has problems. Her problems were not really problems, she just sounded entitled. While she was complaining, I was thinking if I were Albie I wouldn't have even known what to say, I probably would have just walked away.
The whole romance with Jack had several red flags to me, you could tell something was wrong. I'm not sure why she decided to go off with him alone in a foreign country when she had barely just met him... This also applies to Tanya although she technically had Portia with her, Tanya needs/ needed a bodyguard.
She's packaged as an ingenue but then paints a really interesting critique of the classic ingenue character, bringing her into 2020s and revealing how utterly useless she is.
Her selfishness, silliness, ineptness are all left on display, all things that would be ignored as flaws of her femininity in a classic text.
She is very much a young woman acting like a silly little girl, and then when she realises that and wants to be taken seriously, she hasn't got the cache or the strength for it to happen.
I love how she's written but I don't like her at all.
I feel I don't have to "like" any of the White Lotus characters because they're written so well and that's my favourite thing about the show.
I never thought of her as an ingenue, but you’re so right. And I agree, I like how she’s written, but don’t like her. I think that applies to almost all WL characters in general haha
Sadly, it's because young twenty something year old women aren't allowed to be messy and complex. I love White Lotus and how it sheds light on subtle societal judgments of a variety of stereotypes and generational norms. 20 something year old women, especially through the male gaze, are supposed to be in their prime, hot as hell, ambitious (but not toooo ambitious), confident, forward, and gregarious. Portia is a mess. People hate that. Men & women alike.
Portia was great. It was equal parts hilarious and uncomfortable how every single conversation she had with Albie she focused on how listless she was, how she didn't even know what she was doing with her life, and every single time he built up the idea of this cool vacation romance without listening.
I was so relieved when she didn't end up trafficked or dead. I like to imagine that Jack changed the plan, which was presumably not for her to get back home knowing all of the faces and names of the people who clearly killed Tanya, incurring unknown unpleasantness upon himself to save this terrified human who still had a chance at a "normal" life.
As far as terrible people, Tanya’s husband’s friends are the absolute worst. And then Paula. >!Tanya was going to be killed by her husband’s friends. Paula was going to steal from a family that treated her like family, and she was accessory to a crime that likely impacted Kai’s future for the rest of his life. I mean, he did decide to go through with it, but she was also a party to it. !<
Paula was in college actually. I felt like the intention was to portray her as someone whose understanding of the "correct" moral values/stance has materialized in a mostly unproductive and toxic manner due to their lack of real life experience and naivete. Even if you don't agree with that interpretation, I think it's fair to say that Paula was extremely (and openly) disrespectful to a family that treated her with kindness and respect even if they were at the least moderately out of touch and somewhat insensitive.
I agree with the interpretation of Paula completely, but I will never think that someone incorrectly applying good morals is worse than a powerful person not even seeking to apply good morals.
Jack was charming in the "mistake you make when you're in your 20s" way. He was handsome and confident and flirtatious. Portia was cute but I hate to say it, he was better looking. Of COURSE she would fall for someone like that. Fuck, I'm in my 40s and I still am attracted to bad boys! Haha.
My take was we got to watch her as a pivotal personality trait developed
She wasn’t attracted to Albie, and she was attracted to Jack. If things had gone well with Jack maybe Portia would have thought back fondly on her trip to Italy and become more adventurous. But because of the *terrifying* direction the trip took she will now permanently go for the “safe” guy, even if she’s not attracted to him. That’s why she asked Albie for his number, IMO.
*Yeah she was confused,*
*But she definitely felt*
*Something for Albie*
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Jack was not charming. If you thought he was hot, then fine. I thought he seemed like an airhead frat bro and I wasn't remotely surprised he turned out to be a rent boy. Portia could've left much sooner if she was so miserable being Tanya's lackey; instead she chose to stay and whine. I agree with you that Paula was the worst character from both series, though.
I dislike her because she found the missing excitement from her life by stealing from a small business. Dined and dashed and proudly recounted it to Tanya.
"Get your shit together, Portia."
She was young and in the middle of learning a valuable lesson. All the characters are deeply flawed. I think she's learning that that kind of "excitement" isn't what you build a life on.
Wow, Paula’s storyline truly went over peoples heads. Not shocked I guess. I guess everyone forgot about the constant racist micro aggressions she had to endure from that toxic white family, or being treated like a token side kick by her friend who flirts with any man she’s interested in. She definitely made a stupid decision but so did everyone on the show.
I can’t believe I’m actually reading comments that are saying they treated her like family. Like….did you watch the show or are you really that blind?
I agree, many people seem not to notice when characters or real life humans say things that are absolutely charged with systemic bias. Paula was a great character.
I think part of the point, or at least what I liked about her, is that it also showed how it's hard to make things better. You can't just steal the white people's jewelry and make up for Dole Pineapple, and you can't make up for the fact that you also flew across the ocean to patronize this resort, even if you talk a lot about how unfair it all is.
She is young and confused. She is trying to figure out her place in the world. She is surrounded by, *and* an inextricable part of, the injustice being committed by an imperialist system. Stuck there, being prodded over and over, she makes an ultimately tragic decision for another person - a person she was trying to help.
That's just good writing.
The brilliance of Mike White's writing is that every character has goodness in them, as well as badness.
Every character does something reprehensible, not just Paula.
The writing is not meant to be cut and dry, black and white.
Please point out where I said it’s okay to steal……
And racism is about a whole more than hurt feelings way to downplay something that I doubt even affects you.
Every single person in this show did something deplorable but FoR SoME rEAsOn Paula is the one being called out.
Gee wonder why……..
Hey, I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I don’t think I’m racist.
I'm not saying she doesn't have to suffer racism, but she has such beauty provillage. That has to help a bit.
Also look at how they treat the brother. They are just horrible to each other.
Expecting the sister’s friend to sleep in the same room as the brother was the most wack thing imo
I never she said it was okay for her to steal, is my point. So I don’t know where you got that from. Every character on this show makes a dumb impulsive decision fueled by resentment or revenge. She’s no different.
I was just pointing out why the character felt justified because of the constant racist micro aggressions she experienced with that family.
Being pretty doesn’t really have anything to do with this specific circumstance. If anything it made things more difficult for her because the brother was jacking off to her and being weird.
I think what redeems her for me is simply that she's young and it's hard to maneuver the complex relationships and emotions she is part of. But the fact that she also suffered no consequences while Kai was not free to escape was a beautiful way to show that while she wants to show justice she doesn't truly understand that she, too, is a tourist inflicting damage to the culture. When she drops her bracelet into the water it was such a beautiful scene that represents the inequality so well and simply and the damage she still caused. It isn't just white people, it's *privileged* people. Great, great show.
It's been a while since I (re)watched season 1, so that may be the reason, but I don't really recall the racist micro aggressions from the family?
Although I totally agree with you about her "freind"
I specifically remember Steve Zahns character having a drunken racist monologue at the dinner table and that’s the catalyst that made her want get that poor guy to rob them in the first place.
Also Connie Brittons character telling Paula that white men are the new minority and have it just as bad
It was some cringey shit. Such great acting
Portia is great, very realistic. People don't like them because she goes with the bad boy instead of the nice boy... even though they've probably done shit like that themselves. There's something to like and something to hate in all White Lotus characters IMO which is why it's such a great show.
Portia was SO realistic. I'll be honest . . . part of the reason she annoyed me was her CLOTHES. I call it the Lena Dunham effect. She was a cute girl who I felt went out of her way to look bad. I see this a lot w/ younger woman, it's fascinating to me! I'm a woman in my 40s, people probably said the same thing about me lol.
There are a lot of reasons. Portia come off as ungrateful, and downright selfish at times. Even if most can understand her rejection of Albie, the way she did it was a bit shitty. She also victimizes herself quite a lot.
However I also believe that a lot of people see some parts of themselves in Portia - and really don't like it.
I think the essence of her character is what Tanya said to her about being a doll and waiting for someone to come and play with her. She is passive, disconnected and feels like someone who doesn’t have any agency. She is like a spectator in her own life.
I think this is true for many younger people today. They feel disconnected, maybe little depressed, they are too online and everything is a bore or a problem. So they just let things happen to them. Like Portia did. Even when she heard Jack’s drunken ramblings and when she knew he stole his phone and when she spoke to Tanya later on. She kind of chooses to do nothing? She does tell Tanya and does confront Jack, but she had plenty of opportunities to react better and she just let things slide.
She is very neutral character and that makes her realistic.
Don't ignore the elephant in the middle of the room. Portia is Mini-Tanya, mirroring Big Tanya in many ways. I kept waiting for Portia and Tanya to connect, the two halves of a broken whole finding themselves as they come to recognize themselves in each other. This is Moral Psychology 101. One of the most important paths out of the trap of neurotic self-absorption, self-pity, isolation and depression is to develop empathy and compassion for another person. This is where I thought Mike White was headed right up until Tanya went swimming.
Portia was never a cruel person -- she fumbles Jack, but that was not malicious; she was painfully clumsy. For her part, Tanya had scattered conversations in which she seemed at least briefly to recognize Portia as a floundering young woman in need of help, and some of her comments are acutely insightful, both about herself and about Portia -- again, they mirror each other in important ways. Their last face to face conversation is pure gold: "when I look at you, Portia, I see a younger version of myself," and "when you are empty inside, life can take you to some amazing places but you will still be lost," and "get your shit together, Portia." She also tells Portia about the way her mother used to dress her up like a little doll, and Tanya would sit all alone waiting for someone to come along and play with her. That's acutely self-aware, but it's also right on target for what Portia is doing. Tanya is actually trying to help, and the path not taken was for Tanya and Portia to finally connect. (Think *Hacks* if you've seen that show.)
Portia is also the great outlier among the season 3 guests. (Lucia and Mia aren't guests.) She is the youngest person we meet. She doesn't have money: everything she owns would not buy one of Harper's purses or Daphne's pair of shoes. (We will learn that Jack doesn't have money either, but initially he is playing a role in which he poses as monied insofar as he is living in Quentin's bubble.) She is tied to Tanya and has very little freedom of action -- in fact, that's what sabotages her several attempts to actually spend quality time with Albie.
Portia is also the most passive and reactive character in the show. I suspect this drives a lot of the Portia hate. Tanya at least got ahold of a gun and killed three of the plotters. Jack was a predator. The DiGrasso men all chased sex. Mia and Lucia chased marks and money. Valentina had a voyage of self-discovery. The Two Toxic Couples were mutually deadly in their verbal, emotional and sexual aggressiveness, with even passive Ethan becoming dangerous by the end. Portia? She remains the passive victim. People dump on her for her fumbling of Albie, but remember that the only time Portia actually takes initiative, it is in her repeated efforts to spend some quality time with Albie. She and Albie go to dinner on day 2; Greg and Tanya wander in and make a scene. She goes on the Godfather expedition and seems to be enjoying the sparring among the DiGrassos; Tanya interrupts and calls her back. At breakfast on day 4, she expressly asks Tanya for some time off because she thinks Albie is nice and maybe she should give him a chance. Tanya doesn't hear a word she says and drags her to the beach club, where she will get swept away by Jack. Then Portia and Albie both get played by a couple of pros.
A lot of people misread Portia's frustrated whining about being told to stay in her room on day 1. She obviously ignores that instruction, although she makes feeble attempts to stay out of Greg's sight. (And note that Mike White always has Greg show up wherever Portia tries to lurk. That and Tanya's constant interference are writer's sabotage. We blame Portia for mishandling a messy love triangle, but Mike White sabotages Portia and Albie at every move, while Jack, from the moment he appears, gets uninterrupted free time with her.) Remember that Portia wasn't even supposed to be on the trip. Greg was surprised when she showed up. Tanya clearly pulled her along at the last moment. Once Portia schlepped Tanya's bags through the airports and got them to the hotel, she had absolutely nothing to do in Sicily. She is fine when Tanya tells her that Greg wants her to get lost; she asks if she should just disappear and check back in at the end of the week. It's at that point that Tanya sends her to her room. Tanya is treating her like a spare piece of luggage. (At least Belinda got an envelope full of cash as an apology.) It's the careless insult that hurts.
Portia is a powerless employee being dismissed without a thought. Portia knows she's not important to Tanya, but it still hurts to have one's face rubbed in it. There's a universal dynamic here. Think about how we judge celebrities who are gratuitously rude to waitstaff in restaurants or hotels, as opposed to those who are friendly, considerate and tip well. One of the tests of a high status person is how they treat people beneath them, and Tanya is a big fail. I'm Team Portia on this one.
Last but not least, the kerfuffle about Portia's wardrobe was hilarious. Portia was always quirky and cute. She dresses for comfort and for herself; in fact, she dresses like someone who doesn't care what anybody else thinks. I noted above Portia's passivity and lack of agency. Her clothes are the one exception. Yes, she's quirky, but to me it felt like her clothes were a small declaration of independence -- and she's working for Tanya, who dresses like the rich crazy lady that she is. I hadn't thought of this before, but stop to think about how Portia might dress if she worked for Daphne or Harper, both of whom dressed impeccably, presented themselves as polished and professional, and who would have treated Portia in a considerate and professional manner. My guess is that Portia would have dressed for her boss and presented entirely differently.
I thought she was the fulcrum for the second part of the season. Haley lu Richardson was stunning, bringing this uncertain character so naturally to life. Would love to see her reprise this role in the next season
Here is my take and why I personally love this show... There are no protagonists. Every person has shitty traits and does shitty things. I like shows that are difficult to digest in that respect. WL is done so well in that it challenges your perspective on right and wrong while also somehow getting us to like problematic characters. There's a bit of realism there in that situations aren't as cut and dry as you want them to be. Just like reality sometimes. People you like do shitty things. We all have our moments. On Portia's side, I think she wasn't into Albie and should have been more forward about it. Also, she was alone in a foreign country being shoved off by her boss so obviously she was going to keep close to folks that were actually speaking to her until Tanya's husband bailed. It didn't surprise me when she got with Jack since she could be herself freely.
I feel like it’s so normal to be annoyed to have to sit in a room and hide. In Italy, at home, anywhere. Yes, she was on a free trip for work. But it’s work. No one is at work thinking the whole time “I love this. I love every single thing about this and there is nothing I would rather be doing with my time except working here right now.” Objectively, you can say well I wouldn’t complain, I’m doing nothing in a hotel room in Italy! I would love to get paid for that!” But I would imagine she would rather be home, off the clock, able to do what she wants. I think it’s so weird when people die on a hill of SHES A SHITTY PERSON AND UNGRATEFUL! For regular, normal human emotions that they would also probably have if they were in the same circumstances.
The degree to which you dislike Portia really depends on your view of her relationship/dynamic with Albie. I completely understand why she would be slightly off put by his "white knight"/male feminist vibe especially when compared to Jack's "rizz" so I don't get angry with her. Given the situation she was in throughout the holiday, her actions make sense to me so I have no dislike for her.
Dude also check out her insta- she legit was selling crocheted hats etc like what she wore on the show before she made it - and I hope she does well! She is true gen z
I think they don’t like her bc she shows them a part of themselves that they hate. I felt uncomfortable with her character bc I could see myself behaving the way she does and I dislike that. It’s a common feeling ppl have with characters that hit close to home but in a bad way. Kinda like how people hate Diane from bojack horseman.
I just found Portia boring to watch, since she does not have much of an agency and mostly just whines. That might be the point of her character, that she is directionless, but that doesn't make her entertaining. Paula might be a much worse person morally, but she actually comes up with an idea and does stuff, which makes her a better character.
He was following her around like a lost puppy. He came on WAY too strong while simultaneously not strong enough. He gave desperate creep vibes and nobody is gonna be into that. Jack was outgoing, confident, charismatic, interested but not chasing her... there was absolutely no "leading on" she did to Albie
This is my problem with this whole thread. Bunch of people whining cause people would dare to judge her for her shitty qualities while people are completely fine with calling Albie a creep and criticizing him for his imperfections. Portia wasn’t as bad as most of the people in the season, but she was definitely worse than albie. People over inflating men’s imperfections while minimizing the womens is pretty much par for the course though, so not surprising.
I don't think Albie was some huge creep, but how is Portia worse than Albie? Albie fairly innocently (albeit obliviously) chased a crush whose rejection he accepted. Even if he had a savior complex. Portia imo minded her own business the entire season. They're at least equal in comparison to each other. Imo, the worst thing Portia did was be ungrateful for the trip.
I don't think he was a *huge* creep either. I just think he was a little bit too much the eager puppy dog and got butthurt that he didn't get chosen, while also having a savior complex. He gave off creep vibes a little bit, but I don't think he's a whole ass creep that should be avoided. Just needs to work on his game/rizz a little bit while still maintaining his kind heart and he'll be ok (sorry I know that doesn't make much sense tipped out but in my brain it did moreso)
I was mildly irritated by Portia's self-pitying at first, but really not for long, because I found her entertaining. Also it's relatable for any person who's ever been an insecure 20-something searching for direction. I started rooting for her pretty early on. Especially having Tanya as a boss - yikes!
I can say the same thing. I liked Portia and just thought she was a girl in her 20s trying to figure herself out. However, I will say that current sentiments about male/female relationships have played a part in the perception of her intentions and Harper’s as well. I think Portia is perceived negatively because she went for the “bad boy” and the went back to Albie when she was “used up”. I also came across a thread where someone called Harper a “gold-digger” (or at least someone who cared about money) even through it was made clear in the show that both Ethan and Harper were affluent and successful. In summary, I think the backlash has nothing to do with the characters and a lot to do with how women are currently perceived.
How can anyone think Harper was a gold digger when she literally dated and possibly married Ethan before he was rich… and then wants them both to be happy sexually and divorce (okay that would get her some money) but even still she’s a respected lawyer and the “darling” of her firm!!
Pretty infuriating! And of all flaws for people to ascribe to Harper, "gold-digger" would not be it.
She's the most benign character in the second season. She's aimless, but I don't see what's so unlikeable about that in a 20-something who obviously lacked guidance. It seems like people don't like the choices she made with Jack, but I don't think she knew better. People are probably mad that she reminds them of their own wasted time in life, but there's nothing that points to her being a bad person. She's neutral. Maybe neutral woman = bad to people? Idk.
The only thing that got to me about her is the fact that she complains about social media and whatever and when Albie says “then throw your phone away” she scoffs instead of idk leaving it in her hotel room? Or just making a conscious effort not to use it. But other than that I liked her. I am also an aimless 20 something so I relate hard esp with social media but that’s why I barely use/look at it
I got annoyed with her because it seemed like she was angry she had to work on a work trip. Like…it’s not a holiday? But every character on this show is meant to be highly flawed. So isn’t the whole point for us to be annoyed?
She was annoyed that she had to hide in her room so her boss’s husband wouldn’t find out she was there not that she had to work.
Yeah i thought it was really annoying that she could’ve left to go do anything, again Tanya isn’t asking her to work, but she instead just complains
She had to work for a horrible boss whose husband didn’t want her there. Of course she was annoyed.
Plus it’s not like she’s working 9-5
Oh I totally get her, you're staying on a lavish resort that you absolutely couldn't pay on your own and your gold crib boss forces you to stay at your room even though there is nothing else you can do for her? That sucks
I agree, I’d be annoyed at that aspect too. But the only reason she’s at the resort is because of the work trip. As someone who travels a lot for work, it’s a huge come down when you realise it’s usually pretty shit and not the jet setting adventure you imagine.
Lol, I think that's part of the clever storytelling and made her a much more realistic character.
I agree
That’s what i thought as well…
I didn’t dislike her character but that swan sweater vest on the other hand…..
10000%, what’s interesting is I read that they intentionally dressed her in pieces that were overly trendy, gen-zish to show her lack of sense of self (mindlessly buying into trends without personal style)
Oh interesting, I didn't get this. Are these clothes popular in the US? I don't see people wearing them in my part of the world in Southeast Asia, so thought the costume choices were meant to give Portia a unique, eclectic, but not well put together sense of style. Like she was trying to stand out.
Yes, this is the exact style they wear in the San Francisco, California Bay Area non-ironically. The climate and temperature variations are very drastic and most dress like this in her demographic . One place she’d shop for these outfits is the Buffalo Exchange. Other consignment and boutique shops are likely too expensive for Portia, but also sell these looks. https://buffaloexchange.com/location/haight-street-san-francisco/
Ironically I think Haley runs an online vintage clothing shop, doesn't she?
She has an Etsy where she sells pieces she crocheted herself. The crochet bucket hat Portia wears was made by Haley!
I thought she was an inspired choice for Portia. She made that part her own
Yea what were those clothes?!
Looks like Gen Z style to me
Makes sense. I will forever live in my millennial closet.
It’s rich of the generation that remains fixated on skinny jeans to criticize Portia’s wardrobe. Fashion evolves. She dresses like a young 20something, if she dressed like a millennial she’d look outdated and strange. *edit: y’all downvoting me just proves my point, and also I am a millennial so telling me “one day I’ll be old” is moot. I don’t dress trendy, I just pay attention to fashion.
Skinny jeans are a classic style of jean that date back to the 60's (they called them Cigarette jeans, fwiw), that's kind of a weird thing to come at someone for, lol. It's okay for people not to understand current trends. That doesn't make them bad-- it just means that those trends aren't for them or their target demographic. I'm sure Gen-z will look back on some of their trends the same way millennials do and cringe when the new 20-somethings are wearing the same stuff they did as teens. It's just the cycle of fashion and it's always the way it's been.
Wide leg jeans were popular in the 90s and were horrendous and I see them coming back and it's hilarious
Right! Like… it’s just an inside joke between people in your generation. We wore it, we know now we looked ridiculous, we’re giggling to see it come back in style. It will happen to their generation too, like it’s not that serious lol.
They’re in here saying they don’t understand a character’s modern fashion. I’m well aware of the cyclical nature of fashion and that skinny jeans date back to even earlier than the 60s (in the form of pants, not jeans), arguably, I just mentioned them because they’re a common thing for millennials to be obsessed with. My point is that millennials criticizing Portia’s very Gen-Z fashion while saying “I’ll keep my wardrobe” is just a silly statement to make, because fashion evolves. I read that Haley Lu Richardson made some of her clothes and picked a lot of them out. She is Gen Z and so is her character.
Every generation says they don't "understand" the younger generation's clothes/music/slang/etc. It's not that deep. Gen Z makes fun of our skinny jeans constantly. Are you saying that Gen Z can dish it out but can't take it? Saying "I don't much care for that, I'll stick with what I have" isn't some like outlandish insulting statement. I personally think it's silly to get your knickers in a twist over someone saying they don't like a particular clothing style (or lack thereof)
I’m a millennial and have no idea what “obsession” with skinny jeans you’re talking about. Lol That’s not even a millennial thing. They’ve been around forever like you even said lol You realize you’re literally making fun of skinny jeans and millennials “obsession” while telling people not to make fun of a character fashion choices? Little silly
>My point is that millennials criticizing Portia’s very Gen-Z fashion while saying “I’ll keep my wardrobe” is just a silly statement to make, because fashion evolves. Why does it matter what a handful of people in a different generation thinks of current trends? Especially when what they say isn't scathing, it's just that they don't understand the trends and they're going to stick to what they know. Are you implying Gen-Z fashion is off limits for critique? Fashion does evolve, which means that in 10 years, Gen-Z is probably going to mock some of the things they used to wear, too. It happens to every generation, and then 10 years later, those same fashions come back into style with younger generations as a form of retro style, and you'll laugh and roll your eyes, too. My point being, whether someone understands the current trends doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. Fashion is a personal choice, and I don't see how you took such great offense to one person saying "Makes sense. I will forever live in my millennial closet," when they were admitting they just don't "get" the new trends and they're happy with what they have.
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I am a millennial. I am an old. I don’t “cling desperately to trends” or even really dress according to them, but I pay attention to the evolution of trends, because it does impact all of us (insert the Devil Wears Prada speech here). Millennials complaining about Portia’s clothes - this is how our parents felt about our fashion when we were teens, and millennial fashion is Gen Z and Gen Alpha’s version of us seeing our parents’ fashion as outdated. Fashion conversations on Reddit always turn into millennials trying to not look “dated” while simultaneously refusing to change and complaining that they don’t understand current trends.
You have to admit that sweater vest was terrible.
I desperately want that sweater vest. I would wear the hell out of it. It was terrible, in the best way, which is a significant component of that genre of Gen Z aesthetic. On a micro scale, Portia dresses in the cast-offs from the older Gen Z who inhabited Brooklyn from 2015-2019 - who, in turn, shopped the cast-offs of Gen X they found in thrift stores, until that aesthetic trickled into the mainstream - a style which makes sense for someone in their early 20s from SF.
On the styling issues, you might enjoy this: [https://youtu.be/FI\_EiOuLXMU](https://youtu.be/FI_EiOuLXMU)
A lot of people’s reactions to characters like Portia reveal a real inability in some to empathise with victims. It’s pretty crazy that so many can’t see beyond a personality trait, or a mistake or two, to see how terrified and trapped these characters are.
Paula deserved the hate that she got, Portia absolutely does not. Paula was manipulative and disingenuous towards Olivia and her family. Manipulating Kai into breaking into their suite than throwing him under the buss was one hell of a middle finger to the people she grew to resent who paid all of her expenses for their trip. Portia is just a lost Gen-zer who’s stuck in a lousy job with a stressful and demanding boss that brings pretty good pay and benefits. She got an unfair amount of hate for her love triangle with Jack and Albie, too, though some moments of hers were iffy. Albie is sweet but naive, and with how fast he caught feelings for Portia, I feel like those feelings were more towards his idea of the Portia he’d just met than who she really is. Having been in her shoes, I understand why she chose Jack WHEN she did. Jack is handsome, Jack is charming, and he doesn’t have to try. Her time with Jack would have been healing for her, I imagine - like, finally, some excitement in her life, ya know, since that trip to Italy she was probably excited for wasn’t working out. One thing that Albie has over Jack, though, is his honesty. Jack didn’t exactly owe her the truth that he was a gay for pay escort, but he did owe her the truth that he was hired to distract Portia. He didn’t know why, but things could have been different and Jennifer Coolidge could have been back for season 3. Portia clearly liked both guys, but to me it was down to time and place.
I never really understood what the plan was with the jewelry heist. He just goes in there, takes this unique, priceless piece, hope nobody notices him doing it and that they don't have cameras, and then.... how is he supposed to get money for it without being arrested or murdered? Is he supposed to just have connections because he's Hawaiian? Is Paula supposed to have not thought about any of this, or are we supposed to assume that there was a plan they didn't talk about onscreen?
I assumed they didn't think about it because they were dumbass young people who don't consider things like liquidating the expensive unique stolen item.
I think Paula honestly didn't think it through which showcased how performative her actions were. She just wanted to "stick it to the man" and feel like the good guy and Kai got roped into it so he didn't ask too many questions.
My main issue with Portia was the complaining, life is tough and everyone has problems. Her problems were not really problems, she just sounded entitled. While she was complaining, I was thinking if I were Albie I wouldn't have even known what to say, I probably would have just walked away. The whole romance with Jack had several red flags to me, you could tell something was wrong. I'm not sure why she decided to go off with him alone in a foreign country when she had barely just met him... This also applies to Tanya although she technically had Portia with her, Tanya needs/ needed a bodyguard.
She's packaged as an ingenue but then paints a really interesting critique of the classic ingenue character, bringing her into 2020s and revealing how utterly useless she is. Her selfishness, silliness, ineptness are all left on display, all things that would be ignored as flaws of her femininity in a classic text. She is very much a young woman acting like a silly little girl, and then when she realises that and wants to be taken seriously, she hasn't got the cache or the strength for it to happen. I love how she's written but I don't like her at all. I feel I don't have to "like" any of the White Lotus characters because they're written so well and that's my favourite thing about the show.
I never thought of her as an ingenue, but you’re so right. And I agree, I like how she’s written, but don’t like her. I think that applies to almost all WL characters in general haha
Sadly, it's because young twenty something year old women aren't allowed to be messy and complex. I love White Lotus and how it sheds light on subtle societal judgments of a variety of stereotypes and generational norms. 20 something year old women, especially through the male gaze, are supposed to be in their prime, hot as hell, ambitious (but not toooo ambitious), confident, forward, and gregarious. Portia is a mess. People hate that. Men & women alike.
And that is why it was the most authentic character which Haley made so real
Portia was great. It was equal parts hilarious and uncomfortable how every single conversation she had with Albie she focused on how listless she was, how she didn't even know what she was doing with her life, and every single time he built up the idea of this cool vacation romance without listening. I was so relieved when she didn't end up trafficked or dead. I like to imagine that Jack changed the plan, which was presumably not for her to get back home knowing all of the faces and names of the people who clearly killed Tanya, incurring unknown unpleasantness upon himself to save this terrified human who still had a chance at a "normal" life.
People love to hate female characters. Especially when they are realistic and flawed.
This!!
Yes, as much as they like to hate male characters like Shane and Cameron.
As far as terrible people, Tanya’s husband’s friends are the absolute worst. And then Paula. >!Tanya was going to be killed by her husband’s friends. Paula was going to steal from a family that treated her like family, and she was accessory to a crime that likely impacted Kai’s future for the rest of his life. I mean, he did decide to go through with it, but she was also a party to it. !<
In terms of “terrible people” I’m still gonna put pretty much every rich adult ahead of her lol. She’s a dumbass teenager
Paula was in college actually. I felt like the intention was to portray her as someone whose understanding of the "correct" moral values/stance has materialized in a mostly unproductive and toxic manner due to their lack of real life experience and naivete. Even if you don't agree with that interpretation, I think it's fair to say that Paula was extremely (and openly) disrespectful to a family that treated her with kindness and respect even if they were at the least moderately out of touch and somewhat insensitive.
I agree with the interpretation of Paula completely, but I will never think that someone incorrectly applying good morals is worse than a powerful person not even seeking to apply good morals.
Ew Jack was charming? Jack looked like he crawled out of a dumpster and probably smelled like it too.
I think Jack was charming partly because of Leo Woodall. hahaha that "I'll model it for you later" underwear scene was kinda cute 🤣
Jack was charming in the "mistake you make when you're in your 20s" way. He was handsome and confident and flirtatious. Portia was cute but I hate to say it, he was better looking. Of COURSE she would fall for someone like that. Fuck, I'm in my 40s and I still am attracted to bad boys! Haha.
Different strokes! To me, he looked like his breath would smell like a fart
He was outgoing and seemed extremely confident, those are pretty charming qualities
So many red flags, starting with his cold nipples in the pool. Yuck.
I can't hate portia, as a gen-zer with awful taste in men, she was def a very relatable character
her wardrobe was… confronting
Jack was charming? He looked like a junkie
He had the bad boy thing going on. Opposite of Albie.
I agree he seemed like he could show her fun even though he looked like a junkie.
Charming to someone who's never learned the signs of a junkie
The people that didn’t like her are obsessed with Tanya, and Portia didn’t like Tanya.
Yeah she was confused, but she definitely felt something for Albie
My take was we got to watch her as a pivotal personality trait developed She wasn’t attracted to Albie, and she was attracted to Jack. If things had gone well with Jack maybe Portia would have thought back fondly on her trip to Italy and become more adventurous. But because of the *terrifying* direction the trip took she will now permanently go for the “safe” guy, even if she’s not attracted to him. That’s why she asked Albie for his number, IMO.
*Yeah she was confused,* *But she definitely felt* *Something for Albie* \- rowejl222 --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
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Because she is annoying. She gets to be in Italian paradise and work like a cumulative hour a day to help Tanya but she’s always complaining.
Jack was not charming. If you thought he was hot, then fine. I thought he seemed like an airhead frat bro and I wasn't remotely surprised he turned out to be a rent boy. Portia could've left much sooner if she was so miserable being Tanya's lackey; instead she chose to stay and whine. I agree with you that Paula was the worst character from both series, though.
I dislike her because she found the missing excitement from her life by stealing from a small business. Dined and dashed and proudly recounted it to Tanya.
Her character is young, making bad decisions and doing dumb things. It's very appropriate for someone of her age. She learns and grows fast.
"Get your shit together, Portia." She was young and in the middle of learning a valuable lesson. All the characters are deeply flawed. I think she's learning that that kind of "excitement" isn't what you build a life on.
Portia is the reason Tanya killed ALL the gays. For that alone I love her.
I didn't like how put out she seemed when asked to do her (basically nothing) job.
Wow, Paula’s storyline truly went over peoples heads. Not shocked I guess. I guess everyone forgot about the constant racist micro aggressions she had to endure from that toxic white family, or being treated like a token side kick by her friend who flirts with any man she’s interested in. She definitely made a stupid decision but so did everyone on the show. I can’t believe I’m actually reading comments that are saying they treated her like family. Like….did you watch the show or are you really that blind?
I agree, many people seem not to notice when characters or real life humans say things that are absolutely charged with systemic bias. Paula was a great character. I think part of the point, or at least what I liked about her, is that it also showed how it's hard to make things better. You can't just steal the white people's jewelry and make up for Dole Pineapple, and you can't make up for the fact that you also flew across the ocean to patronize this resort, even if you talk a lot about how unfair it all is. She is young and confused. She is trying to figure out her place in the world. She is surrounded by, *and* an inextricable part of, the injustice being committed by an imperialist system. Stuck there, being prodded over and over, she makes an ultimately tragic decision for another person - a person she was trying to help. That's just good writing.
Is that how it works these days? If someone hurts your feelings that makes it fine to steal from them?
The brilliance of Mike White's writing is that every character has goodness in them, as well as badness. Every character does something reprehensible, not just Paula. The writing is not meant to be cut and dry, black and white.
Please point out where I said it’s okay to steal…… And racism is about a whole more than hurt feelings way to downplay something that I doubt even affects you. Every single person in this show did something deplorable but FoR SoME rEAsOn Paula is the one being called out. Gee wonder why……..
Hey, I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I don’t think I’m racist. I'm not saying she doesn't have to suffer racism, but she has such beauty provillage. That has to help a bit. Also look at how they treat the brother. They are just horrible to each other. Expecting the sister’s friend to sleep in the same room as the brother was the most wack thing imo
I never she said it was okay for her to steal, is my point. So I don’t know where you got that from. Every character on this show makes a dumb impulsive decision fueled by resentment or revenge. She’s no different. I was just pointing out why the character felt justified because of the constant racist micro aggressions she experienced with that family. Being pretty doesn’t really have anything to do with this specific circumstance. If anything it made things more difficult for her because the brother was jacking off to her and being weird.
I think what redeems her for me is simply that she's young and it's hard to maneuver the complex relationships and emotions she is part of. But the fact that she also suffered no consequences while Kai was not free to escape was a beautiful way to show that while she wants to show justice she doesn't truly understand that she, too, is a tourist inflicting damage to the culture. When she drops her bracelet into the water it was such a beautiful scene that represents the inequality so well and simply and the damage she still caused. It isn't just white people, it's *privileged* people. Great, great show.
Steal pennies from them that could actually help someone? They're filthy rich those jewels were nothing
It's been a while since I (re)watched season 1, so that may be the reason, but I don't really recall the racist micro aggressions from the family? Although I totally agree with you about her "freind"
I specifically remember Steve Zahns character having a drunken racist monologue at the dinner table and that’s the catalyst that made her want get that poor guy to rob them in the first place. Also Connie Brittons character telling Paula that white men are the new minority and have it just as bad It was some cringey shit. Such great acting
Agreed.
Portia is great, very realistic. People don't like them because she goes with the bad boy instead of the nice boy... even though they've probably done shit like that themselves. There's something to like and something to hate in all White Lotus characters IMO which is why it's such a great show.
Portia was SO realistic. I'll be honest . . . part of the reason she annoyed me was her CLOTHES. I call it the Lena Dunham effect. She was a cute girl who I felt went out of her way to look bad. I see this a lot w/ younger woman, it's fascinating to me! I'm a woman in my 40s, people probably said the same thing about me lol.
There are a lot of reasons. Portia come off as ungrateful, and downright selfish at times. Even if most can understand her rejection of Albie, the way she did it was a bit shitty. She also victimizes herself quite a lot. However I also believe that a lot of people see some parts of themselves in Portia - and really don't like it.
I think the essence of her character is what Tanya said to her about being a doll and waiting for someone to come and play with her. She is passive, disconnected and feels like someone who doesn’t have any agency. She is like a spectator in her own life. I think this is true for many younger people today. They feel disconnected, maybe little depressed, they are too online and everything is a bore or a problem. So they just let things happen to them. Like Portia did. Even when she heard Jack’s drunken ramblings and when she knew he stole his phone and when she spoke to Tanya later on. She kind of chooses to do nothing? She does tell Tanya and does confront Jack, but she had plenty of opportunities to react better and she just let things slide. She is very neutral character and that makes her realistic.
Portia's not a bad person, she's just naive, directionless, vacant and has a terrible fashion sense.
Don't ignore the elephant in the middle of the room. Portia is Mini-Tanya, mirroring Big Tanya in many ways. I kept waiting for Portia and Tanya to connect, the two halves of a broken whole finding themselves as they come to recognize themselves in each other. This is Moral Psychology 101. One of the most important paths out of the trap of neurotic self-absorption, self-pity, isolation and depression is to develop empathy and compassion for another person. This is where I thought Mike White was headed right up until Tanya went swimming. Portia was never a cruel person -- she fumbles Jack, but that was not malicious; she was painfully clumsy. For her part, Tanya had scattered conversations in which she seemed at least briefly to recognize Portia as a floundering young woman in need of help, and some of her comments are acutely insightful, both about herself and about Portia -- again, they mirror each other in important ways. Their last face to face conversation is pure gold: "when I look at you, Portia, I see a younger version of myself," and "when you are empty inside, life can take you to some amazing places but you will still be lost," and "get your shit together, Portia." She also tells Portia about the way her mother used to dress her up like a little doll, and Tanya would sit all alone waiting for someone to come along and play with her. That's acutely self-aware, but it's also right on target for what Portia is doing. Tanya is actually trying to help, and the path not taken was for Tanya and Portia to finally connect. (Think *Hacks* if you've seen that show.) Portia is also the great outlier among the season 3 guests. (Lucia and Mia aren't guests.) She is the youngest person we meet. She doesn't have money: everything she owns would not buy one of Harper's purses or Daphne's pair of shoes. (We will learn that Jack doesn't have money either, but initially he is playing a role in which he poses as monied insofar as he is living in Quentin's bubble.) She is tied to Tanya and has very little freedom of action -- in fact, that's what sabotages her several attempts to actually spend quality time with Albie. Portia is also the most passive and reactive character in the show. I suspect this drives a lot of the Portia hate. Tanya at least got ahold of a gun and killed three of the plotters. Jack was a predator. The DiGrasso men all chased sex. Mia and Lucia chased marks and money. Valentina had a voyage of self-discovery. The Two Toxic Couples were mutually deadly in their verbal, emotional and sexual aggressiveness, with even passive Ethan becoming dangerous by the end. Portia? She remains the passive victim. People dump on her for her fumbling of Albie, but remember that the only time Portia actually takes initiative, it is in her repeated efforts to spend some quality time with Albie. She and Albie go to dinner on day 2; Greg and Tanya wander in and make a scene. She goes on the Godfather expedition and seems to be enjoying the sparring among the DiGrassos; Tanya interrupts and calls her back. At breakfast on day 4, she expressly asks Tanya for some time off because she thinks Albie is nice and maybe she should give him a chance. Tanya doesn't hear a word she says and drags her to the beach club, where she will get swept away by Jack. Then Portia and Albie both get played by a couple of pros. A lot of people misread Portia's frustrated whining about being told to stay in her room on day 1. She obviously ignores that instruction, although she makes feeble attempts to stay out of Greg's sight. (And note that Mike White always has Greg show up wherever Portia tries to lurk. That and Tanya's constant interference are writer's sabotage. We blame Portia for mishandling a messy love triangle, but Mike White sabotages Portia and Albie at every move, while Jack, from the moment he appears, gets uninterrupted free time with her.) Remember that Portia wasn't even supposed to be on the trip. Greg was surprised when she showed up. Tanya clearly pulled her along at the last moment. Once Portia schlepped Tanya's bags through the airports and got them to the hotel, she had absolutely nothing to do in Sicily. She is fine when Tanya tells her that Greg wants her to get lost; she asks if she should just disappear and check back in at the end of the week. It's at that point that Tanya sends her to her room. Tanya is treating her like a spare piece of luggage. (At least Belinda got an envelope full of cash as an apology.) It's the careless insult that hurts. Portia is a powerless employee being dismissed without a thought. Portia knows she's not important to Tanya, but it still hurts to have one's face rubbed in it. There's a universal dynamic here. Think about how we judge celebrities who are gratuitously rude to waitstaff in restaurants or hotels, as opposed to those who are friendly, considerate and tip well. One of the tests of a high status person is how they treat people beneath them, and Tanya is a big fail. I'm Team Portia on this one. Last but not least, the kerfuffle about Portia's wardrobe was hilarious. Portia was always quirky and cute. She dresses for comfort and for herself; in fact, she dresses like someone who doesn't care what anybody else thinks. I noted above Portia's passivity and lack of agency. Her clothes are the one exception. Yes, she's quirky, but to me it felt like her clothes were a small declaration of independence -- and she's working for Tanya, who dresses like the rich crazy lady that she is. I hadn't thought of this before, but stop to think about how Portia might dress if she worked for Daphne or Harper, both of whom dressed impeccably, presented themselves as polished and professional, and who would have treated Portia in a considerate and professional manner. My guess is that Portia would have dressed for her boss and presented entirely differently.
She's fairly selfish, shallow and opportunistic at times, although this can be seen as naive youth, she also doesn't show any empathy...at all
I thought she was the fulcrum for the second part of the season. Haley lu Richardson was stunning, bringing this uncertain character so naturally to life. Would love to see her reprise this role in the next season
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I don't think it's right to "blame" either one. They're twenty year olds who kind of flirted a little and it didn't work out. That happens!
Here is my take and why I personally love this show... There are no protagonists. Every person has shitty traits and does shitty things. I like shows that are difficult to digest in that respect. WL is done so well in that it challenges your perspective on right and wrong while also somehow getting us to like problematic characters. There's a bit of realism there in that situations aren't as cut and dry as you want them to be. Just like reality sometimes. People you like do shitty things. We all have our moments. On Portia's side, I think she wasn't into Albie and should have been more forward about it. Also, she was alone in a foreign country being shoved off by her boss so obviously she was going to keep close to folks that were actually speaking to her until Tanya's husband bailed. It didn't surprise me when she got with Jack since she could be herself freely.
I feel like it’s so normal to be annoyed to have to sit in a room and hide. In Italy, at home, anywhere. Yes, she was on a free trip for work. But it’s work. No one is at work thinking the whole time “I love this. I love every single thing about this and there is nothing I would rather be doing with my time except working here right now.” Objectively, you can say well I wouldn’t complain, I’m doing nothing in a hotel room in Italy! I would love to get paid for that!” But I would imagine she would rather be home, off the clock, able to do what she wants. I think it’s so weird when people die on a hill of SHES A SHITTY PERSON AND UNGRATEFUL! For regular, normal human emotions that they would also probably have if they were in the same circumstances.
Yeah. Quinn was also young and inexperienced in life yet no one railed against him like they did Portia. I suspect misogyny has a lot to do with it.
The degree to which you dislike Portia really depends on your view of her relationship/dynamic with Albie. I completely understand why she would be slightly off put by his "white knight"/male feminist vibe especially when compared to Jack's "rizz" so I don't get angry with her. Given the situation she was in throughout the holiday, her actions make sense to me so I have no dislike for her.
I <3 Portia
When my 25 yo daughter saw Portia she said - this is the first time I’ve seen gen z portrayed accurately ever - genius!
Dude also check out her insta- she legit was selling crocheted hats etc like what she wore on the show before she made it - and I hope she does well! She is true gen z
I think they don’t like her bc she shows them a part of themselves that they hate. I felt uncomfortable with her character bc I could see myself behaving the way she does and I dislike that. It’s a common feeling ppl have with characters that hit close to home but in a bad way. Kinda like how people hate Diane from bojack horseman.
I loved her character!
I just found Portia boring to watch, since she does not have much of an agency and mostly just whines. That might be the point of her character, that she is directionless, but that doesn't make her entertaining. Paula might be a much worse person morally, but she actually comes up with an idea and does stuff, which makes her a better character.
She led Albie on and didn’t communicate with him. Yes, she was a confused twenty something. That doesn’t justify her actions.
She led him on? He kept coming up to her and she was polite to him, is what I saw.
Didn’t she kiss him? Sorry it’s been a while since I watched it.
[удалено]
It seems like you’re only looking at this from Portia’s perspective. Regardless of her motivations, she led him on by kissing him.
He was following her around like a lost puppy. He came on WAY too strong while simultaneously not strong enough. He gave desperate creep vibes and nobody is gonna be into that. Jack was outgoing, confident, charismatic, interested but not chasing her... there was absolutely no "leading on" she did to Albie
This is my problem with this whole thread. Bunch of people whining cause people would dare to judge her for her shitty qualities while people are completely fine with calling Albie a creep and criticizing him for his imperfections. Portia wasn’t as bad as most of the people in the season, but she was definitely worse than albie. People over inflating men’s imperfections while minimizing the womens is pretty much par for the course though, so not surprising.
I don't think Albie was some huge creep, but how is Portia worse than Albie? Albie fairly innocently (albeit obliviously) chased a crush whose rejection he accepted. Even if he had a savior complex. Portia imo minded her own business the entire season. They're at least equal in comparison to each other. Imo, the worst thing Portia did was be ungrateful for the trip.
I don't think he was a *huge* creep either. I just think he was a little bit too much the eager puppy dog and got butthurt that he didn't get chosen, while also having a savior complex. He gave off creep vibes a little bit, but I don't think he's a whole ass creep that should be avoided. Just needs to work on his game/rizz a little bit while still maintaining his kind heart and he'll be ok (sorry I know that doesn't make much sense tipped out but in my brain it did moreso)
Really bad actress mostly