The Resort, on Peacock, s a murder-mystery tv series set on the Mayan Riviera, where rich people go sunbathing and ignore the Mayan ruins. It stars Skyler Gisondo, and it features a gay couple, both named Ted, so I'm in. I reviewed Episode 1, "The Disappointment of Time."
Scene 1: The airport shuttle stops at Akumal, a tropical resort. Wait -- did it knock over a vase? Noah (William Jackson Harper) and his wife Emma exit. Manager Luna gives them bracelets that will "get you everything you need "Even heroin?" I didn't know that this was a comedy; the previews make it look like a murder mystery.
It's their tenth anniversary, but they don't seem particularly lovey-dovey. They don't even sit together in the golf cart.
Scene 2: In their room, they bump fists and then collapse onto separate beds. No smooching? Ok, one kiss, but Noah complains that Emma's breath stinks.
Scene 3: Time for dinner, but Noah is asleep -- jet lag, he says, although it's only a three hour time difference. Emma watches tv, then examines a mysterious scar on her belly (this will become important later) and hits the pool. She checks an online quiz to see if she should dump Noah. He's not cheating, so no....
Scene 4: Emma snoozing and hungover on a tour bus while Noah talks to an older gay couple, Ted and Ted (Parvesh Chena, Michael Hitchcock). They are obviously hot for each other, although they've been together for decades.
They arrive, and ride go-karts through the jungle. Darn, I thought they were going to Chichen Itza. Emma lags behind. Whoops, she crashes and tumbles down into a ravine. While down there, she finds an antiquated cell phone. She hides it before the others come to rescue her.
Scene 5: That night, in a bar. Emma the Alcoholic wants a drink, but Noah insists that she can't have any alcohol due to the pain meds from her injuries. The Teds arrive and ask how she's feeling. She excuses herself and goes out to the pool to check on the fossilized cell phone. Why so mysterious? I'd be showing it to the others right away.
Later, as Noah snores, she sneaks out to an all-night cell phone store and buys a phone like the fossilized one she found. She transfers the SIM, charges, and voila, it works! Pictures of Sam (Skyler Gisondo) being licked by a dog, watching fireworks, meeting a girl in a UCLA sweater, drawing cartoons, and at the Oceana Vista Resort!
Messages from 12/26/07, the day after Christmas 15 years ago. "Call me," from Mom. "Where are you?" from Dad. "I am so sorry," from Hanna.
Scene 6: A cabbie takes Emma to the Oceana Vista Resort. It's deserted, locked up, overrun with vegetation. He could have just said that. "People died in there," he explains.
Scene 7: Back in the hotel room, Emma googles "Oceana Vista" It was destroyed by a "rogue holiday hurricane" on December 27, 2007, the day after Sam went missing.
Actually, two tourists went missing, Sam and Violet. They were apparently unacquainted. "Nothing about what happened made any sense," the detective said, "But I suspect foul play."
Scene 8: Flashback to December 24, 2007. On an airplane, Sam (Skyler) is working on a cartoon about women with large breasts and butts unloading stuff from the overhead bins. Heterosexual identity established within five seconds.
He shows his art to his UCLA-sweatshirt girlfriend. She wants to know what it means. "Nothing. Not everything has to have a deeper meaning." Is that a challenge, Sam?
She thinks it's a commentary on the American tourist industry exploiting local cultures. Maybe this couple will visit some Mayan ruins instead of playing on go-karts.
While they are discussing how much they love each other, the guy across the aisle, Carl (Dylan Baker), asks his wife if Sam might be gay. "He has a girlfriend!", she protests.
"A lot of my gay friends used to have girlfriends."
She doesn't believe that her husband has any gay friends. He appears in four episodes, so he must be important.
Scene 9: They'll be in Cancun in two hours. Uh-oh, girlfriend's phone is buzzing, and she's asleep!
Carl from across the aisle notices the dick pic, and cries out in horror. Sam slams the phone shut. Homophobic, aren't you?
More butts after the break
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