Here at NOON we’ve been loving the Queenager characters on this season of The White Lotus. Jaclyn, Laurie and Kate are childhood friends reuniting for a gals trip in their mid-forties. While they have their ups and downs throughout the show, last night’s finale showed us that at least one of them has got Queenagerdom all figured out. Welcome to the club, ladies!
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Each character is facing her own midlife challenges, especially Carrie Coon’s character Laurie, a corporate lawyer from New York. Laurie has already been ‘whacked’, missing out on making partner at her law firm and getting a divorce in the last few years. Initially coping by drinking a lot of wine and dragging her friends out partying, Laurie comes to a realisation in the final episode, which she shares with her friends on their last night.
Laurie’s epiphany
Over their final dinner at the luxury hotel, Laurie opens up to Jaclyn and Kate:
“I feel like when you get older, you have to justify your life and your choices. When I am with you guys, it’s so transparent what my choices were and my mistakes. I have no belief system, and I mean, I’ve had a lot of them. [] Work was my religion for forever, but I definitely lost my belief there, and then I tried love, and that was just a painful religion that made everything worse.[] Being a mother, that didn’t save me either. But I had this epiphany today: I don’t need religion or God to give my life meaning, because time gives it meaning. We started this life together. I mean, we are going through it apart, but we’re still together, and I look at you guys, and it feels meaningful. And I can’t explain it, but even when we are just sitting around the pool talking about whatever inane s–t, it still feels very f—–g deep.”
Well said, Laurie! (And Carrie Coon, who people are already saying deserves an Emmy for this performance). We love that she has recognised her worth comes from the life she has lived. As we often say at NOON, by midlife women have been through one hell of a lot, all of which we have learned from, and this makes us wiser and better able to deal with life than our younger selves. And of course there’s Much More to Come!
Fact or fiction?
The trio’s dynamic during the show is often toxic, comparing successes and competing for male attention, so some viewers were sceptical of Laurie’s love-bombing of her two friends. Even if it doesn’t totally check out on-screen, we see that the sisterhood is alive and well in our real-life Queenager community every day, especially during NOON circles and retreats. Watching NOON members support each other through all that midlife throws at them is always our favourite part of any event.
Did you watch The White Lotus? What did you think of these characters? Do you have any other favourite Queenager fictional characters? Let us know in the comments!
