What You Should Be Watching Instead of White Lotus
Yes, I am late to post this...
I meant to get this post out a while ago, but my creative juices are at negative 7%. That's exactly how I'd describe my overall energy and enthusiasm levels right now: negative 7%. Nevertheless, I wanted to share these thoughts.
I genuinely don't understand why everyone's falling over themselves about White Lotus when there's this show on Hulu called Dying for Sex that's quietly devastating in all the best possible ways. I binged it during one of those life periods when everything felt like it was collapsing around me1, and it didn't exactly bring me joy. Instead, it brought me something I needed more: perspective.
At its core, Dying for Sex tells the true story of Molly (played by the incredible Michelle Williams), who gets diagnosed with breast cancer, battles into remission, and then faces the soul-crushing news that her cancer has returned as stage four while she's still young. The show follows her decision to leave her comfortable but stifling marriage to explore sexual freedom in whatever time she has left, all supported by her ride-or-die best friend Nikki (Jenny Slate).
Yes, there are sex scenes (I'll admit I fast-forwarded through most, maybe that makes me a prude). The true backbone of this story is friendship: messy, unconditional, laugh-through-your-tears friendship. The love story isn't between Molly and her hookups; it's between her and Nikki. And when's the last time you saw friendship portrayed with that kind of raw devotion on TV?
Michelle Williams is a revelation here. I haven't seen her on TV since Dawson's Creek eons ago, but she absolutely commands every frame; she’s funny, vulnerable, and devastating, sometimes within the same breath. And Jenny Slate as Nikki? She's the friend we all wish we had: chaotic, fiercely protective, and willing to walk through fire with you. Their chemistry makes the relationship feel lived-in and real in a way most shows never achieve.
The show is adapted from the real-life Dying for Sex podcast, where the actual Molly and Nikki documented this journey together.
What elevates Dying for Sex beyond just another premium cable drama isn't just its premise; it's how unflinchingly it handles the absurdity of mortality. It refuses to either sanitize death or drown in misery porn. Instead, it gives you the full emotional spectrum: the gutting sadness, the inappropriate laughter, the small moments of grace that somehow matter more when time is running out.
And then there's Rob Delaney in a supporting role. If you've read his memoir A Heart That Works (warning: only read if you're emotionally prepared to be destroyed), you know he understands grief on a molecular level. There's something almost cosmically right about him and Williams, both intimately acquainted with profound loss, sharing space in a story about death, desire, and what it actually means to be alive.
After watching, I fell into a rabbit hole reading the real Molly's blog, which became public after the show aired. Her reflections on illness and forgiveness, particularly forgiving the doctor who dismissed her early symptoms, hit me like a ton of bricks. If someone facing terminal illness can release that kind of resentment, what excuse do the rest of us have? She understood something essential: holding onto anger only poisons you, not the person who wronged you.
Open letter to the OBGYN who waved off my tiny lump
If you need something that manages to be both soul-crushing and life-affirming, that doesn't flinch from darkness but still finds light, Dying for Sex is it. It's not an easy watch, nothing this honest could be, but it's a necessary one. It reminds you to live with intention, to love your people fiercely, and to find meaning even when life serves up nothing but chaos.
That's my recommendation from the depths of my negative 7% creative energy. Skip The White Lotus (the rich people will still be miserable) and give Dying for Sex your attention instead. You might just find exactly what you didn't know you were looking for.
More on this when I am emotionally stronger
I watched Dying for Sex this month and also loved it. <3 I really hope we see some Emmy nominations for Jenny Slate, Rob Delaney, and Michelle Williams!