The third season of Mike White’s HBO anthology series The White Lotus has begun, reviving familiar themes and tropes from its predecessors. The show opens with a violent death foretold, followed by a week’s worth of flashbacks showcasing the arrival of new guests at an ultra-luxurious Thai resort. As the wealthy and privileged mingle, their façade of elegance is marred by underlying tensions and insecurities.
The new characters rotate in, including a middle-aged couple with stunted offspring, old friends reuniting for a doomed reunion, and dysfunctional lovers who mask their unpleasantness behind charming smiles. These guests are not immune to tragedy, but those who survive will face an even more devastating fate: being themselves.
At the resort, guests can indulge in wellness activities like hydration testing, posture correction, and meditation classes that devolve into therapy sessions. However, none of these activities seem to interest the new season’s characters, as they are content with their wealth, looks, and social status.
A rare exception is Piper Ratliff, who has dragged her family to Thailand for a work exchange and an opportunity to interview a Buddhist monk. Her parents’ provincial background and fixation on material possessions contrast sharply with their daughter’s desire for spiritual growth.
The third season of The White Lotus leans into satire, portraying the show as an ideological slasher movie at heart. Belinda, returning from the first season, occupies a precarious position between guest and host, exacerbating her feeling of being out of place.
Throughout the series, the characters’ insular world is reflected and embodied in their interactions with others. However, the third season’s native characters are barely an afterthought, especially when compared to the more nuanced portrayals of the previous seasons.
Ultimately, The White Lotus offers a bleak assessment of privilege and class, reassuring viewers that those who hold power will face consequences if they wait long enough. Despite this, the show’s reliance on schadenfreude and satire raises questions about its moral compass and the true nature of its commentary on wealth and status.
Source: https://slate.com/culture/2025/02/the-white-lotus-season-3-review-hbo.html