The White Lotus returns for a magnificent third season that takes viewers to the far off and exotic Thailand, once again featuring the razor sharp and intelligent writing of Mike White, that when combined with outstanding performances from the ensemble cast and especially Parker Posey, Michelle Monaghan and Walton Goggins, makes for another riveting and darkly hilarious season of television.

 

To all guests, the White Lotus hotels signal excellence, luxury and exclusivity, but for viewers, Mike White’s black comedy is known for its dysfunctional characters, outrageous depravity and shocking deaths. Returning for its first season without Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya McQuoid, there is a hesitation amongst fans that the newest season, which takes the drama to Thailand, may not be able to match the high standard set by the first two seasons. But with a cast of wild and intriguing new characters, a stellar ensemble cast featuring the likes of Parker Posey, Jason Isaacs and Michelle Monaghan, the return of Natasha Rothwell’s Belinda, and White’s incredibly sharp and hilarious writing, The White Lotus is not only back in fine form, but this third season might just be the best season of the series to date!

 

While envisioned as an anthology series, with each new season introducing new characters and a new hotel in the White Lotus group, White has managed to create a season spawning narrative that only deepens the drama of each season. The central glue of the series is Coolidge’s Tanya, and despite being infamously killed last season by the gays (Coolidge’s words not mine), her presence is still shaping the third season in unexpected ways. The obvious connection is in the return of Rothwell’s Belinda, who finds herself on a trip to the Thailand location to learn from their staff to take back their techniques to the Hawaiian White Lotus hotel, but Tanya’s influence extends beyond Belinda in a surprising way which ups the drama for the season. Much like previous seasons, the character writing from Mike is exceptional, yet again delivering new character plotlines for audiences to be both entertained and repulsed by. From the privilege and entitlement of the Ratliff family and their inability to cope with what life decides to throw at them, to the shocking behaviour of three so-called “friends” on vacation together who are just as likely to complement each other as to tear each other apart behind their backs, it’s never been such fun to watch despicable humans act poorly on television. White’s writing not only ensures truly awful moments that showcases the worst of these characters, but also infuses them with a tragic empathy that will have the audience pitying them, helping to emotionally invest viewers in each character arc. Unlike previous seasons, the drama for the hotel staff is not as exciting (we have no standout like Armond or Valentina this season so far), but the staff characters are smartly written and woven into the individual storylines of each guest, ensuring that they have a larger purpose for the season just beyond their outrageous and inappropriate interactions with the hotel guests. 

 

The drama slowly builds and builds each episode as each character’s inner turmoil spirals, affecting their interactions with the other guests at the White Lotus Thailand, building a ticking powder keg that is primed and ready to explode in the final two episodes of the season. And with the tease of the death of this season from the first few minutes of the season premiere, it is clear that White is building towards his most ambitious and shocking season finale to date for the series. Needless to say for viewers, the third season provides an incredibly addictive viewing experience that will have them eagerly awaiting each week’s new episode to see just how far these characters are going to spiral out of control, and find out the shocking aftermath of what White is building to this season!