‘The White Lotus’ Makes a Splash in Season Three
Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood in The White Lotus | Credit: HBO
In the latest season, we arrive at The White Lotus resort in Thailand to meet a new group of staff members and ultra-wealthy patrons who are trying to survive the week.
For the past two seasons, Mike White and the entire crew have been able to create engaging stories that have so much to say about our world today. There’s a matter-of-factness about each of these seasons that feels refreshing, especially in the year 2025. This show is a reminder that we don’t live in a fairytale—good things don’t always happen to good people, and often, it’s the worst people who not only survive but succeed.
This same ethos is brought to this new story in season three. Though we are introduced to many new characters with new desires and problems, this view of the world persists, which adds to both the humor and heartbreak in this season—and there is plenty of both.
In keeping with the other seasons, throughout the characters’ time in Thailand, some grow, some regress, and some have ups and downs throughout. But no one leaves this week the same and that’s part of what makes this show so interesting. Each person changes in some way, but it’s not always for the better, and it always happens in a way that feels so human. Plenty of people learn the wrong lessons, each one making decisions based on their unique set of morals and desires.
These ultra-wealthy characters are like a train wreck—you can’t help but keep watching to see what happens. Each one seems to be speeding toward their own brand of self-destruction as quickly as possible. You never know what’s going to happen, but you know it will be quite the spectacle.
Carrie Coon, Michelle Monaghan, and Leslie Bibb in The White Lotus | Credit: HBO
This season focuses primarily on three groups of rich clients, the White Lotus staff and Belinda (Natasha Rothwell), who is back again after we parted ways with her in season one.
The Ratliff family is from North Carolina and each member is unique. Tim (Jason Isaacs) is the businessman who has taken the wealth his family already had and made even more money. Like so many others with that much money, he doesn’t always follow the rules, landing him in some hot water that he is ill-prepared for, and he begins to self-destruct. His wife, Victoria (Parker Posey), is a perfect blend of rich, out-of-touch, conservative, and religious, which makes for some interesting moments. Posey is also doing a ridiculous accent that absolutely works and makes everything hilarious.
Their children Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger), Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook), and Lochlan (Sam Nivola) are each trying to find themselves in different ways. Saxon seeks validation by being hyper-masculine and sexualizing everything that moves. Piper wants to explore the Buddhist faith more, seeking to find meaning in her life. Lochlan is a people pleaser who struggles to know what to do in a family full of narcissists.
The second group we follow is life-long friends Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan), Laurie (Carrie Coon), and Kate (Leslie Bibb). They all have very different personalities, priorities, and desires that often clash with one another. Throughout the season, we see how they each gossip about one another and pretend not to notice—it’s so high school and is something that so many women continue to do today. Shout out to Mike White for capturing that dynamic so perfectly.
The final rich group we meet is Rick (Walton Goggins) and Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood). Rick is a wealthy older man who is emotionally closed off. He is dealing with a lot of unprocessed anger that is directing many of his decisions. Chelsea is filled with hope and life. She wants to have fun and adventures, while Rick is mostly just a grump. These two clearly have affection for one another, but their personalities are so opposite that you wonder if they will be able to weather this storm of a week in Thailand. You can’t help but want to root for them despite their dysfunctional relationship.
Walton Goggins and Sam Rockwell in The White Lotus | Credit: HBO
It feels satisfying in films and TV when the ultra-wealthy bad guys meet a fitting end. We want people to get their comeuppance and get what they deserve. But the world doesn’t always work that way. There’s a weird comfort in shows like Succession or The White Lotus that paint a more accurate view of our world. Yes, there are bad people who good things happen to. People will use extraordinary means in order to get what they want and those often come with devastating results. That doesn’t make it right or good, it’s just part of our world.
That place of discomfort as we’re confronted by that reality, I think, really helps make this show shine. It’s never preachy, it’s not trying to make a moral point, but focuses on the twisted nature of our society and the way that the bad guys will often win out. Sometimes, they pay a price, but not always, and not always in the way we might want.
Season four of The White Lotus has already been announced. I’m curious to see where Mike White will take the show next. Each season has been so different than the others, each featuring characters more colorful than the last.
Where could The White Lotus possibly go next?