The monkeys see all…but they won’t tell you what to do or what direction you should go towards…
“Everyone in LA is talking about this place,” a character says once she steps off the boat at The White Lotus Thailand, the gorgeous resort at the center of Mike White’s third season of his drama series. I’m sure that means both the setting and the show itself as White’s series remains one of the true destinations of television as it dissects interpersonal relationships, sex, gender, privilege and power. The subtlest change with this third excursion, though, is its central theme of wellness and personal betterment with this locale’s focus on mental and emotional balance. With yet another beautifully stacked cast, White proves once again that The White Lotus is the best written show on television.
This round-up of characters feels more intimate and tight-knit then previous seasons. While season one really leaned into the flippant spending of money and lack of awareness of one’s own white privilege and season two honed in on how sexuality can be used as a weapon, season three features a collection of characters on a hunt for some guidance and personal growth. Timothy Ratliff (Jason Isaacs) and his wife Victoria (a perpetually buzzed and relaxed Parker Posey) make it family affair with their sons, Saxon and Lochlan (Patrick Schwarzenegger and Sam Nivola), as their daughter, Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook), studies her thesis in Buddhism. Television star Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan) is amped to spend time with her childhood best friends (played by Carrie Coon and Leslie Bibb) since they all live in different corners of the country. Aimee Lee Wood’s Chelsea is desperate to help her moody boyfriend, Walton Goggins’ Rick, chill out even if it seems like he’s pulling more and more away. Our most familiar face, though, comes in returning White Lotus employee Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) as her trip is meant to be used as a tool to take new wellness skills back to Maui.
These characters feel a disconnect from their scolling (doom scolling?) lives as this resort requests that you leave your phones and devices behind. Saxon is vocally reluctant since he is trying to make a name for himself at the same company where his father works, and there could be troubles on the horizon from the patriarch of the Ratliff family. Saxon turns his attention to his younger brother in a desperate attempt to get him laid for the first time. Scharzenegger’s performance could draw similarities to Theo James’ Cameron in how he doesn’t see personal barriers (especially when making people uncomfortable in public), and his touchiness could be seen as invasive to one’s own comfort. Saxon sucks all the air out of the room to the charm of his giggling mother and the silent horror of his younger bro even Lochlan looks at him with some admiration.
When season three’s location was announced, some questioned whether White should set his series there since he lacked the perspective of the citizens of Thailand. The employees of this resort get ample, hefty storylines that counterbalance the other stories of privilege and wealth. Tayme Thapthimthong’s Gaitok, a security guard, longs for a promotion as a bodyguard to one of the owners, Lek Mejudhon’s Sritala, even though he makes some mistakes along the way. He has a crush on Mook, a health mentor to the guests, and their scenes carry and innocent charm that previous seasons didn’t explore. When he asks her out, she tells him that she has never been on a date before, and the gentle pull between them centers Gaitok and boosts his confidence. Their scenes are some of the best in the six episodes that were released for critics. The handsome Arnas Fedaravičius’ Valentin, a concierge and wellness instructor becomes an object of playful chatter between Coon, Monaghan, and Bibb’s characters. Belinda’s tutelage under Pornchai (Dom Hetrakul) is a completely different dynamic than we’ve seen on The White Lotus, and fans of The Zone of Interest will delight in the affable presence of Christian Friedel’s Fabian.
By spinning everyone’s intentions inward, White allows himself to explore the complexities of family and friends in a new way. They all keep recommending things to one another–you should have a massage, why not take that therapy session!–while almost everyone keeps a deep-rooted secret or desire to themselves. Even though we are here to work on our minds and health, everyone is hiding from one another. The White Lotus has always put a light on the rich, ugliness of American travelers and their money, but isn’t it worse because we are telling each other that we are doing something about it, and, ultimately lying to them and ourselves? White’s writing is acidic and sharp as ever.
Posey’s Victoria will surely find the adoration of legions of gays online–aren’t you excited for weekly White Lotus parties again?!–but the awakenings in her marriage are some of the subtlest and most complex that the series has explored. Victoria has been sleepwalking for years and years, but her awakening is gorgeously handled in Posey’s deftly manicured hands. Isaacs gives one of the best performances of his career as a man who was supposed to have everything figured out. Is that rot contagious? Are his sons going to suffer later in life because their wealth poisoned their perspective on the world and women?
I was worried that Rothwell’s character would be too sidelined, but realized that White has given her a gift of a return since she as her Belinda was often overlooked and overworked in her job back in Hawaii. Goggins broods and eventually reveals his contempt later in the season, but he proves why he is one of the most exciting character actors working. Rick carries a lot of pain, but this is a man who needs to express his fulfillment and needs in other ways. Gaitok is a man desperate to prove himself and Thapthimthong gives him a warmth that separates him from the men that visit the resort where he works. This is an actor making himself known with this character. Some of the scenes between Coon’s Laurie, Bibb’s Kate, and Monaghan’s Jaclyn are some of White’s best writing the show has ever seen. These women constantly change alliances and it’s thrilling.
Those coming back for another excursion should not think that this visit is like its first two outings. Season three is the deepest season yet as it explores how we must care for ourselves in order to give to those in our lives. It’s a test for its characters–would you be able to handle it? The White Lotus returns with intelligence, wit to spare, and pathos to keep you coming back to make another reservation.
The White Lotus drops episodes weekly starting February 16.
