During one of the heightened episodes in White Lotus Season 3, a monk explains to a career-driven douche bag with the absolute worst family on the planet that Thailand sees a lot of his kind. People come from all over the world to visit the gorgeous islands because they believe they can outrun their pain. The monk explains that chasing money and pleasure isn’t a means to outrun pain. Pain will always find you.
This is one of the saddest truths about the world today. As much as we try and live clean lives, do good things, and serve positive energy into the universe, it is incredibly difficult to avoid the darkness. That’s because, for everyone trying their best, there’s a flock of nasty people circling ahead.
White Lotus Season 3 puts these people on a platter as I witnessed their twisted ways, dysfunctional behaviour, and sadly, some innocent people getting pulled into it all. The worst part of it is that we all likely know someone like these ‘people’. The swindlers, the medicated mother who cannot function without hourly gulps of anti-anxiety pills, the pain-in-the-ass football jock, the ageing cougars who are trying to outrun time itself.
You either know people with similar stories or perhaps can relate to these sad tales in some way or another.
White Lotus Season 3 doesn’t try and change its formula. It starts out the same with a violent event taking place sometime in the future. Gunshots are heard throughout the resort as it seems there’s a mass shooter on the loose. But how? On this peaceful island where monkeys swing through the trees and the ocean is your tranquil escape from reality.
The show then drops you back in the past as the next batch of guests arrive at The White Lotus Thailand. One joyful part of watching this show is dissecting these guests. Especially the opening scene as your mind tries to undress them (let’s be honest here), plot their backstories, and of course, try to figure out exactly what twisted lives they live.
Without giving much away, the cast this time is different, but at the same time, there are very few unlikable people. You kind of set yourself up to hate them from the start because the show’s reputation for uncovering the heinous and ill-willed hasn’t changed.
The only familiar face, who is a breath of fresh air amongst the crazies, is Natasha Rothwell, who plays Belinda. She is from Season 1 and, if you can’t recall, was the masseuse who was screwed over by Tanya McQuoid (Jennifer Coolidge).
The Ratliff family consists of your typical all-American white family— privileged, wealthy, cliché, soulless. The siblings have some strange relationship dynamics, and wow, there’s a lot going on here.
Victoria (Parker Posey) is a loud-mouthed brat wife; her daughter, Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook), is your American sweetheart golden child. Saxton (Patrick Schwarzenegger) is your horny adult son who has clearly fallen his firm and gorgeously toned butt in butter. There’s the younger son, Lochlan (Sam Nivola), who seems lost in the world. The family is then run by Timothy (Jason Isaacs).
Then we have the trio of long-time friends who have escaped to Thailand to show the world how “young” they are. Each seems to be well-established, but within the first few minutes, you can clearly see they hate each other while plastering on fake “I love you guys so much” smiles. We have all been there. There’s clearly enough jealousy to go around.
The other couple on the boat is Rick and Chelsea. Another strange duo. Chelsea is clearly obsessed with Rick and wants nothing but to please him; however, he seems to find her annoying and, if anything, grotesque.
There are a few more cast members that are thrown into the mix. Staff from the White Lotus Thailand play an important role in the series. Although I don’t think it beats Armond’s excellent role played by Murray Bartlett in Season 1.
Together, it all accumulates into something rather fantastic. Again, White Lotus Season 3 isn’t doing much differently this time around. It is quite comfortable showcasing the lives of horrible people, and I am here for it. Perhaps some aspects of the show should be dropped now, but that’s a topic for another day – when I can openly discuss spoilers, of course.
For now, I have watched six of the eight episodes. I don’t know what is going to happen in the last two, but I am waiting in anticipation. There’s no doubt a lot to enjoy about this new season. But the best part is watching the lives of these people unfold and if anything, crumble right before your eyes.
The White Lotus Season 3 debuts this Sunday with episodes going live every Monday on Showmax. You can rewatch the first two seasons while you’re waiting. Visit Showmax to find out more about the current and upcoming season.
