The satirical drama anthology series “The White Lotus” aired its season three finale on April 6. True to the previous seasons, this one saw a new set of characters being miserable at the luxurious, fictional hotel franchise the White Lotus, eventually ending in murder.
The third season took place in Thailand. It followed a seemingly perfect family on the cusp of falling apart, three longtime friends whose relationship was tested by their differences, a man haunted by his past with a significantly younger girlfriend, a security guard juggling his job and love, and the spa manager Belinda Linsday from season one. “The White Lotus” has been renewed for a fourth season.
Highs
“The White Lotus” was a show about the contrast between a luxurious life and emotional turmoil. Although the casts for each season are quite large, they can be separated into two character archetypes; those who are wealthy, and those who are not. Season three continued this as tension brewed both between and within the classes.
In particular, the third season’s conflict was around how much comfort is one willing to give up. Whether it be the excessively wealthy terrified of losing their equally excessive comforts or how far would one go to maintain their job. In this way, the third season was the most thematically rich (pun intended) season of “The White Lotus” so far.
The show oozed luxury in its setting and cinematography. Beautiful shots of a quiet resort, a tranquil sea, and colorful skies, “The White Lotus” was incredibly immersive. It was as if one could reach into the television and walk into the White Lotus resort themselves.
The cast also acted well, bringing performances grounded enough to make the melodrama bite. Walter Goggins especially had one of the best characters and the highlight performance of the season, at once comedic and off-putting. His character wasn’t particularly likable, few in “The White Lotus” were, but he was fascinating. The Thai-speaking characters were also notable as their stories would have been easy to follow even without subtitles.
Lows
While “The White Lotus” season three had the most depth of any season, it wasn’t as entertaining as season two. Jennifer Coolidge’s character from the previous two seasons was especially missed as she was consistently a highlight of the show. Although she couldn’t return in season three as her arc wrapped up, she was still missed.
The third season was less humorous than the second one and the pacing was more muddled. Episodes blended into each other and were rarely satisfying on their own. In balancing the large cast and many subplots, its pacing was slow with how loosely connected they were. Thankfully, the final episode managed to mostly tie the plots into each other in a worthwhile way.
Not every character arc or subplot was resolved satisfactorily either. In particular, a shocking one involving incest and sexual exploration deflated into relative unimportance by the end, and the three longtime friends had drama bubbling with political conflict that wasn’t followed through.
Verdict
“The White Lotus” was a strong case for giving shows more than one season to come into themselves, as the latest two seasons improved on the concept. The third season managed to combine the soap opera-esque drama with the class commentary effectively with exquisite cinematography and acting. Though its comedic elements and pacing could be better balanced with more tight knit subplots. Coolidge’s absence was also felt.
Content note: this season of “The White Lotus” included depictions of suicide ideation and attempt as well as incest as major plot points. Discretion is advised for viewers who may be impacted by these depictions.
Rating: 7 out of 10
Frank Remski is a review columnist for The Eastern Echo. He is majoring in media studies and journalism and minoring in public relations. He has worked for The Echo since summer of 2023 and has written both news stories and opinion pieces. He was named Columnist of the Year by The Echo for his writing in the 2024-2025 school year.
