The White Lotus Season 3 Review: Reliably Incisive, Chaotic, And Entertaining

I believe we can now claim that creator, writer, and director Mike White has made and perfected a sustainable, thought-provoking, and reliably entertaining formula of TV that's "The White Lotus." There's something effortlessly satisfying and amusing about watching affluent, self-possessed, and aggressively entitled people on vacation at some of the most luxurious resorts around the world. White has these characters' nature and psyche down to T in a complex and elaborate way that makes the seasons of this HBO anthology series a constant delight.

The third vacation we join is set in Thailand (primarily shot in Bangkok and the islands of Phuket and Koh Samui), another breathtaking and wondrous paradise where the rich come to relax, let loose, and argue about no-phone-policy common areas. Though Season 3 might be the most restrained and least outrageous of the series so far, White once again assembled a powerhouse cast of vastly different yet charismatic actors whose chemistry in this particular context is just phenomenal. It's perhaps not as dreamlike as the ensembles in previous seasons (I mean, Season 2's cast was practically pitch-perfect), but you got to give it to him: the man has a knack for picking the best "ingredients" for making a luscious dish of entertainment.

This time around, the vacationers entail the well-to-do Ratliff family, including nervous dad Timothy (Jason Isaacs), always-sedated mom Victoria (Parker Posey), and their three spoiled children, Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger), Lochlan (Sam Nivoal), and Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook). Next to them, we have the odd couple of Rick (Walton Goggins) and Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood); and the aging yet excessively vain long-time BFF trio of Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan), Kate (Leslie Bibb), and Laurie (Carrie Coon). Plus our loner, who comes to this new branch of the resort chain to improve her technique as a masseuse, is none other than Season 1's Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) from Hawaii. These people are so haughty they get into a quarrel during the initial boat ride even before they step foot on the hotel's ground — which is a sort of guarantee we're in for a good time.

As always, White aims to provide an immersive cultural experience, so the aforementioned guests are welcomed by locals such as the hotel's owner Sritala (Patravadi Mejudhon), endearing security guard Gaitok (Tayme Thapthimthong), and the gorgeous employee-slash-dancer Mook (Lalisa Manoban), just to mention a few of the Thai talents that make this season as rich and authentic as possible.

Given the characters and their dynamics, "The White Lotus" Season 3 structurally and thematically resembles Season 1 the most and, naturally, opens with a deadly incident that cuts through a meditation session like a machete — after which we jump back to a week earlier in classic "White Lotus" fashion. I must say, however, the murder here feels more like a "usual element" than a necessary plot point, hardly as relevant or intriguing as it has been previously.

But that's actually a good thing, because Mike White isn't all that interested in doing a conventional whodunit per se — but more of a sharp-tongued satire of class, privilege, and debauchery with a touch of chaos sprinkled on top. Granted, while those themes are essential to the show and here to stay, Season 3 also adds fresh themes like spirituality, Buddhism, karma, and the intersections in between. After all, we are in Thailand now, surrounded by symbolic animals like macaques and monitor lizards, which are filled with spiritual meanings.

Of course, dirty secrets and lies are rampant as usual, and White (who wrote and directed all eight episodes) takes his time unfolding them. Though the seed of troubles like the Ratliff patriarch's involvement in money laundering, Rick's ominous personal agenda to meet the hotel's owner, or the Ratliff brothers' latent sexual attraction to each other are planted early, they tend to brew under the surface longer than usual. With the most episodes of any season yet on his hands, White is in no rush to reveal everything at once — therefore the suspense and that anxious energy that defines the series also takes a while to build up and kick into gear. I wouldn't necessarily call this a bad quality whatsoever, but it's palpable the season isn't as tight as it could've been.

Thankfully, however, the writer-director knows how to enthrall masterfully without bombarding us with scandals and conflicts every second. Watching "The White Lotus" truly feels like taking a (virtual) vacation at times, as we bathe in some mesmerizing rituals, an elaborate language, and an engrossing atmosphere that channels the vibe of the island flawlessly. But make no mistake: we are here for the grime, the juicy gossip, and the hidden slander the characters in this show generally thrive on. And Mike White once again delivers that delicious psychological turmoil through smart dialogue, sex, drugs, and calculating agendas of rich and dangerous people who aren't always what they seem.

Though Season 3 is much more predictable — based on the six episodes that were provided for review — than its predecessors, it still serves up that intoxicating cocktail we got drunk on before. Regular composer Cristobal Tapie de Veer's music is as hypnotic, trippy, and pleasantly riveting as we came to expect — a cornerstone of the show's tone — and the performances from the ensemble cast hit that top-tier shelf that's now considered a basic requirement here. Everybody's grand, but Walton Goggins stands out as the irate and vengeful Rick whose childhood trauma clearly eats away at him, while on the other end of the scale, we have Patrick Schwarzenegger's classic finance bro — an ignorant and obnoxious egomaniac consumed by horniness and a drive to own people. And there's a surprise guest star whose speech about getting sober while going through a nasty existential crisis will surely be an online conversation starter.

Overall, White has concocted a successful formula for his anthology series that likely will always feel fresh due to its locations, changing cast, and universal themes. Season 3 is no exception (though it's slightly less ambitious than the other two), and maybe an indication that the show could stay on air for many more years if its creator has enough ideas and passion to keep it alive.

"The White Lotus" Season 3 premieres on February 16 on HBO.