Are You Watching ‘The White Lotus’?
Are you gripped by the third season of The White Lotus? I really am; it’s going to be great. Here are five thoughts I had while watching the first two episodes (don’t worry, no spoilers)…
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1. The iconic opening song has changed, devastating the Internet; this reel made me laugh.
2. The Ratliff family came to Thailand because their middle child, Piper, is writing her Chapel Hill thesis on Buddhism. Her style is so good, especially that blue floral mini dress from Ciao Lucia a few years ago. My friend Lucy said, “That’s an absurd nightgown,” but I disagree! I kept thinking that she’d be all over Dôen’s spring collection.
(Meanwhile, is Patrick Schwarzenegger, who plays her brother, doing a Tom Cruise impersonation? I can’t unsee it.)
3. Next, English party girl Chelsea arrives at the hotel with her grumpy older boyfriend, Rick. I love her open-hearted optimism. “Chelsea the whole time is like, ‘You’re so mysterious, Rick. You don’t say anything. I need everything out in the open. I’m an Aries,’” says Aimee Lou Wood, who plays Chelsea, in an Elle interview. “And actually she’s just as mysterious. So I loved that… this idea that she’s this strange girl that’s just appeared and nobody really knows where she’s come from, but I think she’s a real survivor.”
For her swimsuit scenes, Aimee knew that she couldn’t show any nerves, even if she felt them: “As Chelsea, I cannot be thinking about how I look. She does not give a shite about how she looks. She is not an insecure person about her body. She’s insecure about other things, about her intelligence and everything, but she’s not insecure about that.”
4. Three female friends have come to Thailand for a girls’ trip, or “victory tour,” as one of them says. I find their vibe very stressful — they don’t seem to know or really like each other, other than having a shared history. “I remember that there have been times where I’ve been on vacations, and you’d see women friends together, and you were just like, ‘I can’t really get a vibe of what’s going on?’” creator Mike White told HBO. “And then one would leave and the other two would start talking. They’re triangulating in some way.” During the second episode, whenever one of the friends would leave a scene, my friend Alison would look over at me and immediately mimic, “Well, I will say…”
5. Finally, spa manager Belinda, who’s studying wellness in Thailand, is a sweet character but also kind of… boring? The actress Natasha Rothwell can be absolutely hilarious, I wish they would lean into her comedic talents.
So, have you been watching? Before last week, my boyfriend Freddie hadn’t seen a single White Lotus episode (!) but he has valiantly course-corrected by inhaling both the first and second seasons within a few days. Is his head now a scribble of plot twists and red herrings? “I stayed up late, fueled by afternoon and evening coffees,” he told me. “I felt so much anxiety in my chest and had such uneasy feelings.” Well done, Freddie, you understood the assignment.
Okay, if you HAD to guess, who do you think will end up dead? And how? Leave any burgeoning theories below, if you’d like…
P.S. Cup of Jo’s Ultimate TV Guide, if you’re looking for something good, and three comedy scenes that made us laugh.
Comments
182 commentsI told my husband that the three friend group is right from my experience. I belonged to a group of women (7) that would celebrate birthdays and holidays and do occasional trips together. As soon as one was not with the group or left for the powder room, the gossip would start. I always wanted a group of friends that had each others back and did not backstab when one was not present but I don’t think it exists.
I hope one day you get this dream friend group, Stella! I don’t know if I am an outlier, but this is so far from my experience of friend groups, especially in my 30s and now early 40s. If I know someone is a backstabber or judgmental, I don’t want to be friends with them. As I watch White Lotus, I keep wondering why these women are trying to force friendships that are obviously based on a withered connection from the distant past. Especially on a vacation where you spend all your time together! It’s great for comedy, I’d never want to live it. I have definitely encountered these dynamics in social groups that were not close knit and revolved around something other than chosen friendships–for example, when I was in a ballet company, girls were friendly to each other’s faces but then gossiped and backstabbed viciously in private. It’s not fun at all to worry what someone is saying behind your back.
So many thoughts- Love Chelsea’s teeth. The family is spot on rich people from Chapel Hill (where I currently live, but am not one of the rich). The monkeys creep me out. Is 48 too young to start lounging around in colorful caftans?
As a woman in my early 40s, I also want to lounge in colorful caftans. Let’s go for it!
For quasi-related content, check out Walter Goggins’ home tour, it is STUNNING! https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/walton-goggins-and-nadia-conners-imagine-a-new-life-in-the-hudson-valley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xguPy3ZS4M Love her pose(y). Simmering grin, Spring ahead!
I have already commented here, but I have since watched the second episode. Anyone else get an incestuous vibe from this weird American family???? Cringing….
The incest vibe is so strong, I started freaking out about it when they were talking room arrangements lol
Yes, that vibe is freaking me out.
I love the fact that Mook is like, the BIGGEST star in Thailand. Bigger than huge. And the music is so good!!!
I had no idea! He’s just so sweet and adorable
As someone from North Carolina, I can confirm the Ratliff family casting and outfits are 1000% accurate. They look perfect, but please PLEASE don’t think everyone from North Carolina talks like that!! It is my pet peeve that every character from the south has a ridiculous accent on tv.
I want to get Piper’s headphones – looks like they’re the MW75 Neuro from Neurable. Also, obsessed with her white broderie dress.
I feel like Patrick is giving Craig from Southern Charm? I’m sure you’ve seen the discussion about Patricia from SC and TR from SC and their links to The White Lotus.
Apparently Mike White told them to watch Southern Charm to nail the accent. He’s got the “Thomas Ravenel” Charleston patrician accent down pat.
The 3 friends have the most vapid conversations. Maybe there is hope for the Coon character but it’s alarming.
That’s the point!!
For the last season of White Lotus, social media plot guesses were just so off and crazy. So I usually just watch and ignore any ludicrous suggestions. But so far I’m loving the show. So many people to “hate watch.” Like Chelsea (whose character is much the same as in “Sex Education.”) Always like Jason Issacs but it’s hard this season! Seeing the three friends in lulumon after the quip by the daughter was funny. Parker Posey is a hot mess!
I love the three friends. I am totally the train wreck friend with fabulous stay at home mom and famous friends and it feels EXACTLY like what they depict to be the third friend trying to hold it together. But, I genuinely love my friends and they love me and YET I could totally see them talking about me like this. So, it resonates. I don’t think it’s snarky – I think it’s real depiction of long term female friendship and I’m here for all of it!
uch I look back 10 years later at these “long term female friendships” with vapid rich women and I think what was I thinking? but, maybe that’s what I needed at the time….
Love this! I love how the gorgeous sights and sounds of Thailand contribute to the lush uncertainty of the show. I don’t know if I have any clue about the victim yet, but I do think Belinda will (hopefully) get to have a bigger impact more as the show continues!
There might be another reply waiting in the wings saying the same thing, but for anyone who wants more Belinda/Natasha Rothwell, you must watch Insecure! She plays Kelli and she is SO FUNNY. I think she really hits her stride in the last season, but she’s great throughout.
omg 1000%%%% — for example, watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=U_ireuAsM3s&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fcupofjo.com%2F&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjY
I’ve watched every season and started this one the day it launched – where as before I’ve watched them long after they were over. So far it’s pretty good but I hate the 3 girl friends storyline – I can’t put my finger on why. Maybe because it makes me insecure about my own “tripod” friendships but I find myself holding my breath when they’re on screen.
Freddie’s comment LOL
I adore White Lotus. Full stop my favorite HBO show ever. It truly feels like vacation to watch it, even (especially) because it’s so human and at times awful—Mike White gets it: “Wherever you go, there you are.” There was a line in episode 1 from the Buddhist textbook—identity as a prison. We cannot leave our “stuff” behind, no matter how much privilege or wealth. We cannot avoid injuring others in the course of being who we are. Now to go see how much that robe is selling for on eBay…..
i think my fave thing about watching the white lotus is peering at these actors and figuring out where we’ve seen them before. there’s lazlo from real genius! and that awesome character from sex education! and elle macpherson! and then i loved seeing the hot husband from italy as an academic with a beard in a real pain….it’s like connections but with character actors!
Well in one of her first scenes Chelsea said sg like “I would die blah blah” sg like this so my guess is her :( the writers hidden this line on purpose—— well we shall see!
I’ve seen a lot of discourse that this season is too “slow” and isn’t exciting or engaging. I happen to LOVE the simmer. The unspoken looks between characters, the body language, the tension, there is so much going on between these characters beneath the surface. I’m also glad they are releasing the episodes weekly, it’s the antithesis of the binging I usually do with a show I love.
every season has been a simmer, i think people forget that by the end.
My theory is that Belinda avenges the death of Tanya and kills Gary/Greg!
OOOO…good theory!!
OH! I am totally here for this! I miss Tanya <3
Why would she avenge Tanya?? Tanya did her DIRTY. Tanya was a hilarious watch but she was a pretty terrible person.
White Lotus is AMAZING. Here’s to hoping this season delivers. Great insights as always, Joanna. Thank you.
Sweet Chelsea and her troubled boyfriend Rick remind me of The Shining cast—Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall. Is it just me?
YES!!!! You’re so right! I was trying to figure out who she reminded me of.
No not just you. I totally see that and was wondering if anyone else does too! Thanks for validating my thoughts.
Absolutely! Found this thread because I was looking up the same thing.
My first season of WL was watched on an international 9hr flight. I had a sick kid with me, the rest of the family was separated due to a seat mix-up so I was stuck with her in the last row against bathrooms (this is the enormous airbus) – everyone was using the bathroom for 9hrs straight, just flushing toilets over and over and over, while making sure my young one doesn’t puke….so I was DETERMINED to cancel out all that from my brain and disassociate by BLASTING white lotus on my headphones. I loved it. It was such a great distraction from the ptsd flight! BUT NOW in my everyday life – I cannot seem to get into it????? Everyone is obsessed with the new season and I can barely get into the second season. What is wrong with me! I love the locations, the outfits, and the interior designs. I need to commit!
I have been enjoying the show so far, but if anyone bothered by the middle aged trio of friends? I feel like the shows representation of how they compete and subtly undercut each other all the time plays to tired stereotypes of female friendship. I find it to be the most disappointing aspect of the new season, and I’m having a hard time getting over it. Especially since other relationships—like the relationships between older men and younger women—seem more complex by contrast.
I am both offended by and completely recognize the portrayal of these 3 women. On one hand, yes, catty women is an old trope. On the other hand, I know this dynamic SO WELL, from still having some of the same friends since high school, and seeing how spectacularly competitive women can get with other women. This undercutting gossipy behavior is very, very familiar. Not everyone, and not all the time of course, but I think most women would recognize someone (or even themselves!) in this triangle.
Severance is my #1 TV priority, White Lotus has to wait
We LIVE for WL and it’s the only show I sit down and watch in real time – 8:59 on sunday nights we are on the sofa, no matter what. SO FUN! We love to hypothesize about what’s going on with the different groups and I have been dying for a toxic girls’ trip – so glad MW is delivering on that! This season is going to be the best yet and started off with such a bang. Can’t wait to see how it all unfolds and just drown in the dreamy visuals.
I’ll admit have not watched season 1 but watched all of season 2 on a flight and I don’t get it. What makes this show appealing? The destinations are beautiful, the clothes are beautiful which I appreciate but the stories feel fairly ordinary (a number of them fairly pitiful) if you strip that away. What am I missing here?
This is going to sound so flat and shallow, but I just love a show that involves making fun of wealthy people in all of their absurdities (and low-key watching them suffer a little). It goes with the specific trend of eat-the-rich media that has come out in the last five years or so (Parasite, The Menu, Triangle of Sadness, etc.)
aside from everything else: its also a murder mystery. you know from the beginning that someone is going to die.
each season has a broader theme too — season 1 about privilege and power, season 2 about lust, season 3 is spirituality. and as Joy said, there’s some “eat the rich” fantasy (that even people with this amount of wealth and privilege are not happy). personally i love the characters. they are always so well written, so many layers to each one and the way the interpersonal dramas play out. and the murder mystery part is fun too. who is going to be the one that dies?
I’m with Freddie (well I was). Haven’t seen it, no idea what it’s about. No plans to watch it.
Ok, I am of the ‘Good for you, not for me’ view on WL. But! I am very excited about the announcement of the return of Heavyweight the Podcast if anyone else cares to join me in rejoicing in that good news!
Yessssss!! Favorite podcast ever!
Oh, this is very exciting news! Thank you for sharing it!
YES!
Thank you so much for sharing!!! I had not seen this news and this made my day :)
WHAT! I did not know this, that is the best news!
OMG! Joyous day!!!!
totally watching! totally learning. I hope Patrick Schwarzenegger’s character dies because he sucks. But Parker Posey could maybe die, her husband could potentially die, the awkward resort worker could die, and the divorced workaholic girl could also die. I don’t see anyone else dying off. funnest show!
I think Parker Posey’s character. I tihnk her husband is going to be involved somehow with Gary/Greg and she is going to wind up dead. Side note: how hilarious is she? I’m from NC, so I love the whole Duke vs. UNC story line between the siblings.
I loved the first 2 seasons, and this is looking promising; equal parts hilarity and ick. I keep thinking what if the seasons are not sequential? What if season 3 is set before season 1? I would love to see Tanya show up towards the end and Gary/Greg then follow her to Hawai’i.
Waaaait, this is such an interesting theory that I haven’t heard yet! I’m trying to think of whether Belinda has alluded to any specifics from the first season yet, and I feel like she hasn’t?
That would be so much fun to see! I never thought about that but you’re right that the seasons don’t necessarily have to be sequential. Let’s see if Belinda or Greg refer to anything from season 2.
There was that moment at the restaurant when Belinda was looking at Gary/Greg, clearly thinking she recognised him. But other than that, I love this theory!
I don’t think that’s it because in the preview for ep 3 she approaches him and says don’t I know you/have we met before – something like that. Interesting theory though!
Well, there goes that idea!
The monkey’s the killer. Has to be.
My prediction: Creepy older brother Saxon cajoles younger brother Lochlan into a situation involving sex workers, and it is revealed that one of them is gay. My money’s on Saxon given his performative hypermasculinity. Weird vibes between him and the sister Piper will be explained because she already knows his secret and has kept it to herself as part of her Buddhism. Only problem with my prediction is that last season, I swore Tonya would be back in Thailand…
This – or he molested her when they were kids. I’m getting that vibe with her covered up clothing and withdrawal.
I really miss the hotel managers from Seasons 1 and 2!
Here’s a tip in identifying the villain in any show… apparently, Apple does not allow their devices to be used by the bad folks in a movie or TV show. So when you see a character using an iPhone chances are they are not the bad guy. So far from what we can see in episodes one and two, Jason Isaacs is NOT using an iPhone….
Wow! Love the tip!
OMG that’s bananas and I love it!
That’s a cool thought! Would that just apply to Apple TV + shows though? This one’s from HBO/Max
Nope not just Apple network!
I am not totally feeling this season yet. Toooooo sloooooow for me.
After two episodes it’s been a dud so far.
Bless Freddie’s heart. He sure did understand the assignment. 😆
I love nightgowns, and now I have to watch. I will be coming back to this post long after everyone else has moved on to give my opinions about the nightgowns.
Hahahaha love it
I love night gowns too – I buy nightgowns over clothes… I take my lounge wear extremely seriously. I also pop a cardigan over them and walk my dog on the beach. One should always be able to nap.
Ha my ears perked up at nightgown too! Please, tell me more ;). My local nice bra place carries these https://www.intothebedroom.com/collections/nightshirts but I can’t bring myself to spend that kind of money on something I’m just sleeping in! There are so many cute pjs out there but nightgowns / shirts are harder to find (at least, it’s hard to find ones I’m not embarrassed for my kids to see me in).
Oh she meant the blue floral dress that’s pictured! It’s not really a nightgown. But I do love nightgowns :)
Dresses that bear a resemblance to nightgowns are a whole other, much more complex and nuanced, discussion topic.
We just started it…the first season! I think we’ve seen the first 5 episodes…I’m liking it more than my husband, but he is hanging in!
I’m super curious as to the backstory here for Gary/Greg! Pretty convinced that he was involved in the big event in season 2. And why is he going by a different name now? Also, I love Aimee’s character in this.
My thought is one of the monkeys will do the killing.
Haha
Re the 3 friends: It reminds me of this SNL skit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6WZZA9lyiU with Fred Armisen and Vanessa Bayer on Weekend Update. Apologies if someone above already made the connection!
Haha! I watched their “Lorne’s best friends from growing up” skit on SNL’s 50th Anniversary special -so good!
I am enjoying it more than I expected. (Didn’t think anything could beat S2, including its music!) The scenery is stunning and I enjoy the storylines so far (Mook and Gaitok are so sweet!) but I curl up into a ball of repulsion every time Saxon is in a scene. He is monstrous (those parents are no help) and I cringe at the effect he has on his siblings, especially the impressionable brother. I hate that there really are men like him in the world and that they have power and influence. I guess Mike White is almost TOO observant a writer for me!
I feel exactly the same about Saxon. I only watched the first episode so far ( I’m busy watching The Sopranos right now ha ) but yeah, first episode of him…. Yuk.
100% with you Stephanie! Please, less men like Saxon in this world, real or imagined.
Saxon is kind of sexually abusive to Piper, no?
Same!! He’s the cliché of the frat boy to me, but he’s a type of American white men that I feel (as a European) I’ve seen in many movies/shows. His mother is sooo strange and annoying, talking about all details of the family’s life with the staff who probably can’t relate to any of that. So weird! I don’t like the 3 friends, you can tell there’s something flawed here, and I think the trio is going to explode and self destruct! Despite all that, I’m excited for the other episodes!!
Same, I despise Saxon!! I also CANNOT TOLERATE the awfully-executed Southern accent from Jason Isaacs. If you can’t do an accent properly, don’t do it at all! I felt the same way with the many, many British actors in Silo – they were all so bad! Let them keep their real voice, ffs!
Same, went to college in the South and he’s a little too real/close to home. All the bravado and violated boundaries. I guess Patrick Schwartzeneger should be proud because he’s doing a great job at making my skin crawl.
Belinda and Greg are the only characters from the first season… so I’m tempted to think that one of them will be killed of. Though I *hope* it’s the older Ratliff brother, Saxon, because he’s vile and I hate him. (It’s ok to wish a person dead when they aren’t real to begin with!)
I’m thinking it’s Belinda and that’s her son in the first episode? I dunno, I’ve guessed wrong previously so probably not.
I, like Freddy, had never made it through a season of TWL. So I watched them all while my partner and baby were on a mini holiday without me a few weeks ago. And then my partner had to watch them all when he got back haha. And now we watch together! It’s so fun – not as good as Succession but still very entertaining.
I’m late to the party, finally finding myself with evenings since separating from my husband, and I’m just starting season 1 and loving it!
Love that you said “evenings free” as your name. Sending peace and love.
Your comment about how cool Piper’s blue dress was made me laugh. When she came on screen my husband was like, “What the heck is she wearing??” He was utterly confused, haha. I assured him it was very stylish.
In the early 90s my co-worker was wearing a dress that looked suspiciously like a nightgown. We always joked around, so I went over to her to check out the tag — of course it was Victoria’s Secret and definitely a nighty. Such a good laugh, and she was cool and fun enough to carry it off.
@kristinanne – yes but VS also sold clothes via the catalogs (yes, print catalog era) in the 90s. I had some of them!
A lot of people have said that the show is slow. That’s what I’m enjoying about it. The scenes subtly, and sometimes not so subtly, add a new layer to each character. It’s a slow burn I need right now with so much chaos around. I’m also in it for the costumes and the scenery! I think Mook is far more devious than she lets on. Now she likes the guy because he went through something intense, and I also think she had something to do with the robbery.
Re: robbery, I say keep an eye on the woman who invited Chelsea to that boutique for shopping as she’s ‘dating’ Greg, Tanya’s flame from S2 and he’s a creep. She was conveniently in the dressing room when it happened
Ooh I love your Mook theory – I’m with you in that I think she’s not as sweet as she seems, she has dimensions.
The Russian trainer, Valentin, must have had something to do with it too, right? Keeping the security guard talking when they clearly aren’t friends, just as the car sped through! Dodgy! 🤗
Mississippian here– y’all, Parker Posey’s accent is spot on because she was raised in Mississippi. Distracting? Maybe! But accurate to a specific subregion of the Deep South? 100%.
Thank you for sharing this because I found her accent distracting and it felt fake to me. I am appropriately schooled!
Thank you for sharing this insight. I live in Alabama, and her accent’s been rough! Glad to know it’s authentic!
I just moved to NC, and WOW some people have thick accents that don’t seem like they could possibly be real. Especially some of the very rich or poor. It’s bewildering.
Y’all. I grew up in NC, and the Ratliff family is bang on NC, IMO. I know I’m in the minority, but the accents that Parker Posey and Jason Issacs are giving are perfection (their voice coach did a good job). For reals, the accents and outfits are spot on for the Piedmont Triad and some of RTP. The eldest son gives me the same ick that the boys I grew up with. The younger 2 siblings are giving the least NC vibes (minus the First Union tshirt that looks like something from my childhood)
100%!!!
Agreed! Half of my family is from NC, and I keep hearing people critique the accents, while I’m sitting here so impressed that they nailed it, haha.
Also from Piedmont area NC and I loved the deep cut of the First Union shirt! My husband and I are both Tar Heels and have been joking about there must be a UNC grad in the writer’s room who was responsible for Saxon as a Dookie. He is so awful.
Charlottean here, that First Union tee was such a delightful deep cut to see!
I’m from Greenville, NC (and so is my family for a couple hundred years), and the first words out of Parker Posey’s mouth, I turned to my husband (also from NC) and said, “Oh my god, she’s sounds like home.” We met at UNC and live in Durham now and, sweet Jesus that whole family is spot on Triangle.
I’ve gotta say, I need some help appreciating why White Lotus is so beloved by viewers and critics? The comment about it being the next Sex and the City or Sopranos?! I watch it and think it’s fun enough as a fluffy show, but there is so much good television out there (Severance, The Diplomat, True Detective… among so many others) that completely blow TWL out of the water in my humble opinion. What is it about this show that elevates it for those who think it’s more than just a fun smutty show about morally bankrupt rich people? I’m genuinely curious — thanks in advance!
Witty writing! Great characters that are built for us to despise! Eye candy locations! Moral superiority! And also, honestly, it’s just on tv right now at the time when I want to dissociate the most. I like the rotating cast of characters, too. It seems like Mike White really wants to give actors who are mostly cast as side characters a chance to shine on this project.
I wouldn’t compare it to SATC or the Sopranos (for one, each season has different characters, so the character development/storylines look very different.) That said, the writing and acting is, IMO, excellent. Mike White, or whoever his casting directors are, are incredible at creating roles that the actors shine in. I haven’t watched the Diplomat, but I personally haven’t found True Detective to be well written after Season 1 (I wanted to love the Alaska season, and the first episode was very good, but then it lost me a bit), and I loved the first season of Severance but am feeling meh about this season so far.
Oh that’s so funny because I totally think of The Diplomat as a fluffy bonkers political show in the same vein of how you seem to view White Lotus! The Ambassador doesn’t brush her dang hair and the DCM is like halfway her assistant?!? And her husband used to be her supervisor??? bonks! I love White Lotus because it is a show about morally bankrupt rich people who go to pretty places and I get to try to figure out who did the dastardly thing!
Wasn’t Sex and the City a morally bankrupt show as well?
i think it’s the tension, the odd, unexpected character veers, just when you think you know who to hope for or feel dread for, it shifts…plus, you know, sex and money and death.
It’s partially the subtle social details and perfectly executed characterizations, along with the subtle and immensely skillful discomfort the show conveys. It’s artistic social commentary n a very entertaining way, a miracle of talent in every sector. The first season was a masterpiece, second very good and here’s hoping the third is equally satisfying! But I’m a fan, needless to say!
Gosh I don’t find it fluffy. I think it as a less funny Succession.
Just wait. It sneaks up on you. You think it’s boring and predictable and then BAM
Love these responses — I certainly agree with the subtle discomfort and wealth/location porn aspects of the show. I also love Mike White from his roots on Survivor and am so happy for him with the massive success of this series. End of the day there’s always some subjectivity at play but I appreciate these thoughts and insights!
I watched Sunday’s episode sitting in bed and my husband who has never seen an episode turned to me and asked, “Are we supposed to like ANY of these people?” I proceeded to tell him Chelsea, and maybe Piper. I love the Ratliffs in a car crash kind of way. They remind me of some of the families I grew up around in Texas: the closed off, better than thou social views, the complete lack of introspection, the enabling of their sons. I agree with you Joanna that Piper’s style is great. I’m definitely a bit old for it, but I still tried to find that Ciao Lucia dress online.
They dropped the ‘woo-woo, woo-woo’ in the body of the episode, this time. I think that they will incorporate it back into the credits, as well. I was so bummed that they cut it out, but I think they’re edging us. I’m really loving this season, 2 was a serious drop in quality from 1 (I was tired of Jennifer Coolidge by the end of it, and the two couples’ story went absolutely nowhere, which was so annoying. We never even found out what the motivation was for Cameron inviting Ethan and Piper on vacation.)
We did find out! Ostensibly, Cameron (who’s a stockbroker) wanted Ethan to invest with him. But it was basically a cover for his inferiority complex, wanting to prove he was more of a man or whatever than Ethan, find a way to humiliate him, I think.
H and M has some White Lotus inspired clothing available- much cheaper options than the gorgeous Chio Lucia dress u shared. https://www2.hm.com/en_us/free-form-campaigns/2011-the-white-lotus-hm.html#/index/view
Wow the whole collection is already sold out – that was fast!
Shame, it looks fun! Tip: check out Siamese Dreams for beautiful pyjamas and robes with Thai prints.
Just here to say I recently got a tattoo from the artist who did Aimee Lou Wood’s and I am loving seeing it on screen :) anyone in London should try to book her, she’s incredible! Her handle on insta is nothingsrs
wow that is so cool!
Jo, that IS an absurd nightgown.
AGREE THANK YOU!! When I saw her in that scene I was like “oh is she like, a mennonite?” I thought she was into buddist stuff? It was a bold enough choice that it totally confused me, I thought it was a plot device
I think it makes her look like a little girl, who although writing a thesis (so I guess getting a PhD?) looks the same age as her high school senior little brother…. They’re both weird by the way…
It’s totally a plot device. Is it Doen-esque? Perhaps, but that’s precisely the point! I think it’s meant to show Piper as the “authentic” / earthy one (or as someone trying to emulate these qualities) in the context of her materialistic family. Despite her anti-materialism, Piper nonetheless has $700 or more to drop on a dress that looks like a nightgown. It’s just a different kind of materialism (which is Doen’s whole vibe anyway – bohemianism for rich ppl). Wardrobe is key to characterization in White Lotus. Remember Portia from S2?
I am just not buying some of the characters this time — I love both Parker Posey and the English actor playing her husband (name escapes me) but they feel more caricature than character right now (Jennifer Coolidge’s character was so over the top too but she sold it somehow, or it read as camp in a way that felt intentional.) Still I’m going to stick with it because it’s still fun and propulsive!
My friend — who loved Seasons 1 and 2 — agrees with you that she is underwhelmed after viewing the first episode. She found the new characters cartoonish, the scenes cliche-ish, and the music terrible. However, she hopes they are leaving room for growth and expansion in future episodes.
It’s Lucius Malfoy!
Thank you Hattie! I feel so seen by your friend :). Hoping we’ll get some payoff. And yes!! Lucius Malfoy!
Niche comment but….watching this show on Sunday nights makes me wonder what it was like to watch the Sopranos or Sex and the City when they first aired on HBO. Did people know they were tuning into something really impactful, or was it just normal television viewing? I always wonder about the folks who watched the pilot of the Sopranos without knowing anything about it.
that’s so interesting!! sex and the city was a huge phenomenon and I think the sopranos got big quickly, too. in college we would all get together to watch sex and the city, it was such a weekly event.
we looked forward to sex and the city, well me and my friends, and my hubs and i waited for the sopranos. we knew the shows were great.
OMG, yes – we would go to our friend who had HBO’s house to watch SATC every week. I was in my late 20s and it was such fun. I’m a Charlotte.
We knew! There’s some fantastic articles and podcasts out there about both of those shows and their history. Sex and The City was created in part to draw women to HBO, because Sopranos was such a huge hit. Both were the first few shows we ever paid to watch outside of basic cable. When the Soprano’s opening song played, we were as passionate about it as the opening credits of White Lotus. Almost! Lol
I’m a child of the noughties and watched The Sopranos and Sex And The City as they were airing and we, the viewers, were definitely aware we were watching something special. Both of those series’ were real talking points and shared cultural experiences.
Yes, it was definitely a cultural moment for both of those shows BUT, keep in mind that streaming wasn’t a thing at that time. I didn’t even have cable until my teens, and my family definitely didn’t pay the premium for HBO. So while both shows were in the zeitgeist for sure, a lot of us couldn’t watch them…unless you knew someone who had HBO! For me this wasn’t until college, when friends would have viewing parties to watch new episodes. Crazy how much this aspect has changed!
I watched SATC when it first aired and I didn’t fully grasp how impactful it would be but I knew I (a single woman in my early 30s) was seeing women portrayed in a way I hadn’t really seen before. It definitely did feel groundbreaking.
There had never ever been a show about women before Sex in the City was amazing at the time. I never watched the Sopranos though – the things that you had to watch it the night it was n or you missed out, so very different. Sex in the City was a night to hang out with your friends and watch it together. I used to annoy everyone because I thought Carrie was the most self obsessed shitty friend ever! She was never there for anyone else. I also thought the red head was a judgemental bore. But I loved Charlotte and Samantha.
!. I like the sociology of rich people in each season. 2. Mike White does not spare on the menace that he associates with money. The true monsters each season are rich people who can paper over most things with $$. 3. The Southern accents are bad and take you out of the story. 4. Natasha Rockwell’s hair is beautiful and sculptural.
3. I’m from Kentucky and agree about the Ratliff parents’s annoying accents, although I read that Parker Posey is originally from the deep south. And in response to 4. we call her Mother Belinda.
I’m from South Carolina and currently living in Norrh Carolina (where the Southern family is from), and the parents (dad especially) are actually nailing a very specific Carolina/deep South accent.
Parker’s accent is perfection. She is from the Deep South.
Yep, the accents are actually spot on. It is bizarre, but true
Those three women are spot on my experience of (private) high school. Thankfully college and grad school were different, but the workplace was right back there – and I worked in “feminist” non-profits. I hide my eyes sometimes and cringe, but I’m loving it!
I am ashamed with how relatable the way the 3 friends talk to/about each other is.
I watched both of the first two seasons and it’s odd because objectively, it’s well done and I laugh, but I always always felt bad after watching it? And I’m wondering if it’s because so many of the people are not great? Even with the amazing cast this season I just can’t do it to myself so I’m missing out!
I feel bad, too! sometimes I’ll stop halfway through an episode to take a palate cleanse. but the mystery element really grips me, and I do appreciate the incisive social commentary (and the outfits!)
Maybe my problem was we always watched multiple episodes in a row after the whole season aired and I could possibly handle it one at a time! I might try that!
I totally agree. Objectively it seems well done, but it always leaves me with this kind of gross feeling!
AGREE. The first two seasons made me feel so unhappy but couldn’t stop watching. Third season is shaping up to be the same. :)
If there is one thing I love, it’s being part of the zeitgeist but man alive I hate this show and I feel like I’m the only one!
Don’t feel bad, I never made it through the second season and I’m not sure I’ll watch the third! Just can’t get into it, I struggled through the first season and after three episodes of the second thought, “why am I doing this to myself?” I’m right there with you!
*spoiler alert* Can we talk about the sexual tension between the three siblings?! What do we think – are they step siblings? They’re step siblings, right? Right?? This season is doing such an exceptional job of creating tension through relationships alone. They’re trainwrecks of ick I can’t turn away from!
I think they’re full siblings and it’s so intense!
Trainwrecks of ick – ha! I think they’re full too, but their remarks and stares are odd.
I think they’re full, and Saxon is just a total creep!! I don’t know that I want to know the backstory between him and Piper…..
I HATE IT!!!!! I kept screeching throughout episode one because Saxon creeped me out so badly!!! And why is the sister seemingly playing to both brothers???? It’s so ick!!!
I’m really not looking forward to this whole incest thing that I very much think is going to happen. But this whole show is so committed to giving us the ick
It’s Southern Gothic in Thailand!
I am obsessed and so are my parents. It’s so fun to recap with them! Makes the start of the week more enjoyable because I look forward to watching on Sunday nights so much
aww I love that! so fun to have a bond with your parents over something cultural. my dad and I send our wordle scores to each other every morning :) and I know many others do, too.
Loving it. Like so much. The tension with the 3 girlfriends… dying to see how it plays out. It’s such a treat for me- hubby & 4 kids in bed, then MY Sunday night begins!
Wait, so is every season a completely different cast of characters? I’ve only seen 1 or 2 episodes of season 1 and I feel so confused.
yes! the seasons are set at three different hotels, in three different years. now and again a character will come into the next season, but it’s usually a fresh cast.
I really wanted to love White Lotus, but I started it and just don’t get it – it is really boring. Is it like SChitt’s Creek where you just have to commit and then it becomes the best thing ever, or is it just good for some, not for others. I am just so in love with Alexandra (obviously not so int Ove that I remember her name – ooops) with he silver eyes – I thought I could watch anything if I saw her face. I loved the Mayfair Witch.
Kirby, I think your association with Schitt’s Creek is spot on. Similarly, the characters in White Lotus can be over-the-top in both cringy and campy ways. The difference is clearly a) budget and b) content, but I do think you just have to fully commit to both shows!
This is my favorite White Lotus season. The scenery is incredible. I have no idea what will happen!
Loving it, as always. At first, I thought Jason Isaacs was using his actual English accent, until I realized it was supposed to be southern. Ha! I’m loving the two adorable staff characters (in the first pic).