A fantastical vacation for those of us who can’t afford regular flights out of the country, the new season of White Lotus was fully released, with the finale airing April 6 of this year. The show is not deviating from its classic formula of someone dying at the resort, and a flashback to one week before as they play out the events that led to the death, ultimately following some sort of grand theme based on the country that the season takes place in.

The creator of the show, Mike White, wrote this season to take place in Thailand.  A long awaited addition to the previous seasons taking place in Hawaii and Sicily. Like usual, the show demonstrates the more commercialized version of  the local culture, going as far to purposefully include monkeys that White claims is particularly not local to the area in Thailand. The show intentionally includes small elements such as these in order to create a fully developed atmosphere and symbolism for the upper class. 

As the season progressed, it was shown to be the most dramatic season, both on and off set. The story line took absolute shocking twists, leaving their audience wondering if the show’s creator would dare venture that far into ‘forbidden’ topics, such as incest and parricides. This third season walks a tightrope between intriguing and grotesque, creating complicated characters that one finds themselves rooting for, despite a moral obligation against them. In typical fashion of the White Lotus, not a single character was left with their innocence, absolutely culpable or corrupted in unsavory events. 

Mike White, not one to leave the drama on the big screen, there were some notable events with the cast and crew, even culminating in the music director who made the iconic introductions for all three seasons, quitting because of ‘creative differences’ between himself and Mike White. 

Walton Goggins’ career skyrocketed, despite his fame in the world of comedy television, his dramatic performance in season 3, especially during the finale, enraptured a very large audience, rebranding him at the age of 53. His performance alongside Amy Lou Wood’s was beloved by fans. 

Overall, the season was a beautifully unique and  dark addition to the series, maintaining the aspects of the show that people love while claiming its independence as firmly different from the first two seasons.