White Lotus Returns

[mike carey]

Gentlemen, please stick to discussing the show and not each other.

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

Back to the show...

I feel like Mike White hit fast and hit big.  I don't think he's the kind of writer who can churn out quick quality.

He's no Sorkin, clearly.

Every episode of this season moves at the speed of smell and feels like nothing is really moving the narrative forward.

[Peter Eater]

Seeing Aimee Lou Wood‘s teeth is more disturbing than watching incest.

[MikeThomas]

I think the challenge with a show like White Lotus is that it's a very narrow premise... fabulous hotel, incredible location, the haves and the have nots, etc.  It's hard to be creative after a few seasons.  This season has been very dark with none of the humor of the first two seasons and cheap tricks like opening the last episode with a suicide that wasn't... that's been done many times before.  

[d.anders]

10 hours ago, BenjaminNicholas said:

I don't think he's the kind of writer who can churn out quick quality.

He's no Sorkin, clearly.

I think Sorkin is in recovery, but for many years he relied on cocaine. I can't imagine the pressure to churn out award-winning product on a timeline. Once you peak, there's no place to go but down.

1 hour ago, MikeThomas said:

I think the challenge with a show like White Lotus is that it's a very narrow premise... fabulous hotel, incredible location, the haves and the have nots, etc.  It's hard to be creative after a few seasons.

Love Boat lasted 10 seasons. LOL.

Not sure if the premise is narrow. A luxury resort offers a constant turnover in interesting customers, many of them attractive, offering new stories with each check-in. I like the premise, and it can be as broad as the creators wish. Lots of themes to choose from, but I prefer they stick to sex.

Edited March 27 by d.anders

[Njguy2]

The conversation that Jason Isaacs character's had with Parker Posey's character after his talk with the monk was interesting.  Her statement to the effect that if she didn't have money she wouldn't want to live.  "I just don't think, at this age, that I'm meant to live an uncomfortable life".  Isaacs then started to reflect on that given his prior conversation with the monk.  Should be interesting to see if this leads to actions on the Isaacs' part.

[+ ApexNomad]

This season isn’t as strong as the previous two, and from what I’ve read here and elsewhere, that seems to be the general consensus. That said, I still applaud Mike White for taking creative risks, even when they don’t fully land. Writing is hard. Building out a world is hard. He’s not just writing these episodes—he’s directing and producing them as well. His aesthetic and voice are undeniable, and I’ll always be interested in his work because he has something to say. If all season 3 gives us is Sam Rockwell’s masterful monologue, I’ll take it.

[Becket]

On 3/26/2025 at 12:49 PM, Becket said:

Yea the whole season seems like a big tease for the gay audience. The other two seasons were far better, IMHO. Jennifer Coolige (sic) is very much missed. Too bad they killed her off. 

.....although I now admit liking how everything is coming to a head. Am excited to see how and where everybody ends up. The most recent episode was quite good and has me filled with anticipation for plot resolution. (Fancy pompous words. I should just say, "I can't wait to see how it ends!")

[TonyDown]

Something possibly brewing in the background is Fabian.   Is there a backstory with him and Sritala?  Something that will shake things up.

Edited March 27 by TonyDown

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

5 hours ago, TonyDown said:

Something possibly brewing in the background is Fabian.   Is there a backstory with him and Sritala?  Something that will shake things up.

I agree.

He's such a throwaway character- a shell really- that he's got to be there to serve for a greater purpose later in the plotline.

Postal employee meltdown, perhaps? 

Could he be the shooter we saw in the first episode?

We shall see.

 

[Peter Eater]

22 hours ago, d.anders said:

I think Sorkin is in recovery, but for many years he relied on cocaine.

In 2001 (during season 2 of West Wing), Sorkin was arrested for possession of marijuana, magic mushrooms, and crack cocaine.He discussed it in an interview with The Independent. Recovery is underway.

[Jared]

15 hours ago, BenjaminNicholas said:

I agree.

He's such a throwaway character- a shell really- that he's got to be there to serve for a greater purpose later in the plotline.

Postal employee meltdown, perhaps? 

Could he be the shooter we saw in the first episode?

We shall see.

 

He's probably going to get upset when someone makes fun of his much anticipated singing performance.

[d.anders]

I'm still thinking about last night's episode, but I can't get beyond Mike White's choice of having Belinda, who believes Gary/Greg killed Tonya, accept an invite to his home, with her beloved son in tow. What loving mother would make this stupid choice?

[MikeBiDude]

4 minutes ago, d.anders said:

I'm still thinking about last night's episode, but I can't get beyond Mike White's choice of having Belinda, who believes Gary/Greg killed Tonya, accept an invite to his home, with her beloved son in tow. What loving mother would make this stupid choice?

I’m still waking myself from these Season 3 snoozefest.

Agree the son following (insisting) on attending the dinner party didn’t ring true.

[Becket]

Religion, sex, money, betrayal, and a room full of Thai hookers. Praying to Jesus to save her son from those Buddhists. Felt like I needed a shower after that episode. 

[Manhattan]

Mike White must be playing with the idea of vagina dentata. Aimee Lou Woods, Charlotte Le Bon and Parker Posey all have absolutely terrifying mouths. 

I stopped watching after episode 2. I like entertaining trash and I can tolerate bad acting and accents,  but there's no excuse for bad (or nonexistent) orthodonture. 

[TonyDown]

I still don't understand why Gary ended up at all three White Lotus resorts.  Is it plausible how he met Tanya by chance in Hawaii at resort #1, has a friend from his past that hangs out at resort #2 who tries to kill Tanya, then decides to hang out at resort #3 after inheriting Tanya's money.   No, it is not, unless we get an amazing reveal of some conspiracy explaining everything, which by now does not seem to be coming.  

I doubt we will learn why Rick and Tim don't get along, why Victoria blew off Kate, what's up with Fabian, why Mook waited for Gaitok on the roadside, why Saxon doesn't have a girlfriend,  why Piper lied and doesn't actually have a thesis if she cares so fucking much about Buddhism, how Gaitok knew the gun was in that drawer, why Laurie is such a high maintenance beeotch to her travel mates, why Frank suddenly fell off the wagon and returned to his old ways after putting Rick through that mind bending story of leaving sex and drugs behind, what's really up with Chloe's love bombing Chelsea and why Chelsea objects to Saxon being a player but doesn't object to Chloe being so sketchy with Saxon and Lochlan.  

That said I hope the floater isn't Pam.  

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/TheWhiteLotusHBO/s/HEjCZKEbFz

 

 

 

 

 

[Becket]

I'm guessing the floater will be Parker Posey's character. Some of her earlier throwaway lines hinted at such: "I slept like a corpse"  "I'd rather die than start over." And she's already been shot at least once in her husband's fantasies.

Besides wasn't the floater wearing a white shirt or blouse? She wears white blouses a lot.

Or is Mike White just trying to fool us? 

Edited April 1 by Becket

[d.anders]

4 hours ago, TonyDown said:

I still don't understand why Gary ended up at all three White Lotus resorts. 

He's affordable?

4 hours ago, TonyDown said:

I doubt we will learn why Rick and Tim don't get along, why Victoria blew off Kate, what's up with Fabian, why Mook waited for Gaitok on the roadside, why Saxon doesn't have a girlfriend,  why Piper lied and doesn't actually have a thesis if she cares so fucking much about Buddhism, how Gaitok knew the gun was in that drawer, why Laurie is such a high maintenance beeotch to her travel mates, why Frank suddenly fell off the wagon and returned to his old ways after putting Rick through that mind bending story of leaving sex and drugs behind, what's really up with Chloe's love bombing Chelsea and why Chelsea objects to Saxon being a player but doesn't object to Chloe being so sketchy with Saxon and Lochlan. 

Super impressive. I watch each episode twice and I could not have written that, or conjured the questions. After awhile my brain tunes out.

2 hours ago, Becket said:

Or is Mike White just trying to fool us?

I think he loves fucking with his audience. He seems to be quirky that way.

I'm still trying to process the image of Belinda filling her plate with food in the house of the man who murdered the woman who offered to back her business proposal, but backed out. That is some appetite.

Mike White needs a vacation.

[d.anders]

This came out yesterday. It's about 30-minutes too long, and the interviewer is too much of a fanboy for my liking, but it's easy to see the pressure Mike White has been under, and learn more about his process. I think the interview reveals how difficult and challenging it is to put a hit show on paper, and do everything you can to keep it a hit on TV. It's all one big gamble. A lot of hard work, sleepless nights, dealing with HBO execs, and fearing disappointed fans.

 

 

[pleasureseeker]

Sounds like the series itself. Every episode is about 30 mins too long! This should have wrapped 2 episodes ago. Still watching though, just curious enough to see how this beautiful train wreck ends.

[d.anders]

It took me awhile to realize the above video is from Whoop, a health-monitoring system that Mike White uses. That's why he gave them so much of his time. Listening to him talk about his grueling schedule when the series is in production, no wonder his brain goes dead. When a creative works 16-hour days, it is almost impossible to shut down on cue and get enough sleep. Mike White gets ideas in his sleep, and then he has to write them down bedside, and try to go back to sleep. There aren't many people who could endure 7 months of this. I don't usually need more than 6 hours of sleep a night, but if I happen to lose a night, for whatever reason (mostly old age), I can be a beast until I've had a chance to recover. 16-hour work days are no fun, I don't care how famous you are or how much money you are making. The body can take only so much torture. His honesty in this video packs a punch.

Edited April 5 by d.anders

[d.anders]

I'm happy for Belinda. How clever for Mike White to make her pull a Tanya on Pornchai. People and their love of money.

Edited April 7 by d.anders

[+ ApexNomad]

Season 3 is finally over. And all I can say is:

WASH YOUR FUCKING BLENDER!!!! C’MON!

[TonyDown]

I hope Tim remembered to give Pam that something extra at the end, like he promised 

Bless her.