Diksha Sundriyal
HBO’s ‘The White Lotus’ returns for a third season, packing much action and intrigue in its first episode. The season brings a change of scenery as the resort is now in Thailand, with the story underlined by some familiar and some new themes that poke at the heart of the conflict. The one-hour first episode serves as a compelling introduction, bringing in the guests around whom most of the drama will revolve. It also takes a certain brooding, contemplative tone, which presents an interesting combination with its dark humor. SPOILERS AHEAD
A Shooting Creates Chaos in The White Lotus
The season begins with a sense of calm, or so it appears in the beginning. A young man named Zion is in the middle of a session where he is learning to control his mind and body through meditation. However, the practice is interrupted by the sound of gunshots that get louder by the minute. While the rest of the people run in the opposite direction, Zion moves towards the sound because his mother is still out there. On the way, he watches people hiding for their lives behind anything they can. He is advised to hide and go back, but he wades into the waters, which soon lands him in a dangerous situation with an animal.
Before we can find out what happens to Zion, the show, in its trademark fashion, takes a flashback to one week prior to the shooting. A familiar face emerges on a boat, marking Natasha Rothwell’s return as Belinda. It turns out that she has left her familiar locales of Maui and come to Thailand to attend and learn from the wellness exchange program. For this, she gets to stay at the resort for one month and she can already feel that things are going to turn out much better than expected. Of course, we know that something is going to go wrong, and with the cast of characters that arrive at the resort, it is all but guaranteed.
The Ratliff Family Presents a Wide Spectrum of Characters
One of the major focal points of ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3 is the Ratliff Family. Tim and Victoria Ratliff have arrived at the resort with their three children: Saxon, Piper, and Lochlan. Saxon is a Duke-alum who is working with his father in his company. Piper goes to Chapel Hill and is writing a thesis on Buddhism, for which she wants to interview a monk who lives in a monastery close to the resort. Her research is the reason why the family decided to make a vacation out of it and landed upon the White Lotus as their home for a week. Lochlan is still in high school and has yet to decide which college he wants to go to. He has been accepted in two, and both his parents have different views about what his choice should be.
Tim Ratliff appears as a workaholic man who cannot part with his phone for a week. He makes this clear when he and his family are told that the hotel doesn’t offer wi-fi in the villas and encourages its guests to give up their electronic devices for the week to be fully present. While his wife is intrigued by the idea, Tim is entirely opposed to it, and there is a good reason why. It seems that he may have been involved in something that is about to blow up in his face. He gets a call from the Wall Street Journal, where he is asked about Sho-kel and Kenneth Nguyen. The details of the case are not entirely revealed yet, but there is a good chance that when the story comes out, which will happen within the week, Tim will have a ton of problems to deal with if he doesn’t already.
As stressful as things are getting for him, Tim keeps it a secret from his family. He tries to talk to his wife, but she is so jet-lagged that she spends most of the day napping. Even when she is awake, she spends most of her time talking about her exceptional children and the esteemed colleges they have landed themselves in. But that’s not even the most interesting thing about the family. There is a weird dynamic between the siblings, with the eldest, Saxon, seemingly a bit too much into sex and everything that relates to it. He doesn’t let Lochlan sleep in the same room with Piper, because he thinks she is hot but hasn’t been laid yet.
He also thinks that the Buddhist philosophy will further repress her, and he doesn’t want Lochlan to follow suit. So, he promises to help his little brother with it, though it doesn’t seem he is very good at being a suitor as he fails to charm the three cougars and one young woman he tries to hit on. And then he asks what porn his brother likes and then proceeds to the bathroom because he cannot jerk himself off in front of his little brother. And yet, it takes him a bit of time to realize that he has left the door open and is buck naked. What’s more interesting is the way his brother looks at him.
The Actress and Her Friends Have a Complicated Dynamic
While the Ratliffs are a complex bunch, there is another group that gives them a tough fight when it comes to difficult dynamics, to say the least. The group is led by, or more accurately, paid for by, Jaclyn. She is a TV actress and a rather familiar face, as a lot of people seem to recognize her. While this delights her, her friends, Kate and Laurie, don’t seem too thrilled by it. In fact, this is just another confirmation that they might be fed up with Jaclyn taking up the limelight all the time. There is a clear jealousy on their part, and they make it more apparent through indirect jabs at her.
The trio has been friends since they were children, so there is a lot of history between them. While it will take its time to unfold, there is a very clear equation that suggests that Laurie is the odd one out. Jaclyn and Kate are much closer to each other, and Laurie can’t help but feel like a third wheel. The women say a lot of uplifting and complimentary things to each other, but the words ring hollow, especially when it comes to Laurie, as it seems that her friends don’t really pay much attention to her life. While Jaclyn and Kate continue as if there is nothing wrong, Laurie feels the facade slipping, leading her to scream out when she goes back to her room while the other two are still chatting and drinking away. There is a ticking bomb that will explode soon enough.
Relaxing is Not the Part of Rick Hatchett’s Plan at the White Lotus
When the guests arrive in the White Lotus, they all talk about how they ended up on the trip or the country or the resort. Mostly, it is about spending time with their loved ones or having a relaxing week where they can forget about the rest of the world for a change. Rick Hatchett, however, doesn’t care for any of it. He is not at the resort to relax. He is after something, or rather, someone. He asks around for Jim Hollinger, the owner of the resort. It seems that the man is currently ill and has flown back to Bangkok for treatment. For now, the resort is under the control of his wife, Sritala.
Rick is dejected by the news that Hollinger is not there, and he is further irritated by his young girlfriend, Chelsea, who seems adamant about making the most of their trip. She advises him to get a facial or go to the spa, but he is entirely disinterested in all of it. He doesn’t join her for dinner and rejects her idea of getting pissed so, from the next day, they can focus on their mind and bodies. His loss turns into the gain of a woman whom Chelsea meets and befriends at the bar. The woman, who used to work as a model, is with one of the bald, white men (who seem to be in excess at the resort, and reportedly, even around the country) in the restaurant and is not staying at the resort. She and Chelsea seem to have a lot in common, so they decide to get drunk together.
Amidst all this is Brenda, who is waiting for her new journey to begin with the wellness program. Her son, Zion, is due to arrive there later in the week. Then there is the staff, led by the eccentric Sritala, a former actress, who remains sort of a mystery so far. There is Mook (played by Blackpink’s Lisa) and Gaitok. She works in the staff, and he works in security. He clearly has a thing for her, and his desire to prove himself worthy of her is expected to feed the impending chaos, if not cause it. Fabien, the general manager, is also introduced, though it remains to be seen how he stacks up against the managers from the previous seasons.
Read More: Where Was The White Lotus Season 3 Filmed?
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