No one ever expected The White Lotus to be the hit it has become within the past four years.

The show was a placeholder for HBO’s Sunday night, which was starved of content as the world still grappled with the new normal caused by the pandemic.

It was a hit right off the gate, and soon after, HBO asked for more.

The White Lotus Season 3 takes viewers to Thailand as they follow yet another bunch of rich, entitled white people.

The show has reached various audiences thanks to the power of word of mouth and social media reactions.

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And for many, it is not their cup of tea. We’ve all been there.

However, there is specific criticism that doesn’t sit right with me: The White Lotus Season 3 was slow.

I’m not trying to refute that as a fact. It was slow. But when has it never been just that?

The White Lotus Has a Simple Premise and Hook

The premise behind Mike White’s masterpiece is simple: several people take a vacation to an exotic place, and for a week, we see their lives.

There are no flashbacks, flashfowards, or sequels.

That week is the window into their lives, and their interactions give us a glimpse into their dynamics, dreams, and frustrations.

Now, since no one will sit to watch people talk, cry, or scream at each other, there is always a mystery at the end where someone will die, and the interactions throughout the week tease who the victim might be.

For most of the week, nothing out of the ordinary will happen.

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The guests will arrive, settle into their rooms, participate in their destination’s activities, spend time with family and friends, and maybe someone may get lucky.

All this sounds ordinary and boring, but White’s crafty character design is why the show is worth the hype.

It’s All About the Characters, Death Is Just a Bonus

White wears all the hats as the creator, writer, and director.

This is always risky because no matter how much creatives like to believe in their abilities, they’re only human.

But for The White Lotus, it works because the writer has vast life experience. He’s met people from all walks of life, and having penetrated several rich people’s circles, he knows how they operate.

While each season has a theme, the show is basically commentary about human relationships, especially regarding rich people, whose circumstances never forced them to create strong and nuanced relationships like the rest of us.

For a show about vacations, it proves that they’re overrated, especially if you tag along with people you have a preexisting relationship with.

Everyone has baggage, and no matter how much we try to compartmentalize, that simply never works.

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Sooner or later, our sh*t comes up even when we’re supposed to be zenned to a hundred.

The White Lotus is a seduction routine.

Who are these people? Is everything they do displaying their true selves, or is being away from the vanity of their day-to-day lives a catalyst for exposing their true selves?

Will Tanya find what she craves the most despite having staggering wealth? How has the idea of masculinity evolved, as viewed through Albie, Dominic, and Bert? Why are there incestuous vibes between Saxon and Lochlan?

You can only learn by watching them interact.

While I do love my action-packed, violence-filled, and twisty shows, The White Lotus is simply not that, and that’s the beauty of it.

This was a long-winded way of saying that every show has its vibe, and expecting bombshells in The White Lotus every week is a guaranteed way of harvesting nothing but disappointment.

“Bro, this is the vibe. I’m world-building. If you don’t want to go to bed with me, then get out of my bed. I’m edging you! Enjoy the edging. If you don’t want to be edged, then get out of my bed,” Mike White said in response to the criticism of slowness and lack of a plot.

He was right, but maybe I’m the only one who sees it that way.

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What about you? Do you agree with White, or did you tune out early?

If yes, why? Hit the comments.

Love this show? We do too — and we want to keep writing about it.

Your comment or share can help make sure we get to. That’s the magic of supporting indie media.

Watch The White Lotus Online

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