The White Lotus season 3 review: A tepid and Tanya-less Thai misadventure

The post-pandemic edition of his satirical drama may have taken place in Italy, but it generated conversations all over the world with its shocking twists – and even had its pulsating theme music remixed at festivals and clubs to a suitably delirious response.

How do you follow that up exactly? Well, that's a question White has had plenty of time to ponder, but his answer may not satisfy those looking to recapture the euphoric highs of winter 2022.

The White Lotus season 3 takes us to Thailand, where another group of privileged one-percenters are preparing for the holiday of a lifetime courtesy of the eponymous hotel chain and its diligent staff.

Notably, this is the first edition of the show without Jennifer Coolidge's fan favourite character Tanya McQuoid; a frequent scene-stealer in seasons 1 and 2, who left everyone stunned with her dramatic departure – and her absence is felt.

Filling the void is another literal boatload of new arrivals, including long-time friends Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan), Kate (Leslie Bibb) and Laurie (Carrie Coon), whose girls' trip isn't quite the warm reunion that was pitched.

There's also the wealthy Ratliff family, comprised of parents Tim (Jason Isaacs) and Victoria (Parker Posey), plus their three spoilt children Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger), Lochlan (Sam Nivola) and Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook).

Finally, we have mismatched couple Rick (Walton Goggins) and Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood) – separated by two decades and their contrasting views on life – as well as employee-turned-guest Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) on a transfer trip from the Maui branch.

Unfortunately, there are fewer standouts from this unruly bunch than is really needed to make The White Lotus season 3 sing anywhere near as loudly as the first two.

In fact, for the first time, there's a noticeable feeling of repetition, with some of White's archetypes and narrative devices showing signs of diminishing returns.

The screenwriter continues his tradition of placing a woefully dysfunctional family in a central role, but the Ratliffs fall short of season 1's Mossbachers and season 2's Di Grassos as rather broad caricatures of Trump-voting country club members.

The White Lotus has always delighted in its eccentric guests, but the uncomfortable dynamic at work here is too alien to make head nor tail of, with storylines veering into blatant shock value more so than ever before – and that's no easy feat.

Exacerbating the issue, the sheer number of Ratliffs (and entangled characters) means that they're rarely away from the screen, despite even White's tried-and-tested dinner sequences failing to mine much dramatic value from their brewing crises.

Likewise, the age-gap romance between Chelsea and Rick also falls flat as both Wood and Goggins play into their typical screen personas, which is particularly disappointing in a season with so little else that feels truly new.

White has more success with the ever-shifting power dynamic between Jaclyn, Kate and Laurie, whose playful exterior is masking complex and long-held resentments that beg to be dug up, featuring electric turns from the trio of stars.

Of course, Belinda has the advantage of being a familiar character, giving her a head start in terms of earning audience interest, with every word she utters likely to be analysed for clues and connections to what has come before.

Admittedly, there are moments where White risks using Belinda more as a plot device than a fully autonomous character in her own right, but Rothwell's naturally affable performance helps to lessen the impact of this choppy manoeuvring.

Fans of season 2 breakouts Valentina and Mia will find more to love in this location's dedicated staffers: host and dancer Mook (played by K-pop star Lalisa Manobal) and her hopeless admirer Gaitok (relative unknown Tayme Thapthimthong).

Their adorable dynamic melts the heart, but this being The White Lotus, also exudes a sense of peril that things could go catastrophically wrong for them at any moment.

After all, the series has retained its trademark hook of a dead body being discovered in the flash-forward opening scene, with that unfortunate role remaining very much open to all applicants after six episodes.

That's great for theorists, who will have plenty of possibilities to explore, but also reflects the slow-moving nature of this latest chapter, where so little happens that you'll be begging for a bit of debauchery by the time of episode 5's "full moon party".

The second season had a slow start too, of course, but made it through those underwhelming early chapters with a stronger roster of characters – and ultimately brought all of its elements together in a near-flawless symphony.

Having made it through three-quarters of what The White Lotus season 3 has to offer, my faith in White's writing is starting to falter and I'm left to wonder whether he can possibly pull the same stunt this time.

The final two episodes might well end up being the most action-packed of the bunch, but there's only so high this crescendo can go when the foundations are this wobbly.

Some will question whether Coolidge's Tanya was the secret sauce that kept The White Lotus running.

I'd argue that assessment is a major disservice to the various other memorable characters and impeccable performances across the first two seasons, from Murray Bartlett's Armond to Aubrey Plaza's Harper and Steve Zahn's Mark to Meghann Fahy's Daphne.

But by dispensing of his most popular – and most overtly comedic – hotel guest, White certainly threw down a gauntlet that he struggles to wrestle back up in this entry, where no one character is able to leave such a strong impression.

It's important to note, however, that The White Lotus season 3 remains entirely watchable television.

Far from being a disaster or history-making disappointment, Mike White's show is more accurately described as a victim of its own success: delivering a season that falls below his inordinately high bar, but is probably above average by any other metric.

The White Lotus season 3 is available on Sky and NOW from Monday 17th February 2025. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

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