‘The White Lotus’ season 3 transports audiences to Thailand

For those looking for a tropical escape from the gloomy Midwest weather, look no further than Mike White’s “The White Lotus.”

Season three of the hit Max series just concluded and was filled with drama. Each season follows a different group of vacationers at a different “White Lotus” resort: season one took place in Hawaii, season two took place in Italy and season three took place in Thailand.

The first two seasons featured Jennifer Coolidge as Tanya, and her presence was certainly missed this season. However, her character's beautiful ridiculousness was made up for by the inclusion of Parker Posey’s Victoria.

Season three follows a few different groups of vacationers, all with their own quirks and flaws that make them endearing characters. One of the main groups is the Ratliff family, consisting of Victoria (Posey), Timothy (Jason Isaacs), Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger), Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook) and Lochlan (Sam Nivola).

The season also focuses on a group of three lifelong friends reuniting for a girls’ trip. This group features Jaclyn, a reality TV star played by Michelle Monaghan, Laurie (Carrie Coon) and Kate (Leslie Bibb). Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood play Rick and Chelsea, a couple with a significant age gap, and Blackpink’s Lisa makes her acting debut as Mook, an employee at the resort. Mook’s love interest throughout the season, Gaitok, is played by Tayme Thapthimthong.

Only two recurring characters make an appearance this season. Natasha Rothwell makes her first appearance since season one as Belinda, the spa manager, who crosses paths with a familiar face, Jon Gries’ Greg (also known as Gary), the only character to appear in all three seasons. Belinda’s son, Zion, also makes an appearance.

These groups bring lots of drama with them when they venture to Thailand, and the trip immediately starts to blow up in flames for most of the guests. The Ratliffs deal with legal troubles and Piper’s desire to move to Thailand, something Victoria is very against, and Saxon is trying to get his brother, Lochlan, to be more manly. Things get really weird really fast with the Ratliff family, and the best way to describe their dynamic throughout the entire series is dysfunctional.

Rick and Chelsea also have a complicated relationship. Chelsea is convinced she can “fix” him, while Rick wants to get revenge on the man he thinks killed his father. The three friends deal with conflicts involving lifestyle differences, politics and personalities that clash, leading to rising tensions on the trip. Gaitok and Mook develop feelings for each other as Gaitok struggles to complete his job as a security guard and Belinda, convinced Greg killed his ex-wife (Jennifer Coolidge), is determined to get justice for her friend.

Like any season of “The White Lotus,” it’s messy. The season is flooded with drama and twists, but this season didn’t have the same tension as the first two. From the very beginning of the first two seasons, tensions were so high that it seemed like everything could explode in a matter of seconds. In season three, however, the tensions don’t start quite as high — instead, they build throughout the season, and nothing really blows up until the finale.

The highlight of the season was, by far, Victoria. Her over-the-top southern accent and materialistic tendencies made it nearly impossible not to laugh when she was on screen, even when the scene itself was far from funny. She’s the perfect addition to the show, and I hope to see her return in the future.

So, what’s next for “The White Lotus?” Like many other fans have been saying online, I would love to see an all-star season featuring some of the most over-the-top characters from the show on a vacation together, just to see how messy that would be. Is it likely? Probably not. But whatever Mike White does next with the show is bound to be just as insanely entertaining as the first three seasons.

Rating: 7/10