Fans of The White Lotus should be excited, because the HBO black comedy is returning to the small screen. While Season 3 was delayed due to the 2023 WGA writers and SAG-AFTRA strikes, the union contract disputes have now been resolved, which means the creative team -- including showrunner Mike White -- can get back to work. Little is still known about the upcoming season but, according to White, major changes are in store, and I'm so here for it.
While speaking with Entertainment Weekly, the Emmy winning-producer chatted about plans for the fan-favorite show and what fans can expect for the much anticipated season. Mike White unsurprisingly remained mum about cast and plot details, but he did promise that the new installment is going to have big surprises in store that may subvert the expectations of audiences who loved the first two seasons. He said:
It's going to be a supersized White Lotus. It's going to be longer, bigger, crazier. I don't know what people will think, but I am super excited, so at least for my own barometer, that's a good thing ... I'm super excited about the content of the season.
This is so exciting, and I’m already getting hyped! Mike White has become a master of the ensemble dramedy through his work on this HBO series, and he's yet to disappoint. He set laid the groundwork in Season 1, before taking the concept even further for the second one. It's truly a great modern class satire and, as some people who've seen the show might tell you, it's wildly entertaining. The ending of The White Lotus Season 2 was both shocking and spectacular, and I’m looking forward to seeing how he plans on making Season 3 bigger and better.
While many details are being kept under wraps, we do know a few things about The White Lotus Season 3. The show typically brings in a different ensemble cast season to season, with only a handful of series regular characters linking installments to each other. For example, Jennifer Coolidge appeared in both Seasons 1 and 2, before her character died at the end of S2. However, fans can look forward to Natasha Rothwell’s Belinda character returning for upcoming episodes. She was incredible in previous installments, and I can’t wait to see what's in store for one of the series' more wholesome players.
It's also known that the new season will take place at the show's eponymous hotel in Thailand, where themes of “death and Eastern religion and spirituality” will be explored. Issues of class and toxic masculinity have been tackled in previous seasons, so it’ll be interesting to observe how the new location and culture will infuse itself into interpersonal dynamics between characters. The “bigger, better” season promise from Mike White certainly suggests that he plans on taking the satire further than ever before. Fans will still have to wait until 2025 for Season 3, but White’s comments certainly give me hope that the wait will be worth it.
The White Lotus fans can currently stream the first two seasons of the award-winning show now with a Max subscription, and it's easily one of the best shows streaming on Max right now. You can also take a look at the 2023 TV schedule for other optimal content offerings.
