Family over fortune: The surprising conservative heart of ‘The White Lotus’

Published April 8, 2025 3:51pm ET



One can only imagine what the Google reviews for the White Lotus hotels, the luxurious titular resorts of HBO‘s latest cultural phenomenon, would look like: “Beautiful, spacious villa, friendly staff. Unexpected mass shooting murder spree and cloudy weather. Would recommend.” Despite the litany of murders plaguing this fictional playground for bored millionaires, guests continue to flock there season after season.

Set in the lush, tropical climate of Thailand, Season 3 once again introduces viewers to a new roster of disparate guests. The show thrives on its characters and their exaggerated idiosyncrasies. From the endearing, free-spirited charm of Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood) to Victoria Ratliff’s (Parker Posey) viral drawl — her pronunciations of Buddhism and tsunami are among the season’s most mimicked moments — creator Mike White proved again he has an uncanny knack for crafting memorable caricatures.

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