Roush Review: All Thai’d Up in a New Season of ‘White Lotus’
Review
The White Lotus
Forbidden fruit is a house specialty of The White Lotus, where sensual misadventures of the flesh collide with mysteries of the troubled soul in the most exotic season yet of Mike White‘s irresistible anthology. With its lush greenery and ever-present wildlife of lurking lizards and monkeys staring down from trees, Thailand provides a thrilling backdrop of Buddhist mysticism, though few visitors will enjoy a state of Zen for very long.
A shockingly violent prologue sets a tone of underlying menace that weaves throughout as the resort welcomes another memorably stellar ensemble. The excellent cast is led by Jason Isaacs as Southern businessman Timothy Ratliff, who ignores the “digital detox” mandate of no phones, suffering an existential crisis as he tries to shield his spoiled family from stressful events back home. Parker Posey is his pampered wife Victoria, a caricature of privilege, with Patrick Schwarzenegger (a horndog clone of Jake Lacy’s frat brat from Season 1), Sarah Catherine Hook (seeking spiritual wisdom), and Sam Nivola (virginally confused) as their offspring, respectively (and hilariously) named Saxon, Piper, and Lochlan. From “prime North Carolina stock,” don’t you know.
Other guests include the always great Walton Goggins as a surly mystery man with an agenda (and Aimee Lou Wood as his annoying perky girlfriend), and as longtime friends whose bond begins to shred during a gossipy girls’ trip, Carrie Coon, Leslie Bibb and Michelle Monaghan, the latter a successful actress who’s footing the bill.
Amid the intrigue and debauchery, as in past seasons, we quickly get attached to several of the local White Lotus staff members, most notably Tayme Thapthimthong as Gaitok, a likable security guard with aspirations for a better life who carries a torch for adorable “health mentor” Mook (Lalisa Manobal). Natasha Rothwell returns from Season 1 as Hawaii spa manager Belinda, on an informational and self-care retreat that’s anything but peaceful when she’s jolted by a blast from her past.
You’d think she’d know by now that every vacation at the White Lotus comes with all kinds of juicy personal baggage. There’s always so much to unpack, and a good/bad time is had by all.
The White Lotus, Season 3 Premiere, Sunday, February 16, 9/8c, HBO
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