The White Lotus (Season 3)

⭐ 8.5/10

Much like Severance, I have loved prior seasons so much that its hard to not feel disappointed when the show takes a step down.  This is still easily one of the best things on, with many modern and important ideas, wrapped in a bow with great actors, hilarious lines, and gorgeous scenery.

My main complaint, and the complaint of most people, is that this season is slower. Most character arcs can be distilled to one or two key moments. This doesn't really bother me, but unlike Severance the finale ended up being more frustrating than the rest of the stagnant season.  I like being in a beautiful resort with rich people complaining and being awful! But this season sets up a very dramatic final episode that I thought felt empty in some moments and confusing in others.

But lets be positive!

• Goggins at the restaurant watching Rockwell give that monologue was insane.
• The Ratliff family bothered me all season, going through the motions every episode, but it all led up to a mother-daughter interaction that I think is the pearl this whole season was written around. An incredible moment with so many ideas and emotions surrounding it, felt incredibly rich and well written.
• Watching those 3 women gossip to start the season was juicy and uncomfortable in all the best ways. Carrie Coon is the perfect person to insert into that, and she gets a great monologue to end the season as well, even if their wrap-up felt abrupt and a bit unearned.  Maybe that's the point, people go on vacation but don't stop being themselves, and even if they have some epiphany they slip right back into their comfortable life when they get home.
• Gaitok is one of my favourite characters across any season. He is a precious gem that you just know will be corrupted from the moment you meet him.

The Greg/Belinda stuff was a bit strange, and I have a lot of logistical and practical questions around it. At the end of the day every storyline feels like it comes back to money, what it does to people and what people will do to get some. Honestly I am impressed that they have made 3 great seasons of this show - I was highly skeptical that 2 could do anything more than just retread 1, and 2 is now easily my favourite of the three seasons. I think the characters didn't interact enough outside their groups this season, and when they did it ended up being mostly inconsequential.

A fun show to talk about, and to think about, and that's great!