Last night, I watched the highly anticipated season finale of White Lotus. While I will not divulge any spoilers, I admit that I was left feeling underwhelmed. In my experience, it is seldom the case that any other season of a show tops the first. A series’ first season is when the plot is the most authentic. Take, for example, the first seasons of Stranger Things and Outer Banks. Regardless of how you feel about the subsequent seasons, it is hard to deny that their debuts made the strongest impression. When the concept of a show is so new and authentic, everything that follows often seems redundant and over the top.Â
It is not surprising to me in the slightest that I found the first season of White Lotus to be the strongest in terms of plot, characters, and humor. When it first aired as an HBO series in 2021, it was sui generis, meaning there was genuinely nothing else like it on television. The pacing was perfection; the director was not yet worried about dragging out the plot to make more episodes and more money. That’s another thing. When directors begin producing a television series, there is no guarantee that it will perform well, forcing them to put everything on the line to ensure the show will receive good ratings. As subsequent seasons are made, they become more and more comfortable reusing the same plot lines and familiar tropes that they know will glean good ratings. While I recognize the hard work that went into season 3 and its stacked cast of actors, I can not help but feel that many of its resolutions were incomplete.
The witty sarcasm is so raw in the first season. The comedic timing forces viewers to experience every awkward interaction as if it is happening to them. Insane things happen from the outset instead of during the last twenty minutes of the season. In the first episode alone, an employee gives birth while on the clock, beginning a chain of shocking events that speak to the desperate extent workers will go to for a paycheck. Mike White’s social commentary is at its peak in this season. The theme of colonialism and how it seeps into today’s social conditions is so prevalent. The hypocrisy and entitlement of upper class white saviors is embodied by the character of Olivia (Sydney Sweeney) who claims to care about the class war yet cannot fathom anyone, even her best friend Paula, being superior to her. The tension between the hotel employees, with the spiraling hotel manager at the forefront, and the guests, with the trust-fund baby, Shane, as their leader, steadily builds until it reaches a pivotal climax. While both sides are imperfect, you find yourself rooting for the underdogs who are, time and time again, forced to accept the insults guests launch at them with a friendly smile.
If you want to jump on the bandwagon to watch season three, I advise you not to skip the first or even, second season, of the show. While the seasons can stand alone, watching them in order of their release will help you grasp the premise of White Lotus. Also, it’s just good television.