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Washington | Culture > Entertainment

I Finally Watched “The White Lotus”

Eliza Disbrow Student Contributor, University of Washington - Seattle
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Washington chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

I like to say that I’m immune to peer pressure. I don’t deal with FOMO, nor do I let trends determine my style or interests. All of this to say is that I succumbed one day back in March. While studying abroad, my peers discussed their enjoyment of the TV show The White Lotus and the plan to watch the newest episode of the third season as a group. I had heard about the show — nothing but good things, mind you — and that each season had its own storylines with a few overarching plotlines from across the previous seasons. So, I decided to join in. 

And I was a fan.

I felt like this show hit on many of my interests, with socio-political commentary being number one. But, more than any of that, I’m originally from North Carolina, and my parents went to NC State. I could go into the feuds between UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke, and NC State, but that’s unimportant, really; the NC State alumni in my life were just happy to get out unscathed. I thought this was the sign from the universe that I needed to finally watch the finished two seasons before diving back into season three before the finale.

I saw why The White Lotus immediately made a name for itself after season one. After all, it was so good that it went from being a stand-alone series to a multi-season show. Armand became an immediate favorite character for being the voice of all customer service workers and bringing an unprecedented level of chaos and icon-behavior to the season. I would say that the backdrop of Hawaii and the history of colonialism made for the most interesting story aspect, in my opinion. Themes of exploitation, identity, ownership, and the desire to social climb or, at least, obtain wealth, permeated throughout each of the guests and continued into the next season.

It’s not controversial to say that the second season of The White Lotus is the best. The stakes are somewhat lowered (minus Tanya’s subplot, I’ll get to this in a bit), but it is even more tense. The relationship and gender dynamics within the two couples had me on the edge of my seat, reading into each conversation or moment of eye contact. This season is about gender and all of the intricacies in that. Sex, power, desire, jealousy, friendship, it made for a more emotional, character/relationship-focused season, whereas season one was far more story-focused. Then there was Tanya, practically living in an action movie. That, I’ll admit, was my least favorite part; it felt disconnected and too unrealistic. However, that is my opinion. 
It may be why I didn’t love the third season, though. That is in no way me saying I hated it, it just couldn’t live up to my standards set by the show. Weirdly enough, the stakes were far higher than in previous seasons (spoiler alert: the shoot-out, the dad attempting to… you know), but it didn’t feel as dramatic or intriguing. It got to the point where so much was going on, yet nothing at the same time. The quieter moments between the trio of friends, for example, were the strongest parts of the season. Once again, that is my opinion. But, I’m still excited for the next season and have been anxiously waiting for any reveals. I’ve heard the next season might be in Greece or Switzerland, I’m all for the latter; it’s about time The White Lotus went cold.

Eliza Disbrow

Washington '26

Eliza Disbrow is a senior at the University of Washington, majoring in International Studies: European Studies with a double minor in Spanish and business. Eliza is a writer for both the University of Washington chapter and for National HerCampus, covering a variety of topics, from music, books, social media, politics, to anime.

Beyond Her Campus, Eliza serves as the co-president of the University of Washington Euro Club, participates in the University of Washington Women in Business club, and works part-time at Evereve.

In her free time, Eliza can be seen taking in the sights of Seattle on any of the available forms of public transportation, normally with a book in hand and headphones in her ears. She plays guitar and bass, mainly as an excuse to play either Fall Out Boy or Ghost to family and friends. Additionally, she is perhaps the number-one super fan of "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver," somehow able to quote or recall episodes ranging from the most recent release or from three years ago.