The White Lotus season 3 episode 1 review: Checked in, but not invested yet!

The White Lotus, created by Mike White, had its season 3 premiere, and here’s what we thought about the new faces this season!

The White Lotus season 3 episode 1 review: After a long wait of three years, another HBO classic, The White Lotus, has finally arrived with its highly anticipated season 3. Created by Mike White, the show is a sharp social satire that is part comic, part thriller and follows the exploits of guests who stay at the fictional but luxurious White Lotus resort chain. In season 1, we were welcomed in Hawaii, then season 2 upped the ante with Sicily, and for the third instalment, Mike White has now taken us to Thailand. A place known for its spas to relax and rejuvenate. The hotel is, as usual, stunning, with Buddha statues and big villas surrounded by trees with monkeys on them. It serves as the perfect place for spiritually lost Westerners. This time around, the guest list has ultra-rich vacationers and other guests with ulterior motives. There’s TV star Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan), who is on a getaway with her school besties Kate (Leslie Bibb) and Laurie (Carrie Coon). Then there’s the Ratliffs- who consist of the dad, Timothy (Jason Isaacs), the snobbish mom, Victoria (Parker Posey) and their three children, who are spoiled brats, to say the least! 

Aimee Lou Wood plays the free-spirited Brit who is stuck with a brooding Walton Goggins. But the highlight of the season 3 cast has been Blackpink’s Lisa Manobal, who made her Hollywood debut as ‘Mook’, one of the hotel staff this season. She is in a will-they-won’t-they-romance situation with security guard Gaitok, played by Taime Thapthimthong. I’m not sure if it's because Thailand is her home and she can speak the language, or it’s my bias towards her as a K-Pop fan, but out of all the introductions that happened in the first episode, her undeniable screen presence is one that draws you in the most. As Mook, she is soft-spoken and plays an obedient staff member who is ready to help her guests at all times. She is the polar opposite of the bold and fierce Lisa that we see in her music videos, and maybe that’s what has left a lot of us rather surprised! Staying true to its nature, the first scene of the first episode begins with a murder. But the twist here is that it's not just one murder; it’s multiple people being shot at, but of course, we’re not going to know who’s pulling the trigger till the very end of the show.

Also Read: Captain America: Brave New World review - The story may lack surprise, but Sam Wilson can definitely fight 'all day'! 

As we go one week back, and see all the new guests settling in, you realize that they’re all just the same kind of characters we have seen so far but with new faces. A deranged family with kids who have issues of their own, an off beat couple and a group of friends that look like they’re tight but have rather serious underlying issues. We’ve had other versions of these groups in the past seasons as well, and while I’m not complaining about the repetitiveness because these whacked guests are why I like the show in the first place, I just feel they aren’t whack enough for us to be intrigued in them. Remember the very first episode of the very first season? We saw Sydney Sweeney and Brittany O’Grady judging everyone on the boat and from that moment itself we knew they’re the quintessential mean girls who’re going to keep us invested throughout the show. Unfortunately, there’s no guest that’s ignited that kind of spark in us at least so far!

We also get to see some familiar faces- Belinda looks way more relaxed than she did in season 1 because she’s not a staff but a guest this time around. And spoiler alert! Gregory Hunter has checked into The White Lotus yet again. We finally get to see the mistress who he was whispering on the phone with in all of season 2. But the minute you see him, you think of Tanya McQuoid and the huge void she has left behind in the White Lotus universe. There never was and never will be a more iconic character in the show and Mike White clearly isn’t able to beat his own benchmarks with this season opener! Also, the first thing that put me off was the changed intro song. After three years and re-watching the first two seasons twice, I was expecting the new season to open with its iconic intro song and hence it is going to take me a while to settle into this new ethos that Mike White has created.

Will the new characters and the plot twists surpass the previous two chapters and leave a gripping impression on us? Well, that’s just something the coming weeks will tell!

The White Lotus season 3 is currently streaming on JioHotstar!

For more reviews, follow us on @socialketchupbinge