Usually, when a season of Mike White’s THE WHITE LOTUS wraps up, talk immediately turns to the next locale for the next season. There has been a bit of buzz about that after the conclusion of the third season of the series from Thailand, but there has been quite a bit more buzzing about the latest run than just that.
There have been grumblings about not everyone getting along, criticisms about the faults in this last season’s plot, and rants regarding the usage of a cookie-cutter formula but just different characters as the seasons roll on. In turn, we’ll look at all of that on the backside of the season.
But be forewarned: Mike White has a strong answer for any of the criticisms that are out there. He stated,
“I’m world-building. If you don’t want to go to bed with me then get out of my bed. I’m edging you! Enjoy the edging. If you don’t want to be edged, then get out of my bed. Do you know what I mean? Don’t be a bossy bottom. Get the fuck out of my bed. Don’t come home with me. Don’t get naked in my bed. Get the fuck out of my bed.”
Wow! That was actually a part of a reaction to the notion that Season Three of the HBO show was just too slow-paced. He mentioned,
“There was complaining about how there’s no plot. That part I find weird. It never did… part of me is just like bro, this is the vibe…Obviously something is going to happen.”
And, of course, it finally did. The context that we pulled here and more can be found in the final bonus installment of the series’ podcast.
As far as those feuds go? Well, creator White butted heads with the shows music composer Cristóbal Tapia de Veer. It seems the squabble was over creative differences in the score. The composer wrote what he wrote and disrespected the right that White had the power to tweak it as needed. There’s a common alpha issue there, and de Veer won’t be scoring Season 4. However, the biggest upset seemed to be over behind-the-scene dissatisfactions between Walter Goggins and Amiee Lou Wood (Season 3’s Rick & Chelsea). Whatever disgruntlements they had on set are not known, but fans noted that they were not following or commenting about each other on social media. What can I say? You know how some fanatic fans just don’t have a life. It is not like the actors had never complimented or talked about each other during the filming of the show. Plus, of course, whatever the flap may be about didn’t alter their professionalism as their respective characters.
One last point I’ll make about the series is all the talk of deleted or extended plotlines upon the season’s conclusion. Some fans have complained that some of those plotlines were never satisfactorily resolved for them. We are not just talking about why a resort would have poisonous fruit trees on its property. There are bigger questions. Where is Greg/Gary’s comeuppance? Why such a poor response to the deaths? And then, to top it off, White tells us of all the deleted scenes & what he foresaw as the future for some of the characters. Well, most creators just see that that kind of stuff gets into the DVD Extras, but White has been going on about them. If they are so important to you, why didn’t you include a few extra minutes per episode or tack on a whole extra episode if need be to tell the story you wanted? White goes off telling as after the fact that Piper Ratliff Sarah Catherine Hook) loses her virginity. You couldn’t have worked that in if it was so important to you? As if HBO would balk at that when all eyes were on you.
In the end, we learn that it wasn’t a perfect season, but THE WHITE LOTUS sure pulled the viewers regardless. Enough so to guarantee a return for a fourth season. There is even been speculation on where the show will go next. One way for you to try to decide where the next White Lotus Resort is to be located is to go to the Four Seasons Resort site, since the show is in partnership with that business, and pick a locale that the show hasn’t been to yet. Mike White was seen vacationing at the Four Seasons Tamarindo in Mexico last winter. Hmm?
Come on, feel free to talk about THE WHITE LOTUS Season 3 in the Comments below.
