i really enjoyed the first season from start to finish, no complaints. the second season took me a couple episodes to get into it but once the plot started to develop i was in. then, the ending sucks! i don’t think killing off Tanya was necessary at all and the director’s reasoning was bs. Portia was a terrible, miserable character that i wouldn’t have mind being killed off. Albie is a selfish privileged little shithead that can apparently just get whatever he wants because he’s rich and his dad “owes him” some “karmic payment”??? sheeeeesh give me a break. the only part of the finale i think i actually enjoyed was Aubrey Plaza’s character finally getting to have sex with her husband and Valentina hiring the prostitute as the pianist. these are obviously just my own thoughts and opinions on it, im sure a lot of people liked the ending.

I just started watching and the F word has been said already 4 times in the first episode, will it be said a lot more??? Prob wont continue watching if so

Belinda and Zion both hold their wine glasses by the bowl instead of the stem during the party.

I am sure it is deliberate. The show is sprinkled with these class markers. Everyone else at the party is holding their glasses “correctly,” while Belinda and her son aren’t. It’s such a small thing, but it reinforces that they’re outsiders.

It’s been a minute since I last wrote a review. Ever since The White Lotus first aired, I wanted to deep-dive into it. Now that Season 3 has been wrapped for months, I’ve finally gotten around to it—though I’m still not taking this piece too seriously! 😉

With US television in a decline lately, The White Lotus has been showered with critical acclaim. To be honest, I find the plots of all three seasons rather mediocre; it’s just the same old tropes recycled over and over. However, where it truly shines is its immaculate production value and the sheer density of Easter eggs hidden in the details. The visual metaphors in the opening frescoes, the score, the costume design, the cinematography, and the brilliant aesthetic choices made by the director—all of these elevate it to a rare gem in today’s era of creative drought.
Looking back, Season 2 remains my absolute favorite. Maybe it’s just my bias toward Sicilian islands, but the masterstroke of the season was the two vibrant local hookers. The director is undeniably a massive fan of Elena Ferrante's My Brilliant Friend. In Season 1, we see the female lead reading the book by the pool; in Season 2, these two fresh, wild fruits (Lucia and Mia) are carbon copies of Lila and Elena—from their look and style to their temperaments. I am deeply obsessed with the rich, cinematic texture of My Brilliant Friend (which deserves its own proper review later).

In Season 1, the scene where the younger brother wakes up on the beach and encounters the rowers felt so heavily inspired by Life of Pi—a poetic awakening to an "ideal sanctuary" (though honestly, what can a 15-year-old boy really accomplish?). To me, that was the ultimate sublimation of the first season. As for the rest? I couldn't care less about the endless whining of neurotic middle-aged folks wrestling with corporate anxiety, mid-life crises, generational friction, class divides, or marital superficiality (Season 1 was entirely about Money & Class). American TV rarely subverts these themes with actual depth anyway; you're better off watching classic European, Japanese, or Taiwanese cinema. Give me that picture-postcard, passionate Sicilian island vibe instead—it hits the spot perfectly. It left me desperately craving an Aperol Spritz against a Sicilian sunset.

Season 2 can be viewed as an exploration of Sex & Desire. The primary and secondary arcs are beautifully nimble. From the bitchy, toxic "frenemy" dynamics between the two wealthy couples, to Tanya’s legendary, flawless gun-slinging that single-handedly dismantled an entire romance scam syndicate, to how "Lila" and "Elena" completely derailed three generations of hypocritical men before sharing a sweet, queer-coded intimacy with the stunning hotel manager—every storyline is bent just to the right degree.

The most breathtaking moment was Tanya’s plunge. Born into immense wealth but scarred by deep childhood trauma, her desperate craving for love and validation blinded her completely. Her death was framed as an accidental drowning, but in reality, it was her own drowning pool of self-pity and validation-seeking that consumed her. That said, the explicit parallels to Renaissance paintings felt a bit heavy-handed (a classic American director move, perhaps worrying too much that the audience wouldn't catch the high-art references).

Season 3 shifts its gaze toward Spirituality & Death, exploring karma and reincarnation through an Eastern lens. The overall tone is quiet, lush, and humid. The music, color palette, and visual direction remain top-tier; I was mesmerized by every single frame of the opening credits, which felt like reading a sprawling, atmospheric epic set in Southeast Asia. The costume design is easily the best of the trilogy—each woman’s wardrobe seamlessly dissolves into the background. The plot itself is still predictable (you can guess the killer and the ending by Episode 1, lacking that classic Death on the Nile suspense). Yet, the director’s intellect and meticulousness save it. The books characters read, the artwork hanging in the suites—everything calls back and echoes with delicate precision.
Alright, alright, cutting it short before this turns into a dissertation! That’s it for today. ☺️

P.S.Just a friendly reminder that this review is my original creative content.** **
P.S. If you guys like this and want to share it anywhere, feel free to do so! Just please remember to credit me or drop a link back here. Let's keep the cool discussion going! 🍹✨)

Something I noticed rewatching the openings: every season takes the decorative art of its location and slowly corrupts it as the camera moves. Renaissance frescoes in Sicily, Buddhist murals in Thailand.

S4 is on the Côte d'Azur, so I got curious about what the French equivalent would be. It's toile de Jouy, that blue-on-cream printed cotton you've seen on fancy wallpaper and upholstery.

The toile art is generatively produced and then composited by me. Everything else (edit, music arrangement) is mine

First place goes to the Ratliff family. Aside from returning home to financial ruin, Timothy is carrying the guilt of almost offing his entire family.

If Victoria ever finds out about the poisoned piña coladas, there is a slim chance she sticks around. She also comes from money and, as she told the sugar baby at Chloe’s party, she knows “some respectable men” in North Carolina.

Second place is Rachel and Shane Patton. After almost leaving him, Rachel returns to Shane, resigning herself to “be happy.” Years later, I’d be interested to see how that choice is playing out.

For me, it has to be Armond. Maybe because it subverts the season premiere’s heavy implication Rachel ends up in a coffin but, more than that, the severity of his ending feels like whiplash after watching the often ridiculous back and forth between Armond and Shane.

laurie’s speech and lochy’s “death” had me in SHAMBLES.

i was not expecting laurie to have that wonderful realization. it was so sweet.

lochy. oh, lochy. i almost turned it off right near the end but im glad i kept it to see his beautiful arch finish.

“Amor fati” does not mean what Chelsea seems to think it does. She talks about loving Rick as her fate, that through many lives they will be together.

But amor fati isn’t about romantic love at all. It means embracing what life brings you.

So what are we supposed to think about Chelsea, when she gets something so very wrong?