Max: “White Lotus “ season 3
I think Season 3 of “White Lotus” was
the strongest one yet. Fight me.
By August Cosentino
Conventional wisdom has it that Season 3 of “WL” was too boring, too kinky, too slowly paced.
Who needs conventional wisdom? Where has that taken us?
Here is my “list-icle” in why no one who loves eat-the-rich comedy, sexually suggestive situations, or the past work of Mike White (e.g., “Chuck and Buck”) should miss a single moment of S3.
(Caution: Spoilers ahead.)
-Breakout solo performances. Sam Rockwell’s confession that “Maybe what I really want is to be one of these Asian girls.” Suthichai Yoon’s Buddhist monk explaining his single drop of water philosophy. Both are monologues of the year.
-Kinky, kinkier, kinkiest. Incest, voyeurism, erections on a massage table—there’s no limit to where Mike White will go when it came to sex. Not everybody liked it but everybody’s still talking about it.
-NSFW imagery. From Carrie Coon’s bare boobs to Patrick Schwarzenegger’s butt to Jason Isaac’s junk (was it really a prosthetic?), nothing was left uncovered.
-Actors we’ll never forget. Parker Posey and her tsu-NAH-mee. Aimee Lou Wood and her teeth. Walton Goggins as he listens to Rockwell’s confession. Who gets the Emmy?
- POC get their share of the pie. Natasha gets $5 million for keeping her mouth shut, abandoning her ethics in the process. Gaichok the guard gets a promotion, along with a pretty GF.
- Rich white people get away with stuff. Whether it’s dodging a bullet for almost killing your son, or Russian thugs avoiding arrest for robbing a jewelry store, justice wasn’t always served.
-Bad people get theirs. And unfortunately so do the people that love them. Rick and Chelsea, his trusting GF both get wiped out in the finale’s deadly shootout.
-The beauty of Thailand. From the natural surroundings to the golden wats to Muy Thai boxers, the stunning cinematography by Ben Kutchens and Xavier Grobet kept you engaged. The eerie score by Cristóbal Tapia de Veer didn’t hurt either.
-The colorful nightlife. As someone who spent one night in Bangkok over 10 years ago, I can attest to the live-for-the-moment mentality.
-Best quotes: "I Just Don't Think At This Age, I'm Meant To Live An Uncomfortable Life. I Don't Have The Will." - “You Want to live in Taiwan?” Both uttered by Ms. Posey.
Finally in the very first episode of S3, a character says, “People who come to Thailand are seeking something or running away from something.” In 2014, I vacationed there, seeking neither. It’s a marvelous country filled with temples, rivers for white water rafting, elephants for riding, and night markets other countries can only dream about.
Thais may be upset if you thought their country was nothing more than a refuge for criminals and rich nasty hotel guests. So as much you may love the fantasy presented in WL, there’s a real Thailand you need to visit.
If only there were nonstop flights.
Like this review? Follow me at “What Does Aug Think?” at acsntn.substack.com. Thank you!