The Meaning of Dreams

Imagine the chaos happening back home right now, while the Ratfliffs are away and oblivious. Maybe that's the story we should be watching because Thailand is a relatively inert place.

The great cast still lends some interest to the proceedings. Finally, Walton Goggins gets a chance to do something other than mope around with a pained expression on his face.

But the plotting overall is too thin. Maybe Mike White needs a writing partner now to bounce ideas off of, to beef up some of the deader plot lines.

The Thai staff characters are dull as hell. In previous seasons, we got gems like Armond. Why write characters as dull when you have the option to give them some kind of demented liveliness? Instead of having Gaitok be weak and incompetent, have him be a wannabe Rambo type who goes nuts when a thief gets past him and causes chaos in his attempts to be more aggressive.

"The White Lotus" S3 E3 delves deeper into the intertwined lives of its guests, revealing hidden anxieties, simmering tensions, and the weight of unspoken secrets. The episode masterfully balances moments of dark humor with a growing sense of unease, as the characters' carefully constructed facades begin to crack.

The episode explores the complexities of relationships, both romantic and familial. The dysfunctional dynamic between the Spences and the Nixons continues to unravel, with their contrasting personalities and clashing values creating a palpable tension. The introduction of Greg, Tanya's husband from the previous season, adds a layer of intrigue and raises questions about his connection to the current guests.

The episode also delves into the lives of the staff, showcasing their own struggles and ambitions. Belinda finds herself drawn to a wealthy guest, while the young receptionist, Mook, navigates a budding romance with a security guard.

The cinematography remains stunning, capturing the beauty of the Thai landscape and the opulence of the resort with breathtaking visuals. The soundtrack continues to blend traditional Thai music with contemporary sounds, creating a unique and immersive atmosphere.

The episode's pacing is deliberate, allowing for a gradual build-up of tension and suspense. The ending leaves you with a sense of unease and curiosity, eager to witness how the characters' secrets and desires will unravel and what consequences await them in this seemingly idyllic paradise.

Overall, "The White Lotus" S3 E3 is a well-crafted and engaging episode that deepens the intrigue and sets the stage for a captivating season of emotional entanglements and unexpected twists.

The plot drags on with no significant developments, leaving viewers waiting for something to occur. This season has been particularly disappointing, with repetitive storylines and a monotonous pace.

Moreover, I don't understand the praise for the character Mook... Her role is uninteresting, and I would even say unnecessary. The character's presence doesn't add depth to the story, and their scenes feel forced.

Everything unfolds too slowly, I know (I hope) that a crescendo and climax await us, but it still could have been better. The potential is there, but the execution is lacking, making it a struggle to stay engaged.

At this point, it's safe to say that "The White Lotus" hasn't just found its formula-it's perfected it to the point where every new season feels like a sadistic game of who falls apart first?-with a tropical paradise as the arena. In this episode, Mike White keeps tightening the screws on the suspense, letting the tension drip like the sweat of the guests who, under the Thai heat, are desperately trying to keep it together while their lives crumble around them. The episode delivers everything the show does best: petty intrigues masked by forced smiles, small talk hiding corrosive power dynamics, and that ever-present feeling that something is about to explode-or, in this case, be let out of a glass cage and bite someone.

Timothy's growing paranoia might be the episode's most well-crafted thread, almost like a case study on how a man used to control deals with the looming collapse. His obsessive phone calls, the way his cellphone turns into a ghost haunting him every minute, and his desperate attempts to hold on to any illusion of normalcy (as if a simple screen lockdown could fix his problems) make him one of the most interesting characters this season. Victoria, on the other hand, shows a cruel pragmatism that only highlights how distant they really are as a couple. She offers him a pill to help him sleep but not to actually get better-a perfect metaphor for how she handles her own life and the problems she'd rather sweep under the rug. The final scene, where Timothy finally gives in and steals another pill, encapsulates this mindset: denial as the only survival strategy.

Saxon continues his mission to be the worst kind of brother, oozing casual misogyny and a toxic masculinity that swings between darkly funny and deeply uncomfortable. His relationship with Lochlan is a brutal reflection of that tough love style of bullying disguised as life advice that runs through so many family dynamics. But while Saxon is predictable, Rick is a mystery. His little weed run outside the resort felt like a throwaway subplot-until he suddenly decided that freeing a bunch of caged snakes was a good idea. And just like that, the sequence turns into one of the tensest and most unexpected moments of the episode. The "cobra show" scene is a perfect example of what this show does best: a moment that starts off almost as a joke but slowly builds into an unsettling tension-until something actually dangerous happens. Chelsea getting bitten by the snake that Rick let loose isn't just a tragically ironic twist (especially since she was obsessed with that snake necklace in the last episode); it also puts a huge target on her back for whatever disasters come next.

Over in the three-friend drama, the rivalry disguised as friendship between Jaclyn, Kate, and Laurie just gets juicier. Their dynamic is pure passive-aggressive poison, every interaction dripping with jealousy and fake politeness. The highlight is Kate casually (or maybe intentionally?) revealing her political shift, forcing Jaclyn into a hilarious moral gymnastics routine. If past seasons used romantic couples to expose the discomfort of relationships in crisis, this season plays with a different kind of tension: female friendships that exist more out of habit and convenience than genuine affection.

But "The White Lotus" wouldn't be "The White Lotus" without some sinister foreshadowing hanging in the air. Piper's comment about the waves swallowing a man feels like one of those ominous lines planted to haunt us later in the season, just like Belinda getting spooked by strange noises in her room. And then, of course, there's Rick, who's making it more and more obvious that he didn't come to this resort just to relax-his growing fixation on the hotel's owners and his upcoming trip to Bangkok are practically screaming that something big is about to go down...

Overall, the episode perfectly captures what makes "The White Lotus" so addictive. It doesn't rely on huge twists or shocking reveals to keep you hooked. What makes it work is this intricate game of microaggressions, loaded silences, and tiny moments that seem insignificant now but could be the start of something catastrophic. Every season of this show begins as a messy web of random interactions, but piece by piece, it all starts coming together to reveal something deeply unsettling underneath. And right now, it's clear-the storm is getting closer.

Whatever they are doing, it isn't working. Unlike the previous two seasons there are absolutely no characters that are engaging and it is totally devoid of the humour of season 1 and to a lesser extent season 2. I'll stick with it but after three largely uneventful episodes I'm not overly optimistic. Episode 3 was the dullest so far with lots of 'mood' shots but very little by way of moving the stories on unless you like watching rich, unlikeable people shovelling food in their mouths. I was quite forgiving of the rather bland opening episode as it is all about introducing the characters and location but episodes two and three have been equally nondescript.