Special Treatments

Compared with S1 and 2, this season seems "off." Too many scenes that lack dramatic oomph. But the casting is so good that I'm still hooked. Love Parker Posey and Carrie Coon. Walton Goggins is really cast against type here, playing an inhibited and low-key character but I'm sure the shoe will drop soon.

The location is of course gorgeous and some plot threads are intriguing. What's going to happen with Tim's legal dilemma, what is the connection between Rick and Sritala's ailing American husband, and does Belinda really have no inkling at all what happened to Tanya and how her husband was connected? (I had the impression Tanya's assistant had enough info at the end of S2 to put it all together.)

Although this episode had some interesting elements and scenes, not quite enough happens to justify how slow it is. Some of the characters this season seem like complete caricatures and exagerate the tropes and archetypes they're supposed to represent to annoying and frankly unrealistic levels. I think when a show commits to the slow burn style that White Lotus definitely has, it has a responsibility to make sure all it's characters are believable and interesting and this season hasn't achieved it in my opinion. I still look forward to the rest of the episodes but this season has failed to pique my interest and curiosity to the level 1 and 2 did. I hope some of the characters become more fleshed out and that the runtime is better spent in future episodes.

The first season had two electrifying and magnetic stars: Murray Bartlett and Jennifer Coolidge. They were totally compelling. The havoc they wreaked was riveting and startling. I never knew what would happen next. It was like watching a car crash.

I didn't like the second season as much as it was populated with creepy characters.

This season is blessed with Walton Goggins, one of the most electrifying performers around. I remember the first time I saw him in 'Justified'. He turned a guest role into a leading role. 'White. Lotus' has managed to make him dull. It's not him. It's the writing and directing. I decided he's the thief, so maybe his character will really come to life now. I hope so, because this season is incredibly boring. It definitely needs a booster shot of life.

Episode two didn't get any better and barely piqued my interest in the season. I have faith it will improve, just like the first two seasons, as the drama gets spicier. The cast just doesn't do it for me so far. The Ratliff family seems boring after two episodes. They all have unique personalities, creating tension, but I can't see them improving like the Mossbacher family did, for example. The most interesting is Rick and Chelsea. Chelsea is so adorable, and I love her character and accent. The three middle-aged women also seem catty and insufferable. The dialogue between them is so boring and fake but it seems like that's by design. Hoping this gets better, but I have faith it will. 3/5 stars.

Just finished the second episode, and it feels like a mix of Nine Perfect Strangers, The Perfect Couple, and seasons 1 and 2 of this show. I also think the writing isn't as good as previous seasons, especially the dialogues given to the three women characters. They're so typical, and almost every one of their scenes feels the same. Even though the actresses playing these characters are attractive and their acting is fine, their roles seem to slow the show down.

So far, my favorites are Mook (super likable), Saxon (maybe named that because he always wants sex), and Chelsea. I hope Greg at least does something crazy, because right now, even though I want to watch the next episode, there's no excitement. The episodes don't end with big cliffhangers or anything interesting to look forward to, but it's still a good watch. 3/5.