The White Lotusmay have just wrapped up its second season, but series creator Mike White is already hinting where season 3 can go. The series, which has turned into a hit for HBO, could be heading for the East.
HBO’sThe White Lotusfinished its second season on December 11. The series is centered around the White Lotus Hotel, an upscale, five-star resort. Its high-end setting allows the series to satirize the lives of the upper class. Each season is an anthology with little connection to what came before beyond similar themes and, of course, the White Lotus itself. The only recurring character in the series is Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge), a wealthy, out-of-touch heiress who meets her husband Greg (Jon Gries) at the resort. The series also begins by featuringa character dying at the White Lotus, with the rest of the season leading up to the events that culminated in these events.
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White, who created, executive produces, directs, and writes forThe White Lotus,commented on where the series could go next in a behind-the-scenes featurette. In the featurette, White unpacks the main themes of each season. “The first season kind of highlighted money, and then the second season is sex," White said. “I think the third season would be maybe a satirical and funny look at death and Eastern religion and spirituality. It feels like it could be a rich tapestry to do another round at White Lotus.”
White also talked about Jennifer Coolidge’s character, Tanya, undoubtedly the star of the first two seasons ofThe White Lotus,and why he decided to kill her off. In season 1, Tanya utters the line, “I’ve had every kind of treatment over the years, death is the last immersive experience I haven’t tried.” He stated that he felt it was appropriate for season 2 to be Tanya’s journey to death, so to speak, and that it was right for her character to technically die at her own hands after having taken down those who conspired against her.
Where the series might go next is still open-ended. However,The White Lotusseason 2 finalefeatures Cameron (Theo James), Daphne (Meghann Fahy), Ethan (Will Sharpe), and Harper (Aubrey Plaza) commiserating that they should visit the Maldives sometime. There’s no certainty that any of the characters would come back, but given Tanya’s return to the series, anything’s possible.
Death is nothing new onThe White Lotus. As mentioned previously, both seasons open up with a death occurring at The White Lotus. It seems White is eager to continue that trend and that the series will continue to explore the materialistic culture and how it can poison the mind to spirituality.
