Right from the start, season three of Mike White’s Thailand-set one percenter drama was beset by criticism and debate – where will the series go from here?

Within seconds of the highly anticipated final episode of The White Lotus’s season three ending on Sunday evening, the reactions and reviews for the 83-min closer were in. The viewers might as well have been talking about two different shows. “This was the best season finale so far in The White Lotus universe,” one person on X commented, while another agreed: “That episode was a work of art.” However, others felt “the ending was a huge flop – built up several plot lines all series to abruptly end them in 20 minutes with no reflection,” with another saying the finale “stinks… way too long, very boring”.

These divisive opinions are reflective of the season as a whole, and were also felt by the critics. Was the third outing of creator Mike White’s one-percenter holiday murder-mystery – set previously in luxury resorts in Hawaii, Sicily and, most recently, Koh Samui, Thailand – worthy of what Brian Tallerico of Roger Ebert called his “favourite season yet“? Or did the series, as the Boston Globe’s Steven Nguyen Scaife put it, have “less to say than ever… it’s comfort food masquerading as social critique”?

It was always going to be a tricky feat for White to pull off mass adoration for a third time. The White Lotus, which debuted in 2021, previously won 15 Emmys and two Golden Globes. It marked a comeback role for Jennifer Coolidge, often credited as White’s muse, and who portrayed the naive heiress Tanya McQuoid for the first two seasons. The role earned her two Emmys and a Golden Globe, as well as becoming a fan-favourite. But White had pulled the rug out from viewers at the end of season two, killing off Coolidge’s much-loved character, leaving fans unsteady and unsure of where a third series would take them – and if it would still have the same impact. 

The trouble with the new series can perhaps be traced back to the opening seconds of season three back in February, when disappointed fans noted that not only was the new theme tune not “a bop“, but it failed to contain the traditional “wooo-loo-looos” sounds of the previous two series. It may have been a minor issue, but was integral to the whole experience, some viewers believed. 

Just last week, The White Lotus composer, Cristóbal Tapia de Veer, revealed to The The New York Times that he had quit the show due to “hysterical” conversations with the show’s producers, adding: “I texted the producer and I told him that it would be great to, at some point, give them the longer version with the ooh-loo-loo-loos, because people will explode if they realise that it was going there anyway. He thought it was a good idea. But then Mike cut that – he wasn’t happy about that. At that point, we already had our last fight forever, I think.”

Alongside this off-set drama, a common complaint about this season was that White’s traditional slow-burn of storytelling was too… slow. The London Evening Standard called it “agonisingly slow“. Meanwhile, given the star-power of the cast, several characters such as Blackpink’s Lalisa Manobal’s staff member Mook or The Zone of Interest’s Christian Friedel as the resort manager – and aspiring singer – Fabian, felt severely underused and underdeveloped.

Fans waiting for a payoff in the finale were disappointed by nothing turning up. “Manobal, and Christian Friedel, were never really given the chance to shine – and the show felt poorer for it,” said the Evening Standard. Other long, drawn-out storylines, such as Jason Isaacs’ dodgy financial-dealing dad, Tim Ratliff, attempting to kill his family, were never revealed to his family, sadly depriving viewers of the moment when the snobbish Victoria Ratliff (Parker Posey) discovers they were poor.

White himself seemed to foreshadow some of this criticism. “It isn’t exactly a crowd-pleaser,” he told The New Yorker. “I don’t know what it is, but we’ll see.” And at the beginning of the final episode, the Buddhist monk, Luang Por Teera, is shown saying to his students: “There is no resolution to life’s questions. It is easier to be patient once we finally accept there is no resolution.”

The White Lotus is appointment TV, and still heads and shoulders above a lot of other television out there

Had the show become a victim of its own success? As the series’ feverish Reddit page grew in numbers, so did the fandom’s theories, speculations and predictions. This was presumably not something the show was set up for in its debut season, but was something that White appeared to play into across the second and third series: planting hints and suggestions of what might come to pass later in the show, but also red herrings to throw people off the scent again. 

While some fans may arguably have spoiled the experience for themselves by correctly predicting plot twists in this series – the slightly trope-y revelation of someone’s parentage; who was going to die – others may have felt frustrated, and that White overplayed his hand with too many false moments that culminated in ultimately inconsequential storylines or characters.

However, some aspects of this series were roundly agreed to be spectacular. The shock return of the series villain, Greg (Jon Gries), which managed to remain a secret until the first episode aired, was a genuine jump scare rare in contemporary television; and a surprise cameo – and an even more shocking monologue – by Sam Rockwell as Frank, a friend of Rick’s (Walton Goggins) who is in recovery, will mark the series as unforgettable.

White’s writing and sharp talent for capturing humanity it all its gore and glory also shone through again. In the final episode, a heartfelt speech by Laurie (Carrie Coon) to her frenemies; noting how the passing of time made her appreciative of their relationship in her life; to Belinda’s (Natasha Rothwell) character arc – and White’s observation that for the right amount of money, we’re all likely to sell out our morals.

It was these strengths – and arguably the more “shock” storylines like the incest brothers threesome; or all the full-frontal penis shots – that meant that even if the show was divisive, it was still pulling the viewers in. According to an HBO spokesperson in the New York Times: “The second season of The White Lotus, which debuted in October 2022, shot up to more than 15 million viewers, and this season is on track to have at least 18 million”, making it one of HBO’s most popular shows of all time. 

And, as some critics have also pointed out, even if this third season of The White Lotus wasn’t at its best, “bad” The White Lotus is appointment TV, and still heads and shoulders above a lot of other television out there. “It is better in its third gear than many dramas are in full throttle,” commented Carol Midgley from The Times. 

There will now likely be debate over whether White should have agreed to continue with a fourth series of The White Lotus – which was confirmed by HBO before season three began – and speculation as to its new location and new cast. White has shown that he still has the power to draw in the audiences; but will the destination be worth another journey?