The White Lotus S3E2: Special Treatments

Okay, I am, of course, rewatching episode 1 before the new one airs. Any thoughts I have are here:

• I am thinking about the way each season opened:
  • S1: Conversation at airport arrival/departure and a body is being loaded into a plane
  • S2: Conversation on the beach where the body is discovered
  • S3: Conversation in a treatment area where a crime scene is actively happening
• It is interesting to note that the action gets closer every season. I assume that is intentional on Mike White’s part.
• I have also heard rumblings that the theme song has not reached its final form yet. I look forward to its evolution.
• The names in the first scene are Amrita and Zion — From A to Z.
• Three siblings and three female friends. Mike White really leaned into the threes of it all.
• I think there will be a fight between the three friends and the “health mentor”
• The siblings are fighting over Lochy. I bet the parents are, too.
• I hope Mike White gives his B-roll to the resorts so that they can have the most spectacular commercials ever.

Okay, it’s Monday, and I’m watching Episode 2. The preview is for The Righteous Gemstones’ new season, and I cannot wait.

This will still take the form of chaotic thoughts for now. I hope to start gelling into actual theories next week. I will say that I’m not finding myself as “into” this season as I have been previously, but it’s early days yet.

Thoughts:

• During the credits, Sam Nivola’s name is onscreen at the same time as a floating body. The floater in the beginning couldn’t be that obvious, could it? Not Lochlan!
• Ooh, we are picking up right where we left off. The girls of the trio talking positively about Carrie Coon while she cries watching them. But then it turns mean girly, which is sad. But not surprising.
• Ugh, this two-faced judgemental love. It makes my skin crawl.
• HA, Carrie Coon (Laurie, I think) is scaring the fuck out of them.
• Too much monkey mention. I think a monkey doing the shooting is too obvious now.
• There is definitely more to the Leslie Bibb/Parker Posey storyline. Parker Posey looked almost scared of her. Maybe the Ratliff family is officially on the run?
• It’s wild how pill-popping folks like Parker Posey probably look down on bong-ripping people like me, but we’re both trying to get to the same place: relaxed… or, for me, most of the time, a non-buzzy baseline.
• I feel like Saxon might be a virgin. Or just a “look at me and my boner” asshole.
  • Why not both?
• Timothy (Jason Issacs) is definitely running from something. Just look at this focus on that treadmill.
• Rick’s (Walter Goggins) character is gonna go through a transformation, I think. (I hope)
• WOOWOOs!
• I don’t think there was weird brother/sister or brother/brother stuff in the past. I think it might be mother/son?
• ”It’s good to talk about things with a wise Indian.” – Chelsea
• I love Chelsea. She’s very accepting and wants to be there/help Rick. I think her intentions are pure (I hope)
• Greg is going by the name Gary? Hmmm.
• I’m so glad she realizes her brother shouldn’t be talking about her like that. I wonder if her mom was a free thinker before the pills, and the hubby pushed her into them to dampen that?
• Who is holding up the shop? There was recognition in Chelsea’s eyes a bit. Is it Rick? Okay, no, because they came from outside the resort. Maybe it was recognition of the con that Chloe is trying to pull off? It’s not a normal robbery, that’s for sure!
• There has been no sex so far this season – only talking about it.
• Ooh, yeah, we get the owner’s performance tonight! And other staff!
• Two scammers face to face. This is great. (Greg/Gary vs. Rick)
• Belinda totally recognizes Greg.
• Is that Ke Huy Quan on the phone?! It has to be.
• We are gonna see every combination of friend group shit talk in this trio.
• This show must be so fun to write for!
• We get sex! And it’s solid, realistic sex. I read an article about how closely Aimee Lou Wood and Walter Goggins worked with an intimacy coordinator on this scene, up to and including her approval of the final scene.

Theories:

• The Ratliffs:
  • Maybe they never planned to come home? Maybe this is some sort of escape related to all the phone drama the dad is dealing with.
  • What if when Ke Huy Quan called him —that’s what implicates him. It was an unrecognizable number that the caller said was a burner phone. It’s probably not.
  • I think the momma had some weird stuff happening with the older son. They have a weird familiarity.
  • This one is out there, but I think the daughter might have feelings for the monk she is gonna interview. Maybe she is not as innocent as she seems. I think there is definitely more to her than we’ve seen so far.
• Rick & Chelsea:
  • The robbery was planned and executed by her new friend Chloe.
  • Chelsea doesn’t see herself as a prostitute or selling herself. She genuinely loves Rick.
• The Trio:
  • What I want to happen is for Daphne from Season 2 to show up and just destroy these catty women with her confidence.
• The Hotel Staff:
  • First off did y’all know that the hotel manager is played by Christian Friedel who played the bonechillingly terrifing Rudolph Hoss in one of my favorite movies from last year The Zone of Interest.
    • I can’t unsee this now.
  • There is more to Mook than meets the eye. I think she is a little bit of a bad girl (in a good way.)
• Belinda:
  • I mean, she’s gonna talk to Greg next week, we’ve seen that. He will be squirrely and not up front of course.
  • I wonder if she will give some sort of treatment to Chelsea and try to pump her for info or plant some seeds since she saw Chelsea with Greg(Gary) at dinner one night.