Quick and sharp switch up here: Is anyone watching season 3 of The White Lotus?
Man, I love that show. Solving a murder in a luxury hotel? What’s not to love? It’s two of my favorite things.
And, as with all things, there has been quite a bit of talk on social media (well, Threads, at least) about the new season, including a lot of people complaining that it’s just too slow (I disagree. I love the slow pace. I think it’s great for building suspense).
One of the things going around the Threads is a question as to why Greg/Gary would be hanging around the WL Thailand, especially considering a) he has a house in Thailand; and b) he’s wanted for questioning in his wife’s death at the White Lotus in Sicily.
To which I point out, a) it’s not uncommon for really rich people to eat at hotels they aren’t staying at, especially if he has a young girlfriend who wants to be social and b) his wife (and his potential murder hires) all died in a tragic “accident,” so he’s obviously been cleared by both the police and the insurance company, hence, the big house up the mountain.
But also, some Threaders think it’s highly unlikely that The White Lotus Thailand would be popular with anyone given its murder-y past.
Here are some examples:
Threader #1: This season requires even more suspension of disbelief. With the TripAdvisor reviews of the murderous Hawaiian and Sicilian resorts, the new Black Dahlia Thailand rebrand might have guests. OTOH the White Lotus Thailand would be empty.
Threader #2: If the Four Seasons had a messy murder, it would be national news. If a year later, an Italian Four Seasons had a grizzly multi-death situation involving a con, the original murder would again be in the news. I just don’t see the Thailand property still flagging as Four Seasons.
Threader #3: Also we live in the true crime era, I’m sorry but 5* resorts are simply not hosing dozens of covered up murders.
It’s almost as if people have never stayed in a luxury-resort-slash-crime-scene before.
But I have. Twice (I mean, we stayed at the luxury-resort-slash-crime-scene twice. Not two murders at the same place. That would cause a pause in even my luxury-resort-loving self. Maybe. Well….probably not, actually.)
I’m talking, of course, about the St. Regis Bali, which we stayed at back in 2014, just TWO WEEKS after Heather Mack and her boyfriend bludgeoned her mother to death and tried to sneak her body out of the hotel in an oversized suitcase.
We also stayed there for our first post-COVID international trip in 2022.
And we tried to stay at the St. Regis Bali in 2017, but got bumped for a WTO ministerial and had to “make do” with a stay at the St. Regis Maldives.
The St. Regis Bali is my favorite luxury resort that we’ve ever stayed in, despite the unfortunate murder situation in 2014. It was (and still is) very, very lovely.
All this to say that I would definitely go to a White Lotus resort, despite the frequency of murders and mishaps on their properties. In fact, I would actually expect a very high level of discretion from luxury resorts and their employees, and not a peep about any recent murders or accidents.
And, I don’t appear to be the only one who won’t let a little murder get in the way of a luxury vacation, based on this September 2014 Trip Advisor review for St. Regis Bali:
Before checking in, I had some major concerns due to some communication problems with the hotel regarding the murder. I called the hotel about my concerns and the manager told me he would call me back in 15 minutes but the phone never rang. I had to call back 3 times to discuss my inquiry and by then I was about to cancel my stay and book somewhere else. My husband spoke to the Director of Sales and we ended up staying at the resort. I was skeptical at first but the stay was absolutely incredible. Top notch service from everyone and the property is stunning. I won’t go into detail about the property like everyone else but customer service has been excellent.
So, Mike White, if you ever need any background extras for a future edition of The White Lotus, just let me know. I won’t let a little murder get in the way of a good vacation.
(Here’s a review of the various locations where season 3 was filmed, and I must say, I want to stay at all of them.)
(Also: My own theory on who dies – the gunshots in the beginning are a red herring. The monkeys have gotten ahold of Gaitpok’s gun and are having a field day with it. But the body floating in the pool is one of the Ratliffs. I think LorazepamTim makes a pong-pong protein shake to off himself to avoid going to jail, but his golden boy, Saxon accidentally drinks it and dies instead. Mike White loves a tragic, ironic accident – Armond getting accidentally shanked, Tanya avoiding murder just to fall and hit her head – so that’s my theory. Ironic accident.)