Amor Fati

Although I felt more emotionally attached to the characters of season 3, that may have been an issue.

I've been enjoying this season until this episode, which felt more like a drama than anything else. I think the season was well written until ep7, the scenery was the most beautiful of the 3 and loved the extra intensity until a certain point.

However, some ends felt loose and the show has lost its initial focus. I wasn't really interested in the comic relief previously added by Tanya, but found the more entertaining part of white lotus to be the satirical content and the unraveling rotten nature of the hotel guests highlighting real societal characteristics.

This season I felt the reverse happening, as most characters were initially shown less profound and not that relatable (except for Chelsea), and they became to grow, even sort of learning lessons by the end. I didn't find the end entertaining but rather sad.

I have mixed feelings over this season, as the characters were more relatable, but to a point where the show looses the satirical features and gains dramatic ones. This makes white lotus change direction to target another type of audience which might not be bad for them, but is bad for the fans that loved it from the start.

There are some positives regarding season 3 of The White Lotus. The setting, the tropical environment of Thailand, the cinematography, and the complete disconnection from everything made thisvery pleasant to look at - sort of an 8.5 hour commercial for Thailand. (And it was great to see actors Scott Glenn and Sam Rockwell in surprise cameo roles.) But the story, the slow pacing, the editing, and the ultimate payoff were not enough to give this season a high mark. And personally, I could have done with less male full frontal nudity.

Without giving anything away, the main cast is filled with characters that are individually arrogant, annoying, sad, timid, manipulative, narcissistic, and otherwise unpleasant to be around. You know from episode 1 (and from seasons 1 and 2) that not everyone will make it out alive. But for some of these characters, you just don't care who lives and who dies. As for the "big reveal" in the last episode, it was pretty obvious (to me anyway), which took some of the steam out of the finale.

Mike White has come a long way since his role in School Of Rock. I hope Season 4 will be a complete departure from the tropical and exotic resort settings. Does the WhiteLotus have any urban locations? Just a suggestion.

A lot of build up this season throughout every episode, a lot of tension needing to be released somewhere, a lot of pressure in every episode and a lot of journey that somehow doesn't lead anywhere. I feel like a lot of stories weren't really finished in a way they should be finished, it feels like it's not the end even though it is. There's several stories that were building up quite dynamically just for them to be let there and not be ended at all. Looks like a lot of stories, characters and things didn't really have any purpose. I don't know if that's intentional or not. In both cases, it's a bad storytelling. Jason isaacs is such a daddy tho.

To start of with the positive: This season definitely was the most suspenseful of the three. The tone and feel of it was great, from the scoring to the beautiful shots, to the good acting. I watched the finale on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happened. But while the conclusion of all the subplots initially seemed satisfying, it all rings a bit hollow when reflecting on it.

The previous two seasons provided great social commentary and felt like they had a real distinct 'point' to make. This season feels like it wanted to do just more of the same thing. That's not necessarily bad, but as often happens with sequels without a new idea, the writing becomes a bit stale.

As other reviewers have commented, you had to suspend your disbelief quite a lot this season for all the plot points to work. I won't spoil it, but at the end it all just doesn't really fit together. This season definitely got the style, but lacked substance. Still, a very enjoyable season and looking forward to the next.

It's hard for me to find the words to explain how I felt immediately after watching this episode. I was squirming for almost 90 minutes, and then it was done. I felt this strange mixture of relief and pity that felt more understated than the endings of other WL season finales.

Each group/couple brings specific bits of real life self-reflection that remind us that human imperfection is native. We are all flawed individuals with biased viewpoints... if that's not something to satirize, then I don't know what is.

At its roots this is a character driven show that consistently delivers complex roles and superb acting. Whether or not the ending was what you wanted isn't the point-it went where it was supposed to go. Embracing your fate is a prominent theme this season, and the ending felt true.

If I could change some of the characters decisions, I would. Not because it wasn't true to them, but because I wish better for them. The way our perceptions bend for these characters is truly something special.

This finale is of course tentative and divisive. It challenges our first impressions and is transformative for each character. Who you like and dislike isn't a determination of who's "good" or "bad" but rather a reflection of our morals and perceptions.

It may not have been as satisfying as other WL endings, but the bar was set really high.