The White Lotus creator Mike White is not holding back after his star composer announced that he would not be returning for season 4. i6a4p

“I honestly don’t know what happened,” White told Howard Stern in a recent interview. “Except now I’m reading his interviews because he decides to do some PR campaign about him leaving the show.” White is referring to Cristóbal Tapia de Veer, the three-time Emmy-winning composer of the show’s main title theme and other compositions including “Mysterious Monkeys” and “In the Sandbox.” Three days before the season 3 finale, de Veer announced that he would not be returning for season 4, citing creative differences with White as the primary reason.

“We already had our last fight forever, I think,” de Veer told The New York Times. “So [White] was just saying no to anything… I announced to the team a few months ago that I was not coming back, that I was leaving.” de Veer claims that his and White’s disagreements began during season 1, when White didn’t initially care for the eerie “ooh-loo-loo-loo” sounds that The White Lotus has since become famous for. When the signature sound was pulled from the season 3 title theme, “Enlightenment,” fans were outraged, prompting de Veer to release a fuller version of the song ⏤ complete with the “ooh-loo-loo-loos” ⏤ on YouTube. Though White claims that he and de Veer “never feuded,” it appears that the damage has been done ⏤ and he’s not being shy about his disgust.

“I don’t think I ever had a fight with him — except for maybe some emails,” White told Stern. “It was basically me giving him notes. I don’t think he liked to go through the process of getting notes from me, or wanting revisions, because he didn’t respect me. I knew he wasn’t a team player and that he wanted to do it his way. I was thrown that he would go to The New York Times to s⏤ on me and the show three days before the finale. It was kinda of a b⏤ move.”

White took things a step further when he compared the off-screen drama to a common trope explored on his show: monkeys. “By the time the third season came around, [de Veer had] won Emmys and he had his song go viral, he didn’t want to go through the process with me, he didn’t want to go to sessions. He would always look at me with this contemptuous smirk on his face like he thought I was a chimp or something … he’s definitely making a big deal out of a creative difference.” The “monkey” theme began during the show’s first season and reappeared in season 3, when the new cast of characters retreated to a White Lotus hotel in Thailand. Though some fans theorized that the monkeys were ultimately going to be the season’s killers, the explosive season 3 finale quickly proved otherwise.

In light of the very public drama between White and de Veer, the chances of them creatively reuniting for season 4 are as slim as Jennifer Coolidge returning as Tanya McQuoid. de Veer didn’t even want to watch the season 3 finale, telling The Cut that he might do so “in 20 years.” White, meanwhile, is busy celebrating the season 3 finale breaking ratings records on Max, with 6.2 million viewers tuning in to see who died and who was responsible. White revealed to Stern that, in light of the achievement, he and HBO are “renegotiating” his deal ahead of season 4.

As for where season 4 might take place, White has already suggested what he’d like to veer away from, which should make for a refreshing change of pace. After already tackling such meaty topics as familial relationships, sexuality, and spirituality in the first three seasons, it’s anyone’s guess where he’ll go next, or who he might bring back. Patrick Schwarzenegger, who played Saxon Ratliff in season 3, has allegedly heard rumblings of an “all star” fourth season in which any surviving characters could return. White has not yet confirmed this, but he did have one giddy reminder for viewers eagerly awaiting the new season’s arrival: “There’s always room for more murders at the White Lotus hotels.” Gulp.

There were multiple moments from The White Lotus’ season three finale that raised eyebrows, but a recent ission by series creator Mike White about the unaired fate of two characters might just take the cake. 

The eighth and final episode of the HBO show’s third installment aired the week, and while fans have been left with dozens of unanswered questions (what was the point of Mook? And what is with the slow pacing?), White has revealed that he almost raised more questions in the form of a pivotal scene between Piper Ratliff (played by Sarah Catherine Hook) and Zion Lindsey (played by Nicholas Duvernay) that never made it into the season finale episode. 

While the storylines of the two characters never intersect in season three, White said that wasn’t always the case, revealing he had actually written a scene in which Piper loses her virginity to Zion. So, excuse me for a moment while I howl like a Ko Samui monkey. “The part that was cut, too, is that [Piper] decides to lose her virginity in the last episode, and she actually has sex with Zion,” White said on an episode of the official White Lotus companion podcast.

“There’s a whole scene where [Piper] leaves the monastery she’s like, ‘I need to have sex’ and she’s scoping the restaurant,” White added. While that description alone is enough to provide ample material for my White Lotus fanfic, the series creator went on to explain why the scene was cut from the episode, citing timing and the jarring tone of a “rom-com vibe” within the otherwise-sombre finale. “The finale is an hour and a half already and it would have added ten minutes to the thing,” White said. 

Piper was originally going to lose her virginity to Belinda's son, Zion, in #TheWhiteLotus Season 3 finale.

“That part was cut, which is very disappointing," says Mike White. “There’s this whole scene where she’s like, ‘It’s true. Saxon is right about this one thing. I need to… pic.twitter.com/psuF6hYJET

— Variety (@Variety) April 7, 2025

“It had a little bit of rom-com vibe, in the middle of [Tim] trying to kill the family with the pong-pong fruits, so it just felt like I was trying to do too much narratively.” While it (regrettably) never made it to screen, the sex scene does provide context for Piper’s character arc, since she finishes her Thailand holiday in complete contrast to her brother, Saxon (played by Patrick Schwarzenegger). “It’s a reversal,” White said. “At the end when they’re on the boat, [Piper is] just thinking about how she got nicely f***** and Saxon’s reading his self-help book.” 

Speaking of Saxon, I’m glad White didn’t reveal any scrapped scenes involving the eldest brother and Piper, since season three has enough incestuous vibes as it is. Piper wasn’t the only Ratliff sibling who had a scene cut from the finale, with Sam Nivola — who plays the… shall we say, handsy, youngest brother Lochlan — also revealing that a scene involving him and a body bag was removed from the episode. Of course, we now know the fate of the twisted (yet utterly watchable) Ratliffs, and something tells me that even a spicy rendezvous with Zion wouldn’t have saved Piper from her doomed family. 

the way this is the funniest scene of white lotus though she gave him the thumbs up and he added piper to the list pic.twitter.com/EIOhVcMR6h

— keshawn (@shawnzlyfe) April 7, 2025

Elsewhere in the Lotus-verse, it was revealed earlier this week that Woody Harrelson was in talks to play Frank before the role went to Sam Rockwell, and we also learned the one location where season four definitely won’t be taking place. It’s issions like White’s that make me yearn for the DVD era, so I could watch the scene he mentioned in the extras. For research purposes only, obviously.

We’re all still reeling from the events of The White Lotus season three finale, but series creator Mike White has promptly responded to one of the lingering criticisms of the show. 

In case you missed it, the third installment of Rich White People Behaving Horribly completed its eight-episode run this week, finally revealing exactly which Rich White People ended up in the body bag. In between all of this season’s buzzy moments, from Parker Posey’s delicious North Carolina accent to Jason Isaacs’ robe-less scene, one of the persistent throughlines in the commentary was that this season of The White Lotus was the most boring. 

Yeah the White Lotus Season Finale STINKS

Very unsatisfying end to a very boring season. The finale was a microcosm of the season, way too long, very boring, with virtually nothing happening for most of it. This final episode could have been 30 minutes, didn’t need to be 1.5… pic.twitter.com/kF3UnGWblU

— Justin Dubin, MD (@justindubinmd) April 7, 2025

It was a sentiment that was echoed by both audiences and critics, but White — who wrote and directed all of the episodes — has responded to the critique in a particularly spicy way. Speaking of the season as a whole on a recent episode of The White Lotus official companion podcast, White reminded fans that his show has never really been about the murder mystery plot that anchors it, and is instead about “the vibe” and “world building” that orbits each season. “There was complaining about how there’s no plot,” White said, “that part I find weird.” 

“It never did… part of me is just like bro, this is the vibe, I’m world building.” White went on to compare his writing style to that of “edging” (if you know, you know), and said those who aren’t a fan of that style should “get out of my bed. “I’m edging you,” he explained. “Enjoy the edging. If you don’t want to be edged, then get out of my bed.” Going a step further (after all, this is the guy who has delivered us almost too many bizarre TV sexual encounters to name), White then described those opposed to his “edging” writing style as “bossy bottoms” (again, if you know, you know). 

Mike White on viewers complaining about ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3 being too boring:

“If you don’t want to go to bed with me, get out of my bed. I’m edging you! Enjoy the edging! If you don’t want to be edged, get out of my bed. Don’t be a bossy bottom.”
pic.twitter.com/7Rjmcx4wYg

— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) April 7, 2025

“Don’t be a bossy bottom,” he said to naysayers who wanted more out of the plot. “Get the f*** out of my bed, don’t come home with me. Obviously something is going to happen.” Whether or not White’s response compensates for season three’s failings will depend on what you expect from a season of The White Lotus. For this writer, it has always been a show for nosy busybodies who relish in eavesdropping on the juicy dramas of strangers; a conceit which is far more compelling (to me, at least) than the mystery behind who dies by the end of the season. 

White, too, has always made clear that he is more interested in the interpersonal dynamics of the characters — and how the specific setting of each season influences them — than he is in the plot device of the central murder. Even with that understanding, though, some criticisms of this season are well placed. Perhaps it was the extended episode count (season three had two extra episodes than season one) that’s to blame for the criticism that it was meandering. 

Whatever the case, even those who deemed season three ‘boring’ are surely still recovering from the finale which, without spoiling anything, has left an Amy Lou Wood-sized hole in my heart. Curse you, Walton Goggins! We already know that season four is in the works, so who’s prepared to be edged for eight weeks all over again?

The hit HBO show The White Lotus just wrapped up its third season with another dramatic finale, leaving fans excited for details about season four. While the exact setting is still a secret, the show’s creator, Mike White, has dropped some big hints that rule out a few possibilities. To make sense of these clues, we need to look at how the show has developed so far and what the production team has said publicly.

The first three seasons all followed a similar pattern: they took place at high-end beach resorts. Hawaii, Sicily, and Thailand all provided beautiful oceanfront backdrops, with the story often highlighting the sound of waves and rocky shores. However, According to Today, White has made it clear that he wants to move away from this style for season four. When he said he wants to step back from the “crashing waves and rocks” vibe, it strongly suggests the next season won’t be set by the sea, which narrows down the possible locations.

That doesn’t mean the show will lose its dark humor, social satire, or tense drama. White has promised HBO that “there’s always room for more murders at the White Lotus hotels,” so the core of the series will stay the same, even if the scenery changes.

White Lotus season 4 will be somewhere close 3pzg

Another important factor is the deal between HBO and the Four Seasons hotel chain. This partnership, officially announced in October 2024, means future seasons will continue to be filmed at Four Seasons properties. While this limits the options, it also guarantees the same level of luxury that fits the show’s style.

This deal, along with HBO executive sca Orsi’s announcement to Deadline in February that they were scouting locations in Europe, makes it very likely that season four will be set at a European Four Seasons. Orsi didn’t give specifics, but her comment reinforces the idea that Europe is the top choice.

However, White’s well-known dislike of cold weather cuts down the options even more. Executive producer Dave Bernard confirmed that a ski resort is out of the question because White prefers warmer places. This means many mountain or high-altitude resorts in Europe won’t be considered.

Looking at the list of possible Four Seasons locations in Europe, we can eliminate several right away. Big cities like London, Paris, and Istanbul probably won’t be chosen because the show has always focused on more remote, resort-style settings. The same goes for other major cities like Madrid, Lisbon, Geneva, and Prague. That leaves a smaller group of potential spots, mostly secluded resorts or countryside properties in Europe.

One article listed a few possible Four Seasons locations, including Athens, the French Riviera, Hampshire (England), Mallorca, and Megève (). Megève’s Four Seasons is open year-round, but since it’s in the French Alps and White doesn’t like cold weather, it’s probably not the pick. That leaves the Four Seasons Astir Palace in Athens, the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat on the French Riviera, the Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire, and the Four Seasons Resort Mallorca as the most likely options—though even these depend on whether the setting is more inland or still near the water.

In the end, all signs point to a European Four Seasons location, but the exact choice is still a mystery. There’s always a small chance the show could surprise everyone and go somewhere outside Europe, despite the location scouting and the Four Seasons deal. We’ll just have to wait and see where The White Lotus heads next.

When you consider her impressive catalog, it’s pretty bizarre that Nicole Kidman wasn’t the frontrunner to star in The White Lotus. Perhaps nobody expected it to blow up the way it did? Season 1 of the dark-comedy became an instant hit, and nowadays, the cast announcement of subsequent seasons have gained almost as much hype as the show itself. 

Three seasons in, and ing The White Lotus cast is starting to become a Hollywood aspiration, almost in the same way that ing an MCU project used to be, once upon a time. But as one of the finest actresses to grace the screen, Kidman does possess the kind of unhinged class that would make her the perfect guest at the hotel (just check her out in The Perfect Couple or Big Little Lies). But would she even take the role if she was offered? 

Nicole Kidman “loves” The White Lotus 336f

Kidman has been promoting her latest film, Holland. At the film’s premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival, Kidman shared her thoughts on The White Lotus with IndieWire. The actress revealed that she absolutely adores not just Mike White, but the show itself. When asked if she’d ever star in the series, she became the ultimate fangirl. 

I don’t think I’ve ever been asked. I’m a massive fan of Mike White, so I would do anything he writes because I just think he’s phenomenal. I love The White Lotus, so there you go.

And now, the question on everyone’s mind is whether Mike White has rightfully made the call assuring her of her spot in season 4. We can only hope!

Meanwhile, Nicole Kidman’s latest endeavor is the mystery thriller Holland. She plays a teacher in a small town, who suspects her husband of having an affair. However, as she begins to uncover the truth, she finds out more than she bargained for. The film was directed by Mimi Cave and written by Andrew Sodroski. Holland is set to premiere on March 27 on Amazon Prime. 

The White Lotus season 3 is in full swing 3e4k4r

On the surface, The White Lotus has a straightforward premise. Each season follows the guests and staff of a luxury resort chain over a week. However, the drama and mystery comes from the characters, their relationships, personalities and secrets. Therefore, multiple layers are revealed, often resulting in dramatic, or chaotic situations.

Season 1 was set in Maui, Hawaii, while season 2 was set in Sicily, Italy. Season 3 takes place in Thailand and follows the guests and staff, this time at a luxury wellness retreat. The season introduces us to its main characters early on, establishing the new ensemble. 

First, we meet the Ratliff family: Timothy and Victoria Ratliff, played by Jason Isaacs and Parker Posey, as well as their three children, Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger), Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook), and Lochlan (Sam Nicole), who each have unique personalities. We are also introduced to Kate, Laurie, and Jaclyn (Leslie Bibb, Carrie Coon, and Michelle Monaghan), three friends on a girl’s trip to reunite after years spent apart. 

On the staff’s side, we meet the hotel’s manager Fabian, and its co-owner, Sritala, played by Christian Friedel and Lek Patravadi. Other cast include Morgan O’Reilly, Walton Goggins, Aimee Lee Wood, and Lalisa Manoban, among others.

The White Lotus has already been greenlit for a fourth season but we don’t know much about it yet. HBO EVP sca Orsi revealed to Deadline that location scouting has already begun. Moreover, the season might be set somewhere in Europe. Nonetheless, we need Kidman on screen this time.

If there is one thing that we love about Survivor, it is that the casting department knocks it out of the park when it comes to choosing its castaways.

Each and every season, a wide range of personalities are brought together on a single beach, all in an attempt to achieve the same goal in the end: Taking home $1 million and the title of “Sole Survivor.” Naturally, we have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to Survivor contestants, with different individuals iring different styles of gameplay.

From villains like Tony Vlachos to heroes like Cirie Fields, with contestants like Benjamin “Coach” Wade, Aubry Bracco, Yau-Man Chan, Kelly Wentworth, Jonathan Penner, and more in between, see a few of the individuals who the Survivor 45 castaways have deemed to be their favorite players of all time in via Entertainment Weekly.

Tony Vlachos (Survivor: Cagayan, Survivor: Game Changers, Survivor: Winners at War) 471l5e

Naturally, two-time Survivor winner Tony Vlachos received quite a bit of praise from the Survivor 45 castaways, with Sifu Alsup, Kaleb Gebrewold, Jake O’Kane, and Kendra McQuarrie deeming him as one of their favorite players of all time.

“He played so differently and just set the pace the whole time,” Sifu gushed, before praising Tony for his hilarious confessionals, innovative spy shacks and bunkers, and more.

As a matter of fact, his one-of-a-kind gameplay is what made Sifu think about applying for the hit competition show in the first place — how sweet is that?

“I think that right there set the pace for me to really want to get in this game and try new things, because it showed me that you can be yourself, you can have fun, you can be ferocious, and also have a good time at the same time,” the Survivor 45 castaway continued ionately.

To follow up Sifu’s heartwarming commentary, Kaleb had some very similar comments to make about Tony, also praising him for his ability to have fun while playing such an intense game: “Tony, I think is just that perfect balance of, you know, being really strategic and making really great personal relationships, but also making a great show and finding moments to have fun in the process and reminding people that this is a fun experience. He’s by far my favorite player.”

While Sifu and Kaleb ired the entertaining nature of Tony’s gameplay, Jake can’t get enough of the hold he had on his fellow castaways as well: “There’s no one who has been more entertaining to watch and more creative with their strategy as they enter the game. The way he is able to cut people’s throats and then come back and be like, ‘No, no, no, no, no. This was good. This was good for us.’ It was not good for them, but he could just convince them, and I just thought he was the best.”

To sum up the thoughts of ALL of the Survivor 45 castaways, as well as viewers back home, Kendra said it best: “I freaking love Tony.”

Cirie Fields (Survivor: Panama, Survivor: Micronesia, Survivor: Heroes vs Villains, Survivor: Game Changers) 2v44q

While Tony is often seen as controversial castaway, four-time Survivor player (and current Big Brother houseguest) Cirie Fields is truly an angel.

While Julie Alley itted that she was impressed by the gameplay of Jesse Lopez throughout Survivor 43, she deemed Cirie to be the player that inspired her to apply for Survivor altogether: “I was first inspired by Cirie because, I mean, she’s amazing. Even though she didn’t win, she’s just amazing, and I guess it just spoke to me — ‘Get off the couch. Let’s try something. Let’s do it.’ That was my motivation.”

As for Sabiyah Broderick, she had a lot to say about Cirie, praising her for the authenticity she demonstrated throughout her respective Survivor journeys.

“She didn’t really try to change too much about herself for the game,” she explained. “It was kind of just like, every ball that was pitched to her, she tried her best to hit it, you know, and it wasn’t like she’s out here scurrying for idols. It’s not like she’s out here trying to be a challenge beast, but she’s been to the end multiple times.”

Just like several Survivor superfans, Sabiyah thinks Cirie would have taken home $1 million and the title of “Sole Survivor at the end of Survivor: Game Changers if it were not for the unfortunate circumstances. For those who need a refresher, Cirie made history as the only castaway to be eliminated with no votes cast against her, simply because she was the only one left vulnerable after numerous advantages and hidden immunity idols were played — poor thing!

“One of the times that she got voted out, it was like a Survivor historic moment,” the 28-year-old dished. “I really felt like that would have been her year that she should have won. She was playing a great game, and it was so under the radar.”

With gameplay aside, Sabiyah also itted that she looks up to Cirie as an individual: “I’m a fan in real life, so I follow her on social media and I see that she’s, you know, in the medical field and a great mom and stuff like that, so it just creates this sense of normalcy to a Survivor idol that I really, really appreciate.”

Mike White (Survivor: David vs Goliath) t6t64

Given that Brandon Donlon is as big of a Survivor superfan as they come (applying for the hit competition show ever since he was eleven years old), his favorite castaway is bound to be a great pick — with Mike White taking the cake, our speculation could not be more accurate!

itting that The White Lotus creator was his all time favorite player before the Emmy Award-winning television show even began, Brandon gushed about everything he loves about the one and only Mike White.

“Mike White balances the two things that I love about Survivor, which is fantastic storytelling — He’s one of the best confessional givers ever to be on the show, which is very natural because he’s a writer. He knows what he’s doing — and also, his social game… He was so funny. He was a good guy to be around, to have around, and that’s what people cited at the Final Tribal Council. He was just a light in the camp,” the 26-year-old shared.

Parvati Shallow (Survivor: Cook Islands, Survivor: Micronesia, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, Survivor: Winners at War) 2t2w5p

Of course two of the strong females of Survivor 45, J. Maya and Kellie Nalbandian, named Parvati Shallow to be their all time favorite castaway — she is as big of a girlboss as they come!

J. Maya began by gushing about how “Parvati is the name of a powerful Hindu goddess,” which is extra special to her due to her strong faith. To follow, she dove into her one-of-a-kind gameplay.

“She’s amazing,” the talented singer-songwriter gushed. “I love how she wields people’s perception of her to her advantage. She can come across as this like really bubbly, happy-go-lucky woman, which I think some people put hand-in-hand with not a threat, which I think is silly because obviously as we know Parvati was able to read other people’s read on her and then use that to her advantage and show later in the game how much of a strategic mastermind she truly is.”

While J. Maya praised Parvati’s strategic prowess, Kellie was stunned by her ability to use her femininity to her advantage, ultimately setting a precedent for all of the female castaways that were to come.

“Parvati, you know, I think she really opened the door for women to play a more cutthroat game, and she took a lot of heat for it I think at the time, and so I really respect her,” she shared. “I think she demonstrates an ability for a woman to be, you know, like charming and use her feminine wiles and just general social abilities, but also be aggressive and ruthless, and I think sometimes people pigeonhole people whether you’re a man or a woman into one of those two categories, and I really like that she sort of threaded the needle there.”

Kass McQuillen (Survivor: Cagayan, Survivor: Cambodia) 192v1u

If you could guess one Survivor 45 castaway who picked Kass McQuillen as her favorite contestant of all time, of course it was the one and only Emily Flippen.

She shared “I’ve developed this really strong affinity towards Kass, because I did go through the Survivor process and took my personality test and I was told, ‘Hey, you know, your results are really similar to Kass'” — go figure!

“At first I was taken aback, but now I realize that’s such a massive compliment. I love the way that Kass played her game, because she was really direct, she took no b******t, and she wasn’t afraid to just be herself,” Emily continued, naming quite a few qualities that are similar to her own gameplay.

The investment analyst concluded, “Her personality, her aggression (I say in the most kind way possible), and her forthrightness. I mean, those are the aspects that I think Kass and I have a lot in common, and I watched those seasons back and how could anybody watch that and think Kass is the villain? She’s obviously the hero.”

“Boston” Rob Mariano (Survivor: Marquesas, Survivor: All-Stars, Survivor: Heroes vs Villains, Survivor: Redemption Island, Survivor: Winners at War) 8352d

Last, but certainly not least, of course the Survivor 45 castaways named “Boston” Rob Mariano as one of their all time favorite players — playing the game five different times, he is truly the king of Survivor!

Dee Valladares kicked off the conversation, praising Rob’s social game: “I would say Boston Rob. He knows how to understand people and what drives them, and I think that that has gotten him obviously the win and far in games. He’s a master, I don’t want to say manipulator, [but] maybe like a master persuader.”

“We’ve seen it multiple times where people suck in physical challenges and they get to the end, and it’s because they understood people and what drives them and what makes them tick,” she continued, highlighting Rob’s incredible ability to read people.

To follow, Katurah Topps praised Rob for his one-of-a-kind gameplay as well, in addition to his good looks.

After gushing about how he is “so sexy,” she shared, “His leadership style, obviously it was a little like cult-like and like unhealthy, but he did it in a way where people didn’t realize they were being led to slaughter until they were already there, and you know, I kind of liked that idea of just like slowly coaxing people where they just feel like they want to follow you. They just feel like they just need to follow you, and then, you know, you execute however you need to.”

With names like Brad Culpepper, Cody Assenmacher, Natalie Anderson, Carolyn Wiger, Todd Herzog, Jeremy Collins, and more thrown in there as well, there were just sooooo many players to choose from.

To see if any of the Survivor 45 castaways become legends like the names listed above, catch brand new episodes every Wednesday at 8pm ET/PT on CBS.

A fan-favorite character from season one of The White Lotus is set to make a return for the series’ third installment. Natasha Rothwell, who portrayed Belinda Lindsey in the HBO series’ first outing, will reprise her role as a begrudging spa manager in season three, as reported by Deadline. Fans of the Mike White satire will that by the end of season one, Belinda was left somewhat grifted after Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya McQuoid didn’t follow through on her promise of funding the masseur’s prospective wellness centre. 

Rothwell s Coolidge in reprising her White Lotus role, following the latter’s return to the second season last year. Rothwell — who was nominated for an Emmy for her role in the anthology series’ first season — could be ed again in the season three cast by Connie Britton. The actress played businesswoman Nicole Mossbacher in season one, and told Deadline that after conversations with White, her “intention” is to return to the third season. 

“I would love to see a spinoff on every character in that show,” Britton said. Earlier this year, it was confirmed that season three of The White Lotus will be set in the fictional hotel’s Thailand location, though details beyond its setting remain relatively scarce. Following the season two finale late last year, White did tease that the season could focus on Eastern religion. 

“The first season we highlighted money and then the second season is sex and I think the third season, it would be maybe a kind of satirical and funny look at death in Eastern religion and spirituality,” White said per Deadline. “It feels like it could be a rich tapestry to do another round at White Lotus.”  Beyond Rothwell, the cast for The White Lotus season three has not yet been revealed, though Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Lee Curtis and James Marsden have all thrown their hats in the ring. 

Last month, Aniston expressed interest in portraying McQuoid’s younger sister, while Marsden said he was “in for” ing the cast. Curtis, meanwhile, itted in February that while she doesn’t “know what it is,” she’d be happy to star in The White Lotus season three.    

HBO’s ever-popular comedy extravaganza The White Lotus brought an abundance of laugh-out-loud moments and genuine humor that has buried deep within the minds of television fanatics all around the world. Unfortunately for some, iconic star Jennifer Coolidge, fresh on the heels of her first Golden Globes win for her role in the series, spoiled season two’s jaw-dropping ending during her acceptance speech.

In the aforementioned speech, which you can watch for yourself below, Coolidge spoiled the fact that her character dies, showered praise upon creator Mike White, and made him well up in the process. And that was all in just one single breath. White was undoubtedly overcome with emotion in the aftermath of Coolidge’s words, where she humbly thanked White for giving her the chance of a lifetime after years of professional struggles.

It was a momentary break from Coolidge’s traditional parade of comedy, but it was a truly heartwarming moment that showcased her triumphant return to the headlines and her profound performance in one of the hottest shows of the last decade.  In addition to that, it certainly touched White on a deeply personal level — which goes to show that he made the correct choice of adding the acclaimed actress to the cast.

From here, it’s safe to say that Coolidge’s career will continue to skyrocket as more offers from different shows will surely pile in. Until then, The White Lotus can be streamed now on HBO Max, but we’re definitely sorry about those unexpected spoilers for you new fans.

Well, it’s official: Mike White has struck gold once again with season 2 of The White Lotus, which many fans think has eclipsed even the stellar first season. Most likely, the HBO anthology series is once again going to be awards show fodder, as season 1 cleaned up at the Emmys earlier this year — not to mention giving star Jennifer Coolidge her first-ever win.

And although the finale just aired on Sunday night, Monday morning’s Golden Globe nominations have already earned the sophomore series a slew of nods.

The White Lotus scored a Golden Glove nomination for Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television, alongside Black Bird, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, Pam and Tommy, and The Dropout. Interestingly enough, the latter two series lost to season 1 at the 2022 Emmys, due to the respective awards shows qualifying periods.

Likewise, both Jennifer Coolidge (Tanya) and Aubrey Plaza (Harper) earned noms for Best Performance by an Actress in a ing Role in a Series, Limited Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television, while F. Murray Abraham (Bert, the patriarch of the Di Grasso family) was nominated in the male category.

However, with not all of the episodes having aired at the time of the nominations (and critics screeners for the season 2 finale, in particular, kept under lock and key by HBO), there were also some unfortunate snubs.

Not nominated were Meghann Fahy (Daphne), Tom Hollander (Quentin), Sabrina Impacciatore (Valentina), Haley Lu Richardson (Portia), Simona Tabasco (Lucia) and Beatrice Granno (Mia). The exclusions of Fahy, who gave an outstanding performance in the finale, and Richardson, who has become a fan favorite, are of particular note.

The biggest question come Globes time will not be if the series (a shoe-in) or Abraham (who faces formidable competition from Domhnall Gleeson for FX’s The Patient) wins, but whether Coolidge or Plaza clinches it. Claire Danes is likewise nominated in the same category for Hulu’s excellent Fleishman Is in Trouble, and given how book readers know the series will play out, there’s a good chance she stands to walk away with the award.

We’ll find out soon enough. The 80th Golden Globe Awards will telecast on Jan. 10. on NBC, with comedian Jerrod Carmichael picking up the hosting duties.

Spoilers ahead for the season 2 finale of The White Lotus, “Arrivederci…”

Well, we finally learned whose body was found in the water at the beginning of season 2 of The White Lotus. Viewers were shocked to learn that it was none other than returning character Tanya McQuoid, who died falling off the yacht during her escape attempt and boinking her head — but not before singlehandedly taking out a faction of murderous gays and one mafia-adjacent.

Although she finally put the scheme together, which was evidently orchestrated by her husband Greg (John Gries), who seemingly worked with Quentin (Tom Hollander) on a plot to murder her so he would inherit her fortune and they could split the cash — Tanya ultimately died as stupidly as she apparently had lived. But at least her death will not have been in vain, as fans are have been mourning the character with an outpouring of memes that will keep her alive in our hearts.

After the finale aired, HBO ran a short featurette with series creator Mike White who explained why it had to be Tanya all along, and how the cards were actually in play all the way back in the season 1 finale, via The Wrap.

“In the end of last season, Tanya is sitting with Greg in the last episode and he’s talking about his health issues and she says, ‘I’ve had every kind of treatment over the years. Death is the last immersive experience I haven’t tried.’ And I was thinking it’d be so fun to bring Tanya back because she’s such a great character, but maybe that’s the journey for her is like a journey to death.

And not that I really wanted to kill Tanya because I love her as a character and I obviously love Jennifer. But I just felt like you know we’re going to Italy, she’s such a diva, larger-than-life female archetype, it just felt like we could devise our own operatic conclusion to Tanya’s life and her story.”

However, White also explained why Tanya had to die in a way that only Tanya could. Sure, she could have climbed down the back of the yacht’s ladder to reach the boat, or just jumped in the water, or used one of the dead men’s phones to call for help. Or even just waited out the situation!

“I just think her dying at the hands of someone else felt too tragic. It felt like she needed to give her best fight back, and that she in a way had some kind of victory over whoever was conspiring to get rid of her. So it just made me laugh to think she would take out [this] cabal of killers and that after she successfully does that, she just dies this derpy death. It just felt like that’s so Tanya.”

White also teased season 3, which the series has already been renewed for. If the pattern continues, it only makes sense that a season 2 character will turn up in a new location with a cast of all new characters. And there are loose strings left hanging! After all, Portia knows things, and surely Greg isn’t in the clear? At the very least, Portia might put it together why Greg really, really didn’t want her in Sicily when they first arrived.

“I think as far as what happens to Greg and the conspiracy of Tanya’s death, it’s possible that I think Portia is scared enough to just leave it alone but the fact that all of those guys die on the boat feels like there’s gotta be somebody who’s gonna track it back down to Greg. But maybe you’ll have to wait to find out what happens.”

Season 3 can’t get here fast enough.

Warning: Spoilers for The White Lotus to follow.

With two seasons officially wrapped as of yesterday, one can’t help but wonder how much more depravity the walls of the White Lotus can afford to bear witness to. Indeed, the site of Mike White‘s electrifying HBO Max series of the same name may have a third season getting prepped for the oven as we speak, but, while it’s certain to remain close to the hearts of critics, we can’t imagine the titular resort will have much in the way of resale value if it continues to attract guests of such unprecedented moral fragility.

The name of the game for The White Lotus involves the loss of life and boatloads of infidelity taking its place, and while the events of the second season saw poor Tanya fight for her life against her treacherous husband Greg and his pack of hired guns, it was gravity that ultimately claimed her, taking a plunge off of Quentin’s yacht after killing him, Niccolo, and the rest of his mafia cronies in self-defense.

With Tanya’s body washed up on shore, Greg’s end seems to have been met in spite of the unexpected means, and everyone’s new premier candidate for a human punching bag looks poised to collect the nastiest life insurance in the history of fictional television. But fans of the show have their faith readily placed in the wrath of karma, which they pray will send a fan-favorite character back to the White Lotus to get revenge.

It seems that all eyes are on White to bring Portia, the assistant of the late Tanya, back for season three, in hopes that she quickly evolves into the vessel of retribution that will bring Greg to his knees.

And with every ing tweet, it almost seems to be written in the stars.

And even if a vengeful Portia isn’t on the cards, hopefully, that life insurance money gets redirected to her instead. If we can’t outrightly murder Greg, we can at least give him a slap in the face.

And from this point on, we’ll be keeping a sharp eye on the online activity of Haley Lu Richardson in hopes that she lets slip her continued involvement with White’s masterclass anthology series.

The first and second seasons of The White Lotus are available to stream on HBO Max, with a third on the way.

This article contains spoilers for the season finale of The White Lotus

The White Lotus season two has just wrapped up with a truly barnstorming finale. The episode provided answers viewers have been demanding throughout the show’s run, delivering a pile of bodies to leave fans astounded at where the third run can go from here.

Creator Mike White has now gone into detail with Deadline on what he describes as an “operatic conclusion” for Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya, one of the show’s best characters (with Coolidge scoring a well-deserved Emmy for Outstanding ing Actress for the role), and what the future might hold for the show’s not-so-happy couples.

“The question of whether Harper and Cameron did more than the kiss, I think probably that’s just all that happened. At the same time, there’s some time that isn’t really ed for and I think that’s why it’s eating at Ethan,” White said. “Did Ethan and Daphne have some kind of a dalliance on the island or whatever happened? That allows [Ethan] to let go of the jealousy that has been brewing with him. It kind of brings back that first kind of sexual charge that happens in the beginning of relationships and sometimes fades away over time.”

He went to tease “dark clouds” coming in the third season:

“By the end you’re like, well, maybe what Ethan and Harper needed just a small dash of what Cameron and Daphne have. It feels like Cameron to me is one of those guys that’s not really going to change. Some of the unspoken things between them, you wonder if that’s going to ultimately catch up with them. It is somewhat of a happy ending although there’s dark clouds on the horizon too.”

Fans now face an excruciating wait for the third season, though HBO seems to recognize The White Lotus‘ popularity, and may push it through as quickly as possible. As the first season aired in July 2021 and the second began in November 2022, we suspect the show will return in late 2023 or – more likely – early 2024.

As an anthology, we expect a new cast of characters to be unveiled and a fresh location (possibly somewhere in Asia), though by now White has cemented his reputation for providing a cocktail of very dark laughs and intrigue, so whatever he serves up we doubt fans will be disappointed.

The White Lotus seasons one and two are available to stream on HBO Max.